Its busy, action-packed year ended back in May, but the NC State club sailing team has still found time to stay active during the offseason while simultaneously engaging with the community.

Since 1954, the NC State Sailing Club has spent a lot of time and effort training in order to compete at a high level during competition seasons. It is part of the South Atlantic Interscholastic Sailing Association, specifically in the South Atlantic district. The club team competes September through November and January through May in regattas, or races, that are held anywhere from Boston to Miami.

“Our conference covers all teams from North Carolina to Florida and west to Alabama,” said fifth-year volunteer head coach Dana Magliola. “There are five varsity teams in our conference and about 25 club programs. That said, we maintain a varsity mindset and practice schedule.”

The roster consists of 25 or more members, and practices are held twice a week along with a weekly film session.

“Our regatta schedule is robust, and we are active in both the fall and spring seasons,” Magliola said. “Aside from the varsity programs in SAISA, we are probably the most active team by number of regattas. We also travel a significant amount out of conference to compete in higher-caliber regattas in an effort to both increase our program’s exposure, as well as challenge ourselves to improve.”

Last summer, the team decided that it wanted to connect with local sailors, students and Raleigh residents by hosting the SailPack Summer Sailing Series that allows the community to participate in college-style dinghy races during the offseason. Paulina Spencer, the former race team captain, created the program.

“Charleston has much more of a racing scene,” Spencer said. “They host Tuesday evening races, so we decided to do something similar. It is a nice way for us to get the community to come out and participate in something new with the team.”

The program costs only $5 and lasts from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Lake Wheeler every Tuesday from May 31 to Aug. 16. It provides a fun, safe learning environment for all participants.

“It’s great because it really lets us get to know people in the broader community who are interested in sailing,” Magliola said. “Last year’s series saw more than 110 participants throughout the summer. The age range for participants has been from 12 to 58 years old. Some are students who are in Raleigh for the summer, while others are just people who have heard about the event.”

The program consists of several sets of races between all of the participants. There are two types of races employed, a W2 and a W4. A W2 is a one-lap race and a W4 is a two-lap race. During the races, coach Magliola and other experienced sailors give corrections, instruction and suggestions to participants. Though technique is sometimes taught, Magliola said the event includes no pressure and that all is in good fun.

“The summer series is a great place to learn and improve basic sailing skills,” Magliola said. “You don’t need any experience to join the club team, but knowing a lot ahead of time will certainly help you”

Magliola said the summer’s series has gotten off to a great start, and the team still has one more month of Tuesdays left in the series to race.