Havana, May 16, (KEYSINFONET), – A boat race from Key West to Havana set sail Saturday morning, in what is believed to be the first sanctioned sailing race between the U.S. and Cuba in at least a half a century, Keysinfonet reports.

The Havana Challenge it's the second of three races in the challenge that features 16-foot Hobie catamarans.

On Saturday, a dozen Hobie cat teams are racing across the Florida Straits to Marina Hemingway about 90 miles away. Upon their arrival in Havaa, they'll be greeted by Jose Escrich, commodore of Marina Hemingway. Sunday is the awards ceremony, expected to be presided over by Key West Mayor Craig Cates.

Monday has the racers sailing with young Cuban sailors then on Tuesday, they're race around Old Town Havana and the famed Malecon oceanfront road with the Cuban national sailing team. The US racers will arrive back in Key West Thursday.