CLINTON, NJ (Hunterdon County) – Shortly after the completion of Spruce Run Reservoir in 1964, local residents, with New Jersey’s permission, formed the Hunterdon Sailing Club (HSC).
The Club was formally incorporated as a not-for-profit on March 12, 1964.
HSC is a club whose mission is to foster a community of sailors on the lake and promote sailing, the greenest sport in the world. Entirely run by volunteers, the Club puts together a full season of events and offers introductory sailing lessons to both adults and children.
Sailing gets underway in April. Regattas (sailboat races) are held every Sunday afternoon, weather permitting, until mid-October. Wednesday twilight Sunfish (a small, popular sailboat) races begin during the first week of May and, with some adjustment for time in the latter part of the summer, run until mid-September. Learn to sail classes for youth and adults are held in June and July.
Club-owned Sunfish sailboats are available to members to use during club-sanctioned events (Wednesday and Sunday regattas) and other special events and races throughout the season. The regattas help sailors to sharpen their skills during friendly races using rules set by the United States Sailing Association (USSA). And additional events run the gamut from the Commodore’s Cup to the very silly and fun Ladies’ Fleet Spruce Run-Around.
Club members are happy to help out and cheer each other on. Sometimes a hand is lent to rig up a boat, tie a loose line, or give welcome sailing tips. Sailors are a range of ages and have a wide range of abilities. And even though Spruce Run is where most sailors from the Club spend the majority of their time, each outing is different. Wind and wind direction, temperature, the depth of the water, and the seasons, make each sailing adventure different.
As HSC enters its 60th season, they hope to continue the tradition of providing a fun, economical means to learn how to sail, keep building skills, and most importantly, safely enjoy being able to skim across the surface of the water, being moved along by the wind, in a beautiful setting.
For more information about the Hunterdon Sailing Club, visit, www.sailhsc.org.
