ST JOHNS COUNTY
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
YOUTH SAILING REGATTA

March 22nd & 23rd 2025

WARM OCEAN, FRIENDLY PEOPLE, HOT COMPETITION

• Two Days of Racing •
Junior Sailors up to 18 yrs

• Two 420 Classes •
420 Scholastic (Main and Jib)
420 Club (Trap & Spin)

The Youth Sailing Regatta will be sailing in the shadows of historic structures like St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos and the beautiful Bridge of Lions. Sailors will race in a protected, challenging saltwater venue in the Downtown Bayfront. Parents, tourists and spectators can cheer them on from the waterfront viewing area. An Expert Race Committee with lots of Safety Boats will ensure safe, fair competition. All Youth Sailors will check in at the St. Augustine Yacht Club on Saturday morning. Participants will also be treated to a Great Awards Dinner at the St Augustine Yacht Club Sunday after the regatta.

Youth Sailing Regatta Fee: 420s – $106.50 (covers both Skipper and Crew).
A $10.65 late fee will be charged for registrations received after March 15th.
In 2025, Junior Sailors up to 18 yrs can compete in two SARW 420 Classes: 420 Scholastic (Main and Jib) as well as 420 Club (Trap & Spin). 420 Sailors will navigate the Salt Run as well as a Downtown course in the Bayfront. There is a maximum 30 boat limit for the combined classes.
We are delighted to be able to offer this great event again through the generosity of our Sponsors. All SARW proceeds beyond expenses fund the John Daniel Meehan Youth Scholarship Program. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (904) 571-2227 or by email at jgfla1@gmail.com
Sincerely
John Grannis, Youth Sailing Regatta Chairman, St. Augustine Race Week

To participate, each Skipper (Youth Sailor) must register by clicking on the Youth Sailing Regatta Registration link, below.

2025 Youth Sailing Regatta On-Line Registration

2025 Youth Sailing Regatta Notice of Race     2025 Youth Sailing Regatta Sailing Instructions

2025 Youth Sailing Regatta Letter to Coaches    2025 Youth Regatta Racers

What is a 420?

On race day you’ll see two types of 420 Dinghies zipping around the race course. One is known as the 420 “Main and Jib” or Scholastic. This version is popular with junior sailing programs all over the country. The main and jib rig is the same as all types of larger sailboats so it’s a perfect boat for young sailors to learn all the basics of sailing and compete in regattas like our Youth Regatta. The other version of the 420 that you’ll see on the water is the Club 420 or the “Trap and Spin” Class. Same basic boat except it utilizes a spinnaker for increased speed downwind and a trapeze rig that lets the crew hang off the side of the boat suspended by a wire attached to the mast. This version is for more advanced sailors as it demands more action and skills from both skipper and crew. In addition to trimming the main and jib, the crew must raise and lower the spinnaker, hike out on the trapeze and quickly change everything when tacking. The big advantage of the C 420 rig is the speed these boats can achieve given enough wind so look for some intense action on the bayfront.
– Dave Montgomery, SARW

JOHN DANIEL MEEHAN YOUTH SAILING SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Named for a man who was instrumental in transforming St. Augustine Race Week into a city-wide top-tier event, the John Daniel Meehan (JDM) Youth Sailing Scholarship Fund brings the joy of sailing to underprivileged kids all across the NorthEast Florida region. Scholarship recipients have all fees paid so they may attend one of the summer sailing camps run by First Coast Sailing Association member clubs.
Each year, member clubs reach out to community organizations seeking youngsters ages 6 to 18 who wish to participate. Many of the kids have never been in a sailboat or a boat of any kind. At local yacht clubs the kids learn all the basics of sailing in small boats and have a ton of fun as well. Perhaps some of these kids will sail in a future St. Augustine Race Week.
Young people who receive JDM Youth Sailing Scholarships will attend one of the Sailing Camps run by St. Augustine Yacht Club, Florida Yacht Club, The Rudder Club of Jacksonville, Smyrna Yacht Club or Halifax Youth Sailing.
All SARW proceeds beyond expenses fund the John Daniel Meehan Youth Scholarship Program.
This will be the eigth year of the scholarship program and we’re aiming to serve around three dozen kids. If you know of a worthy youngster for the program, just contact the JDM Youth Scholarship Committee at one of the Yacht Clubs named above.

2025 SARW Youth Sailing Regatta

is sponsored by

2025 Youth Sailing Regatta On-Line Registration

SARW Youth Sailing Regatta

Photos courtesy of Captain Robert Beringer.

Crowding the windward mark

Fighting light winds and tides

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