Spring MSST – Mendums Seacoast Sailing Team and after-school program.
Mendums Seacoast Sailing Team
The MSST spring program is designed to introduce students to sailing and racing while fostering camaraderie, sportsmanship, independence, and leadership. The team’s leadership structure is modeled after the UNH Campus Recreation Program for club teams, encouraging students to assume leadership roles and manage all aspects of the team’s operations. Students will have an opportunity to learn more about the UNH Sailing Team.
All participants will be required to take a swim check.
The after-school program is held at the UNH Sailing Centre at Mendums Pond in Barrington, NH, with potential travel to select Sailing Regattas. Additional information, including program drop-off and pick-up locations, is sent directly from program staff. An informational meeting will be held on March 31st, 6-7:30 pm in the Demo Kitchen, Campus Recreation, 5 Edgewood Rd., Durham.
No refunds are provided.
Spring MSST
Anyone in grades 7 – 12 from any state/school/homeschool are welcome, regardless of previous skill. All you need to do is get to and from practices.
Practices begin after the UNH Sailing Team season is finished in early May. We practice during the week from 3:30 (or as soon as you can get there) until 6. All are welcome regardless of sailing experience or skill level. The team practices 4 days a week and travels to regattas on the weekends. The season ends in early June. Although the season is short, shorter than most high school teams, it is jammed packed with opportunities. MSST also provides a community service to the Family Boatbuilding Program by teaching new boat owners to sail when they launch their boats for the first time at Mendums. The Spring MSST program Orientation meeting will be held at 6 pm on March 31st at the Hamel Recreation Centre at UNH in the demo kitchen which is upstairs. Pass that along as well. Either a full body wetsuit or a drysuit are required for the spring MSST program due to cold water temperatures both at Mendums as well as ocean temperatures at venues we race at.
Summer MSST
Designed for experienced sailors interested in developing and refining racing skills. Sailors learn advanced technique and kinetics, as well as racing tactics and strategy in both fleet and team racing.
Travel to weekly events is part of this class. Advanced MSST sailors will travel to additional regattas, such as Marblehead Jr. Race Week, Battle of the Bays, etc. Boats used are single, double and triple-handed.
One-week sessions begin the first week of the summer session. Some team members attend at least two weeks, and most attend all seven weeks. You are not required to attend all available weeks. This program is designed for experienced sailors seeking to develop and refine racing skills. The focus is on mastering starting techniques, controlling boat speed, boat handling, upwind and downwind tactics in various boats. This class is open to sailors who have successfully mastered previous levels of skills and have demonstrated advanced sailing skills in any condition. Travel to weekly MIRC’s, and clinics is part of this class.
Sessions are one week in length. We practice M-F, from 12:30-3:30. Sailors are expected to be rigged by 12:45. Wednesday we travel to regattas and Friday practice lasts until 5pm. The team specializes in sailing Lasers/ILCAs as we believe you learn a great deal about not just sailing but yourself. We also sail FJ’s, 420″s, Bytes, Snipes, O’Day Javelin, J/22’s and more. We have an extensive regatta schedule. Sailors are encouraged to judge for themselves which ones they want to attend. If you are interested in the current racing schedule, please contact the coach. The two major ones, Battle of the Bays and Marblehead Junior Race week, are coach-recommended as it’s important that the sailor has the requisite skill set. You do not need your own boat, but it’s helpful.
Practice improves your scores as well as your fun factor. Think about that before you sign up for a major regatta. You should be in the program for at least 1-2 weeks beforehand.
Many MSST members are also Junior Instructors during the summer, learning to instruct, repair boats, maintain the extensive fleet, and perform other tasks, thereby developing well-rounded individuals. They are exemplars for what we look for in instructors.
For more information, don’t hesitate to contact the coach, Diana Weidenbacker, at Diana.Weidenbacker@unh.edu or 207.752.1462.