Associations & Classes

The Tred Avon Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program would not be possible without the support of a number of organizations. The following is a description of those organizations that make our program possible. All Junior Sailing Program participants are encouraged to become members of Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association, US Sailing, and their respective class association. Those juniors who plan to race must become members, as many regattas require this to participate.

Tred Avon Yacht Club: provides the Junior Sailing Program with facilities and overall support, especially through the Junior Committee and Parent Volunteers. Sailors who are enrolled in the Junior Sailing Program are able to "sail under the burgee" of the club. This means that the sailor is able to participate in sanctioned regional and national regattas under TAYC affiliation.*

All sailors of the Junior Sailing Program may participate in TAYC activities and regattas during the program dates. Juniors sailors and their parents may charge meals, registration fees, etc. to their club debit account. Statements will be mailed monthly.

*Note: Participation in regattas is only possible if affiliated with a sailing club or association.

Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association: is an organization comprised of over 75 member clubs, more than 50 classes of racing sailboats, and over 1800 individual members from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and North Carolina. The CBYRA website features schedules, results, area yacht clubs, and junior event information. The organization tracks all CBYRA-sanctioned regattas and uses a formula to rank all sailors. This is referred to as the High Point, and it gives the sailor a way of gauging him/herself against all of the other racers in their boat class. To be eligible for a High Point Award at the end of the season, a CBYRA Junior Member must have participated in 5 or more regattas during the year. Members can obtain a copy of the "Red Book," which lists all of the regattas on the bay with dates, logistics, and directions to the events. For more information, please contact CBYRA at (410) 269-1194 or visit them online at www.cbyra.org.

US Sailing: is the governing organization of sailing in the United States. US Sailing handles overall governance of the sport, considers rule issues, promotes the sport throughout the country, certifies instructors, promotes safety at sea, and supports sailboat racing at all levels. US Sailing sponsors regional Junior Olympic Sailing Festivals, which are promotional events/regattas to encourage participation in sailing. Participation in these events requires US Sailing Membership (www.ussailing.org).

International Sailing Federation: is the world governing body for the sport of sailing. Their website features news, events, regatta information, rules, rankings, sailors, and merchandise (www.sailing.org).

The Club 420 Association: provides information on class regulations, rigging tips, and links to other sailing websites. Their website features a classified ad section for purchasing and selling Club 420 parts, equipment, and boats (www.club420.org).

United States Optimist Dinghy Association: is the national sailing class organization for Optimists in the United States (www.usoda.org). It is the US member of the International Optimist Dinghy Association (www.optiworld.org).

International Laser Class Association: provides information on Laser Class regulations, fleets, and schedules (www.laser.org).

The Interscholastic Sailing Association: governs secondary school sailing in the United States, in both independent and public high schools. Sailor eligibility starts at the ninth grade. Their website provides an overview of high school sailing and contains a team database, racing information, results, and everything you need to keep up with the latest in high school sailing (www.highschoolsailingusa.org).

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association: is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. This site provides an overview of college sailing and contains a team database, individual directory, rankings, racing information, awards, and everything you need to keep up with the latest in college sailing (www.collegesailing.org).