Fair Haven River Rats Sailors Place In Junior Sweepstakes Regatta

FAIR HAVEN, NJ —The Fair Haven River Rats, a 71-year-
old sailing club on the Navesink River, is celebrating the performances of their young sailors in the annual Junior Sweepstakes Regatta.

Also known as 'August Sweeps,' the regatta is a four-day sailing event for junior sailors held at Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club (SSYC) and Monmouth Boat Club (MBC), with event management, judging and support provided by River Rats.

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The regatta alternates annually between the clubs and showcases young sailors from local clubs throughout the area.

Boats skippered in the races included Optis, 420s and Lasers.

In the Opti Green Division, River Rats' Liam Sinclair placed first overall while another strong sailor from the organization, Charlie Dipierro, placed third overall.

Isabella Schiavetti ranked 5th overall with Gian Carlo Aliseo placing 8th overall. Both hail from Fair Haven.

A total of 18 boats raced. Rising stars Winston Flis and Weston Lewis placed 15th and 16th, respectively.

In the Opti RWB Blue Division, James Stigliano, Fair Haven, placed 5th overall.

River Rats Skipper Jill Lynch said she was ecstatic about the performances, but even more so for the fact that the young racers are gaining valuable experience on the water and showing courage.

"River Rats is beaming with pride, of course," Lynch said. "It takes courage for these young sailors, some of whom are just learning the sport, to get out on that water in a competitive situation."

"It builds character and enhances problem-solving skills, she continued. "These are wonderful victories, and they reinforce sailing as a great tool for personal growth and development."

River Rats, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization fully operated and maintained by volunteers.

The organization provides both a junior sailing program and an adult sailing program.

Membership is not needed to take part in the classes; however, members receive substantial discounts and have first priority.

In addition to the sailing programs, River Rats provides social events and a racing series for members, in addition to opportunities to join invitational regattas with other sailing clubs.

River Rats is a member of U.S. Sailing and the North Jersey Yacht Racing Association.

The flagship youth sailing program has trained over 5,000 children to date, and the adult training program allows entire families to learn to sail together.

River Rats is located at the end of Battin Road, Fair Haven, N.J.

Mooring space is available for members, along with berths for kayaks and paddle boards, with a full schedule of seasonal social events including fun sailing races and BBQ nights.

To learn more about the Fair Haven River Rats, you can visit their website.