Your sailor's first Green Fleet regatta

What Green Fleet is for

USODA's Green Fleet Policy gives Green Fleet two purposes: to encourage novices to attend their first Optimist regatta, and to encourage their continued participation in Optimist racing. USODA calls Green Fleet the “school” of racing.

• Green Fleet is not scored. All participants should receive participation awards, given in a way that does not reflect finishing place.
• Coaches may actively coach sailors while they race, focused on the back half of the fleet.
• There are no protests. Mock protests may be used to teach the rules.
• Daily briefs and debriefs are encouraged.

USODA Conditions for Sanctioned Regattas and Championships, §18 Green Fleet Policy. Source

Is my sailor ready?

USODA's answer is practical. If a sailor can sail upwind and downwind and tack and jibe in medium winds, there is one more requirement: the desire to give it a shot. Ask your sailor's coach or program director. They know your sailor's skills and which regattas offer a Green Fleet.

Before the weekend

• Find the Notice of Race (NOR). It is the event invitation: fleets, fees, eligibility, and how to register. Register by the deadline; late fees are common.
• Read the sailing instructions (SI) when they are posted. They set the schedule, courses, time limits, and check-in rules for the event. If the SI and anything else disagree, the SI governs.
• Pack the night before. Use the Optimist regatta packing list. Label everything.
• Plan to arrive early. Rigging, launching, and the competitors' meeting take longer at a first regatta.

How the day runs

1. Arrive and register. Check in at the registration table. Tell them it is your sailor's first regatta. Volunteers are glad to help.
2. Rig. Your sailor rigs with help from the coach. Check the PFD, whistle, bailer, painter, and daggerboard retainer before launch.
3. Competitors' meeting. Your sailor attends. This is where the race committee explains the course, the schedule, and any changes. Watch the notice board for updates.
4. Harbor start. The time boats leave the beach toward the course. The race itself starts later, with the first warning signal.
5. Racing. Green Fleet courses are usually short, with several races and a break. A coach is on the water.
6. Come in, derig, debrief. Dry clothes and food first. Then the coach's debrief.

Your role ashore

• You, or a designated adult, are responsible for your sailor ashore and for the decision to keep a sailor on the beach when conditions are beyond their skills.
• Let the coaches coach. Support from shore is calm and quiet; no instructions from the dock.
• Help where asked: launching, retrieving, snacks, a volunteer role.

After the regatta: what to ask

Skip “Where did you finish?” Try: “What did you learn today?”, “What felt easier than last time?”, and “What do you want to practice next?” Skill goals you can practice keep sailors sailing. Finish goals they can't control often don't.

What comes next

After about a season, many sailors are ready for a more competitive environment. Championship Fleet races in Red, White, and Blue age divisions. Your coach will help decide when. There is no rush. The goal is a sailor for life.