Saturday was the perfect day for our 10th Annual Sailing for Scholars Regatta! What was forecast to be a no-wind day ended up being a perfect 10-15 kts. We got in 4 races each for the J/24 and J/80 classes, and wrapped up the day with an awards ceremony with Oysters donated by Grey Lady and dinner from Peter Callahan Catering!
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who attended the gala, raced in the regatta, cheered from the pier, or donated to a team bid at the auction-- you rock! It was all hands on deck, and your generosity and spirit makes the HRCS community unique.
HRCS serves 200+ middle and high school students in our year-round program Sail Academy, which uses sailing and boatbuilding as a foundation for STEM and leadership education, along with college access and job readiness training.
On Thursday, we had our “Gala” event at the New York Yacht Club. HRCS honored Jay Cross, President of Related Hudson Yards. Cross touched on the transformative nature of sailing in his remarks, likening the challenges and joys of sailing to life. Sail Academy students MC'd the event, which included a Silent Auction and tour of the Model Room.
Friday- Practice Race Day
Teams met at Pier 66 on Friday morning for professional coaching with Kristen Berry of Gale Force Sailing and National Hall of Fame Member Betsy Allison.
Saturday- Regatta at Pier 66
A record 10 J/80s and 8 J/24s raced this year! Together, the sailing teams crowd-funded over $175K to support Sail Academy.
The rookies on Team YOLO! won the J/24 class, and George Comfort & Sons took first in the J/80 class. Gorgeous conditions HRCS to run four races off Pier 66, where spectators cheered their teams on!
Finally, a special thanks to our event sponsors: Con Edison, Hudson Yards, Robins Kaplan, and Polar Seltzer.
Thank you to Bottino for donating lunch, The Right to Shower for tote bags and gifts, Dean's Beans for coffee, Peter Callahan Catering for an amazing awards dinner, and the Grey Lady for a fabulous oyster bar and libations. Learn more about Hudson River Community Sailing on Facebook here