Thanks for the words of encouragement! The club I am going to enroll at is located in Boston. They are into racing too, and as I understand it, they do quite well.
I was thinking the same thing... learn something new, grow, and make new friends. They have racing, cookouts, parties and you can sign up to volunteer as a crew member for boats needing an extra helping hand.
What boats are you piloting and where are you guys sailing?