Help us build something worth racing for.
We're building Long Island Sound's first dedicated shorthanded sailing series — a season-long championship that rewards the sailors who show up to local events, put in the miles, and push our community forward. We're looking for partners who want to be part of it from the beginning and who want to support our mission to increase participation and competition at the local level.
A championship for the sailors who actually show up.
The LIS Shorthanded Series Trophy ("SST") is a season-long championship for singlehanded and doublehanded sailors competing across Long Island Sound's existing regattas — the Edlu, Gearbuster, Block Island Race, Vineyard Race, ALIR, Haustblót, Bitter Ender, and more, including ad hoc Saturday Day Races with courses set based on conditions. No barrier to entry. If you're already racing, you're already eligible. What sets the SST apart is its scoring formula, which weighs finishing position, race distance, and fleet depth simultaneously to identify a true season-long champion — not a one-race hero. This distinction, and the bragging rights that come with it, are worth racing for.
But we're going further. LIS sailors spend thousands on marine services and goods every year just to get a few days on the water — limited by family, work, and the realities of life. Our mission is to reward the Series Champion with something sailors will actually use, and to use this Series as a vehicle for growing shorthanded participation at the local level.
"We want to reward the Series Champion with something sailors will actually use — and that means we need your help."
The Series launches as the flagship contribution of the Long Island Sound Shorthanded Sailing Society, founded in 2026 by local shorthanded sailor Josh Reisberg, with the long-term vision of supporting shorthanded programming, safety education, and pathways for young adults to fund their own shorthanded sailing campaigns.
These are your customers. This is your community.
LIS shorthanded sailors are a well-defined, passionate, loyal group. Year after year, they buy sails built in your lofts, lines built in your factories, foul-weather gear you've marketed to them as being crucial to their performance and safety, and keep boats in your yard.
And they respond to brands that demonstrate a genuine interest in their community and their ability to get out on the water and compete.
A dedicated, qualified audience
Reach active offshore sailors who own and maintain performance boats on LIS and beyond. Not casual spectators — participants.
Season-long visibility
The SST runs April through October. Your brand is present across every event on the calendar — not just a single race week.
Community credibility
The LIS sailing community is tight-knit. Partners who invest in growing the sport are remembered. This is relationship marketing, not just impressions.
Be part of something new
This is Year One. Founding partners shape what this institution becomes and earn permanent recognition as the people who helped build it.
Directly support participation
Cash and gear donations fund prizes that pull more sailors onto the start line. More entrants means a stronger Series — and more eyes on your brand.
Put your product in the right hands
For marine businesses, this is an opportunity to put your product directly in the hands of the sailors who use it — as a prize they raced hard to earn.
Support the Series
Cash contributions fund the perennial trophy, take-home trophies, the infrastructure that keeps the Series running, and the all-important cash prize for the Series Champion. If enough cash contributions are received, any excess over monies allocated to Series prizes will be deployed to fund young adult sailing campaigns — think race entries and logistics costs to start, where real money is necessary to get a program off the ground.
Entry-level recognition with your brand in front of the LIS shorthanded community all season long.
- Logo on the SST website's Sponsorship page
- All logos cross-link to website of your choosing
Meaningful presence across Series platforms, including the live leaderboard that every competitor checks throughout the season.
- Everything in Crew, plus:
- Logo in scrolling front-page banner
- Logo in the SST live season leaderboard
- Logo in email communications to the community
- Logo on SST merchandise (t-shirts, etc.)
Prime real estate on the page every competitor visits all season — exclusively yours.
- Everything in Watch Captain, plus:
- Exclusive full-width banner ad at the top of the SST Standings page — one sponsor only, first come, first served
- Featured logo placement across all media
- Individual company marketing page under the SST website's Resources section
Your company's name becomes synonymous with the Series. The highest level of recognition we offer.
- Everything in Watch Captain, plus:
- Exclusive naming rights for the Series: "The LIS Shorthanded Series Trophy, Powered by [Your Company]"
- Prominent logo placement across all media
- Individual company marketing page under the SST website's Resources section
Donate gear or services instead — or in addition.
Not all support has to come in the form of a check. In fact, we actively welcome in-kind donations of marine goods and services that go directly into the hands of the Series winner and top finishers. These donations are often more visible — and more meaningful — than a cash contribution of the same value.
A boatyard that donates winter storage isn't just giving away a prize — they're putting themselves first in line when the winner starts making service calls in October. In-kind partners receive the same recognition tiers as cash sponsors, calibrated to the fair market value of the donation.
Where the points get earned.
The SST uses the existing LIS racing calendar as its backbone. Participating regattas include some of the most established races in the region, spanning the full range of shorthanded sailing from day races to multi-day offshore events. The SST builds on this through the addition of ad hoc, self-start, self-finish Saturday Day Races with courses set to the prevailing conditions.
Ready to get involved?
Whether you're interested in a cash sponsorship, a gear donation, or just want to learn more about what we're building — reach out. We'll find a way to make it work.