SAIL1DESIGNER of the MONTH: University of Wisconsin, Madison

First in a monthly series of Featured One-Design People, Places, or Things. If you want to submit your “Sail1Designer of the Month” let us know!   editor@sail1design.com

By Sail1Design’s Martha Pitt

For years, collegiate sailing teams from the Midwest district have been struggling to keep up with their competitors on the coasts. Lacking the resources and full-time coaching that many other teams have, many MCSA (Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association) teams have fallen behind the improvement and competitive trends found in other districts around the country and that lag has taken them out of the forefront of competition. But one MCSA team has been been making the push to put themselves in the forefront of collegiate racing and emerged this season as one of the strongest teams on the race course. Located on Lake Mendota in Madison, WI, the University of Wisconsin Badgers have been climbing the ranks and are quickly becoming one of the most competitive teams in the country.

For the first time in club history, the Wisconsin Badgers have broken the Top 10 in the College Rankings, signifying that the hard work and determination by this student-run team is certainly paying off. Certainly an underdog going into the season, not even ranked in the top 20 in Sailing World’s pre-season outlook, they took everyone by surprise! After winning the Harry Anderson and Fall Fury regattas early in the season, they jumped as high as 6^th place in the rankings, and are now settled in 10^th. While they have recently brought on a regular coach to help run practices and organize team members, the sailing team is the epitome of a student organization and has been built off of great leadership, hard work, and the ambition to be the best. Their success has come from the incredible emotional investment that the sailors put into how the team performs both on the water at practice and regattas, but as a cohesive team as well. This personal investment of time and energy by all members of the team has propagated great sailors and a team atmosphere of which any aspiring college sailor should yearn to be a part.

While the captains and board still make all of the regatta berth decisions, coordinate travel plans, do fundraising, and lead general team organization, new coach Dave Elsmo has been tremendously helpful in contributing to roster line-ups, hosting regattas, and running practices. Having Elsmo at practices has really brought more intensity to the team; practices have become much more efficient than they were when run by team members, allowing the sailors to focus exclusively on their own sailing. Part of the team is on the road almost every weekend, some traveling around the district, others often heading east to compete.

While the sailors at the top of the team are extremely talented athletes competing at the highest level, the team is also welcoming to many newer sailors who don’t have as much racing experience when they join. Since the team does not hold tryouts or cut people, the base on which the talent can grow is very wide. Just about every 420 and FJ are filled at practice each day, exemplifying the level of dedication among the sailors. When not in season, the team maintains a regular fitness training schedule, working out together at the campus recreational facility, as well as getting together to play any kind of outdoor games of physical activity when sailing is unavailable. They also plan a spring break trip every year to take advantage of time in a warmer climate.

The leadership demonstrated by the top sailors on the team creates an atmosphere in which any aspiring sailor will strive, and that positive and motivational attitude has begun to attract more and more great sailors to the school. Look out for the University of Wisconsin Badgers to continue climbing the ranks this season, and to come out strong leading up to the spring championships!

More questions answered by the team: When was your team founded? 1954 What does a typical practice look like? Promptly at 2:30 coach Dave Elsmo starts practice in the basement of the memorial union with a summary drills that the team will be doing as well as key things to work on. He then gives every one their pairings, at which point the team gets dressed, rigs boats, and goes out for some intense sailing.  Common drills that we run must be kept confidential. Sailors are off the water at around 5:30 at which point all individuals help de-rig boats until all are put away correctly.  Dave then debriefs the sailing with a breakdown chant to conclude practice. From where does most of your funding come? Most of the team’s budget comes from alumni donations and team fundraising, with a small portion of annual funding coming from the school and team dues. How is being on the sailing team different than other sports at your school? The sailing team is an extremely unique sport at Wisconsin.  We’re a student run organization, and we have a blast. We all genuinely love the sport, and we are consistently focused on improvement, regardless the weather. We don’t have multiple coaches, vast funding, great facilities, or good travel accommodations, but we have a great time and we compete at a very high level. What is your favorite thing about your sailing team in particular? We love that every weekend is a spent with our best friends. It’s a great escape from reality to get out on the water every day. For more information on the University of Wisconsin Sailing Team, visit them at www.UWSailingTeam.org