MOUNT ARLINGTON -- It was neck-and-neck in the last stretch of the race, with a three-time Olympic winner and an aspiring Olympian alternating to take the lead in the final race of the Tomahawk Regatta, sponsored by the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club on Sunday.

The Star class sailboats were so close as to seem to touch just before the finish line, but Olympian Mark Reynolds pulled ahead a few inches to clinch the race. Rick Merriman, training for a run at the 2012 Olympics, came in second, but won the regatta, having fared better overall in the five races Saturday and Sunday.

Although it's a nonqualifying regatta, big names in the sailing world turned out to race on Lake Hopatcong this weekend due to personal ties with local members of the yacht club.

Kevin Murphy, 46, of Madison, a yacht club member who has sailed competitively in international races and served as Reynolds' crew for the regatta, helped lure two Olympic skippers to the lake this year.

Reynolds, 53, of San Diego, Calif., and Peter Bromby, 44, of Bermuda, a three-time Bacardi Cup winner and a five-time Olympic competitor, both said they traveled to Lake Hopatcong because of their friendship with Murphy.

"It's as much about the socializing as the sailing," said Bromby, who said he enjoyed the low-key, family atmosphere at this regatta. "This is very much a family club atmosphere, a lot of that has gone missing from the clubs, but that's how it should be."

Children were playing on the shore and in the club's playground during the races Sunday, which took place on the lake from about 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Several families also watched from motor boats on the lake, including Colleen Murphy, whose husband, Brian Murphy, served as Bromby's crew on the two-man boats. Bromby and Murphy were the defending champions from last year's regatta.

"It's exciting to see the top names in the sport sailing on our lake, said Colleen Murphy, of East Hanover, who was watching with sister-in-law Kim Murphy, whose husband also competed in the regatta.

The two women, who kept score during the regatta, said they treasure their time at the lake in the summers.

"You get spoiled here, it's gorgeous," said Kim Murphy, of Rockaway Township, whose family has had a home on Raccoon Island for 40 years. "And you know the kids are safe here ... Every Sunday is like being on vacation."

Relaxed atmosphere

Reynolds, who has sailed all around the world, said regattas like the one at Lake Hopatcong are more fun because everyone is relaxed, and yet the sport is still at a top level.

"This is a great place, there's nothing like this in California," Reynolds said.

Sailing on the lake is trickier than in the open waters of the ocean, the sailors said. The wind can shift quickly, they said.

"No lead is ever secure here," said Merriman, 47, of Manhattan, an Etchells world champion who was joined by Olympic competitor and Star World champion Phil Trinter as his crew. "The wind is so crazy here, you never know what's going to happen."

And yet Merriman, a Lake Hopatcong Yacht club member, said he enjoys traveling out to the lake summers.

"It's a good group of people and summers here are great," Merriman said.