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Alex Samano
June 26, 2026

Regatta Registration Etiquette: How to Acknowledge Your Coaching ‘Family’

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Most likely, you will never hear anyone talk about this. However, there are 'unspoken' conventions on how to 'properly' mention clubs and programs for a sailor in their event registration. The first thing to know is that mentioning a program on your registration is the sailor's way to say 'thank you' and recognize the people who have been involved in their training. It’s important for all sailors, but it’s particularly relevant for sailors who are expected to finish at the front of the fleet with a long journey of practicing and coaching behind them.

Event organizers, please do not omit any of the clubs listed in a sailor’s registration, regardless of how many there are. It is not your place to decide who deserves recognition; you are reading the registration on the sailor's behalf. If you are reading from the podium, take the time to read every club name listed.

Having learned these conventions behind the scenes over the years, here is the standard approach:

  1. The first club/program should be the one you are attending the event with. For example, if I am sailing with BCS at a San Francisco event, I list BCS first. This recognizes the regatta coach and helps organizers identify who is coaching the sailor at that event.
  2. The second program should be the one you consider your "home" base. This recognizes the program where you do the bulk of your training. Some local club awards are only available to sailors representing their home program; listing it second satisfies this requirement while maintaining proper coaching recognition first.
  3. Additional programs. Sailors are often trained by multiple coaches or programs. Including them in the registration is a way to recognize them for their contributions to your performance.

Always consider which members of your coaching "family" would most benefit from recognition. Here are a few personal examples:

When sailing in Mexico, we work with Club Nautico Valle de Bravo (CNVB), our Mexican sibling program, as well as West Vancouver Yacht Club (WVYC) in Canada, BCS in California, and SailCoach in Europe. My typical registration lists: