Ask the Ratz.

MudRatz is the racing team for junior sailors in eastern Connecticut and western Rhode Island. We are the step after learn-to-sail: sailors who have outgrown their club program get coaching, bigger boats and travel with a team.

Three teams cover ages 8 to 23: Optis, 420s and After Dark / Offshore.

Since 2013, when it started with ten kids on a dock in Mystic. That makes about 13 years.

Yes. MudRatz Inc. is a 100% volunteer-run 501(c)3. No salaries, no clubhouse, no fundraising staff. Our 501(c)3 determination letter is on the site.

No. We complement your club, we do not replace it. Sailors keep racing for their own clubs, and the local clubs feed the team. We practice in the spring and fall, around club summer programs, and draw sailors from clubs between Westport and Weekapaug.

No. Opti and 420 families bring their own boats (or charter one), and MudRatz provides the coaching, the team and the travel plan. The bigger boats for After Dark and offshore were donated to MudRatz, and the organization is 100% volunteer-run with no paid staff, so season fees go to coaching and time on the water. That keeps a season at a fraction of what most racing programs cost.

We also deliberately steer clear of the hyper-competitive youth sailing scene.

Too many to list here. The two we are proudest of:

• US Sailing's Captain Joe Prosser Award, for exemplary contribution to the quality and safety of sailing instruction.
• The Stephens Brothers Youth Division Trophy at the 2018 Newport Bermuda Race, won by our youth crew on the Swan 48 Dreamcatcher.

Optis: ideal for ages 8 to 14.

420s: ideal for ages 11 to 17.

After Dark / Offshore: ages 14 to 23. Sportboats are a good place to start, often around 14 to 16.

Age is a guide, not a gate. If your sailor is close and keen, ask a coach.

Optis: basic Opti skills and at least one full season of green fleet racing. The Opti team works on advanced rigging, sail and boat trim, starts and tactics.

420s: skippers need one season of ECSA racing or a year in our Opti program. Crew are welcome whatever their experience.

After Dark / Offshore: maturity and independence matter more than a resume. See the After Dark section below.

MudRatz is a racing program, not learn-to-sail. Sailors should already be comfortable sailing their boat on their own. If your sailor is brand new, start with your local club's junior program and come to us when they are ready to race.

No. MudRatz sailors are usually already members of their own local club, plus ECSA, US Sailing and MudRatz. Host clubs welcome us as guests.

Normally no. A sailor joining with a couple of weeks left has a hard time fitting in with a team that has been sailing together for a month. If you have a special case, check with the lead coach first.

Online at register.mudratz.org. Pick Optimist, 420 or After Dark / Offshore. It is six screens on a phone, returning families get most of it filled in automatically, and registering does not charge you anything. Payment comes at the end, after the form.

You get a confirmation email with a copy of your registration. Reply to it to fix anything.

The season fee is $175.26 for any team. Add a named pinnie or offshore crew shirt and it is $205.26.

Every sailor also holds a MudRatz membership: $15 a year per sailor, or $25 a year for the whole family, so two or more sailors is a deal.

Regatta days and travel events are extra (see Regattas & Travel).

Yes. Registering after the early deadline (September 6 for fall 2026) adds $50, so $225.26, or $255.26 with a pinnie. Registering early also gives the coaches an accurate sailor count about two weeks before the first practice.

No. A season is one spring or one fall program, usually about five practice days plus a backup day. The membership is the yearly piece.

Every sailor holds a MudRatz membership: $15 a year for one sailor, or $25 a year to cover every sailor in your family. It is a recurring PayPal subscription set up at the end of registration, renewing each August. It makes your sailor part of the Ratz Pack and unlocks member benefits: a US Sailing membership discount of up to $30, a BoatUS discount, and 10% off at our gear partners.

Registration is complete once both the season fee and membership are in place.

By PayPal (any card works, no PayPal account needed) at the end of registration, or send the same amount on Venmo to @mudratzinc.

Yes, once per season. The good news: the registration site recognizes returning families and fills in most of the form for you.

The form is saved first and payment comes second. If you got the confirmation email, you are registered. If you did not, fill it out again, or reply to any MudRatz email and we will check your status.

Refunds are handled case by case. Email our treasurer at treasurer@mudratz.org and explain what changed.

Ask. MudRatz exists so local kids can get past the pond, and no sailor should sit out over cost. Email our treasurer privately at treasurer@mudratz.org.

Spring practices have been hosted at Pettipaug Yacht Club in Essex, CT, and fall practices at Niantic Bay Yacht Club. Dinghy practices are usually on weekends, with Optis and 420s in their own sessions. After Dark sails Friday nights.

Exact dates, times and meeting points change from year to year, so registered families get them from the coaches by email and in the team WhatsApp groups. Changes also go up on Facebook and @ratzracing on Instagram.

Fall: the weekend after Labor Day, running about five practice days into October. Labor Day weekend itself is for dropping off boats.

Spring: late April or early May through early June, with a pause for Memorial Day weekend.

Practice start times are rigged and ready times: the boat is rigged, the sailor is dressed and ready to launch. Arrive at least 30 minutes early, more is better. Sailors rig their own boats, and coaches do not hold the group for late boats. A boat that is not ready may be asked to sit out that day.

Usually not. When our host club runs a major event, like the CT State Opti Championships at Niantic Bay, MudRatz practice is skipped that weekend and picks up again the next week.

Every season includes a backup day at the end of the schedule to make up a cancelled session. When coaches add an extra practice, the program covers it, so families are not billed again.

Post a short note in your program's WhatsApp group or message the coach. That is all it takes.

Yes. Coaches run learn-to-tune sessions for 420 sailors before practice so rigging skills do not eat into time on the water. Bring a tape measure, and sailors are encouraged to mark masts and number jib sheets.

Not for rain alone. We sail unless there is lightning or conditions are unsafe. Come with foul weather gear and stay dry. If anything changes, coaches announce it in the WhatsApp group.

The coaches check forecasts ahead of time and cancel when sustained winds and gusts are too high to sail safely, especially at night. A windy day may turn into a chalk talk or boat work instead.

In your program's WhatsApp group first. Make sure you, and for 420 and After Dark the sailor too, are in the right group.

For spring and late fall, yes. Spring water is very cold and a drysuit is effectively mandatory. In the fall a drysuit is strongly advised, and coaches may hold a sailor back without one when the water is cold. A wetsuit with a good spray top is the minimum.

• Life jacket and MudRatz pinnie
• Drysuit, or wetsuit with a spray top
• More layers than you think you need
• Gloves, boots and a hat
• Reusable water bottle and a peanut-free snack

The pinnie is the team bib worn over the life jacket, with your sailor's first name on the back so coaches learn names fast. It is expected at practice and events. Photos of sailors in MudRatz colors drive the social media and fundraising that keep the boats going.

It is a $30 add-on at registration, in youth and adult sizes. Ordered pinnies are handed out at practice.

Most of our partners give 10% off if you mention MudRatz:

• Team One Newport
• Zim Sailing in Bristol
• Intensity Sails
• Landfall Navigation

Zim and Team One are the closest good drysuit shops to our practice sites.

For regattas, yes. Starting sequences can run three or five minutes, so a proper countdown race watch is a must.

Optis: yes, a race-ready, class-legal boat. Good used boats are easy to find, and local clubs sometimes charter.

420s: bring your own, or charter from Zim Sailing or a local club.

After Dark / Offshore: no, we have the boats ready to go. Just bring your gear.

Yes. Dinghies can be stored at the host club for the length of the program, free of charge. Trailers usually cannot stay, so check first. We are guests: store boats neatly, leave no trash or gear behind, and take boats home when the season ends or the club needs the yard.

Yes. We will pair solo sailors as best we can, but many teams arrive pre-partnered and registering as a team is highly recommended. Come early to the first practice to meet other solo sailors.

Optimists and Club 420s are the core, plus ILCA 6 when there is enough interest. Older sailors move on to sportboats (Melges 24 and Melges 20), a Figaro 2, the J/105 and a donated Reichel/Pugh 45 for offshore racing. MudRatz also owns a RIB coach boat and trailer.

Fall: the Halloween Howl at Sail Newport, usually the last weekend of October.

Spring: the Newport Youth Challenge at Sail Newport in June.

Older 420 sailors aim at events like C420 New Englands, Nationals and North Americans, the New Bedford Junior Regatta, Orange Bowl and Midwinters.

Racing as part of the MudRatz team at a regatta is by coach approval, based on readiness.

Regatta days are on top of the season fee. The coaching fee for the event is split equally among the sailors who go. Families also pay their own regatta entry and travel.

No. Families plan their own boat transport to events like the Halloween Howl.

List both your home club and MudRatz, for example Wad Club / MudRatz. It gets the name out there, and mentioning MudRatz has often earned discounts or waived fees.

Register and check the schedule on the event site, and read the Notice of Race and sailing instructions. Arrive at Sail Newport about an hour before the skippers meeting. Bring lunch in a waterproof bag, a water bottle, the pinnie and a race watch. Dress for cold: drysuit or wetsuit with spray gear. Winds of 20 to 25 knots are not unusual.

Yes. The coaches share them in the groups. Recent examples are the free Dyer Dhow Derby junior and family race at Mystic Seaport in October, and free radio-controlled model sailing with the Mystic Model Yacht Club for MudRatz sailors 23 and under, no boat or experience needed.

Our night sailing program for older junior sailors, and the first step toward offshore racing. Sailors learn tethers, navigation and boat handling in the dark, because offshore races are won and lost at night.

In fall 2026 it ran Friday nights, 6 to 9pm, out of Niantic Bay Yacht Club on our Figaro 2. Arrive right at 6 to rig and get out before sunset, and expect to be back on the dock around 9 to 9:30.

Entry is earned: complete five full practices, then a final evaluation by the head coach. Maturity and independence are a must. Ages 14 to 23, with sportboats a good place to start around 14 to 16.

• Required: a headlamp with a red light
• Foul weather gear and warm layers (it gets cold on the water at night)
• Sailing gloves, a multitool and electrical tape
• Your own inflatable life jacket and tether if you have one. The team has offshore-style lifejackets with tethers to lend.

No. The team sometimes races in local weekend events, like the Cross Sound Challenge out of Essex. Those days are optional, on top of Friday lessons, and their coaching fee is split among the sailors who go.

Sailors who came to the practice before, or have keelboat racing experience. Brand new sailors should come to practice first. When there are more sailors than spots, current and past team members get precedence, but attendance does not guarantee a spot, and good communication is often the tie-breaker. Light wind can mean a smaller crew.

Yes. Offshore and sportboat sailors help with boat prep, from sanding bottoms to rebuilding winches, and give back by volunteering, fundraising and helping teach in the shoulder seasons.

Block Island Race Week in 2027 and the 2028 Newport Bermuda Race, with shorter offshore races in between. We sail the ECSA Offshore Circuit, and in 2026 took on a donated Reichel/Pugh 45 for the campaign.

Mostly MudRatz alumni and strong high school and college sailors, led by a head coach for each program.

We follow safe sport practice: two adults are present whenever coaches are out with kids. If a second coach cancels, a replacement is found or the session is held. Coaches watch the forecast and cancel when it is not safe. For night and offshore training, sailors wear offshore-style inflatable lifejackets and clip in with tethers.

Yes. MudRatz carries liability insurance and can provide a certificate to host clubs.

Honest answer: there are no athletic scholarships in college sailing. It is a fantastic experience though, and our coaches are happy to talk college sailing with sailors and parents.

Through the program WhatsApp groups: the general community group plus Opti, C420 and After Dark groups. Parents should join, and 420 and After Dark sailors need to be in the groups themselves, ideally on their own phone. Bigger news also goes out by email and on Facebook and @ratzracing on Instagram.

Not on the list yet? Email us and ask to be added.

Message in your program's WhatsApp group. The coaches are volunteers and the group is where they look first. Email coaches@mudratz.org works too, it just may take longer.

Sailors, as much as possible. Offshore races take months of planning, and coaches want to hear from sailors more than parents. Parents are welcome to ask questions, but when a question is aimed at the sailors, let them answer.

It means "copy", the on-the-water word for message received. Give coach messages a thumbs-up so they know you saw them.

Yes, please. Post to your own pages and tag @ratzracing on Instagram, or send content to the coaches and we will share it. Pictures of sailors on the water help bring in donations.

MudRatz runs on volunteers, so yes, every bit helps. At practices and regattas parents pitch in with snacks, water and fuel for coach boats, and boat moving. Watch the group chats for asks.

Please do. Bigger fleets need two coach boats, so we often ask the community to lend a powerboat for practices and events like the Halloween Howl.

Write a letter or email. Host clubs and race officials who waive fees or help with paperwork appreciate it, it gets read at their board meetings, and it makes them glad to help again.

Online at mudratz.org/support by PayPal, card or Venmo (@mudratzinc). Or mail a check payable to MudRatz to PO Box 293, Stonington CT 06378, with your name and address for a receipt. MudRatz is a 501(c)3, so gifts are tax-deductible to the extent the law allows.

Yes. MudRatz has taken in more than 20 donated boats in 13 years. Some join the fleet and get sailed hard in training and campaigns; others are sold or chartered to fund the program. Start with the donate a boat form, and a coach or board member will review it against what the program needs.

You sign the title over to MudRatz Inc. and receive a written acknowledgment, the CT gift declaration (Form AU-463) and a copy of our IRS determination letter. MudRatz issues Form 1098-C within the IRS deadline once the boat's use or sale is determined. MudRatz handles title work and logistics.

What you may be able to deduct, to the extent the law allows, depends on whether MudRatz sails the boat or sells it, and larger gifts need an appraisal.

MudRatz is a volunteer sailing program, not a tax advisor, and this is not tax advice. We never quote a deduction figure. Please talk to your own accountant or attorney.

The title and gift declaration should be signed by December 31 to count for that tax year.

Yes, and we would rather work with you than around you. MudRatz is not a reseller or donation clearinghouse. If a listed boat might become a donation, contact us before anything is signed and we will work out any broker arrangement in writing with you and the owner up front, so everyone, including the owner's tax advisor, knows the terms. MudRatz does not pay referral fees for donations. If we later sell a donated boat, we are glad to list it with you at a normal brokerage commission.

Yes. Donated sails are put to work for practice and local racing, or recut. Sails valued over $5,000 generally need a qualified written appraisal, obtained by the donor.

Yes, and we are building a tiered program, cash or in-kind, with benefits like trailer and hull signage, your logo on team gear and social media shoutouts. Industry partners have included Spinlock, Harken and Samson Rope. Email coaches@mudratz.org to talk.

Yes. The $15 a year membership is open to alumni and supporters too, set up on the support page.