Sailing Team Recruiting Information
The unique SHS sailing team experience
How is our team unique?
- It is truly co-ed. Both girls and boys skipper as well as crew. (Different girl skippers won the intramural competitions in 2011 and 2012.)
- Sailors from all grades sail together. Skilled freshmen may sail, as crew or skipper, at the highest levels. Experienced sailors mentor those who have more to learn regardless of which class they are in. Upper classmen and freshmen sail together and become good friends.
- Some new team members are just learning to sail while others have sailed a good deal before. Some elect to crew and others opt to take the helm. There are even some who both skipper and crew throughout the season.
- The sailing team competes at multiple levels. We have meets and attend regattas at the varsity and JV level. Furthermore, our competitions may be with New England's top teams (some of which compete at the national level) or mid-level opponents.
- We see quite a variety of sailing venues. We sail at small lakes, the Charles River, Boston Harbor, various bays, and sometimes, Long Island Sound.
- Each year, we host our own regatta, the Sharon Invitational, which attracts teams from around the region. It is a full day of fleet racing, hanging out on the beach between races, grilled burgers and dogs for lunch, and trophies for the winning pairs and teams in both divisions.
- We sail in two very different types of competitions: Team racing and fleet racing. Basic sailing skills are needed in both types of racing, but the tactics, strategies, and the rules differ quite a bit.
All in all, the sailing team experience is challenging, exciting, and fun!
Learn To sail before high school
The high school sailing team can accommodate a limited number of sailors. Since the fall of 2009, there have been more prospective sailors than openings. Those with the most previous experience and the most skill are those who make the team. It is highly advisable to take at least one sailing course before joining the team. The more previous sailing experience, the better.
If you already own a sailboat, consider joining the Massapoag Yacht Club in Sharon. Besides a place to store and launch boats, they offer lessons and opportunities to race each week.
If you don't own a sailboat, try the following:
- The Town of Sharon Recreation Department offers courses at different levels during the summer. See the listings in the Tween/Teen Programs on the Recreation Department website. (NOTE: Team members and alumna often become instructors in these programs.)
- Community Boating in Boston continues to offer sailing programs on the Charles River.
- Duxbury Bay Maritime School is also an option. Check them out!
