Brenton Cove Racing Program (BCRP)

The Brenton Cove Racing Program (BCRP) is customized for youth sailors serious about racing Optimists, ILCAs and C420s. Each team will have their own accomplished coaches who will teach the skills necessary to thrive on the youth racing circuit. Every summer we have a great variety of regattas on the schedule, from the local NBYA regattas and scrimmages to class National and North American Championships. Sailors will learn to plan and strive to execute a goal-orientated summer sailing campaign. Through a collaborative, team-first effort, sailors should expect to learn new skills, be challenged to new levels and have a lot of fun in the process!

BCRP was created as a partnership between the Sail Newport and Ida Lewis Yacht Club (ILYC) in 2009. The program aims to provide increased amounts of opportunities, resources, and access to quality coaching for competitive sailors from the two organizations and beyond. Sailor to coach ratio will be low and the quality of the coaching will be high. Coaches will come with multiple years experience and will focus solely on their individual teams throughout the summer.

Management of the program is a primarily handled by Sail Newport Race Programs Director Nick Ewenson. The ILYC’s program manager assists with oversight and ensures that safety and best practices are maintained.

The BCRP Optimist, ILCA and C420 teams’ practices schedule is semi-regular, but shifts around the regatta schedule. Once registered and accepted, you will be invited to Team Snap, our online team management tool where you will find the most up to date schedule. In general:

  • Practices run Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m (8:30 – 3:30 for Green Fleet)
  • Practice schedule runs June 23rd – August 13th
  • During the season, Team Snap will have the most up to date information
  • 2024 Regatta schedule below for reference. 2026 TBD
Date Team Event Venue
June 29-July 1 420 C420 New England Championships Wianno YC- Osterville, MA
TBD Opti Green NYBA Optimist Regatta #1 Ida Lewis YC – Newport, RI
TBD Opti Champ NBYA Optimist Regatta #1 Ida Lewis YC – Newport, RI
July 13-14 Opti Champ New Bedford Junior Regatta New Bedford YC – Dartmouth, MA
July 13-14 420 New Bedford Junior Regatta New Bedford YC – Dartmouth, MA
July 13-14 ILCA New Bedford Junior Regatta New Bedford YC – Dartmouth, MA
TBD Opti Champ Mary Rose Marshall Clinic & Regatta/Girls TBD
TBD 420 Mary Rose Marshall Clinic & Regatta/Girls TBD
TBD ILCA Mary Rose Marshall Clinic & Regatta/Girls TBD
TBD ILCA NBYA ILCA Regatta #1 Sail Newport – Newport, RI
TBD Opti Green NBYA Optimist Regatta #1 TBD
TBD Opti Champ NBYA Optimist Regatta #2 TBD
TBD 420 NBYA 420 Regatta #1 TBD
TBD ILCA NBYA ILCA Regatta #2 TBD
July 24-25 Opti Champ Wianno Optimist Regatta Wianno YC – Osterville, MA
July 26-28 ILCA Hyannis Regatta Hyannis YC – Hyannis, MA
August 5-7 420 C420 Nationals Little Egg Harbor-Beach Haven, NJ
TBD Opti Green NBYA Optimist Regatta #3 TBD
TBD Opti Champ NBYA Optimist Regatta #3 TBD
TBD ILCA NBYA ILCA Regatta #3 TBD
August 13-15 Opti Champ USODA NE Championships Sail Newport – Newport,. RI
TBD 420 NBYA 420 Regatta #2 TBD
TBD Opti Green NBYA Junior Race Week TBD
TBD Opti Champ NBYA Junior Race Week TBD
TBD 420 NBYA Junior Race Week TBD
TBD ILCA NBYA Junior Race Week TBD
August 13-14 420 Beverly Junior Regatta Beverly YC – Marion, MA

BCRP registration will open February 1st.

Unlike Sail Newport’s Youth Program which often has to go through a lottery selection process due to very high demand, there is no lottery for the BCRP C420, ILCA, and Optimist teams. At a minimum, candidates for the program are expected to be knowledgeable about the rigging of their boat, should be able to demonstrate correct sail trim on all points of sail, and be comfortable sailing in close quarters with other sailors in all conditions.

Acceptance to the program is based on skills, experience, interest, and commitment, and Sail Newport/ILYC reserve the right to adjust placements if a sailor does not have the minimum level of skill necessary. There are also some general guidelines as to minimum weights and or heights that are appropriate for sailors in different classes. Admission for each team is on a rolling basis until the team capacity is reached.

Opti Green

Green Fleet is the gateway to the world of Opti racing. At a minimum, candidates for the program are expected to be knowledgeable about the rigging of their boat, should be able to demonstrate correct sail trim on all points of sail, and be comfortable sailing in close quarters with other boats in a wide range of conditions. Sailors come out of recreational youth programs where they may have completed an intro to racing type class, some will have sailed in a shoulder season (fall or spring) Green Fleet program. Others are simply Opti sailors coming out of intermediate or advanced classes who want to try their hand at racing Optis, and who are ready to make the commitment to a summer of learning how to make a square box go fast, how to navigate around a race course, and what all the flags they see and whistles and horns they hear, mean. Age range is 9 – 13 years old.

The Green Fleet Team trains out of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club regularly and competes in 4 local regattas through the NBYA. Please refer to the BCRP 2026 Regatta Schedule for specifics.

Opti Championship

Sailors will typically range from those with a season of Green Fleet racing under their belts, to those who have raced at the national level. This team takes advantage of the local regattas in the NBYA, but also competitive regional regattas like the New Bedford Junior Regatta, Wianno Yacht Club’s Regatta, and USODA New Englands. Its a busy schedule with an even mix of regatta days and practice days at home. Like the Green Fleet Team, the Champ Fleet Team trains out of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club.

As a general guide, Opti racing sailors range from 60 lbs – 115 lbs, and as tall as 5′ 5″. Age range 9 – 15 years.

Sailors are expected to have at least completed a course of introduction to competitive sailing in any class of sailboat and/or participated in local/high school or other ILCA racing. Many will have experience traveling to regional events already. Most of the regattas on the schedule will be ILCA 6 regattas, but sailors are encouraged to train in different rigs through the summer. If there is demand and ILCA 4 and ILCA 7 regattas in the area, the BCRP ILCA Team will be supported. As a general guide, ILCA 6 sailors need to be 13 years of age and a min. of 120 lbs to participate and be able to handle the boat safely.

The ILCA Team trains out of Sail Newport and every year the regatta schedule is different. We compete in all of the NBYA regattas, but also take advantage of the strong competition in the region. We regularly go to the Hyannis Regatta and New Bedford Junior Regatta, but have also attended District, Atlantic Coast, and even National Championships.

Note:
New name for former Lasers have been defined by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) as:
ILCA 7 – formerly Laser Standard
ILCA 6 – formerly Laser Radial
ILCA 4 – formerly Laser 4.7

Sailors are expected to have at least completed a course of introduction to competitive sailing and/or participated in local/high school 420 racing, while many will have experience traveling to regional and national caliber events already. As a general guide, C420 sailors need to be 14 years of age and a min. of 115 lbs. to participate and handle the boat safely.

For 2026, the program will be an 8-week commitment, with an optional 9th week in August to participate in the Beverly Junior Regatta.

Club 420 sailing partners

Most C420 sailors in the program have a partner whom they plan to sail with, and we strongly encourage C420 sailors to come with a partner, someone with whom they are familiar and share common competitive goals. However, it is not uncommon that C420 sailors, particularly those in their first or second year of competitive sailing may not have settled in with a specific sailing partner (either skipper or crew). For sailors in their first season of racing C420s, the coaches will rotate sailors in and out of helming and crewing so that they can learn both positions, even though they will go on to favor and specialize in one or the other. Please contact Nick Ewenson for assistance in finding a skipper/crew to sail with, or if you have any questions about partners.

Boat ownership is a necessary step to progress in the sport. Junior sailors learn so much in optimizing and caring for a boat they take pride in. Though Sail Newport is lucky to have a sound fleet of boats that help us introduce sailors to racing, they’re performance only goes so far, and we try to reserve them for new racers.

First season BCRP sailors who do not have a boat (or in the case of C420 sailors, are not partnered with someone who has their own boat), may charter a boat for $500 (six Optis for Opti Green sailors, three ILCA 6, and 4 boats [8 spots] for C420 sailors are available). Charters are allocated on a first come, first served basis through registration.

All other sailors are expected to provide their own boat, or in the case of C420 sailors, partner with a sailor who has a boat. Private boats are expected to be in good working order at all times and maintained throughout the season. Coaches will provide feedback on possible upgrades or issues to solve, but it is the private boat owner who is expected to execute the maintenance.

Please contact Nick Ewenson if you currently do not have a boat as we can work with you to find a boat that will fit your budget.

BCRP registration will open February 1st.
Program Fees:

The 2026 Base Fee for BCRP is $2550 per sailor and includes coaching at all practices and regattas. 

To encourage early registration, we are offering early-bird pricing, payment plans, and financial aid. We need to know who our teams are ASAP to properly plan for the summer ahead. Register before March 1st to lock in the lowest rate! In addition to the full 8-week options, we are an additional 9th week for an additional charge.

To apply for Financial Aid, register and use this promotional code: FINANCIALAIDAPP. This will temporarily bring your registration total to $0 while we process your Financial Aid request. You will be prompted to fill out this Financial Aid Application in the registration’s auto-responder.

Optimist Green Fleet Team

  • Full Season – $2550 ($2400 if registered before March 1)
  • partial season – upon request

Optimist Champ Fleet Team

  • Full Season – $2550 ($2400 if registered before March 1)
  • partial season – upon request
  • 9th week – $350 (training 8/17, Beverly Junior Regatta 8/18-19, morning unload & debrief 8/20)

ILCA Team

  • Full Season – $2550 ($2400 if registered before March 1)
  • partial season – upon request

C420 Team

  • Full Season – $2550 ($2400 if registered before March 1)
  • partial season – upon request
  • 9th week – $350 (training 8/17, Beverly Junior Regatta 8/18-19, morning unload & debrief 8/20)

Full Season Registration is available for payment plans:

  • Payment plans initiated by February 28 will be charged $1200 as a deposit for the program, plus an automatic charge for the remaining balance of $1200 two months later. 
  • Payment plans initiated after February 28 will be charged $1275 as a deposit for the program plus an automatic charge for the remaining balance of $1275 two months later. 
  • There will be no payment plans offered after March 30
  • Partial-season options will not have a payment plan or early bird pricing.
Additional Expenses to plan for over the summer
  • Sailors are responsible for regatta entry fees
  • Some sailors may be required to pay class memberships, i.e. USODA for Optimist sailors, C420 for C420 sailors and ILCA for ILCA sailors
  • Students may also need to join NBYA and US Sailing as a junior member, if they are not already covered under a family membership
  • Coach housing and transportation for regattas outside of the immediate region. There will be a shared flat rate for each regatta that is considered an “away” regatta.
Refund Policy

If for any reason, a sailor is turned down for the program, the deposit will be refunded 100%. An accepted sailor who withdraws from the program prior to April 15, will receive a full refund of any fees paid, less a $50 administrative fee. After April 15, the administrative fee increases to $100. There is no refund for sailors who withdraw from the program after May 15 unless the spot is filled or there are extenuating circumstances which are handled on a case by case basis.

Register BCRP

Have questions?

Contact Nick Ewenson, Race Program Director, with any questions about eligibility and choosing the right program.

Phone: (401) 846-1983
Email: [email protected]