NOROTON YACHT CLUB WRAPS UP ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL JUNIOR SAILING SEASON

Thriving 76-year-old Junior Sailing Program Hosted JSA FEVA Championship & Other Top Events

DARIEN, CT, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Gavin Manegio can’t believe it’s been five years since he started sailing and competing as a member of Noroton Yacht Club’s (NYC) prestigious junior sailing program (the club celebrated the 75th anniversary of the program years last year). The second main summer session wrapped up last week, although the older members of the program will continue to sail in the program’s “big boat division” on the club’s J/109s (a 35.25-foot-long vessel that can sail with seven-eight crew members) well into the fall.

“I’m very lucky to be a junior and come up the ranks here,” he reflects. “I haven’t just learned how to sail – this special people who run this program have helped me grow as a person.”

Manegio started with the entry-level, 7.7-foot-long dinghy known as the Optimist (or Opti) in 2021, graduating to the 12-foot Feva class the next year; he won the RS Feva North American Championships in 2023 and the Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound (JSA) Feva Championships in 2024 with fellow Noroton member Mark Wermuth. This year he has moved up to the big boat program and is racing in the club’s C420 (the two-man boat favored by most serious high school and collegiate programs).

“Communication skills are extremely important on a multi sailor boat like the J109, or even just racing with one person on a Feva or a 420,” Manegio continues. “A team can’t be successful if they don’t communicate well, verbally and non-verbally, and you also need a tremendous amount of discipline to be effective both on and off the water.” He credits the program, both the instructors and his fellow program members, for helping him improve in both areas during his five-year run.

Manegio also credits program leadership for helping him learn “the art of sportsmanship.” He feels that being polite, following rules, and treating all sailors with respect is “crucial” to success not only on the water, but for life in general.

The program is also effective at introducing its sailors to top level competition, and the juniors typically travel to and host major regattas and championship level events every season. Just last month, over 40 boats from all over the eastern seaboard were at NYC for JSA Feva Championship & North Americans July 30th-31st. On July 6th-7th they hosted 81 boats for a Girls Optimist Clinic & Regatta, and on July 3rd it was the Eastern Districts for Feva & C420 Championships.

"Safety, sportsmanship, teamwork, seamanship and planning ahead for sailing are emphasized in all our junior programs", says Alec Basilon, who directs junior sailing for the club as its Director of Sailing and Waterfront. “What Gavin experienced here in terms of interpersonal skill development and sailing aptitude is pretty typical of what all of our participants come away with, each in their own way.”

Junior Sailing is one of the longest running and strongest programs at NYC, as over 100 sailors take part in two four-week sessions through the summer. It offers all levels of sailing, from beginners to advanced racing and recreational sailing for non-racers in Optis, C420, ILCA, Feva, Open BIC, and a variety of Keelboats (including 2 J109/s for the big boat program). The programs are open to members and non-members (age 8-18) based on availability.

“The most important part of my sailing experience is the friends I’ve made,” says Manegio. “Whether it’s a summer long rivalry or just a simple conversation on the dock, I feel like I’m making friendships for life. I feel like I’ve really grown as a person, and have also been lucky enough to win a few races along a the way.”

For further information about the Noroton Yacht Club and the junor sailing program, go to www.norotonyc.org.

About the Noroton Yacht Club

Noroton Yacht Club (NYC) is a private yacht club in Darien, Connecticut on Noroton Harbor. Located in the Noroton Bay neighborhood, the club was founded in 1928 and today hosts one of the best junior sailing programs in the nation. Youths from eight–17 years old participate in an eight-week period during the summer; the club also hosts the Darien High School sailing team. NYC has a large fleet of Sonars, and coordinates club races each week. Members of the world-renowned club have included two America's Cup skippers, and it was the home yacht club of the late sailboat designer Bruce Kirby (Laser, Ideal 18, Sonar, Pixel) and 2012 US Olympic Laser sailor Rob Crane. NYC's Rick Doerr competed on the U.S. Paralympic Team in a Sonar at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

About the NYC Junior Sailing Program

NYC’s program was launched in 1949 by legendary local sailor Bill Cox, who served as founder and first coach in the program’s early days using one Dyer Dinghy the first year with three kids. As the years rolled on, the participants sailed Lightnings and Blue Jays in the 1950s and 60s and grew into Optis and 420s in the 70s and 80s.

NYC has consistently maintained one of the most competitive youth programs on Long Island Sound, with around 100 children participating every year. It has produced both national and international champions and is also a source of legacy members for the club (about one-third of its current members started sailing in the juniors program).

NYC’s juniors participate in local, regional and national regattas, including Larchmont Yacht Club Junior Race Week and JSA Race Week at Cedar Point Yacht Club. NYC also hosts the Clinigatta, a two-day event offering a day-long clinic where girls from Noroton and other clubs get top-level coaching and a day of racing. One highlight is the Pineapple Cup for beginning sailors.

In 2025, NYC launched a spring program for racing Optis and keelboats, and the summer program continued to offer all levels of sailing in Optis, c420s, ILCAs and Fevas. The program is open to members and non-members. For more information, go to https://www.norotonyc.org/junior-sailing-public .

Richard Matthews
MCM
+1 203-644-2328
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.