Airwaves Career Center Adds Applicant Tracking for Employers!
For over a decade, Sail1Design has managed sailing’s #1 Career Center and Job Board, always chock full of incredible sailing job opportunities, from summer instructing positions to full-time, professional jobs. Our comprehensive career center also offers job seekers the ability to create their own web page, highlighting their experience and posting their resume. Likewise, employers can search our resume database to find the right match for that open position. Sail1Design is proud also to be the official job board of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), the US High School Sailing Association (ISSA), and US Sailing.
We have worked hard to make our system safe, secure, efficient, and effective. We know you are busy, and time is precious. We want to save your time…. and you have requested, and now received, our latest upgrade: Applicant Tracking for Employers!
Now employers will have in their accounts a list of all applicants who apply through our secure system. This way, we will keep your applicant pool organized and listed for you, so you don’t have to…. it’s about time. Enjoy!
Questions, please email [email protected]
Never Get Fouled
By Airwaves Contributor Ken Legler
“See that guy? Not only does he never foul, he never gets fouled,” said my Dad when I was 15.
“That’s impossible,” I thought, not with so many tight races in these 9’ Dyer Dhow dinghies in racing we called Frostbiting. That guy, my dad was pointing to, was Roger Wilcox, a wily veteran that sailed a thousand races on the Charles and elsewhere as a member of the Harvard Sailing Team, class of ‘42.
Okay, so my Dad exaggerates I thought but, the point was not lost on me. In my own racing whenever I get fouled I try to imagine how Roger Wilcox would have played it. I’ve been fouled pretty hard too but almost without exception, I could have avoided being fouled, or at least hit, and been better off for it.
Learning to not foul is a combination of knowing the rules, having great boat handling, and accumulating experience. Learning to not get fouled takes even more experience or savvy for short. Here are some examples of how to avoid getting fouled.
There are 20 seconds to go before the start as you wait to accelerate; a boat comes barreling down the line headed toward your bow. You can 1. Yell: “You’re barging, don’t go in there.” And when he doesn’t respond you trim in a bit to show he will not fit in under the line and over your bow. Then the inevitable happens, you get fouled hard and get a last place start. How about 2: You see that this boat cannot stop and you back up momentarily. The errant boat crosses your bow, plows into the boat to leeward of you; you trim in and go on time in a clear lane. Or you could simply start where the others are not.
Here’s a simple one. You are on starboard in the middle of a beat and you do not want to tack. A port tacker is almost crossing on their own. You could yell “No” or “Go” but they sound alike and can easily be confused. Instead yell “Cross Ahead” with a wave of your hand if you want them to cross or yell “Starboard” if you want them to tack.
The windward mark is a likely place to get fouled badly. One way to avoid getting fouled is to over stand the mark a little. That way when a boat tacks inside you can continue going fast. Yes, you could lose that boat but the alternative could be losing every other boat if you get fouled right on the layline and can longer make the mark. It’s called “Target Overstand,” and your target is guesstimated by the expected traffic density at the mark when you arrive.
How about that out-of-control boat trying to get their spinnaker down inside of you at the leeward mark? It could be they forced an overlap or perhaps they were entitled to room. If they can’t get the spinnaker down they might foul you hard as windward boat upon rounding. Let them go ahead as you cut closer to the mark on their windward hip.
This limerick appeared in today’s Boston Globe opinion inbox:
Here lies the body of William Jay
Who dies while maintaining his right of way.
He was right, dead right, as he sped along,
But’s he’s just as dead, as though he’d been wrong.
Don’t be William Jay. Instead be like Roger Wilcox. Roger raced his Dyer Dhow with the Mamaroneck Frostbiting Association for 50 years well into his 90’s. His boat was named “Peace.”
ABOUT SAIL1DESIGN
Sail1Design is a grassroots organization, by sailors for sailors, dedicated to the youth, high school, college, and one-design sailing communities. Born in 2007, Sail1Design has grown considerably, and reaches out to all sailors wishing to enjoy and learn more about our sport. We have three main areas of business:
SAILING/MARINE INDUSTRY CAREER CENTER & JOB BOARD
We offer sailing’s #1 Career Center and Job Board, always chock full of incredible sailing job opportunities. Our comprehensive career center also offers job seekers the ability to create their own web page, highlighting their experience and posting their resume. Likewise, employers can search our resume database to find the right match for that open position. Sail1Design is proud also to be the official job board of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), the US High School Sailing Association (ISSA), and US Sailing.
MARKETPLACE & PROFESSIONAL BROKERAGE
Unique to the industry, Sail1Design hosts and manages an active private, by-owner marketplace, focusing on performance and one-design sailboats & gear. For all boats under 25′, our ads are free. What makes us different is that we also provide, side-by-side, professional brokerage services as well. We have had great success helping our sailing clients market and sell their boats, using our powerful client base, social media, and the brokerage industries multiple listing service to ensure your boat gets noticed.
AIRWAVES NEWS & CALENDAR
S1D also hosts Airwaves, an interactive, user fed Sailing Calendar and informative Sailing News, Articles, tips, & more. Airwaves has developed a great niche in the sailing publication world, and now boasts a seven-member staff of dedicated sailors, all contributing to our varied content.
Edward Teach Youth Sailing Association is Hiring!
News Flash: ETYSA is Hiring an Instructor & Director!!
The Edward Teach Youth Sailing Association (ETYSA) operates as a non-profit in conjunction with Blackbeard Sailing Club in New Bern NC. Blackbeard is located on Broad Creek just off the Neuse River a couple of miles downstream from the city of New Bern. This is sailboat only facility. The classes are small, the environment friendly, the parents are helpful.
Have your 8-16 year old participate in ETYSA Sailing Camp this summer to learn to sail with quality instructors at Blackbeard Sailing Club. Sailing Instructors are Level 1 certified and will be supported by a team of local sailing volunteers. Attendees will be trained to sail on the Neuse River. The ETYSA fleet consists of Opti, Topaz and 420 sailboats.
Edward Teach Youth Sailing Association located at Blackbeard Sailing Club on the Neuse River in New Bern, NC. It is a non-profit organization established to foster, encourage, and promote the amateur sport of sailing through participation and competition.
ETYSA organizes sailing camps and weekend events providing instruction in all phases and aspects of the sport of sailing, including seamanship, safety afloat, navigation, racing rules and tactics, and race committee functions.
The ETYSA fleet consists of Optimist, Topaz, and 420 sailboats. We begin our sailing members on the Optis and move through to the Topaz and 420 boats. We have a mix of volunteer and paid instructors with many hours of experienced training and Class 1 certifications.
Profiles in Pro Sailing: Skip Whyte
Sail1Design Interview with URI Coach Skip Whyte, by Airwaves Senior Writer Taylor Penwell
Skip Whyte Bio
Whyte has a long résumé of college coaching experience. The Wickford, R.I., resident served as the head sailing coach at Boston University twice (from 1976 until 1985, and again in 1992 until 1995), leading the team, which was slated to be dropped, to six national titles and numerous regional championships, as well as improving the co-ed and women’s team rankings to “top 10” and “top five” positions. In addition, from 1989 to 1992, Whyte served as both head sailing coach and assistant sailing master at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, directing all freshman and varsity activities as well as teaching physical education classes each semester to 120 novice sailors.
Whyte also spent 17 years as an Olympic sailing coach for the United States Olympic Yachting Committee. During that time, he coached the U.S. sailing teams to five Olympic medal performances, including gold in 2004. From 1975 to 1989, Whyte served as vice president and general manager of Can Am Sailcraft, Inc., a sailboard and sailboat dealership out of Cambridge, Mass. Most recently, he coached and consulted as the sole proprietor for 1st Place Sailing, working with various clients including Olympic aspirants, collegiate sailing teams, and semi-professional sport boats.
Where did you grow up Skip?
I grew up in Wickford, Rhode Island. I moved back here about 13 years ago after spending about 25 years in the Boston area and another 
10 in the East Bay area of Rhode Island.
How did you first get into the sport of sailing?
My dad has sailed for his entire life. I first sailed in his Star boat when I was about 4. I remember taking my nap under the aft deck.
What type of boats did you learn to sail on and first compete in?
I was a passenger for my early years, first on a cruising boat and later on dad’s Ensign. In middle school I started frostbite sailing in Wickford competing against adults.
What drew you to competitive racing?
It was always around me and dad set a great example. Unfortunately, there was no junior program available at that time, so I never had any lessons.
Where did you sail in college?
I sailed at URI from 1967-71.
Tell us about some of your college sailing career highlights?
We had a great team in my last two years, winning the New England Championships both years and finishing 3rd in the Nationals in my senior year (I won A Division at the Nationals). We also won the Danmark both years and won the Schell, McMillan, White (sloops champs), and BDC in my senior year.
After college what did you do?
I started teaching chemistry and physics, bought a Laser, and waited for the announcement of the new 2 person dinghy event to be announced after the 1972 Olympics. I bought my first 470 the day the announcement was made and began my first Olympic effort.
When and where did you start coaching sailing?
My first experience was a tiny, self-organized part time summer program in Wickford in my sophomore year at URI. The next year I became the head instructor at Black Rock Yacht Club in Bridgeport, CT. I was there for two summers, then became head instructor at Seawanhaka Corinthian in Oyster Bay, New York in 1972. After the 1976 Olympic Trials where I finished second I was persuaded to “help out” BU by Hatch Brown, a BU grad and the coach at MIT. It was a very part time thing at first, but it gradually consumed more and more of my time despite the fact that I was running my own business at the time.
You had a very accomplished record with Boston University, leading them to six national championships. What factors do you attribute this success to?
The biggest factor was talent. I was very lucky to have 4 or 5 very talented, but inexperienced sailors magically show up in the first years. I 
was very part time in those years, so recruiting didn’t really happen. I have always stressed boat handling and good decision making in my coaching. I guess we did OK.
What are some of the most important characteristics you look for in sailors?
Talent and desire are essential qualities.
Tell us about your experiences with coaching US Olympic sailors to podium finishes.
When you get to the Olympics everyone is super talented and highly motivated, but getting there is a long climb spanning many years.
When you spend years with people going to many international competitions and training camps you develop an intimate understanding of their strengths and also of their challenges, and everyone has them. I find that everyone prefers to work on what they are good at while avoiding the things that hold them back. I found that overcoming weaknesses while simultaneously fostering confidence was the most challenging aspect of Olympic coaching. Every individual had to be approached in a unique and personal way. I found that to be both challenging and extremely rewarding.
You coach competitive racers in college but you also oversee the beginner and intermediate sailing classes at the universities. What things do you enjoy about getting these new sailors into the sport?
I don’t have those responsibilities at URI, but did when I was at MIT in the early 90s. It was an interesting challenge that made me focus 
on the basics of the basics. I realized that learning to cross the boat correctly was difficult for many and frightening for some. I found that all sailors could improve by further refining their basic moves and eliminating some of the bad habits that they developed along the way.
These days I still do a lot of coaching with elite level juniors in 420s. I really enjoy working with them because they are in a position to learn a great deal in a short period of time.
When did you start coaching at University of Rhode Island?
Fall of 2013.
What is your process for recruiting new sailors?
Most sailors recruit themselves, but I get to meet lots of junior sailors at clinics and 420 events. Interested sailors come for visits and have an opportunity to meet the team. Then there is email follow up. In the end the goal is for the sailor to find the school that is the best fit. URI is a great choice.
Where do you see the URI program in the coming years?
We have come a long way in the four plus years that I have been at URI with a new fleet of FJs, a small fleet of 420s coming in a few weeks and the team has become much more dedicated. We have nearly 50 on the team now with a fairly wide range of experience. We typically compete in 3-5 events every week which provides opportunity for sailors at all levels to improve.
So far, we have built the team by developing relatively inexperienced sailors. We hope to attract a few of the more experienced juniors coming into college sailing and I’m confident that we can compete and succeed at all levels.
What classes of racing do you enjoy competing in?
I bought an F-18 catamaran when I turned 65. It is a pretty challenging boat for an old guy with no cat experience, but I’ve found my way to the podium. Going fast is fun!
What keeps you coaching after all these years?
I love being around young people and sharing discoveries with them both on and off the water. People change a lot during their college years. The experience of being on a team and striving to achieve big goals shapes everyone. It is both a responsibility and a pleasure to share that experience with the team members.
When you are not coaching or sailing, what other things do you enjoy doing?
I’m a pretty serious mountain bike rider. I ride with a great group all year round. Coaching still consumes most of the time, so there isn’t much room for anything else.
ICSA Team Race Season Preview, Part II
Who’s your Crew? (Part 2): An Intercollegiate Sailing Association Team Race Preview, By Chris Klevan
This is the second in a two-part series examining the 2018 ICSA Spring Team Racing Season. Part 1 took a look at the top 13 teams heading into this season, and below are 10 more that could vie for the National Championship. In case you missed it, also check out ICSA Team Race Season Preview, Part I
First, an apology: It was stated in Part 1 of this segment that Georgetown’s Campbell D’Eliscu was absent from the team last fall due to “reasons unknown,” causing some to infer nefarious circumstances. Mr. D’Eliscu was not absent for reasons unknown but rather studying abroad. I apologize for failing to 
research his absence properly.
Team Racing requires a culmination of knowledge, skills and teamwork. To compete at the highest level, a team of three boats, sailing in concert, must have the experience to execute split second maneuvers, chemistry to communicate and adapt to dynamic changes in the play and the speed to sail away.
The biggest factor that separates the players from the pretenders is the third; the third skipper. All the top teams have two boats with blinding speed, handles and an eye for beating another boat. But only the elite have three skippers with such a combination. That’s the first thing to look for when trying to discern who’s ready for the big leagues. However, the factor that separates the players from the champions is the crew. Who’s in the front of the boat will dictate who comes away with the crown.
Finally, for a championship caliber team to become a dynasty, a team that can win the championship year after year, it takes 6 full boats that can team race at the highest level. “Yale’s ability to bring in the recent grads, GTown’s depth overall, if you don’t have solid people to practice against, it’s hard to improve because your mistakes are not accounted for in practice,” says Cornell University head coach Brian Clancy. Quality practice breeds the players of tomorrow while polishing the sailors of today. To fully forecast the future of college sailing, you must dive into who’s been practicing with depth at all positions.
The 2018 ICSA Team Race National Championship will be held at Old Dominion University, May 26-28
Bowdoin: Bowdoin has been the young and up-and-coming team now for a couple of seasons. They have shown an eagerness to learn and improve and have have put in the work to do so. All signs point to this team being a player this season. The biggest question looming is how the Polar Bears will account for lost players from a team that improved greatly last year.
“We did graduate three major players in 2017 including Jack McGuire, Hunter Moeller, and Dana Bloch. We will no doubt miss them,” said head coach Frank Pizzo. “The three returners that we have from last spring include Matt Kaplan, Harrison Hawk, and Louisa Lindgren. All three of these sailors have lots of experience at this point and are juniors and seniors. The team made large strides in culture and knowledge last spring and we hope to carry that forward,” continued Pizzo. “Our team finally started to learn how to win Play 2 and that resulted in many more wins at regattas.”
Photo by Rob Migliaccio.
Christian Filter or Matt Safford will most likely be the third sailor on the team. Alex Vasiliou and Alden Grimes will most likely fill out the top group so Bowdoin should have a decent team to practice with.
“The biggest question will be on the crew side for how much the team develops this spring,” said Pizzo “We have three sophomore crews that will most likely get in the mix with Louisa including Emily Gonzalez, Hannah Konkel, and Marie Bergsund. Senior Jake Griffin will also get some time in the mix as well.”
St. Mary’s: Edmund Cooper is back and he is one of the best in the game. A year removed, to compete in the Youth America’s Cup, won’t put him behind the eight ball whatsoever. St. Mary’s is a team that is always in the mix on the team race scene due to superb boat handling on top of great coaching. Mr. Cooper only adds to that with experience and a wealth of knowledge that is as good as anyone in the game today. St. Mary’s had a surprising amount of success in the fall fleet race season behind sophomore skipper, Dane Byerly and Liam McCarthy, a junior. The unproven skippers clearly have a high ceiling.
If they can add two speedy boats to the prowess of Cooper, expect this team to challenge Navy and George Washington for the 3rd spot in MAISA and a great sleeper bet for a top-8 team come late May.
St. Mary’s always have a history of phenomenal crew work, dating back to when they were a team race national powerhouse. The story shouldn’t be different this year as the team race team will lean on the experience of Grace Papp, Kira Allen, Kate Bjerregaard and Lydia McPherson-Shambarger.
Conn College: Connecticut College will return almost the entire starting lineup that competed in last year’s NEISA championship. The Camels lost only two crews, Eliza Garry and Cooper Nefsky. On top of that, they are hosting the NEISA qualifier this year and should have a slight edge on home waters. Like most NEISA venues, the Thames River can be extremely tricky in certain directions. Such conditions will reward teams that are disciplined and have experience in shifty waters. Under head coach Jeff Bresnahan, the Camels of Conn College with be set up well for success.
“The Camels are excited about hosting the 2018 Fowle NE TR Championship,” said Bresnahan. “As a team we enjoy hosting and try to 
make all of the visiting teams feel at home. Their are some wind direction on the river that hard for visitors. Most of the courses and wind directions on the Thames make for great team racing for all teams. We are very proud of the History of our Land and how it played a role in the development of New London and the USA.”
“We are excited to have our 3 starters back from last year. Hugh, Walter and Carter work well with each other and they are all very passionate about Team Racing . Hugh and Walter have been starting and sailing on our championship team for the last 3 plus years. Adding Cater last year to replace graduates Bryce Kopp and Jordan Borthwick was a big request for him. Carter exceeded all of our expectations and brought some new ways of doing stuff to our team,” coach Bresnahan continued, “Our returning crews have worked really hard over the past year to become the eyes and ears in our boats to help the drivers concentrate on what we are doing as a unit. Cecila Moriera, Sam Rodiger and, new-comer, Liz Davis will be the primary starters. Davis Lemey, Austin Smith, Paige and Gwynie Dunlevy will also see time.”
Mr. Bresnahan is one of the most tenured coaches in college sailing and has a lengthy cannon of successful teams. No one knows his sailors like Bresnahan and this team has the makeup of another contender. Though getting through an extremely competitive NEISA conference has been a challenge in years passed, this team has as good a chance of any in this segment of claiming the last spot and taking advantage of a Boston College team that should regress from last year.
“We were happy with our 2017, team racing,” said Mr. Bresnahan, “finishing 2nd at the [John] Jackson and the SNETR. I made a coaching error by not sailing the Marciando last year the week before the Team Race New Englands at Tufts. We sailed well at Tufts and film shows that we were in every race except against CGA. 8 out of 10 races we had winning combos halfway up the last beat. It was shocking to us that we did not qualify to move on to day 2. We had to wait a year to make up for one bad day of Team Racing.”
“We practiced Team Racing about 2 days a week in October to get ready for the Hap Moore,” continued Bresnahan. “The Hap Moore was good simulation for us and getting ready for the Fowle at the same site. We were excited to win, but we also were excited about how well we handle adverse situations in some of our races. We will be going on Spring Break with Harvard and St Mary’s with the hope of matching up against some very good Team Racing and both teams are very well coached in team racing. We look forward to sailing well and winning enough races to be in it at the end to try to win a spot out of the NE Fowle to move out to the Nationals. Go Camels!”
Tufts: A wild card by nature, Tufts is always a player come team race season. Perhaps the snub of the “Who’s Your Crew, Team race Preview part 1” as this team finished second overall at last year’s Fowle Trophy, NEISA’s team race championship and qualifier for nationals. That team came to play on Mystic Lake, home of the Tufts Jumbos. Things will be more difficult this year.
This year’s team will feature a completely new group of drivers as all three starters from last year’s team graduated. On top of that, they’ll be tasked with qualifying away from the comforts of home. Last year’s team finished tied for 9th in Charleston after finishing second in NEISA. All three other NEISA qualifiers finished ahead of Tufts, two finishing in the final four. Home field advantage cannot be overlooked. That said, Tufts practices team racing year round and have a passion for that game that is unmatched and dates back decades of strong team culture, stewarded by the legendary coach and story-teller, Ken Legler. It hard to know what to expect from this team year in and year out. However, we know they love the game and eat, sleep and breath it which is why they always seem to exceed expectations.
Boston University: Boston University has returned to prominence in New England after struggling in competitions for several years. Under the direction of Head Coach, Stan Schreyer, the historically great program is back, on the fleet race scene at least. Could this be the year they break into the team race top tier in NEISA?
Sam Morrell is joining the team this spring after a high school team race national championship campaign in 2017, sailing for Antilles School in the Virgin Island. At the very least, adding talent like Morrell will boost the level of practice. “We were fortunate to have a strong freshman class this year,” said Schreyer. “ We did not win the Nickerson Trophy, but we were the top New England team, sailing three different skippers. Sam Morrell was not in school this fall, so he will be a welcome addition for the spring season. But it’s tough to say where he will be on the depth chart right now. Lydia Grasberger will also be returning from a semester abroad. She has been one of the fastest skippers on our team for the past two years.”
That, combined with experienced college sailors Ravi Parent, Robby Gearon, Reed Lorimer, Josh Dochoda and a stable of solid crews, led by senior, Emily Croteau makes for a complete team, at least on paper.
“We are fortunate to have several good crews on the BU team right now, more than we have starting varsity spots for,” said Head Coach Stan Schreyer. “That helps immensely with team race prep, as it means that our top boats are challenged by others on the team that have very good boathandling. Being a top level team race team isn’t about having three good boats, it’s about having 6 or more very good boats that can push each other.
The challenge will be creating a group that operates at a level greater than the sum of their parts. Schreyer has done an amazing job in a short amount of time. He’s brought former champions, Chris Lash and Thomas Barrows on to help with the team race job.
“On the coaching side, it has been a blessing to have Thomas Barrows and Chris Lash. Both were All-Americans, and they have a wealth of team racing knowledge,”continued Schreyer. “Also, Thomas was an Olympian, the knowledge he gained to be sailing at that level is invaluable, and he does a great job of passing on what he learned to the team.” If this isn’t the year we see the best of BU on the team race circuit, it’s hard to say when that time is.
Jacksonville: They have a ton of young talent who know how to sail. If it is windy at the SAISA qualifier, expect this team to surprise some teams. Head Coach, John Fadre has done a nice job compiling the pieces he needs to get to job done. It seems like he has everything he required to mold a competitive team out of talent. The question will be weather the great recruiter can get the job done in a quickly improving conference.
Like all SAISA teams, they get out on the water early in the spring which might lead to some early success on the inter-conference scene. But the goal for this team is to be one of the 2 teams that get out of the conference. Expect a tight contest between Jacksonville, University of South Florida and Eckerd.
Eckerd College: The beneficiaries of recent success, this team has talent in an ever-improving South Atlantic Conference. After a second place finish at last year’s SAISA championship and a 9th place finish at the National Championship this team is looking to take yet another step forward. Eckerd lost only 2 starters from their 9th place effort. Returning Andrew Schoene and Karl Rasmus Sayre they’ll have experience and continuity on their side. Those two drivers, on top of a strong stable of crews in Sabine Zinserling, Jean Crotty, Kim Kusminsky, Caroline Puckette and Hana Zwick make for a scrappy team that isn’t going to give many wins away.
SUNY Maritime College: “In breeze, SUNY Maritime can beat most teams in college sailing,” said Cornell head coach Brian Clancy. Zach Hill won 3 races in a row to start the War Memorial at Hobart in the windy southerly this fall, and won by half a leg. The Prosser Trophy, MAISA’s team race championship and the qualifier for nationals is held at Cornell this year. Cornell may be on a lake, but if it blows from the North, it can be full on. If it does blow, a team like Maritime, could surprise the more finesse teams who rely of great boat handling and speed in light – medium conditions.
Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point): “They have an All-American,” said Brian Clancy. Charles Lomax is an extremely talented sailor, not many teams have a guy that can beat Lomax to the top mark. That alone should make Kings Point a team that no one can sleep on. This team could come together with the leadership of Lomax due to the talent of some talented first year sailors Carrson Pearce and Ryan Hunter. Like Maritime, this team can steal a win off any team at the MAISA Championship
Fordham University: They have lost more players than anyone in MAISA. In graduating Will Holz and Alec Taylor, two guys that have been to the big dance and are essentially 4-year starters Fordham, likely will take a big step backwards. It’ll be an uphill battle for this team, now young and facing a tough road back into the top-4 in a competitive MAISA conference. However, they have a Hinman Championship teaching the game in Head Coach, Johnny Norfleet. Mr. Norfleet has his work cut out for him but he’s up for the task.
It should be interesting to see who comes to play when the team race season opens February 24th. In a game where everyone knows what needs to be done, success of the water comes from team the executes quickly and efficiently. That started a months ago, years for the best teams when each team decided, together that they could win the wood. Quality practice, good crew-work and quick skippering will come together to crown a champion by the end of May 28th.
Feel free to post your thoughts in our discussion forum below this article!
ABOUT SAIL1DESIGN
Sail1Design is a grassroots organization, by sailors for sailors, dedicated to the youth, high school, college, and one-design sailing communities. Born in 2007, Sail1Design has grown considerably, and reaches out to all sailors wishing to enjoy and learn more about our sport. We have three main areas of business:
SAILING/MARINE INDUSTRY CAREER CENTER & JOB BOARD
We offer sailing’s #1 Career Center and Job Board, always chock full of incredible sailing job opportunities. Our comprehensive career center also offers job seekers the ability to create their own web page, highlighting their experience and posting their resume. Likewise, employers can search our resume database to find the right match for that open position. Sail1Design is proud also to be the official job board of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), the US High School Sailing Association (ISSA), and US Sailing.
MARKETPLACE & PROFESSIONAL BROKERAGE
Unique to the industry, Sail1Design hosts and manages an active private, by-owner marketplace, focusing on performance and one-design sailboats & gear. For all boats under 25′, our ads are free. What makes us different is that we also provide, side-by-side, professional brokerage services as well. We have had great success helping our sailing clients market and sell their boats, using our powerful client base, social media, and the brokerage industries multiple listing service to ensure your boat gets noticed.
AIRWAVES NEWS & CALENDAR
S1D also hosts Airwaves, an interactive, user fed Sailing Calendar and informative Sailing News, Articles, tips, & more. Airwaves has developed a great niche in the sailing publication world, and now boasts a seven-member staff of dedicated sailors, all contributing to our varied content.
JUST SAIL: A Mental Training Lesson For Sailors
Just Sail by Dr. Tim Herzog, CMPC
If you’re YouTube-ing videos, this is a must see… Nike launched an ad in China not long ago that emphasized their old motto, “Just Do It.” But it was with a new twist; it shows us how easy for us to get consumed with, “I must do it right,” or “I have to do it better than the other guy/gal,” or “I’ve got to do it better than I did it last time.” Or sometimes it’s easy for us to get consumed with thoughts like, “I must perform to get my coach’s attention, “ or “I should get top 5,” or “I need to make the National Team.”
But, should you or must you, really? It’s amazing how these words create unnecessary pressure. Of course, we like to do all these things, and it is disappointing when we don’t, but the world will not fall apart if you don’t. And… one of the most amazing things about just doing it, is the fact that really nothing catastrophic will happen if you fall short of your goal. The beauty of this is that (if you let yourself), you can just sail. Just sailing doesn’t mean not trying! To the contrary, just sailing means giving your best effort, learning, seeing what will unfold, and enjoying the ride!
If really, you “should” win a given race… and all our places were 100% pre-determined into an established pecking order, why would we even show up? Wouldn’t it be boring for it all to be scripted? In sailing, even more so than some other sports, anybody can win any given race! Giving your best effort, experiencing the highs and lows of it all (whether a good start, getting passed on a windshift, or whatever it may be!)— these are the pieces that make it challenging, and that make it fun.
So, next time, you’re about to hop into your Opti, and you catch yourself doing the “SHOULD’s,” “MUST’s,” or “HAVE TO’s,” see if you can allow yourself to chill out a little by trying on a thought like “I’d LIKE TO,” and maybe even try giving yourself permission to “JUST SAIL,” enjoying the process as it unfolds.
Tim Herzog trains sailors and other athletes to consistently be on top of their mental game. Years ago he was a college sailing coach at Kings Point and Boston College, and is currently a mental performance coach at Reaching Ahead Counseling and MentalPerformance(reachingahead.com) in Annapolis, Maryland. He also recently took on the Junior Sailing Director role at Tred Avon Yacht Club on the eastern shore of Maryland.
Selden Breathes New Life into the J/24 Boom
Selden Mast has been a great team member and sponsor of Sail1Design for many years. We are pleased to publish this announcement, so if you are a J/24 sailor, or know someone who is, make sure to read this or share! The 2018 Seldén J/24 mast brings new life to an old class which has no plans of slowing down! A brand new boom is the most obvious new offering, while those who have spent time in the class will certainly appreciate changes to the Seldén J/24 mast. Selden J/24 Class Data Sheet HERE.
“Over the past few years some of the top sailors in the Class have asked us for modifications to our mast. (These were) Small things like halyard exit layouts and the spreader arrangement. Finally we’ve been able to make those adjustments and deliver a race-ready product the way the USA Sailors want it” Said Tim Fitzgerald of Seldén Mast Inc. in Charleston, SC.
Typically if you have a Seldén mast you need Seldén standing rigging, but for the J24 the mast works with existing standing rigging which conveniently allows class veterans to use rigging they already have.
The spreader bracket was re-designed using aluminum from the same extrusion the mast is made. This prevents electrolysis and lessens potential for corrosion, as well as reduces weight aloft. The typical arrangement uses stainless steel where Seldén uses aluminum. The steel is significantly heavier.
An all new boom is available which keeps to Class requirements and is delivered weighing in at minimum “tip weight”. “We had to add a 1lb corrector weight to the end to make it weigh 
enough, essentially turning it into a big golf club.. but lots of J24 owners like to golf. They should love this thing”, Fitzgerald says with a smile. “There used to be a weight rule for the spinnaker pole, but that has been removed. If that ever changes with the boom, it’s easy to remove the weight”. Anyone who’s rebuilt a J24 outhaul will notice the new boom uses integrated outhaul sheaves which keep the internal outhaul spread apart so as to avoid twisting and binding over the years.
Another subtle but important difference with the boom that will be appreciated is the track mounted hardware Seldén uses which eliminates all external protrusions. If you’ve ever snagged a life jacket or ripped a spinnaker 
you’ll surely enjoy your extra time at the party instead of fixing sails or covering the boom in glide tape.
The new boom comes with a gooseneck toggle to plug right into existing J24 masts.
The new kits are available now for ordering through Seldén authorized Dealers and can be picked up before or at Charleston Race Week in April!
U.S. J/70 Youth Championship Announcement!
(St Petersburg, FL)- The second annual U.S. J/70 Youth Championship will take place in St Petersburg, Florida on Tampa Bay from November 16-18, 2018. The event will be hosted by the St Petersburg Yacht Club in its fleet of club-owned matched one-design J/70’s.
The U.S. J/70 Youth Championship (USJYC) is open to twelve Youth Teams representing US Sailing recognized Sailing Clubs or Organizations. Sailing clubs may enter more than one youth team per event, but may only qualify one team for the USJYC championship in Newport, RI. The twelve (12) Youth Teams will compete on ten J/70 Class sailboats with class sails (main, jib, spinnaker).
The 2018 qualifiers are:
- Feb 15-18 Helly Hansen St Pete NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg, FL
- Mar 7-11 Bacardi J/70 Invitational- Miami, FL
- Mar 16-18 Helly Hansen San Diego NOOD- San Diego, CA
- Apr 12-15 Sperry Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC
- May 04-06 Helly Hansen Annapolis NOOD- Annapolis, MD
- Jun 2-3 Cedar Point YC One-Design Regatta- Cedar Point, CT
- Jun 08-10 Helly Hansen Chicago NOOD- Chicago, IL
- Jun 15-17 Cleveland Race Week- Cleveland, OH
- Jul 06-08 The Newport Regatta- Newport, RI
- Jul 15-16 St. Francis Sportboat Regatta- San Francisco, CA
- Jul 26-29 Helly Hansen Marblehead NOOD- Marblehead, MA
Here is the USJYC Notice of Race (https://www.jboats.com/images/stories/pdf/J70_Youth_NOR_2018.pdf).
For more U.S. J/70 Youth Championship information, please contact J/Boats at “[email protected]” or refer to the USJCA website (http://www.jboats.com/j70-youth-championship).
East Coast Sailboats is Hiring Sailing Instructors in North Carolina!
East Coast Sailboats has been teaching sailing on the Outer Banks since 2012. Our experienced and professional staff of Instructors, excellent fleet of sailboats, superior locations, warm shallow waters and steady breezes make sailing on the Currituck sound the best location on the Outer Banks. Whether it is a First Sail, Private lesson or Summer Sailing camp, we will be able to tailor sailing instruction individually or as a group. The goal is to provide an exciting and fun experience. During which students develop sailing skills, learn seamanship, water safety, gain self-confidence and most importantly have fun!!
We look forward to sailing with you! We are seeking several Sailing Instructors for Summer, 2018.
Sailing School and Watersports operation are seeking several highly motivated and enthusiastic individuals with a strong background in sailing instructing and coaching in the Outer Banks of NC.
Instructors are responsible for leading and coaching youth camps between the ages of 7 – 15 and adults sailing lessons. We work to promote activities that help youth and adults develop confidence and individual skills development among participants. Instructor will be responsible for ensuring the health and safety of all the participants and facilitating groups and individuals in a manner that is consistent with our overall philosophy. We value teamwork, safety/risk management consciousness and hardworking individuals who have a fun attitude and approach toward working with youth and adults. The program uses Topaz and Flying Scot Sailboats.
Airwaves Career Center Resume Database: Find Your Match!!!
For over a decade now, Sail1Design has managed and developed the Airwaves Career Center, a sailing/marine industry job board and career. Our site has, literally, hundreds of active sailing/marine industry job openings listed right now, and more come almost every day. So many people we’ve met in our travels through the sailing/marine industry told us that Airwaves is where they found their job, or that Airwaves is where they posted their job ad. We LOVE hearing this! We are proud to be a part of the sailing community, and we will continue to work very hard to serve our customers.
Along with job postings, we also developed a resume posting service; this allows interested candidates to post their credentials securely and privately. This service is free (featured resume posts require payment), and it has grown tremendously over the years. If you are considering a new opportunity, or want to see what’s out there.
Likewise, employers can search our resume database to find the right match for that open position. Employers, there are hundreds of active resumes on file, with new ones added quite often. If you are eagerly searching for new candidates, don’t wait; this is a great way to meet new potential applicants!!
Sail1Design is proud also to be the official job board of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), the US High School Sailing Association (ISSA), and US Sailing.
Club Profile: Lake Sunapee Yacht Club
News Flash: Lake Sunapee Yacht Club is Hiring a Sailing Program Director!
Lake Sunapee Yacht Club is a family focused summer only club located on the western shore of Lake Sunapee in Sunapee NH. The club offers a wide range of adult and junior activities including sailing, tennis and swimming.
LSYC is the host of a large inland fleet of Star class one design racing boats and offers an active weekend racing schedule that non members are encouraged to join. Click the Star Racing menu for 
more information. The club hosts several regattas through the sailing season including the Lake Sunapee Open Regatta, district level Star regattas, and recently hosted the Star North American championships.
The LSYC is a private club, however Star sailing and regattas are open to non-members.
Lake Sunapee is located 90 miles north of Boston in the NH Lakes region. It is 10 minutes from New London and Colby-Sawyer College and 30 minutes from Hanover, NH, and Dartmouth College. The yacht club has a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding mountains. In addition to water sports, this is an excellent area for hiking, mountain biking, running trails and taking advantage of the college resources.
News Flash: Lake Sunapee Yacht Club is Hiring a Sailing Program Director!
Who’s Your Crew? College Team Race Season Preview & Who's Who, Part I
By Chris Klevan
Below is our top-down Part I look at some of the top teams competing in the 2018 Spring ICSA Team Race season. The season is bound to be a thriller. Stay tuned for Part II, where we round out the top 20 potential ICSA 2018 Team Race Champions!! Feel free to post your thoughts in our discussion forum below this article!
Team Racing requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and teamwork. To compete at the highest level, a team of three boats, sailing in concert, must have the experience to execute split second maneuvers, and have chemistry to communicate and adapt to dynamic changes in the play, and finally, the speed to sail away.
The biggest factor that separates the players from the pretenders is the third skipper. All the top teams have two boats with blinding speed, great boat-handling, and an eye for beating another boat. But only the top teams have three skippers with such a combination. That’s the first thing to look for when trying to discern who’s ready for the big league. However, the factor that separates the players from the champions is the crew. Who’s in the front of the boat will dictate who comes away with the crown.
However, for a championship caliber team to become a dynasty, a team that can win the championship year after year, it takes 6 full boats that can team race at the highest level. “Yale’s ability to bring in the recent grads, GTown’s depth overall [these are the difference-makers.] If you don’t have solid people to practice against, it’s hard to improve because your mistakes are not accounted for in practice,” says Cornell University head coach Brian Clancy. Quality practice breeds the players of tomorrow. To fully forecast the future of college sailing, you must dive into who’s been practicing with depth.
photo by Rob Migliaccio
The 2018 ICSA Team Race National Championship will be held at Old Dominion University, May 26-28
College of Charleston
Last year, we saw the College of Charleston Cougars take home the Team Race Championship behind the prowess of Stefano Peschiera, Jack Cusick, Christophe Killian, Grace McCarthy, Chloe Dapp, Annabel Carrington, Caroline Bracken and Elizabeth Pemberton. With any title defense the first place to start is with the question, what has changed?
Photo taken from the College of Charleston sailing facebook page
First, Charleston will have to prove they can win away from home. It will be interesting to see how the Cougars come out of the gate this spring season. Last season, the first interconference team race regatta that Charleston won was the National Championship regatta. Perhaps they found an advantage on their home waters. Perhaps their breakthrough came at the right moment. There are more questions remaining here than with most defending champions. They certainly have the continuity required to maintain the momentum gained in taking home the Wood Trophy.
Last year’s championship team featured only two seniors, Jack Cusick and Chloe Dapp, who, now removed, the Cougars will be looking to replace. Many look to transfers Augie Dale ‘19 and Katherine Lounsbury ‘20 to pick up the slack. Dale and Lounsbury are the natural choice to step in for the Cougars after an impressive fall fleet race season. The tandem notably won A-Division at the Atlantic Coast Championships. They say speed makes you look smart. Dale has yet to prove himself on the team race circuit, but, at the very least, he’s proven that he has the wheels to compete. Though we’ll have to wait to see how Dale and Lounsbury fit, Charleston’s other two boats are extremely solid.
Christophe Killian, a match-race specialist, finished 2nd at this year’s Match Race National Championship and was part of the ICSA Match Race Championship boat in 2015, driving, as just a sophomore. There are many parallels between the two disciplines and Killian proved that last year in Charleston’s championship effort. Therefore, on the team race course, Killian was not the “third” last year, and he will not have to step up for Charleston to return to championship form. Replacing Cusic is a much more natural task for the speedster, Dale.
Stefano Peschiera is in the driver’s seat for this year’s College Sailor of the Year award and he was a dark horse candidate last year. He is arguably the best sailor in the country right now with slippery speed and dominant boat handling. The question lingering as we entered the championship season last year was if this great sailor could figure out the college team racing game. Such doubt was quickly silenced during last year’s event. No such questions are being asked this year.
Finally, it cannot be understated that Charleston’s victory last year featured a stable of experienced and versatile crews- quality that is especially characteristic of all the great Charleston teams. Good crewing is a necessity for a team to compete at the highest level of team racing. The Cougars only lost one of their starting crews from last year’s team. Expect the story behind Charleston’s success to remain the same in their title defense this year as they venture away from the shores of the Cooper River, north, to Old Dominion University.
Yale University
Charleston’s win at the 2017 championship came as a surprise to most. Those shocked, likely had Yale pinned as the favorite. Reaching dynastic status on the Team Race circuit, the Bulldogs of Yale had won four straight national championships before finishing second in last year’s championship. However, this year will be much more uncertain for Yale.
The path to the championship for Yale is extremely difficult. Yale must qualify as one of the 4 teams to represent the New England Conference at the New England Conference Championship. Before their 4-year run of championships, Yale was only featured sporadically despite fielding some of the best talent in the nation- a testament to the depth of the conference and the challenge presented by the qualification process. The question now is whether the Bulldogs will yet again be able to transcend above the competitive NEISA conference.
On one hand, like Charleston, they have 2 team race national championship winning helmsmen in Malcolm Lamphere (2 time champion) and Nicholas Baird, who is still in the running for this year’s college sailor of the year award. On the other hand, the third skipper hole they are attempting to fill is a big one.
Last year, Yale graduated Ian Barrows, the 2017 College Sailor of the Year and a finalist the year prior. He was a four time All-American, a three-time Team Race Champion, a three time Fleet Race National division winner, a two time Fleet Race National Champion and a team leader. Furthermore, his graduating class was stacked. Yale graduated 3 excellent crews, one being Clara Robertson, the 2017 recipient of Julia Babineau, NEISA crew of the year. Another being Natalya Doris, perhaps an even more experienced crew than Robertson.
They also graduated Mitchell Kiss, a consistent starter at the skipper position. Kiss was probably good enough to be the best sailor on all but a handful of teams in college sailing and the fact that they had 4 skippers good enough to compete at the pinnacle of college team racing meant their practices were unmatched. This, however, is the biggest argument for Yale’s continued successes this upcoming season. For years now, Yale has been practicing a level most coaches could only dream of, sailing 6 solid boats. Yes, they lost 2 and a half premier boats, but they are able to fill such large losses better than anyone.
Waiting in the wings are two skippers that have spent their team racing careers in the background, boosting the dynasty that appears, on paper, only to be 3 great boats. Junior Nicolas Hernandez is extremely speedy and will surprise competitors thinking that Baird and Lamphere are the only threats. Senior Casey Klingler is unquestionably the best female team racer in the nation- a crown she’ll take from last year’s college sailor of the year, Erika Reineke. On top of that, freshman Shaun Harvey proved last fall that he has the goods to compete at the highest level of college sailing. An embarrassment of riches, Yale’s weak boat will either be a very experienced speedster, the best female team racer in college sailing or one of the next bright stars in the sport.
The tough choice of third skipper is a good problem for Yale to have. This will boost Yale, again, to the position of favorite in NEISA. However, for them to get back atop the podium in 2018, their young crews, led by sophomore star, Graceann Nicolosi will have to step up in a big way.
Georgetown University
Finishing 3rd at last year’s championship, Georgetown was the one of the youngest teams at the event. An incredibly talented group, Georgetown returns all starters from last year’s effort with the exception of one crew, Albert Kraus. The experience gained by the young platoon last year cannot be overstated. That, coupled with an excellent rotation of crews, led by Meaghan MacRae and Haley Shea, will make Georgetown one of this year’s favorites with an extremely high ceiling to their potential.
One potential wrinkle is who will Coach Mike Callahan look to when the chips are on the table. Last year, Callahan alternated between the two youngsters, Will Logue and Sean Segerblom, while leaning on the experience Campbell D’Elliscu and Roger Dorr. Dorr is a senior, and, while he’s probably the most experienced of the group, he’s also the most known quantity. At this point you know, with Dorr on the water, you have a solid team. However, it’s extremely hard to say just how good Logue and Segerblom can be. If those two guys live up to the hype, we could be talking about a Yale-like dynasty for years to come. The question will be how will Callahan weigh reliability versus upside.
Photo taken from the Georgetown University sailing facebook page
We should get our answer to this question relatively early in the spring season due to a change in how the Mid Atlantic Conference (MAISA) is approaching their team race season. The Graham Hall Team Race at Navy is a heavily weighted regatta. Callahan, and Georgetown, likely won’t have the luxury of experimenting with their roster this season. The Hoya team shown at the Graham Hall, early in the spring season, will likely be the team Callahan believes give them the best chance to win.
D’Elliscu lies somewhere in between Dorr’s experience and the talent of Segerblom and Logue, although to study abroad, he did not sail in the Fall of 2017. When placed in a similar position Segerblom and Logue are in now, Mr. D’Elliscu has yet to falter. Georgetown relied on D’Elliscu when conditions got light at the Fleet Race National Championship in San Diego, 2016. Just a freshman, Mr. D’Elliscu was clutch to close the championship campaign for the Hoyas. Despite the skills of 2016 sailor of the year, Nevin Snow, the Hoyas needed D’Elliscu and he delivered. Now, as a Junior, D’Elliscu will have to be one of the leaders for this Georgetown team to be a contender.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Many look for this team to take the step forward from great to elite. HWS finished 5th overall at the Team Race Nationals last year, but, like Georgetown, graduated only one player, Adam Schaefer, an alternate crew. However, unlike Georgetown, there is no question who they will start at the skipper position. The combination of Guzman, Hobbs and Miller with Weber, Flaherty and Kloc won’t have to look to establish chemistry or find speed. This season, for the northerners, will be about asserting their will on the league.
The reliability of Miller is the key for the stability of HWS. All other MAISA teams have question marks in the third spot of their depth chart. In order for Charleston to stay at the top, Augie Dale and Katherine Lounsbury will have to prove they have the chops, for Georgetown, their young guns will have to mature. HWS has three boats with the speed, smarts and chemistry together. On top of that they have the crews to finish the job.
According to head coach, Scott Ikle, it is the crews that will put this team over the top, led by Junior, Lindsey Kloc. “Like all great crews, Lindsey brings the best out of her skipper,” said Ikle. “Miller is solid skipper on his own, but last year, sailing with Lindsey, he was excellent.”
Boston College
Of teams finishing in the final four in last year’s championship event, Boston College looks to be most in jeopardy for a step backwards. Graduating 6 players from last years 4th place finishing team is tough enough. However, they also graduated 4 starters, 2 skippers- 1 being the women’s college sailor of the year. Erika Reineke left some big shoes to fill, but the loss of the elite All-American crews Hannah Lynn and Allison Ferraris may have left an even larger void.
Over the past decade, few schools have been able to match Boston College’s culture of reloading year after year. A team now proficient at producing a product greater than the sum of its individual parts, Boston College, throughout recent history, has been one of the premier sailing colleges in the nation. “Somehow I got lucky enough to have some very talented sailors buy in to that philosophy (a long time ago!) and that has made all the difference,” said Head Coach, Greg Wilkinson.
This year, the Eagles will be able to lean on one of College Sailing’s current team racing greats, Scotty Sinks. Sinks returns for his senior campaign. If the two newcomers to the starting lineup can prove they can navigate the digital-N with speed, Sinks is capable of making this team a contender in New England. However, the presumptive “next man up,” junior Wade Waddell will have to step up in a big way if the Eagles hope to get back to the final four.
Photo taken from the Boston College sailing facebook page
How the remainder of the team is composed is more up for debate. Thus far, sophomores, Colin Brego and Scott Rasmussen have shown the ability to step forward as the potential candidates. The crew position poses, perhaps, an even larger question. With Ferraris and Lynn graduating, the Eagles will have to replace two of the best crews sailing last year.
Wisely, however, BC sailed more crews than any other team at the Team Race Championship, 8 different crews logged races. With this experience, those looking to fill the shoes of Lynn and Ferraris know what it expected of them at the highest level. “That work began last year,” said Wilkinson. “The real reason to develop your “second team” [not a term I like very much – we just have one team] is to prepare the future, not to ‘make practice better’. We’re not trying to develop different TR teams on our team. We’re trying to develop everyone’s team racing ability.” Emma Perry, Tara Ferraris, Lily McGrath and Scott Rasmussen (a single-handed national champion) are all returning after contributing to last year’s 4th place finish at the Team Race Nationals.
“At this point, I rely on the team leaders – the seniors and the captains – to pass that mentality on to the younger sailors,” continued Wilkinson “It’s not easy – as they say, sailing is by and large an individual sport. We’ve tried to create a team first mentality. We’ve had some success with it. Our upperclassmen are able to pass this mentality down to the underclassmen. When underclassmen see an upperclassmen get pulled or subbed – and then see that upperclassmen remaining a part of the event, supportive of their teammates, and oftentimes subbed back in (when conditions change, etc) – they start to believe in ‘team first’. I think lots of other teams think it’s strange when all our sailors, including ‘extras’, get dressed in sailing gear, including their uniforms, at the beginning of an event, regardless of whether or not they are starting. I think it would be even stranger to go to a [insert ANY sport here] game and watch a bench player scramble to get out of jeans and a sweatshirt and put on their uniform and gear when the coach wants them to go in. At a regatta, it’s kind of tough to have a “next man up” mentality when the next man up is wearing jeans.”
Stanford University
Over the past decade, Stanford University has been a staple at the Team Race Championships. Partly true because the Pacific Coast Conference, like the South Atlantic, is relatively less competitive from which to qualify. But such consistency is also due to the fact that year after year, Stanford transforms an impressive pool of sailing talent into team race robots, with the speed, handling and smarts to win the whole thing on any given year.
The type of sailing Stanford delivers on a yearly basis is a byproduct of the prowess of Assistant Coach, Clinton Hayes, a true student of the game. “The fastest team wins,” says Hayes, simple as that. Again, this year, Stanford is deep with speed and they still have Mr. Hayes at the whiteboard.
Returners, William Marshall ‘19, Will La Dow ‘18 and Jacob Rosenberg ‘20 with freshman Jack Parkin should be the helmsmen competing this spring. Last year’s 7th place finishing team lost only one starter, Reinier Eenkeme Van Dijk.
The United States Naval Academy
The loss of college sailor of the year-finalist, Patrick Snow, and senior Michael Madigan will, by no means, make Navy’s quest for the championship in 2017 easier. However, the Midshipmen sailed a cadre of competent sailors who, while led by Snow, are mostly returning. Last year this team was a veteran Team Race squad sailing 2 senior and 2 junior helmsmen at the championship, along with 2 senior crews.
However, this year, Navy again will have a veteran lineup including now senior sailors Gary Prieto, Peter Hogan, juniors Mary Morocco, Ana Mier and sophomore Brittany Slook. The question we all will be looking to answer this spring is who will emerge as the third skipper for this team. Freshman Conor Bayless is a skipper with a lot of potential as well as some team racing experience but is suspended for the beginning of the spring semester because of a rule 2 incident at the Van Duyne men’s laser qualifier. Sophomore Max Brill has shown some skill and was present at many MAISA minor team races last year getting some much needed college sailing reps.
Dartmouth College
One of the best team racing units last year, Dartmouth failed to qualify out of the New England Conference (NEISA). Despite being an elite team racing team, this is not unheard of. Many believe Dartmouth, had they qualified through, would have been a final four team.
Unfortunately, this team, with the ideal mix of experience and fire last year, lost much of their experience due to graduation. Robert Floyd, Charles Lalumiere, Madeleine Cooney, Nathaniel Greason and Sophie Kerr all graduated from the Big Green’s starting unit. “The 2017 seniors were a special group in terms of commitment and leadership, and they will not be easy to replace,” said Justin Assad, Dartmouth Head Coach.
Assad continued, “Our team has values that guide us as teammates, in striving to live those values every practice we will be able to bring the positive team atmosphere that last year’s seniors espoused. In particular, crews Rebecca McElvain, Paige Clarke, and Sophia Diserio, along with Duncan Williford and Erik Weis, will be crucial team leaders this spring. They understand the special mix of drive, commitment, accountability, and fun that is required for the whole team to perform at the top level, and they will work selflessly to ensure the team is on the same page.”
Duncan Williford had a solid season sailing B-Division for the team. The senior is a great leader and clearly has the stuff to compete. “Duncan grew as a teammate and an individual last spring, at the ready to help the team however he could,” said Assad. “He has studied the game carefully and will be ready for this spring; with crew Paige Clarke he has superb boathandling and his knowledge and ability to recognize situations will be a big strength.”
But perhaps more importantly, Christopher Williford, a junior, has evolved from being a talented youngster to a legitimate college sailor of the year candidate. Williford is one of the fastest helmsmen in the nation. If the replacements to Floyd, Lalumiere, Cooney, Greason and Kerr can learn the game at a similar level, this team will be tough to beat due to senior leadership and the continuing improvement of their emerging star.
Roger Williams University
RWU was a middle of the road team racing team at the start of last season. Much has changed since then. Now senior, Mack Bryan is extremely quick, has a cool demeanor, and his boathandling is second to none. Martim Anderson is an extremely talented sailor and now in his fourth and final year in college, has a really good grip on the intricacies of the game. Finally, Connor Harding has the edge needed when things get tight in a must-win race. Those guys coupled with great crews, a staple of any great Roger Williams team, are primed to make a run late this spring.
“We foster a love of team racing.” said Head Coach, Amanda Callahan. “Our top crews learn the nuances of the game in the same way the skippers do, so they anticipate the next moves and they feed the pertinent information which helps with great boat handling and communication.”
Seniors, Rebecca Anderson, Michael McBrian and juniors Jennifer Agnell and Halie Repeta will be the crews leading this rendition of great team racing at Roger Williams. This team is suddenly weathered and hard, especially with coaches Amanda Callahan and Colin Merrick, team race legends in their own right, pressing the buttons throughout the season.
They were on the outside looking in after last year’s Fowle Trophy, NEISA’s conference championship, finishing only 2 losses behind Boston College and a spot at the Championship in Charleston. This experience seemed to have lit a fire under the team.
Throughout the offseason, the starting team got together and sailed several open team race regattas, including the US Sailing Hinman Championship, America’s Team Race National Championship. At that event, this team was not “middle of the road” competitive, they were a contender to win the regatta throughout the event.
“In the six week team racing season, top college sailors might get an average of 78 races if they are lucky,” continued Callahan. “By competing outside college on the revived summer circuit, they essentially got an entire extra season of racing. And to get good at team racing you have to do a lot of reps.”
They have the speed and the grit now to get it done, a year matured. Do not be surprised if this team finishes atop NEISA and end up in the hunt for the championship in late May.
“Our top team’s passion for sailing and getting better at sailing has made this the most fun team to coach in my tenure at RWU. None of them had done much team racing before college. They’ve really worked hard TOGETHER; they are a group who really enjoys being together and you can’t force that chemistry. I’m grateful for it.”
Old Dominion University
A very young team last year, ODU showed the skill and maturity to sneak in after a competitive Prosser Trophy, the Mid Atlantic Team Race Championship. They are a year older now, a year wiser. A team that finished tied for 9th in the nation, brought back all but one sailor, Gabe Smith. There is little doubt that ODU will be better this year. However, being better does not guarantee an improvement in the standings, it doesn’t automatically qualify you for the top-8 and in a conference like the Mid-Atlantic, it doesn’t necessarily offer you a seat at the table.
Like NEISA, MAISA is allotted only 4 spots. If Georgetown and HWS take the expected steps towards final-4 caliber status, the young-but-improving teams like ODU, Navy, St. Mary’s, George Washington, Cornell and the Merchant Marine Academy will have to battle for just two spots with Georgetown and HWS claiming the top-2 spots in the conference. To emerge from the crowd, a team like ODU will have to continue to improve, take care of business by beating teams who they’re better than and take a race or two off of the elite teams.
George Washington University
Do not sleep on the Colonials. This team might not have been anything more than a club team with only aspirations of merely fielding a team race team 5 years ago. Much has changed in the past half-decade. With the work of dedicated alumni, especially Will Ricketson, coach John Pearce to help shepherd them onto the scene, current coach Billy Martin and talent such as Kai Friesecke and Miranda Bakos this team has more than arrived. Expect Kai to lead Andrew Sheerin & Derek Poon-Tip to the brink of qualifying for the national championship. An emerging national contender from MAISA, this team is primed to take the next step.
Photo provided by Rob Migliaccio
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ty Ingram is really fast. Trevor Long is extremely hard working, his improvement over the past 3 years is inspiring. Both seem like quality fellas and have adopted college sailing’s best corinthian spirit and skills. Shameena Shaffeeullah, Marcus Abate and Julia Cho are progressing towards some of the best crews in the nation, especially Ms. Shaffeeullah. This team finished 8th in last year’s championship without the help of now clear #2 skipper, Trevor Long, who then was recovering from a concussion. Cutter O’Connell filled in admirably as the team was not only able to qualify out of a stiff NEISA conference, but sail well in the championship. Fully healthy now and better due to the growth of their starting sailors, this team is ready to go. The question for this group seems not to be how will they get there but rather, who will stop them.
Eckerd College
Benefiting from sailing at one of the best venues to team race, Eckerd improved dramatically last season. They will look to continue to improve with goals of making the top-8 next season. The loss of senior Jason D’Aostino, William McKenzie as well as Assistant Coach Zack Marks will not help things. They first must look to fend off a surging University of South Florida and Jacksonville University.
Are there more teams that can, or will contend? You bet there are. Stay tuned for Part II, which will look at seven more teams, mostly riding dark horses, that have a chance to end up on top.
Feel free to post your thoughts in our discussion forum below this article!
ABOUT SAIL1DESIGN
Sail1Design is a grassroots organization, by sailors for sailors, dedicated to the youth, high school, college, and one-design sailing communities. Born in 2007, Sail1Design has grown considerably, and reaches out to all sailors wishing to enjoy and learn more about our sport. We have three main areas of business:
SAILING/MARINE INDUSTRY CAREER CENTER & JOB BOARD
We offer sailing’s #1 Career Center and Job Board, always chock full of incredible sailing job opportunities. Our comprehensive career center also offers job seekers the ability to create their own web page, highlighting their experience and posting their resume. Likewise, employers can search our resume database to find the right match for that open position. Sail1Design is proud also to be the official job board of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), the US High School Sailing Association (ISSA), and US Sailing.
MARKETPLACE & PROFESSIONAL BROKERAGE
Unique to the industry, Sail1Design hosts and manages an active private, by-owner marketplace, focusing on performance and one-design sailboats & gear. For all boats under 25′, our ads are free. What makes us different is that we also provide, side-by-side, professional brokerage services as well. We have had great success helping our sailing clients market and sell their boats, using our powerful client base, social media, and the brokerage industries multiple listing service to ensure your boat gets noticed.
AIRWAVES NEWS & CALENDAR
S1D also hosts Airwaves, an interactive, user fed Sailing Calendar and informative Sailing News, Articles, tips, & more. Airwaves has developed a great niche in the sailing publication world, and now boasts a seven-member staff of dedicated sailors, all contributing to our varied content.
