Jet Star Regatta Returns To Ocean County

BRICK, NJ — Sailboats will be racing from Manasquan Inlet to Seaside Heights for the seventh annual Jet Star Regatta.

The regatta, hosted by the Metedeconk River Yacht Club, raises money to assist those still trying to recover from the effects of Superstorm Sandy. The race goes from Manasquan Inlet to the area off Seaside Heights where the Jet Star roller coaster came to rest in the ocean after Sandy.

The race this year is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 10, the club said.

The 2018 regatta was held off Monmouth County because of the ongoing beach replenishment and dune construction project of the Army Corps of Engineers. This year the race returns to its original course, which includes the Mantoloking Gate, a place just offshore that compels the racers to hug the coastline, "making for a spectacular view of the boats from the beach," the club said.

The Jet Star Regatta was founded soon after Sandy by families who were displaced by the impact of the storm. "Although they were homeless, they did not want their lives to be completely disrupted, and they wanted to pay respect to the communities of the barrier island and demonstrate the resilience of the Jersey Shore sailing community," the club said.

With that in mind, the Auxiliary Fleet of the Metedeconk River Yacht Club organized the first regatta in the summer of 2013. More than 20 boats have participated in the regatta each year.

The tradition continues as sailors participate and support those still affected by the storm. These sailors are a testament to the Jet Star Regatta slogan: "Storms Don’t Stop Sailors."

The regatta will kick off with a skippers’ meeting on Friday, Aug. 9, 2019 at the Metedeconk River Yacht Club, Tilton Road, Brick, and include a dockside barbecue and awards ceremony for all participants following the race.

For more information visit the Jet Star Regatta website or email Jetstarregatta@gmail.com or mtcatlaw@aol.com.

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