The AHYC Race Program has encouraged the sport of competitive sailing since its founding in 1953. In its history, AHYC has hosted local, regional and national level regattas. The club has established a strong race management team with volunteer dedication provided by our members. The race program includes the full suite of resources, such as committee boat, race management team, permanent race circle for weekly races, extended race area for weekend regattas, a protected sailing area: Sandy Hook Bay and also full access to the Raritan Bay, Atlantic Ocean and entrance to NY harbor.
The Race Program Mission is to encourage, promote and foster sailboat racing for all ages. The club supports and encourages the AHSEP youth sailors in addition to the education program events to build their skills and school their elders in the racing program.
Wednesday night series: We run a weekly series for both PHRF and One Design. The season is broken up into 4 series of 4 evenings, spanning 16 weeks, beginning the last week in May. The PHRF course is determined based on direction, speed and utilizes the Start/Finish line within the Olympic circle but also other longer distance marks. The One Design course is the Olympic circle and runs two races each night.
Weekend Racing:
We run weekend regattas: two days in length and weekend races: one day in length. The format depends on the type of regatta:
AHYC Ms. Race – all women’s format
Blue Water Regatta – multi club regatta
Long Distance Race – long distance to marks in Raritan Bay
Geary Decker Navigators Race – navigation based
Overnight Race with RYC - overnight
Pursuit Race – Start on your own ( based on rating) and catch the boats in front
Scotland Light Race – out around the light buoy that marks the Scotland wreck
Multi Club Regatta’s: We participate in Raritan bay area multi club regatta’s as part of a series. Many of our boats participate in regional regattas as well.
The AHYC race program is open to all racing sailboats and we encourage the suggestion of new fleets and race format types from our members.
Performance Handicap Racing Fleet
The PHRF fleet supports multiple divisions. These divisions allow for the separation of PHRF ratings into groupings that enable a like for like competitive race format. The divisions also allow for both spinnaker and non-spinnaker racing.
The program encourages the novice sailor to join in and build skills over time.
PHRF is a locally administered handicapping system that uses the perceived speed potential of a yacht as the basis for the handicap. An initial handicap is assigned based on comparisons with similar yachts. The handicap may then be adjusted based on the performance of the class of the yacht.
In most fleets there is no credit for lack of sailing skill or boat preparation. The handicap is based on the yacht being sailed by a top notch crew with the best equipment. The PHRF system handicaps yachts, not sailors.
Since the handicap is administered locally, you must contact the fleet that assigns the handicaps for our area to obtain a handicap. The ratings at Atlantic Highlands are administered by PHRF Mid-Atlantic.
Within some of our PHRF fleet you will find multiple one design sailboats. During regattas within the region these one designs will band together to form a competitive fleet, e.g. J105, J109, etc.
The AHYC race program can support a weekly one design program during our Wednesday night series. The One Design fleet must have a minimum of three boats for each series. These One Design races are sailed on the permanently installed Olympic circle, allowing for windward leeward courses at 8 possible compass bearings.
J24 fleet 128 is a member of J24 District 4. The J24 Fleet 128 support the J24 District 4 regatta’s hosted by yacht clubs within the NY/NJ regional area. These regattas help to concentrate a large number of J24 sailors for weekend sailing. They coincide with the regional area PHRF regattas when possible.
The club maintains a 2-ton hoist and jib crane that efficiently launches the entire fleet in ample time for racing. Boat owners contract directly with AHMH for yard dry storage space. The AHYC provides the contract for the usage of the hoist crane.
The type of boat supported is limited to the 2-ton rating. The hoisting area is ample for all boats that fit within that 2-ton rating.
We have a yearly Awards Dinner/Winter Gala open to all club members, reciprocal club members and invited race organizations.
AHYC encourages all sailors to get involved in our programs: to race, to be on the race committee, to volunteer at a regatta or to be a part of our race management team. We have both on the water and off the water activities. We also honor reciprocity from local area clubs. Contact the race committee chair or a race committee member for more information.