Team History

The Beginning

The genesis of the Sharon High School sailing team was a proposal to start a sailing club by a sophomore student, Sam Koval, in the fall of 2002. The idea caught on and during the ensuing years, the organization has grown to become one of the most highly respected public high school sailing programs in New England.

The club began with Bob Gaffney as coach and ten sophomore and freshman students using a motley collection of very old boats owned by the town recreation department and four old Tech dinghies borrowed from Wheaton College. Shortly afterward, the team joined division C of the Mass Bay League (MBL), a regional, co-ed sailing league of both public and private high schools organized into divisions based on school location, quality of the venue and resources, and level of competition wanted. 

A couple years after its inception, the club became a varsity sport. Bob Gaffney was quickly joined by Gary Werden as assistant coach, and in 2005 Coach Gary took over as head coach. After ten years, Bob retired from the team to spend more time on other pursuits. Expert in all facets of the coaching job, he left a big hole to be filled. Co-coaching duties since then have been handled by several top-notch assistant coaches, but Matt Johnson has ably performed the role since 2021. Matt, AKA “the Walpole kid,” practiced with our team in 2009-2010, when he went to Walpole high school.  Two coaches are a must because the team routinely has about thirty students. 

The Program Matures

As the team’s resources and skills improved, Sharon moved up to the B division and then to the A division of the Mass Bay League. We also began sailing against non-MBL teams from all around New England including Martha’s Vineyard, Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Our sailing teams’ records eventually led to invitations to sail in venues outside of New England as well.

Just six years after the team was launched, Sharon's sailors won the overall Mass Bay League Championship for the first time. This huge two-day regatta on the Charles River involves four different fleets in Mercuries as well as 420's. Only teams with depth can rank high enough in each fleet to win the overall Zimba trophy. Sharon has won six times as of 2025 and placed second or third in five other years. 

 

See below for more about our competitions and travel to some far-flung locations.

team founders

(R to L) Sam Koval who proposed creation of the team, founding Coach Bob Gaffney, and Brandon Dickerman, member of first team.

first boats

Early team's borrowed boats, sitting directly on beach without cradles.

 

Sharon sailors began to consider the sailing program offered when looking at colleges to attend after high school. Several sailed on college teams and some found other roles at various sailing venues to hold onto the sailing experience they learned to love in the Sharon sailing program. 

Sharon Team History of Competitions

Competition or Achievement

Description

Sharon Performance
New England Scholastic Sailing Association (NESSA) spring season rankings  The rankings are based on each team's performance in meets against other NESSA teams over the season and a subjective poll of all the coaches. The team ranks at the end determine who gets invited  to post-season regattas and who may qualify for national tournaments. Only the better MBL sailing teams are members of NESSA.  Routinely in the top 20 at the end of spring season. As high as 9th  out of ~30+ private and public chools. In 2017, NESSA ranked Sharon as best public school sailing team in Massachusettts
NESSA President's Team Race Regatta (Formerly known as the Mark.) Team race tournament for roughly the 8 most highly ranked NESSA teams at season end. The regatta is itself a qualifier for the national championship regatta and National Invitational tournament (NITs.) The same private schools typically dominate this competition year after year. Selected to compete in this regatta in 2016.
NESSA "Terk" Team Race Regatta  Team race tournament for the next 8 most highly ranked NESSA teams below teams invited to President's Regatta Qualified for the Terk many times. Placed  2nd in 2010, 2017, & 2023 and 3rd in 2009.
The Zimba MBL Fleet Race Championship A huge two-day championship fleet race regatta of sailing teams from  schools in the MBL held at CBI on the Charles River at the end of each spring season. It involves four different fleets and around 60 boats racing at one time  Indicating the depth of our team, we won the overall trophy in 2008, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2022, & 2023, Finished 2nd overall in 2009 & 2024 and 3rd in 2011, 2014, & 2025. Often finish first, second, or third in one or more of the four participating fleets as well.
"States" Fleet Race Championship A spring season ending fleet race regatta hosted by MIT on the Charles River for high school teams from Massachusetts Came in 2nd behind Milton, a private school, in 2023. Finished 3rd in 2022 & 2024.
The Atlantic Coast Championships (ACCs) Qualify and are invited based on performance in fall regional regattas.  Venue varies Qualified and attended in 2016 when they were held in Rochester, NY, and in 2017 when they were held in Norfolk, VA.
National Invitational Tournament (NITs) A national level fleet race tournament, typically hosted in a different region each year, for top teams from around the country who do not make it into the Baker. Earned a berth in the NIT's in 2016 when they were held in Wayzata, Minnesota.  
Sharon was chosen by NESSA to host the NITs twice.  As a consequence of the team’s excellent hosting efforts (including great food provided by their parents), Sharon was also awarded the NESSA sportsmanship award in 2022.
MBL division team race tournaments  Division A and B hold separate end of season team race tournaments to determine which school gets their division's trophy. Won the Division B trophy as a very young team, and won the Division A tournament in 2009, 2018, 2019, and 2024. Placed 2nd in Division A's tourney in 2015 and 3rd in 2010 , 2013, & 2025.
The O’Day  NESSA fleet race championship. A total of ~18 schools usually qualify at various  venues for the finals regatta which is itself a qualifier for The Mallory and Phoebe King. Qualified for the O’Day finals in 2010, 2014, & 2017. Performance in 2017 finals also qualified us to sail in the Phoebe King Regatta in Annapolis, MD.
The Donald Greene Annual fleet race regatta at Lincoln-Sudbury Won in 2012, placed 2nd in 2008 & 2018, and were 3rd in 2015 and 2019. 
The Gleekman Fall Funfest NESSA fleet race regatta that is a qualifier for the Atlantic Coast Championship.  Sharon has hosted the event several times. Sharon placed 2nd in 2016 & 2017.
The Courageous Keelboat Kickoff Regatta Annual  fleet race regatta in Rhodes 19s (keelboats)  hosted at Courageous Sailing Center usually in late March. Placed 2nd in 2010, 2011, & 2017 and 3rd in 2013 & 2015.
MBL Linda Juliano Girls’ Team Race Tournament All girls' MBL team race tournament started by Wellesley's sailing co-coach in 2018. Won 2019 and placed 2nd in 2018, 2022 & 2023.
The Herreshoff NESSA girls-only fleet race regatta. Teams compete in one of several regattas in the region to qualify for the finals.  Qualified in 2018 for the finals held that year in Newport, RI.
MBL undergrad championships (Now, the Freshman Sophomore Regatta) MBL fleet race regattas hosted by different schools each year in which varsity sailors are not invited to participate. Now, there's one regatta for sophomores and freshmen. In 2008, our sophomores won and freshmen came in 2nd. In 2014, we took 1st & 2nd, and in 2009, 2016, & 2018, we placed 2nd. We won the Freshman Sophomore regatta in 2024.
The Sharon Invitational Annual fleet race regatta at Sharon. Due to ISSA's reduction of the spring season's duration, it may not continue. We won the regatta in 2013 & 2014, placed 2nd in 2008-2010 & 2012, and finished 3rd in 2015, 2016, & 2024. 
The Arnold Brown Regatta NESSA fall fleet race regatta on Martha's Vineyard that is a qualifier for the ACCs. In 2016, we finished 2nd and qualified for the ACCs in Rochester, NY
The Casco Bay Regatta NESSA fall fleet race regatta  In Portland, ME that is another qualifier for the ACCs. In 2017, we placed 3rd and qualified for the ACCs in Norfolk, VA.