New Series: Documenting the Ridge High School Sailing Program

This post is part of a series in which the Mr. Local History Project will document what we believe are the early stages of a new varsity sport across the state. We plan to meet with the New Jersey clubs, coaches, administrators, parent advisors, along with their ties to the Basking Ridge High School sailing team, to provide a deeper understanding of the sport, lifestyle, commitments, and legacy of what is basically a new high school team sport in New Jersey.

Our series begins with what was called a tryout meeting, which was more of an introduction to new members and a handoff from the graduating seniors and captains. Here’s how it went down.

We attended a “tryout meeting” with students, parents, current teammates, coaches, and parent advisors at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge on Tuesday, June 1, 2026, to learn more about high school sailing programs.

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Welcome and Introductions
Coaching staff, parent advisors, finance support, team captains, current sailors, and prospective sailors were in attendance. Introductions included Gary and Ann Myer as coaches, parent advisors supporting operations and communications, finance support through Tracy Grace, Spring 2026 captains James McCarthy and Jack Schlenker, and introductions from sailors covering name, grade, sailing experience, and personal background.

High School Sailing
High school sailing operates through a clear 3 level organizational structure made up of state, regional, and national governing bodies. At the top is the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA), the national organization that oversees high school sailing throughout the United States.

ISSA establishes the national rules, student eligibility standards, registration requirements, championship formats, and overall qualification system, and also administers the national championship competition. Below ISSA is the Mid-Atlantic Scholastic Sailing Association (MASSA), the regional organization responsible for overseeing high school sailing competition throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, including New Jersey and neighboring states. MASSA organizes regional regattas, championships, and qualifying events, serving as the bridge between state competition and national competition by advancing top teams to ISSA championships.

At the state level, the New Jersey Interscholastic Sailing Association (NJISA) manages high school sailing in New Jersey. NJISA registers teams, organizes regattas and local schedules, oversees state competition, and advances qualifying teams to MASSA regional events. In simple terms, teams compete first at the NJISA state level; successful teams advance to the MASSA regional competition; and the top performers then advance to the ISSA national championships.

Eligibility
Ridge student requirements, athletic eligibility, registration requirements, participation expectations. Students must be enrolled at Ridge High School, meet athletic participation requirements, complete school registration requirements, and satisfy team expectations for involvement.

• Be listed on the school’s roster in the ISSA registration system (ISSA PR 1.2(a))
• Be a full-time student in 9th grade or above attending the high school they represent, and meet the school’s academic and disciplinary requirements (ISSA PR 1.2(b))
• Be able to swim 50 yards and tread water for 5 minutes in fresh water (ISSA PR 2.1)

Participation
Fall season, spring season, practices, regattas, attendance, teamwork, communication, commitment. The program includes fall and spring seasons, weekday practices, weekend regattas, and expectations around attendance, communication, teamwork, and reliable participation.

Seasons & Activities
Practices, racing, boat handling, strategy, tactics, team development, fall competition, spring competition. Activities include on-water practices, team and fleet racing, sailboat handling, racing rules, tactical instruction, and team development across both competitive seasons.

Safety
Swim competency, life jackets, coach supervision, safety boats, weather awareness, clothing, dock and boat safety. Safety expectations include swimming ability, required PFD use, active supervision by coaches and adults, safety boat availability, weather monitoring, proper gear, and safe conduct around docks, boats, and changing conditions.

Team Supervision
Coaches, parent advisors, volunteers, practice coordination, regatta coordination, communications, athlete oversight. The team structure includes coaches, parent advisors, and volunteers supporting administration, event coordination, communications, transportation planning, and athlete supervision.

Practice Venue
Raritan Yacht Club, sailing instruction, boat handling, race preparation, training environment, coaching support. Raritan Yacht Club serves as the primary practice location, providing water access, facilities, coaching support, and an environment for instruction, preparation, and team training.

Competition Venues
NJISA regattas, Toms River, Perth Amboy area venues, weekend competition, qualifying events. Competition takes place through NJISA regattas and regional venues, including Toms River and Perth Amboy area events, with opportunities for weekend competition and advancement toward qualifying regattas.

Transportation
Practice travel, regatta travel, parent coordination, logistics, equipment movement. Transportation planning includes coordinating rides to practices and regattas, organizing travel logistics, and managing the movement of athletes and equipment. Buses are used for practice to and from the Raritan Yacht Club twice a week.

Budget
Registration costs, travel expenses, equipment, apparel, operations, fundraising support. Budget considerations include participation expenses, travel, equipment, team apparel, operational needs, and the role of fundraising in helping support the program financially.

The Ridge High School sailing team operates with a combination of school support, family contributions, and fundraising. While the school covers most yacht club sailboat access and transportation costs, each sailor is expected to contribute about $200 to $225 per season to help cover general team expenses, particularly yacht club-related costs and bussing that exceed the school budget.

In addition to seasonal dues, families should expect individual equipment expenses, typically incurred once or a few times during a sailor’s high school career, including approximately $1,000 for required sailing gear. Optional purchases may include team apparel, magnets, yard signs, jackets, and other spirit items. The program was family-funded during its first 2 years, with the district beginning to absorb some expenses that started in Spring 2024, including coaching and NJISA/MASSA fees.

For the 2026 to 2027 school year, the Athletic Department’s sailing budget is expected to remain consistent with 2025 to 2026 levels. Team dues and fundraising efforts may help offset costs, and financial assistance may be available for families in need. Questions may be directed to ridgehighschoolsailing@gmail.com.

Equipment
PFDs, sailing gloves, footwear, weather gear, clothing, sunscreen, water bottles, required and recommended gear. Sailors are expected to maintain appropriate sailing equipment and clothing, including safety gear, footwear, gloves, weather-appropriate apparel, hydration, and personal protection items.

Required
• Sailing boots ($90)
• Dry suit, required for spring ($500 to $700)
• Gloves ($20)
• Life jacket ($85)

Optional
• Sailing safety knife ($30)
• Whistle (<$10)
• Dry bag ($25)
• Racing watch ($60)
• Dry top/jacket ($95)
** Estimated personal equipment total: est. $750 to $1,000

Fundraising & Merchandise
Fundraising activities, team apparel, branded merchandise, program support. Fundraising efforts and merchandise sales help support operations, offset team costs, and build team identity through apparel and branded items.

Important Dates (Tentative)
Athletic registration, IMPACT testing, Option II, swim test, boats in water, tryouts, first practice, first regatta, car wash, last regatta, Board of Education meeting dates. Key milestones include June athletic registration deadlines, required testing, preseason preparation activities, practices, competitions, fundraising events, seasonal competition timing, and approval-related Board of Education dates.

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