On Thursday, May 18th, we had a short organizational meeting for the upcoming fall sailing season. The following points were emphasized:
(1) All team members need to have completed a school physical. Physicals are being given today at 3:30 as have been advertised for the past few weeks. A pre-physical is required. See the trainer.
(2) All team members must be academically eligible (GPA>2.0). Also note that team membership is very time intensive with ~20 hour/week occupied with practice and regattas. You need to carefully manage studies and extracurriculars.
(3) All team members must be able to commit to the regatta schedule. The schedule has not been published for 2017 yet, but should be similar to last fall's schedule, i.e., most weekends beginning the Saturday after Memorial Day and running through the first weekend in November. If we only have two skippers and one is unable to make s scheduled regatta the team will forfeit participating that week. Yes, I do hope to have more than two skippers so we can have a reserve or two.
(4) All team members must provide a personal flotation device, preferable a Type III.
(5) The team is not a learn-to-sail opportunity. All skippers should be experienced dinghy helmsmen. "Experience" should include participating in fleet races. Boats can be anything from Optis, Sunfish, Lasers, or double-handed dinghies (420s, FJs, etc.) Experience in keel boats only is less useful. Crews should have experience, but it is not absolutely required.
(6) Potential team members should take advantage of summer junior or open regattas to hone skills. Local regattas include Fishing Bay Yacht Club junior regatta on June 24/25, Hampton Yacht Club junior regatta on June 29, and Norfolk Yacht & CC regatta on June30/July 1. Club races (Wednesday night races, for example) are also good. Even one on one match racing can be beneficial.
(7) The anticipated dates of try-outs are August 14, 15 with practice starting on August 16th. Practice last year was M-F from 4:00-6:00. While the exact dates, times, and location are not firm for this coming year, we hopefully will be able to follow a similar schedule.
A roster of students who are expected to participate is:
Sabrina Savage
Jake Kiggans
Matt Lassalle
Matt Marsh
Gus Gustavo
Oliver Hudson
Tyler Kurtz
Charlie Schoening