SAIL Basics
Swim Association Invitational League (SAIL)
The Swim Association Invitational League, one of the biggest recreational swim leagues in the Southeast, has been a tradition for generations of Greenville County families. SAIL includes more than 30 neighborhood swim teams and over 4,000 swimmers. Each year, the teams are divided into 6 Divisions - Red, Purple, White, Blue, Green, and Gold - based on points earned in the previous year at the Divisional meet.
The SAIL season runs approximately 10-weeks, from mid-May to mid/late July. There are five swim meets (known as dual meets) on Thursday nights during June and one Divisional swim meet on the first or second weekend of July. On the weekend following the Divisional Meet, the top 40 swimmers from all SAIL teams, in each event and age group, will meet at a Championships and Classics Swim Meet.
SAIL Divisional Meet
Each SAIL division holds a swim meet in which all teams in that division compete as a team for the highest total points award in the division (known as the Metcalf Cup) and the highest quality points award (team points divided by number of swimmers).
The Divisional Meet is the culmination and focus of the season. The results of Divisionals are used to determine the division placement of the teams for the following season. Therefore, it is important to have as many swimmers as possible participate and help the team.
SAIL Championships and Classics Meet
The results from all of the Divisional Meets are combined as if it was one meet to identify the fastest 40 SAIL swimmers in each age group and event. Then, these swimmers compete individually in Classics (top 16 swimmers) and Championships (next fastest 24 swimmers). The Championships (Places 17-40) and Classics meets (Places 1-16) are held the weekend after Divisionals at Westside Aquatic Center in Greenville.
