Young sailors of all ages competed in the Junior Sweeps Regatta on Aug. 7 at the Navesink River in Red Bank. The four-day event was hosted by the Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club on the Shrewsbury River Aug. 5-6, and then the last two days by the Monmouth Boat Club along the Navesink River Aug. 7-8. Young sailors from the Jersey Shore took to the water earlier this month for the Junior Sweeps Regatta.
The annual four-day event started on the Shrewsbury River for the first two days before wrapping up on the Navesink River. Participating in the regatta were sailors from the Keyport Yacht Club (KYC); Rumson Yacht Club; Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club (SSYC); Atlantic Highlands Sail Education Program (AHSEP); Fair Haven Sailing Club (FHSC); and Monmouth Boat Club (MBC), which coordinated the competition.
All of the clubs have junior sailing programs for up-and-comers as young as 8 years old. Renee Dasaro, the junior sailing coordinator at MBC, said her club educates sailors on the different courses, so when they’re on the water, they know exactly what to do.
At the Junior Sweeps, SSYC nearly completed a sweep. Alexandra Savin took first place overall in the Optimist Green fleet. Michael Meehan was the top sailor in Optimist White. Leif Sigmond and John Meyer placed first in Optimist Blue and Optimist Red, respectively.
Mike Molman and Sabrina Fittipaldi from KYC won the title in the 420 fleet, while MBC’s Samantha Vought finished atop the Laser Radial fleet.
Silver medals went to Jonathan Lauria (FHSC) in Optimist Green, Colin Guerrera (AHSEP) in Optimist White, Lance Devlin (MBC) in Optimist Blue, Evan Hybl (MBC) in Optimist Red, Michael Dasaro and Quinn Harrington (MBC) in 420, and Zak Dasaro (MBC) in Laser Radial.
Some sailors only participated in two of the four days, but most were on the water from start to finish.
Dasaro said the first two days hosted by SSYC began with little wind, causing some delays. The final two days at MBC went off without a hitch.
“It was two of the smoothest regatta days I’ve ever seen,” Dasaro said, noting how it’s impossible to account for calm winds when planning out each day. The Junior Sweeps provide an opportunity for competing clubs to showcase their talented young members each year. There is plenty of competition between the clubs, but there is also a lot of camaraderie, Dasaro said. Parents and other members from the various clubs chipped in to help make the regatta a success.
Dasaro added that although boating is seen as an elite sport, MBC is open to anyone interested in getting involved. For young sailors, the sport can be a great way to become “tougher” and “more independent,” she said.
“My three kids are in sailing. It teaches them to be very responsible,” Dasaro said.