Bringing Racing to the Upper Bay

Join the GRF

The Georgetown Racing Fleet consists of a friendly group of sailors, and others who are interested in boats and sailing.

• We arrange regular races at the mouth of the Sassafras River for both beginners and experienced sailors
• We hold a series of social functions - parties, picnics, mainly around the Georgetown area, but also occasionally in the Wilmington or Philadelphia area
• Our members share their experience with new members about their boats and fixing them, as well as guidance on making their boats go faster
• We run training sessions on racing rules, and on the role and duties of the Committee Boat - the boat that starts and finishes the races

Overall, we have a great deal of fun together, both on and off the water.

Come and join us. The membership dues are very low, and you will make new friends and have a lot of fun.

A membership Application Form is available by clicking below

If you need a free copy of the Adobe Reader for the pdf file, please click here, then follow the directions.

GRF is an organization of friendly people who enjoy sailing, low stress racing, and on-water social activities. If you are looking for a way to increase your sailing pleasure and abilities, consider joining our fleet. Previous sailing experience is not a prerequisite for membership.

GRF has been a club on the Sassafras River since the mid-1940’s. It began when a group of sailing friends decided to test their racing skills against one another. Today, the club has over 60 members and it is not unusual for 15-20 boats to show up for the series races. Racing under PHRF of the Chesapeake ratings, older boats have as good a chance of winning a race as some of the newer, “go fast” boats, since handicaps are issued to insure equitable racing among sailboats of differing designs. GRF is also a member club of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association.

We generally have 4 Spring series races and 4 Fall series races with separate non-spinnaker and spinnaker groupings. Races start Saturday mornings near Betterton on the Sassafras River. We believe that racing should be fun, so protests are not allowed.

For those more interested in cruising, we offer weekend cruises or weeklong club cruises, depending on the wishes of the members. They offer a way to improve members’ sailing skills while having a good time. Weekend cruises may include racing to and from the weekend destination (Point to Point Race).

GRF has 3 moorings in Turner Creek where we can gather for social functions and rafting before or after races. We hope that prospective members will join us on the raft, in a series race, or aboard one of our boats during a race, as a way to get to know one another.

If you have any questions about GRF, please feel free to contact our membership chairperson