CLINTON, NJ (Hunterdon County) – Are you interested in learning how to sail? Or are you already a seasoned sailor looking to join a local, active club with weekly regattas? On Sunday, March 24 at 1:00 p.m., you can join current members and leadership to learn more about the Hunterdon Sailing Club (HSC).
The meeting will occur at Riley & Jake’s, in the lower level, located at 1831 State Route 31, in Clinton. Refreshments are available, with everyone responsible for their bill.
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 organizes an entire season of events and offers introductory sailing lessons to adults and children.
Sailing gets underway in April, with Spruce Run State Park and reservoir serving as HSC’s home base. Spruce Run is located in Clinton, NJ, about five minutes off Route 31. The State of New Jersey offers storage spaces where boats can be dry-docked from March through October for a small fee.
Regattas (sailboat races) are held every Sunday afternoon, weather permitting, until mid-October. Wednesday twilight Sunfish (a small, popular sailboat) races begin during the last week of April and, with some adjustments for the 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 at 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 United States Sailing Association (USSA) rules. Additional events run the gamut from the Commodore’s Cup to the 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 breadth of abilities. And even though Spruce Run is where most Club sailors 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 celebrates its 60th season, we 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.
