DC Sail High School Racing Program

Update - August 10, 2023

Please be advised that the 2023 Fall Season of our High School Racing Program is sold out to capacity. (JV/Varsity reached capacity in seven minutes from the time registration opened and the Green Fleet in 28 minutes.)

There is a waitlist option and we encourage parents to add their information as schedules for sailors' school and other factors may create openings prior to the start of the season.

Waitlist Instructions: Please click on the appropriate link in the red boxes below. Click on the "Join Waitlist" button toward the bottom of the registration form and proceed to populate the information. Please be sure to complete the steps so that the waitlist registration will be saved in our database. You will receive a waitlist registration confirmation email message when completed.

There is no cost to join the waitlist - no financial transaction will take place.

We will contact those on the waitlist as openings occur and can easily register sailors from the waitlist and email an invoice to secure their sailor's space.

There is no way to gauge if sailors will come off the waitlist as it requires requested cancellations, which are a bit rare. Again, we'll absolutely be in touch if an opening occurs!

IMPORTANT: Please note that the Green Fleet registration link is solely for Green Fleet. Any Varsity-JV registrations that come through the Green Fleet link will be automatically cancelled/refunded. (Green Fleet is a learn to sail/learn to race component of the program. This is not appropriate for experienced or returning sailors to the High School Racing Program.)

We look forward to welcoming sailors to DC Sail for the Fall Season!

2024 Spring Season Registration: Please add a reminder to your calendar to check this web page around January 3, 2024 where we will have an update posted for the exact date/time registration will be available. (Typically it is mid-January with the season starting in late February/early March.)

Thank you so much for your support!

High School Racing Program at DC Sail

Established in 2005, the DC Sail High School Sailing Program allows students from Middle and High Schools throughout the DC area to participate in our Varsity and Junior Varsity and Learn to Sail Interscholastic teams. We offer High School Programs in the Spring (March - May) and the Fall (September - November.)

Please view the FAQ page (click here) for additional information on how the program is managed including regatta requirements, establishing teams sailing under their school's name, sailor expectations, equipment needs, attendance, etc.

DC Sail has a comprehensive High School Racing Handbook. Please click here to review.
Important Weekend Regatta (League) Participation

Our regional MASSA league has been informed by the national ISSA (Interscholastic Sailing Association) administration that every school represented by sailor(s) must be enrolled with and be registered in the official “TechScore Platform.” This is regardless if there is a full “team” of four or more sailors coming from their school.

This league policy includes “Independent” sailors registered for the season, which will result in an additional fee of up to $150 to cover the ISSA league fees if the sailor wishes to attend weekend regatta competitions and is the sole sailor from their school. Independent sailors registered with the league will be welcome to attend home and away regattas.

Example of additional fees that will be invoiced separately for three or less students from any given school: (Accordingly, fees for four or more students coming from a given school will also be split among those sailors.)

One Student	$150
Two Students	$75
Three Students	$50

Full teams are four or more sailors attending from a given school and will sail under their school name. Team sailors will attend after-school practices and weekend regattas and if the team performs well, may be invited to the end of season regattas/finals based upon league standings.

For sailors registered to include weekend regatta activity, DC Sail will coordinate the ISSA registrations, and will manage any communications as the primary point of contact. Separate invoices will be issued to parents.

The $550 tuition for the season does not include regatta participation fees.

With that said, we have opted to include a registration level that will allow sailors to attend the after-school practices during the week, but without committing to the league (weekend regatta) participation and additional league fees.

Varsity (Tier 1) & Junior Varsity (Tier 2) High School Racing Program

The DC Sail High School Racing Program is the facilitator for local high school sailors and teams. Any student is welcome to participate in the program, regardless of whether they have a program at their school or not. (Sailors' schools are not involved in the DC Sail High School Racing Program.)

DC Sail offers the only small boat sailing facility in the District of Columbia. High school sailing activities take place at DC Sail's Diamond Teague Park waterfront facility at 99 Potomac Avenue SE, located on the Anacostia River, behind Nationals Park, a short walk from the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro Station. Please click here for a Google Map to our dock location.

DC Sail maintains a fleet of 18 Club/Collegiate Flying Juniors, which are double-handed Olympic racing sailboats. Four motorized boats operate as safety boats and on-the-water teaching platforms.

Please click link below in the red box to launch High School Racing Program JV and Varsity Registration Process.

JV & Varsity High School Racing Program

Fall 2023 Varsity (Tier 1) & Junior Varsity (Tier 2) High School Racing Program

05 Sep 2023 3:30 PM • Diamond Teague Park Piers, 99 Potomac Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003

Green Fleet Program
(Tier 3)

In its 13th season, the "Green Fleet" racing program is designed to be a "Learn to Sail/Learn to Race" program for middle school aged sailors who are currently 12 years old (or older). The program is also open to brand new sailors, or sailors who may have "summer camp" experience but little or no official race training, including students who are already in High School.

This program will have two days of after school instruction during the week. The practice sessions groom young sailors on the Flying Junior fleet in preparation of the more demanding High School Racing Program once they are of age and have the skills necessary for the JV/Varsity level of sailing competition.

Regatta Participation: There will be an anticipated a few Green Fleet (Tier 3) sailors. Information regarding the regatta schedule will be emailed to parents/sailors.

Green Fleet (Tier 3) sailors are not required to attend Tryouts.

We have limited spaces available for the Green Fleet Program each season.

Please click link below in the red box to start the registration for "Green Fleet" High School Racing Prep Program.

Green Fleet Prep Program

Fall 2023 Green Fleet (Tier 3) High School Racing Program

05 Sep 2023 3:30 PM • Diamond Teague Park Piers, 99 Potomac Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003

Coaching:

DC Sail maintains a staff of outstanding coaches. Each instructor (coach) employed by DC Sail is trained in techniques for teaching basic sailing including safety boat operation, instructional sailing drills and lecture topics. Our instructors are also certified by the American Red Cross in First Aid and CPR and have completed the US Sailing SafeSport Certification. Staff are also subject to pre-employment full background checks.

2023 Fall Season Tryouts Schedule:

Monday, August 21st - 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

There are no "cuts" resulting from Tryouts as it is an opportunity for coaching staff to evaluate sailing skills and to assign to teams.

For those sailors who wish to be advanced/placed in the the Varsity level of racing, they should plan on attending Tryouts.

Please RSVP to Varsity Head Coach, Aidan Molesky by email: amolesky@dcsail.org.

As noted below, effective immediately, Varsity sailors will be required to attend after-school practices three days a week. (Monday-Wednesday-Friday.) Sailors are required to be fully committed to the after-school practices in order to compete on the Varsity level.

Note there is no Tryout for Junior Varsity and Green Fleet. (No sailing experience is required for Green Fleet.)

2023 Fall Season Regatta Schedule:

Please click here for the 2023 Fall Season Regatta Schedule. (Updated 08-21-23)

DC Sail will host a few "home" regattas at our dock location, with the balance of the regattas "away" such as Annapolis, Baltimore, and Eastern Shore facilities. (DC Sail does not provide transportation for the away regattas.)

Please note that the league rules state only sailors age 13+ and in 8th grade (at a minimum) may participate in season regattas.

2023 Fall Season Practice Schedule:

Effective immediately, Varsity sailors will be required to attend after-school practices three days a week.

Season Start Date:

September 5th, 2023

Season ends officially on October 27th, with the exception of select sailors competing in season-end regattas.

Each season, we hope to not have changes but it will depend on how teams and sailors are sorted once registration closes.

Varsity (Tier 1) Practices: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 3:45 PM to 6:30 PM

Junior Varsity (Tier 2) Practices: Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:45 PM to 6:30 PM

Green Fleet (Tier 3) Practices: Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:45 PM to 6:30 PM.

2023 Fall Season

Registration for the 2023 Fall Season will open on Thursday, August 10th at 12:00 Noon.

Instructions for Online Registration & Payment.

Cost of the DC Sail High School Racing Program is $550 per season.

NEW IN 2022: For Sailors wishing to participate in formal league regattas, additional fees will be invoiced dependent on the number of sailors attending from any given school. There are two levels of registration available: After-School Practices Only and After-School Practices and Weekend Regattas.

*Scholarships are available for those with annual household income of less than $50,000.

DC Sail will not offer “pro-rated” discounts or refunds once the season has commenced. Sailors are required to be fully committed to attend all scheduled practices and to complete the season prior to registration.

Only fully paid and registered sailors will be permitted to attend Tryouts and the season's practices and regattas.

Full payment by a credit card is required at the time of registration. Unpaid registrations will be cancelled by the system automatically after 15 minutes. Please be sure to have your payment information available at the time of online registration.

First Step: Please click on the link in one of the red boxes to the left. One is for High School Racing Program (JV/Varsity,) the other a bit further down the page is for the "Green Fleet" Program.

Complete the online registration and issue payment as step one of the registration process.

Step Two: Launch, print and complete the hard copy registration document. Please see link below. These forms are to be delivered to coaching staff at Tryouts or first attended practice for all sailors.

Please click here to launch the 2023 Fall Season Registration form.

Coaching Staff will be in contact after registration closes to assign sailors to teams/levels.

Sell-Out to Capacity Notice: If we sell out to capacity, late registrations will be considered on a case-by-case basis and based on availability. No discounts are available for late registrations.

Contact Info:

Varsity Head Coach and HSR Coordinator:

Aidan Molesky
(amolesky@dcsail.org)

DC Sail:
(Traci Mead)

202.547.1250

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DC Sail is the community sailing program of National Maritime Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Business Mailing Address: 650 Wharf Street SW, Unit 20, Washington, DC 20024

Diamond Teague Park Piers Waterfront Address: 99 Potomac Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003

The Wharf/Gangplank Marina Waterfront Address: 650 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024