RITRA at a Glance

The Rhode Island Team Racing Association is a non-profit organization based out of Newport, RI that promotes team racing in southern New England.  Team racing is a fast-paced sport that combines the allure of sailing with the dynamics of team sports.  It is an up-and-coming area of sailing that boasts strong player and spectator appeal. To this end, RITRA provides a variety of services such as regattas, clinics, and other events to promote team racing. RITRA wants to make Rhode Island, already the sailing capital of the world, the epicenter of team racing. 

A Community of Sailors

RITRA is an organization run for sailors, by sailors, and its goal is to get people on the water, having fun.  The concept started as a small group of sailors in six boats who informally raced once a week in Newport Harbor.  The word quickly spread and more sailors began to gravitate to the excitement.  A few short years later RITRA is represented by over 250 members.  The RITRA sailors are high school and college aged as well as twenty and thirty-somethings.  RITRA extends into the community through partnerships with local companies, restaurants, and bars for sponsorship and patronage.  

What RITRA Does

As more people got involved the demand for more events and organization increased.  A variety of new and unique events came onto the scene and became the highlight of the summer schedule.  

The 2v2 Random Pairs Team Race is a one-of-a-kind event that attracts the top team racers in the country.  This event quickly maxes out capacity every year, and sailors spend 2 days testing their skills with the high octane racing.  

The Chix Only Team Race is a  regatta  at the forefront of the sport.  Every year  over forty female team  racers get  together to compete in the only all-female team race in the world.  

In 2009 RITRA launched the Rhode Island debut of The Showdown, a  team  racing invitational that acts as a preview of the US Sailing  Association's  national  championships.  In 2010 RITRA expects yet  another year of record  participation  with increased interest from aspiring  high school sailors.

Connecting with Sailors on the Water, On-Shore and On-Line

RITRA's presence extends from on-the-water to on-the-web with the launch  of our website www.ritra.org.  The site is a central source for all things team  racing with valuable information such as calendars, event  information, event registration, pictures and results.  RITRA also uses routine email newsletters  to communicate to the 250+ members and the extended sailing industry.  In  addition to our industry sponsors RITRA partners with local businesses to host events for participants after racing, and parties during regattas because no good regatta is complete without a fun social event after racing is done for the day.  

What's Next

Our goal is to grow the sport of team racing, and our approach is if we build it, they will come.  High quality events are what bring the sailors and RITRA has the foundation to do that.  RITRA intends to spread the gospel of team racing to sailors and non-sailors alike.  We also want to make team racing more accessible by providing facilities that include boats and venues.  Since team racing has such a spectator friendly appeal, RITRA will add colored sails and team jerseys to it's arsenal as well as sailing at highly visible locations, like Fort Adams in Newport.  As RITRA grows it will need to generate more revenue to deliver these goals.  To do this RITRA has put together a corporate sponsorship program.  

Rhode Island Team Racing can be contacted at info@ritra.org

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