MBL Member Info

M E M B E R I N F O

Divisions and Teams

There are about 30 teams in the MBL from all around the Boston metropolitan area. The teams are divided into three divisions according to ability‚ interest‚ location‚ and the type of racing – fleet racing or team racing. The composition of these divisions is reviewed yearly so that teams have the ability to change divisions. While only races within a team’s division are counted toward their standings in their division and league, competition outside of a team’s division and outside of the MBL may required. Each MBL division has different expectations for its participants. Click here to help decide in which division a team belongs.

Venues

Some of our member schools, those in the C Division, sail at Community Boating on the Charles River in Boston. The remaining schools sail at various venues throughout eastern Massachusetts. For more information on venues used, see the spreadsheet of venues (with directions). It also shows which team(s) use each venue as a home venue.

Dues and Fees

The MBL racing dues as of 2013 are $200 per team, and they are due April 1. For more information on member dues, see the MBL Dues and Fees Policy. Some regattas charge a small registration fee, and some venues charge a fee for use of their facilities each season. Membership in NESSA and participation in NESSA events require additional dues and fees.

Meetings

The league holds two meetings each year. Representation from each school is important as attendance at the meetings is the chief way each school can learn about and influence the decisions and direction of the league.

Each Fall, the MBL coaches get together to begin scheduling events and team race meets, discuss issues within the league, and prepare for the annual NESSA meeting in early November.

The "annual" meeting is held each January or February. The purpose of this meeting is to update coaches on any news, evaluate events of the prior year, review the financial position of the league, approve annual dues, consider new members, confirm or modify the make-up of the various divisions, schedule league events, finalize schedules for team race meets, elect officers, and consider any other issues affecting the league. View minutes of past meetings below:

General Communication

To communicate information about league activities and to discuss league issues and concerns between meetings, email is used among the coaches and league officers. Athletic directors and other school administrators may also request to be included in these emails. Email addresses (etc.) for current MBL participants are available on the Contact Info tab. To get the password to the contact information or to manage your entries on the master email list, please contact the MBL President.

Coaches, especially those of teams in the A and B Divisions, should also subscribe to the NESSA list-server so that they get announcements of NESSA regattas and other news.

Joining the MBL

If you already have a school team in the greater Boston area and want to join the MBL, apply to a league officer in writing using this application form. The application and a cover letter on school letterhead should be signed by a school official such as the athletic director, headmaster, or principal.

Starting a Team

Understand this fundamental constraint: All organized high school sailing in New England is school based and sanctioned by school authority. There is no mechanism for participation by individual students. Conglomerate teams (teams made up of more than one school) are allowed in some circumstances and with some limitations. With conglomerates, the school authorities for all schools represented must sanction the team.

The useful publication, "Starting Your Own High School Sailing Team" is available from the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA).

Identify a core enthusiast(s) who will persevere through a multi-year process to establish the new team.
Find a mentor(s) to advise you as you go through the process. ( i.e. sailing league representative, sailing coach or parent at another school who started a team, coach or parent of another new sport started in your school, etc.)
Identify core group of sailors:

4 sailors are needed to make a fleet race team
6 sailors are need for a team race team
8 – 10 sailors allow for substitutes and make a more stable team

Analyze the requirements and logistical issues:

Home sailing venue where you can practice, compete, and store boats
NOTE: Community Boating in Boston is fully subscribed with sailing teams
Coach(es)
Sailboats
Coach boat(s)
Boat maintenance, security, and off season storage
Transportation to practices, events, and meets – vehicles, drivers, etc.
Insurance and liability coverage
Costs – both start-up costs and on-going operating costs
Funding – Sources of start-up and on-going funding
NOTES: Be prepared to operate with minimal school funding. Also, sailors must be prepared to obtain expensive sailing gear.

Approach school authorities (principal, athletic director, central administration, school board) with a proposal for approval to proceed. They are likely to be concerned with the following:

All of the logistical issues
How sailing fits within afterschool structures for clubs or teams
Safety
How a team can participate in a league or other competitive structure
NOTE: Unlike other high school sports, sailing is not an MIAA sport. See About tab / FAQS.
Future of the team

Raise start-up money. In most cases, the school will look to the participants for all or most of the start-up funding.
Buy needed equipment – This may take some time if seeking inexpensive, used equipment.
Work with school to hire a coach. Utilize SailOne.
Join the MBL - Apply to a league officer in writing using this application form. The application and a cover letter on school letterhead should be signed by a school official such as the athletic director, headmaster, or principal.
Especially in the first few years, work hard to keep building enthusiasm, establish a sustainable financial plan, and think one year ahead in terms of sailor participation and having a coach.

Enjoy one of the fastest growing high school sports! Take pride in creating from scratch an incredible opportunity for kids.

New Coach Info

There is a lot of information that one needs when he or she becomes the new coach of an existing MBL team or as the existing coach of a team joining the MBL. The New Coach Handbook was created to impart this information. The Fundamentals of Team Racing may also prove useful.