Northern Lake George Yacht Club
Sail Team

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION IN REGATTAS

As a general rule, we want as many sailors to participate in as many regattas as possible. But we can’t send everyone every time, simply because there are only so many racing slots at each regatta. The Jr. Program Steering Committee and the Sail Team coaches have agreed upon the following criteria for regatta participation. There is no particular priority given to any of these criteria; each will be considered (to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the regatta) by the coach(es) when planning who will attend a regatta. Ultimately, all decisions are up to the coaches.

• Sailing skills. Assessment is made by the coach(es), based on performance during weekend races, classes, and Sail Team practices. Sailing skills are crucial, for they affect the safety of the sailor, his/her crew and the other racers.
• Skipper and crew teamwork. Do team members have complementary skills? Are they compatible?
  (A team that doesn’t work well together can affect their own safety as well as that of others.) Is there a good opportunity to learn?
• Overall behavior and sportsmanship.
• Chance of winning. Who’s most likely to succeed?
• Age. Each regatta specifies age ranges for its racing classes.
• Opportunity to gain sailing experience. We strive to give each sailor on Sail Team a chance to participate in at least one regatta each summer. (In some circumstances, Sail Clinic participants are given the opportunity to race in regattas. In making choices, the coach will use the above criteria.)

If you have any comments regarding these criteria, please contact me at my home address or e-mail me at mjboyd@aol.com. Have a terrific winter. --Mary Jo Boyd