Juniors

An important part of success on the racecourse is to be properly prepared with the right gear. Once you have the right gear, of course, you need to know how to properly care for equipment and to be disciplined in doing such.

The New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) is celebrating 15 years of serving the community this summer. NESS is an ocean adventure nonprofit that provides STEM-based education programs, on the water and off, for students from all walks of life.

True, a single small adjustments may not make the difference between first place and tenth, but a lot of these adjustments together, especially over the course of a long series (like a high school regatta or a frostbite season), will add up to a noticeable difference.

Some of the finest coaches in the sport work at JSA member clubs. Noroton Yacht Club sailor Anna-Luisa Brakman (right) ties down her mast with guidance from coach Jill Fattibene at Pequot Yacht Club’s Pixel Regatta. © jsablog.com

There are many factors that affect your performance in a race: boatspeed, strategy, tactics, and of course, a little bit of luck. But don’t overlook the importance of preparation: making sure you have everything you need to help you perform at your best and sail with maximum speed. In high school sailing, the work done to prepare before you even get to the starting line is often the difference between the top of the fleet and the middle (or worse).

If you are looking for a great place to learn how to sail, check out the program at Shennecosett Yacht Club (SYC) in Groton, CT.

After a successful first season of programs in New England, the brand new 200-foot Tall Ship, Sailing School Vessel (SSV) Oliver Hazard Perry, plans to set sail for the open ocean in 2017, heading first to Bermuda, then to Florida where she will be based through March, when she will offer opportunities for explorers of all ages to participate in one of two round-trip voyages to Cuba (March 10-18 and March 18-26); a passage from Ft. Lauderdale to Bermuda (April 2-12); or a passage from Bermuda to Newport, RI (April 14-22).

Thames YC Sailors Win Secor Volvo ‘Onboard Reporter’ Video Award

By Cooper Nefsky The Commodore Law Trophy, one of junior sailing’s oldest regattas, was hosted by Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT on June 27 & 28, 2016 and saw a variety of conditions from champagne to drifting. Throughout the regatta the atmosphere was buzzing, as the Law Trophy signals the start of the Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound’s regatta season. Julia Reynolds and Hobi Lew scored a decisive victory in the C420 class.  …

By Carina Becker Editor’s note: On June 21, 2016 seven members of the Young American Junior Big Boat Sailing Team were among the very first finishers of the 50th running of the Newport Bermuda Race. Sailing High Noon, a Tripp 41 on loan from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Sailing Foundation, these remarkable sailors (ages 15 to 18) won their class in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division and were the first recipients of the new Stephens Brothers…