Twenty three years ago, when Rick Metz visited a yard sale with his wife and two children on Long Beach Island (LBI) in search of a used refrigerator for their garage, he not only found what he was looking for, but discovered a life-long love of sailing as well.
“The refrigerator was $75, but following standard yard sale protocol, I began to bargain with the elderly gentleman,” he says. “We came to an impasse after at least 30 minutes when finally he said, ‘I’ll tell you what. If you buy this fridge for $75, I’ll take you and your family sailing tomorrow morning.’”
None of them had ever sailed before, but he took the hard-bargaining Sam up on his offer. Although Rick had no idea what he was doing, he learned quickly. “After feeling like a 10-year-old child with my stern fifth-grade history teacher, I started to feel the power of the wind and the calm that sailing provided,” he says. “I soon experienced that wonderful feeling of escape, freedom, apparent silence, and peacefulness that convinced me of my next move: buying a sailboat and learning to sail.”
Sam was a member of the Brant Beach Yacht Club (BBYC) in LBI, and Rick soon became a member as well. After being a board member for many years, Rick is now the 2023 commodore, or leader, of the club.
“For me, sailing is a sense of empowerment,” he says. “You're out on the water and the only thing you have is the wind, your sailboat and your knowledge of how to move the boat. The navigation part is kind of fun and challenging.”
Sam was a world champion sailor, and over the years, Rick continued to improve upon his skills and also took part in competitive racing. There are many races, or regattas, every year, including one of the largest that takes place right here in New Jersey. BBYC hosts a regatta at the Barnegat Bay almost every year, and last year it hosted the ILCA (International Lasor Class Association) Nationals, where 230 plus sailboats participated.
Sailors come from near and far to participate, including those from Canada and all the way to the Virgin Islands. The club will also be hosting the C420 two-person sailboat race this summer, which is going to be the first of its kind because it's an all-women's North American championship race. They expect about 75 boats for a total of 150 sailors.
“Typically a one-design regatta will have only one class of boats,” says Rick. “For bigger regattas of over 100 boats, we'll have varying fleets of boats, with different start times for them. For special regattas, we may have mixed fleets and classes of boats with different start times.”
Regattas are held even in colder months, so sailing is not just a summer sport. For children who take part in these races, it opens up whole new worlds. Many compete all over the country with youths from around the world, which allows them to build relationships with kids from diverse backgrounds.
Like many other sports, there are also travel teams, and the U.S. Sailing Team has a youth program that allows young people to compete in Peru, Uruguay, the Canary Islands, and other far off places. In addition, some higher-education institutions, such as Boston College, Brown University, and Stanford even offer sailing programs.
At BBYC, kids can start taking lessons at 7 years old. “It's pretty basic at that age,” says Rick. “The Optimist boats that we use kind of look like bathtubs, but they're really quite technical and they move really well. They're amazing little crafts.”
New Jersey is home to many sailing clubs, including the Sandy Hook Bay Catamaran Club, the Raritan Yacht Club, and the Ocean Gate Yacht Club, but for kids and adults who want to learn to sail but don’t or cannot belong to a club, there are alternatives.
“We and other clubs are trying to open it up to the community,” says Rick. “You don’t have to be a full member, but you can be a temporary sailing member where you come and take lessons and we rent you a boat. We also do boat sharing, so you don't have to invest in a boat. We have sailing memberships that don’t include all the social aspects, which is less expensive, as well. These offerings give better access to the sport.” It also allows people to learn to sail under safe conditions with proper guidance and instruction.
Another way they strive to share the joy of sailing with others is through their sister organization, the Brant Beach Sailing Foundation. “It’s a nonprofit organization to support and promote sailing.”
In addition to sailing being fun and relaxing, Rick also believes there are many skills you acquire from the sport that can be used in everyday life. “No doubt, one is patience,” he says. “Another is the spirit of competition and the camaraderie. It's a nice way of getting people together from all backgrounds to do one thing.”
Another takeaway is an appreciation for nature. “I don't want to sound too profound here, but there are a lot of things you have to navigate in your professional career and in your life, but the one constant, in a way, is always nature. Even though it’s always changing, it's something that doesn't lie. It can't be manipulated, and it's something we have to adjust to. And sailing is definitely like that.
He adds, “By the way, the refrigerator worked for another 12 years. If it weren’t for superstorm Sandy, it probably would still be working today.” www.bbyc.net
To find out more about the sport of sailing, go to USSailing.org and ASA.com.
“I think the pinnacle of sailing is to be able to navigate a race course and get out in front.”