Sailing

Shelter Island has a rich history of racing and cruising traditions. 

With 15 to 25 boats on the line every Saturday in the summer, our Etchells and H12s make up the Club’s two very active one design fleets. Nationally competitive, sailors from these fleets race in regattas all along the eastern seaboard. In 2023, the Club hosted the H Class National Championship. In the fall of 2021, SIYC hosted the Etchells New England Championship and in June of 2022 the Etchells North American Championship. Shelter Island Yacht Club is proud to have the 2023 Etchells World Champion as a member of our Club. 

In addition, the Club holds multiple annual PHRF regattas, including the Heatherton, SIYC Race Week, and the Poor Memorial. Many of our racers regularly compete at regattas like New York Yacht Club Race Week, J/111 World Championships, The Southernmost Regatta, and the Newport Bermuda Race, bringing home trophies and best-in-class racing. A team of our sailors set the course record for the Marblehead to Halifax Race and subsequently became the first American boat to cross the finish line at the Sydney to Hobart Race.

Beyond racing, the Club has a dedicated and adventurous cruising group, who organize an annual week-long trip for 5 to 10 member boats. Recent trips have found them exploring the coast of Maine, island hopping in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, and discovering new sea towns along the Connecticut shore.