The San Juan Island Outrigger Canoe and Kayak Club presents a race series at Jackson Beach on the first and third Tuesdays of every month from May to August.

Canoeists, kayakers and rowers will take off from the net shed at Jackson Beach and race around Dinner Island. Every race is sponsored by a different local restaurant, and each week racers have a chance to win a gift certificate to that restaurant.

“This series is intended to be a low-key fun set of races to encourage community participation in kayaking, canoeing and rowing,” said David Halpern, who founded the club less than two years ago.

“The community support has been terrific. We asked a few restaurants if they’d sponsor a dinner for people racing around Dinner (Island) and they all said, ‘Sure!’ ”

Series sponsors are Blue Water, China Pearl, Golden Triangle, Hungry Clam, Pazzo Vivo, Peppermill and Rocky Bay Café.

Each participant gets a raffle ticket. The fastest male and female each get three extra tickets. Placing second earns you two extra tickets and one extra for third. The winner each week is drawn from all the tickets submitted. If you win the race in a two-person kayak or a six-person outrigger canoe, everyone in the boat gets tickets.

The series is open to all human-powered boats. If you don’t have a boat but want to participate, the club can likely squeeze you into one of its six-person outrigger canoes.

There is no entry fee, but you must register from 5-5:15 p.m.