By Airwaves Writer Chris Klevan
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One afternoon in early June, 2013, the Head Coach of the Boston College Varsity Sailing Team, Greg Wilkinson, sent an email to Zack Leonard, Head Coach of the Yale sailing team. The email contained an attachment, an open letter titled, “Dear Youth Sailing Parents.” The first line of the letter reads, “We’re writing to apologize for misleading you.”
Mr. Wilkinson hoped that all the college sailing coaches would sign the letter, aspiring that the leaders from college sailing, collectively, could save the readers from themselves. Unfortunately, this letter was never sent.
The letter echoes the sentiments felt by many coaches across college sailing. It was written to try to flip the misconception about youth sailing’s impact on any given sailor’s future in college. True, junior sailing can help one hone some of the skills needed to get ahead of the steep learning curve that is college sailing. There’s no doubt that most of the best in the game today have had success in sailing prior to arriving to college. However, skipping your SAT prep class to crisscross the country building the “perfect” sailing resume is a terrible misstep. Moreover, to suggest that there is any one class of boats that is more relevant due to the attention coaches pay to it is totally off base.
“We are NOT looking for class champions from any one particular class,” stated Wilkinson. “You would be ill advised to counsel your sons and daughters to sail a particular boat because ‘that’s the boat that the college coaches pay attention to’. That single boat does not exist.”
Wilkinson continued in 2013, “I estimate that 15-25 kids per year get accepted into colleges where, without support from the coach, they would have been rejected.” In other words, only 15 to 25 of the thousand-plus applicants have a sailing resume that is strong enough to get them into a better school than their grades would otherwise justify. That’s only about 2%. For everyone else, the academic profile of the sailor will always match the academic profile of the school to which they are applying.
Very few college sailing teams cut players. If you have a background in racing and an eagerness to learn, there is a spot on a team somewhere. But you still have to get in, and your grades are your most important asset. You should be visiting schools early in your Junior year of high school, for it is your job, as the applicant, to find the right school and the right team for you.
“Kids should keep their focus on academics while enjoying their sailing,” said Zack Leonard of Yale University.
“There’s a range all schools are looking for,” said a head sailing coach who wished to speak only off the record. “If you fit into that range you have a chance to get in.” Sailing can create a positive relationship with a coach, who probably has some relationship with an admissions department. If the coach feels that you may fit into the team culture he or she is trying to maintain, that coach may be able to shine a light—but only if you already fit into the academic range. If a coach does not seem interested in you, that likely indicates the coach does not feel you are experienced enough as a sailor to add value to their team or you do not have a strong enough academic profile to be accepted. Do not be discouraged, there is a home for you if you want to sail in college.
John Vandemoer, head coach of Stanford University, said, “We rarely support a player that only does high school sailing, we really look for players that love the sport, love being on the water and are eager to learn multiple disciplines.”
John Pearce, former Head Coach at the George Washington University and currently Youth Director at US Sailing, adds “Several of the best recruits we had at GW were kids who were trapeze crews in the C420 and the 29er and also did high school and laser sailing on the side. It was immediately apparent that trapeze crewing had developed their feel for the boat and awareness of balance and apparent wind in a way that “sit down” sailing doesn’t. It was easy to get them up to speed in the collegiate dinghies, and they just kept getting better and better. Some of the kids who only sail one boat as youth sailors are missing out on the opportunity to expand their abilities and develop a more well-rounded skill set.”
The college game, however, is very different than that of junior sailing. What you must understand, as a trapeze crew, is that you will be skippering in practices and advancing through the various levels of regattas in college sailing as a skipper. This will broaden your ability as a career sailor and improve your tactical awareness. The collegiate FJ is extremely underpowered compared to junior sailing boats featuring trapezes. It is only at the championship level regattas that the professional heavy air crew is of value to college coaches.
There are very few schools that support the majority of their sailors in the admissions process. There are no schools that can get you a break on your tuition due to sailing. The ICSA rules explicitly prohibit scholarships based on sailing ability. Again, it is the grades get you in and help you with tuition. It is not the coaches or the sailing that will get you into the school of your dreams.
What you, the sailor, should seek in your interactions with different coaches across college sailing isn’t help getting into school, but rather a better understanding of the subtle differences between schools and sailing teams. Once you find the school that seems right for you, the next step is to work hard to improve all your scores. Your best move is to study. Try to make yourself as desirable as possible, not in the eyes of Greg Wilkinson or John Vandemoer, but in the eyes of whichever admissions officer might read your application. Then, once you get in, go to the best school possible in terms of academics, find a school with programs that fit your interests, and join the sailing team with an open mind.
College sailing offers a unique sailing experience where teamwork is extremely important. It offers an opportunity for average sailors to become good sailors, and in the meantime they can help their friends become great. It is an umbrella that collects a ton of sailors from different backgrounds and puts them all on an even playing field. The equipment is extremely simple and basic. The courses are small and often light and shifty. It helps show an individual that, with hard work and some skill, you have a shot to be the best. It helps show a group of people that, together, they can decide on a goal, work hard, support each other and, win or lose, the experiences and the bonds built are invaluable. But it is just a small, fun, well-connected niche in the sailing world. It does not lead to a career in sailing. The vast majority of college sailors use their experiences and the degree they earned to get a job outside of sailing and perhaps they have their team picture hanging above their desk, next to their diploma.
Sailing in college is an excellent way to spend your four years. However, it is not what you are applying for. It, in itself, will not get you into college and, therefore, neither will your time spent on the youth sailing circuit or your visit with the varsity sailing coach. The letter Mr. Wilkinson wrote and never sent was supposed to cut at that misunderstanding. Every college sailing coach wants highly skilled sailors who can be good leaders and are always great people. We want people to add to our teams in as many aspects as possible. However, we do not want to waste your time.
Sailing before college can help shape your college application. Sailing is a great extracurricular activity, like chess or the debate team. It can help show that the applicant is passionate about her or his interests. That, coupled with good scores, can help separate the sailor from all the other qualified applicants in a stack of paper sitting in an admissions department. For 98% of kids applying to schools with an attached sailing resume, that is the extent of youth sailing’s function on a college application.
For a quick look at the student’s point of view, see our article, “College Sailing From the Recruits Point of View”
Photo take from ICSA on Facebook
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Sailing Won’t Get You Into College
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Cutting-edge Facility for US Sailing Team and Bay Area Community to Open at Treasure Island Sailing Center
SAN FRANCISCO, April 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — FAST USA, the Facility for Advanced Sailing and Technology, has opened at Treasure Island Sailing Center (TISC). FAST USA combines the resources of a three-way partnership between TISC, the St. Francis Sailing Foundation, and US Sailing, the sport’s national governing body. The partnership will enhance the community-based activities of TISC and create a flagship training base for the US Sailing Team of unprecedented scope and technological sophistication.
The new FAST USA facility is the realization of the St. Francis Sailing Foundation’s long held dream of a seamless pathway from beginner-level sailor to expert, known as the “Puddles to Podium” initiative. It is a dream shared by the foundation’s partners, TISC and US Sailing.
“We have watched the successes that other sports have had in creating a national training center and permanent home for their top athletes, coaches and trainers,” said Peter Stoneberg, Chairman, FAST USA Committee. “For the first time in the history of American sailing, FAST USA at TISC will provide this home for the sport. New and Olympic sailors alike will be surrounded by world-class technology companies, universities and life science facilities. When added to the outstanding sail training conditions in San Francisco Bay, we will be mining Olympic gold on Treasure Island.”
The FAST USA concept caps a 20-year effort from TISC to bring novice and Olympic sailors together in the same Bay Area training facility. The program will create a legacy of opportunity, mentorship, and excellence in sailing. TISC and the St. Francis Sailing Foundation have worked together on existing community sailing programs including the highly successful Set Sail Learn program for San Francisco public school 4th graders.
“We are thrilled about this new partnership and what it means for kids in our community. Whether they join the Youth Racing Team, train to be a coach or teacher, or intern at a technology lab, there will be opportunities for them to become leaders in the sport of sailing,” said Carisa Harris, President of TISC.
“US Sailing’s commitment to FAST USA at TISC is comprehensive and unwavering,” said Jack Gierhart, CEO, US Sailing. “A revolutionary new facility of this kind at a well-established community sailing center will change the face of sailing on the West Coast. FAST USA will offer greatly expanded opportunities to experience and enjoy sailing in one of the world’s best sailing venues. We are proud to be a part of it.”
To highlight the launch of FAST USA, US Sailing has designated Treasure Island Sailing Center as one of the primary national training centers for the US Sailing Team. Forming the centerpiece of the new Olympic-level facility will be an extensive container-based structure that previously served as an America’s Cup team base and was donated to US Sailing in 2017. US Sailing selected TISC as the new home for this cutting-edge facility as well as several top national team coaches and staff.
“We are grateful to our partners at St. Francis Sailing Foundation and TISC for working with us to make this concept a game-changing reality for US Sailing Team athletes,” said Malcolm Page, two-time Olympic gold medalist and Chief of U.S. Olympic Sailing. “FAST USA will not only help us change the culture of our team and make us more competitive but give us a technical edge that no other national sailing team has.”
San Francisco Bay is known to competitive sailors worldwide for superb, year-round sailing conditions and areas optimal for both training and racing. The Bay offers a “menu” of varied conditions of wind and waves to suit the needs of students, athletes and coaches.
With technology playing an increasingly critical role in high-end athletics, FAST USA places America’s top sailing talent at the hub of US high-tech research and development. The Bay Area offers proximity to outstanding institutions of higher education and an ethos of innovation. The US Sailing Team’s technical staff will have access to an unprecedented breadth of technical solutions that will propel American sailors to medal-winning results.
“With the creation of FAST USA at TISC, we can offer high-level training opportunities for Bay Area sailors and Olympic hopefuls that currently do not exist,” said Bill Kreysler, President of the St. Francis Sailing Foundation. “This facility will bridge existing gaps between youth, high school, collegiate and high-performance sailing. FAST USA will be the first facility of its kind in the nation, and we are thrilled to have US Sailing putting the wind at our back here in San Francisco. The seamless pathway we envision is a perfect fit for US Sailing’s joint goals of expanding sailing access on the west coast and winning Olympic medals.”
FAST USA Committee
Peter Stoneberg, Chair
415-640-3363
peter@stoneberg.com
St. Francis Sailing Foundation
Carolyn Patrick, Communications Chair
415 999-1249
info@stfsf.org
US Sailing Contact:
Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager
Email: willricketson@ussailing.org
+1 978 697 2384 (USA)
Media contact:
Michelle Slade
192867@email4pr.com
415-215-1521
SOURCE St. Francis Sailing Foundation
Related Links
Annapolis Yacht Club is Hiring!
AYC was founded in 1886 as an informal canoe club. Today the Club’s mission is to encourage and support a wide range of boating activities and to maintain facilities for the recreational and social use of its 2000 members. Members and guests enjoy the spectacular view from the Clubhouse deck from where they can see all the Club’s facilities on Spa Creek in Annapolis Harbor.
The Annapolis Yacht Club is a full service, year-round premier private yacht club that provides high-quality programs for its members. These include sailboat racing, cruising for sailors and power boaters, a vigorous junior sailing program, fun and educational winter activities, social events, and first class dining and banquet facilities.
The Annapolis Yacht Club seeks a full-time Assistant Coach/Waterfront Administrator. To learn more and apply, please see full job description HERE
AYC is a prominent fixture in Annapolis, is a good corporate citizen, and provides select opportunities for non-members such as its Junior Sailing program. In addition, AYC’s Race Committee supports club racing and world-class regattas and international championships. AYC members are pleased to welcome these competitors and other visiting yachtsmen to the Clubhouse and sailing facilities. 
About the Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation
The Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation (AYCF) was established by the Annapolis Yacht Club to provide an opportunity for its members to act collectively to foster local excellence in national and international amateur sailing competition, contribute to maritime-related charitable and educational organizations in the Mid-Chesapeake Bay region, and support charitable and educational activities undertaken by the Club.
Community Outreach
Annapolis Yacht Club has been a gathering spot for its members for over 130 years, and it also has served many decades as a beacon of generosity throughout Annapolis and its surrounding communities.
Throughout the holiday season, AYC’s Thanksgiving Food Drive feeds dozens of local families, while the Club members’ participation in the Salvation Army Angel Tree program provides toys to about 150 local children. AYC is about much more than just donating money and toys — the Club’s members donate ideas and elbow grease toward the Club’s philanthropic endeavors, and Club staff take a hands-on approach to distributing toys to the children at Salvation Army.
AYC is devoted to giving back to the people in the community living with developmental and physical disabilities. The Club hosted Warrior Sailing Program participants for a three-day Basic Training Camp in September 2016 and 2017, helping introduce wounded, ill, and injured military service members and veterans to the sport of sailing.
Annually, AYC hosts Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) for the CRAB Cup, a regatta featuring sailors who suffer from developmental and physical disabilities. AYC hosts the regatta and handles the operations so competitors can enjoy spirited competition free of charge. The winner receives the coveted Don Backe Memorial Trophy, named in honor of the founder of CRAB.
The Club members and staff at AYC take pride in giving back to the community — not just as a buzz phrase, but as a way of demonstrating what it means to be a good neighbor and promoting the sport of sailing.
ICSA Team Race Rankings #3, April 5, 2018
Now in the heart of the season, we see in this week’s rankings a bit of a shakeup at the top, along with some new names in the field. Incredible on-the-water action has shown that so many programs have the potential to be there at the end!!!
Stay tuned as we approach the all-important stretch run to qualifiers and ultimately the National Championship!! Sponsored by Dynamic Dollies and Reliable Racing
TOP 5:
1. Yale
2. Boston College
3. Roger Williams
4. Hobart/William Smith
5. Georgetown
For the full list, and to read our Coach Panel’s analysis, SEE THE FULL RANKINGS HERE
