Everything to Know Before the Scheduling Meeting

One of the first challenges of coaching a high school sailing team, is the annual NESSA scheduling meeting. This event is more of a free-for-all with teams trying to set up meets with other teams. However, it's actually more organized than it may at first seem.

Meets vs. Regattas

The first thing to understand is what constitutes a meet. Typically, this involves at least two teams sailing a best of 5 series against each other in a team race. A school must sail a minimum of 3 meets in order to qualify for the O'Day (the NESSA qualifier for fleet racing nationals - the Mallory). 

Regattas, on the other hand, involve multiple schools competing against each other in a fleet race. During the fall season, there are several opportunities for schools to participate in regattas both within NESSA as well as outside of it. The Healy Trophy - the regatta to qualify for single-handed nationals - usually occurs in late September. Several schools also host double-handed fleet racing events. A full list can be found on the NESSA Race Info page.

The Fall vs. Spring Season

Though sailing does occur during both seasons, the spring often becomes the focal point. In fact, schools belonging to the ISL (Inter-Scholastic League) can only compete during one season of the year. Since both the fleet racing and team racing nationals occur in the spring, they compete during this latter season. 

Typically, fall sailing includes more fleet racing regattas, especially since the single-handed nationals (the Cressy) is held in either October or November. Spring focuses on team racing and the double-handed nationals.

The Scheduling Meeting

On the first Sunday in November, the annual NESSA meeting occurs. This is also known as the Scheduling Meeting. During the first part of the morning, coaches discuss who they would like to sail and when for the spring season. Meets can occur on any day, and at any mutually convenient time. Again, a school must sail a minimum of 3 meets in order to qualify for the O'Day - the New England Fleet Racing Championship and qualifier for fleet racing nationals.

A few things to know about scheduling:

• Most of the boarding schools end classes early on Wednesdays and schedule meets for those afternoons. They also have classes on Saturdays, and cannot sail before noon.

• Many teams have both a JV as well as a Varsity team. Larger schools may have multiple JV teams. Feel free to talk to coaches about which team you may want to sail. Many of the schools are happy to host new teams and to field a team that will ensure that everyone benefits from the meet. (e.g. they won't sail a varsity team against a group of beginners)

• There is an important distinction between Varsity and JV meets. The Varsity scores impact the rankings of the schools within NESSA. This is important because only the top 14 schools get to compete for the Mark Trophy - the New England Team Racing Championship and qualifier for team racing nationals (the Baker). If you ask to schedule a varsity meet, then know that the other school will definitely field a varsity level team.

Notice of Race (NOR) Information

NOR information can be found on the Race Info page of the NESSA website. These documents will explain the event, the venue, any prerequisites, and logistics. Some regattas can only accommodate a certain number of teams. That information will also be listed.