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Club Profile: Washington College Sailing Team
The Basics about the College
Welcome to Washington College, where George Washington never slept. But he did walk the streets of Chestertown, donate 50 guineas to our founding, and serve on the Board of Visitors and Governors.
As the first college chartered in the newly independent United States, we are still defined by our close connection to America’s founding era, along with an appreciation for our beautiful Chesapeake Bay environment and a culture that fosters good writing.
News Flash! Washington College is hiring an Assistant Varsity Sailing Coach
Approximately 1,450 undergraduate students from 35 states and 40 nations share a 112-acre campus. A 12-to-1 ratio of students to faculty encourages conversation in and out of class. Beyond academics, there are countless ways to define yourself, develop your interests, and connect with others: 62 clubs, 17 varsity sports, 17 club sports, a half-dozen intramurals, and a packed schedule of student-organized events.
Perfectly situated.
Our setting may be a historic river town surrounded by farmland, but it’s also an easy drive to D.C., Baltimore and Philly. We think it’s the best of both worlds. Traffic congestion only when you want it.
Passionate about the past.
We were founded in 1782—in the closing days of the American Revolution—to educate students who could help lead a free society and do the hard work of democracy. Today our students learn how the lessons of history relate to the issues of today. And, like their 18th-century counterparts, they graduate ready to assume important roles in society.
Psyched about the future.
The need for a rigorous, engaging liberal arts education has never been greater. The main campus sparkles with newly constructed and renovated facilities, and plans are being drawn for a fabulous waterfront campus on the Chester River.
General Washington would be proud.
News Flash! Washington College is hiring an Assistant Varsity Sailing Coach
Washington College sails right near campus, with a great boathouse and FJ’s ready to go. The team is part of the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA). Learn more about this team here.
Quick Facts About WAC Sailing:
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We have hosted the Spring MASSA Silver Championships for the past two spring seasons, and we expect that to continue!
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We host several MAISA regattas every year, usually a fall qualifier (though we won’t be hosting it this fall), and two team race regattas in a 6 team format. We are upgrading the Tom Noble Team Race and the Washington College Team Race to an 8 team format next spring.
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We have 18 “new” (only 2 seasons old) FJs accessible from our waterfront campus less than a mile from our main campus.
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Since 2008 we have made Co-Ed Nationals (first round or better) six times, and Women’s Nationals once.
May 1, 2016
Washington College Sailing Finishes Season at America Trophy
The Washington College sailing team finished its 2015-16 season by placing 14th of 18 teams at the America Trophy – the MAISA Spring Co-Ed Dinghy Championships – this weekend at New York Maritime.
April 24, 2016
Washington College Sailing Competes in Two Regattas in Boston
The Washington College sailing team competed in two regattas in Boston this weekend, finishing 17th of 17 teams at MIT’s Boston Dinghy Cup and 16th of 18 team’s at Boston University’s George E. Morris Trophy.
April 19, 2016
Eric Siegel – Shoreman of the Week
Senior sailor Eric Siegel is this week’s Shoreman of the Week. Siegel skippered Washington to a second-place finish in A Division and a third-place finish overall at The Grant Regatta over the weekend, qualifying the team for the Ameirca Trophy.
April 17, 2016
Washington College Sailing Third at Grant, Qualifies for America Trophy
The Washington College sailing team finished third of 17 teams at the Grant Regatta, hosted by Monmouth, this weekend. The top-six finish qualified Washington for the America Trophy, the MAISA Spring Co-Ed Dinghy Championships, to be held in two weeks at New York Maritime.
April 3, 2016
Washington College Sailing 6th at Team Race Challenge
The Washington College sailing team finished sixth of eight teams at the Team Race Challenge, hosted by Old Dominion, this weekend.
March 27, 2016
Washington College Sailing Seventh at Two Regattas
The Washington College sailing team competed at a pair of regatta in the Hampton Roads area this weekend. Washington placed seventh of eight teams at Old Dominion’s Szambecki Team Race and seventh of eight teams at the Christopher Newport Invitational for the Hanbury Cup.
March 20, 2016
Washington College Sailing 5th in Own Team Race
The host Washington College sailing team finished fifth of six teams in the Washington College Team Race, held yesterday and today on the Chester River.
March 13, 2016
Washington College 11th at College of Charleston Spring Intersectional
The Washington College sailing team finished 11th of 14 teams at the College of Charleston Spring Intersectional this weekend.
Cruise One-Design? Sustaining the Sport of Sailing
By Airwaves writer Tyler Colvin
“The thing that is great about sailing is that it is a lifelong sport.”
If I had a dollar for every time this has come up in conversation, especially when I bring up I am a sailing professional, I wouldn’t be sailing other people’s boats anymore. While this cliche is borderline overused, it is a cliche for a reason. Sailing indeed is a sport that is enjoyed at a recreational and competitive level by people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Why it then, that sailing participation is is at a 30 year low?
Nick Hayes, statistician and author of Saving Sailing, presented researched that showed from 1980 to 2009, there was a drop from 12.5 million sailors to below 2.6 million. Over the middle of the 2000s, specifically from 2004 to 2012, searches involving sailing dropped over 40%. During this same time period other recreational activities such as surfing and skiing had consistently strong participation numbers (Nevin Sayre).
The argument can be made that during the late 2000s, the Great Recession could have played a part in the drop of Google searches, however that doesn’t account for the slow drop in participation through the .com boom and economic strength of the early 2000s. It is a fundamental change of the demographic; specifically the lack of retention amongst young sailors, that has driven this drop in numbers.
Figure 1: Sailing Participation distribution. From Nevin Sayre Inspiring More Kids
Looking at this graphic from Nevin Sayre (Vineyard Haven YC Junior Program Committee) from his talk, Inspiring More Kids, at the US Sailing Leadership Forum 2016, we can see this decline into the mid 20s. Participation doesn’t start to rebound really until the late 30s, early 40s. From both a financial perspective as a business, but as an overall sport, this is concerning for yacht clubs, boat clubs, community sailing centers, etc.
If we assume that at 8 years old, the average age of a child starting in beginner Optis, we have reached about 100% saturation of the kids who would sail, the fact that we are down below 20% by age 16 is troubling. By this graphic, half of the kids sail Optis for 2 years do not return for beginning FJs/C420s. This is not a localized problem, but a nationwide problem that junior sailing directors have been trying to address for the past few years.
Figure 2: Snowsports Participation. From Snowsports Industries America
Here we see a breakdown of snowsports participation by age group from the Snowsports Industries America. Instead of a steady decline from a young starting age onward, we see a rise in participation among young adults (aged 25-34). The percentages assume a different saturation rate among the population, but regardless this is a stark difference from the exponential decay seen in the sailing participation graph.
Seeing these numbers, we have to ask, what is different about sailing and snow sports? Starting at a beginning level and activity standpoint, both are relatively expensive. Between lessons and equipment, you can spend thousands of dollars on either. So putting socioeconomic standing aside, what else differs?
For anyone who has been through a junior sailing program or sent their child through a junior sailing program, you know the structure of Beginner Optis, Intermediate Optis, Opti Green Fleet, Opti Champ Fleet, C420 Intro Race, C420 Race Team, etc. This is how programs have been structured for decades, and is how US Sailing, as a national organizing body, has focused instructor training courses. Instructors are typically former racers or college sailors. From a young age, junior sailing has been presented and taught as a competitive sport for which the end game is to go to regattas and compete, often in very large fleets.
Skiers and snowboarders have a different experience. Very few skiers or snowboarders ever compete in a race or freestyle competition. In fact, according to the US Snow Sports Association, there were 185,521 entries in all disciplines of competition out of a total of 17.5 million participants. That is roughly 1% of all participants actually competing. Many ski patrollers and ski instructors have never raced; participating on a strictly recreational basis before becoming an industry professional. Everyone skis or snowboards because it’s fun.
It is not too far a leap to get from over-competition in youth sailing leading to a drop in participation in later years. Sailing programs tend to glorify the several young sailors out of a big group that go on to the next level, whether that be national teams or prestigious college teams. Meanwhile, the kids who do not wish to compete, or are just not successful, get washed out the back. If sailing is meant to be a lifelong sport, shouldn’t we be measuring success by the retention of sailors we have from beginning sailing onward?
The advent of alternative sailing programs is a movement that is starting to take hold in the industry. Not only do program directors see a lot of potential dollars in retaining even a fraction of the participants we lose every year, but it’s important as a sport that we remember why we are in the industry to begin with. No one who is in the sailing education industry is doing it for the money. Everyone genuinely loves the sport. In order to help more people enjoy the sport, in fact making these “lifelong sailors” that I hear so much about, all aspects need to be addressed. Kids need to have the option to go out and cruise around if they so choose. We need to give them the tools to do as such.
“There is nothing- absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
–The Wind in the Willows
Move Faster With The Right Cardio For Sailing
By Airwaves Writer Rachel Bennung
Do you ever feel like your just not getting the spinnaker up fast enough, or you feel really exhausted after getting into a tacking duel? You do cardio, but you still feel winded sometimes while sailing? Maybe your problem is your doing cardio, but not the right one to reach your sailing goals. However, with the right cardio you will be able to build your endurance and reach your goals faster. Today you will learn about the different types of cardio, what is the best cardio for sailing, and how to enhance your sailing performance with the right cardio.
Cardio can be categorized in several ways. For the purpose of this article I will categorize them into three types.
- Regular Cardio – This type of cardio includes low-medium intensity, and medium to long duration. The workout lasts for 30 minutes to an hour or more. Examples of exercises would be walking, jogging, and swimming.
- High Intensity Cardio – This type of cardio requires you to maintain a high level of intensity throughout the workout. The workout lasts for 30 minutes or less. Examples of exercises would be performing the same exercises as regular cardio, but at a much higher intensity.
- High Intensity Interval Training – Also known as HIIT, this is a type of cardio where you give 100% effort for the exercises, and then follow that with a short sometimes active recovery period. This cardio gets your heart rate up and keeps it up throughout the workout. This type of cardio workout can range in duration from 10-30 minutes.
So we have regular cardio, high intensity cardio, and high intensity interval training, which one is the best for sailing? Think about your movements on a sailboat, a lot of times they have to be very quick. For example you have to get the spinnaker up or down as fast as possible, or you get in a tacking duel. These movements cause your heart rate to increase quickly. Since in sailing we have times where we need to use more energy, giving 100% effort the best form of cardio we can be doing is High Intensity Interval Training.
By adding high intensity interval training to your workout routine you will start to see a difference in your sailing performance. High intensity interval training will improve your cardio abilities. It will come easier, and you will get quicker all those times on the boat where you need to give 100% effort. Not only will you boost your cardio abilities, but by adding interval training to your routine you will also boost your endurance on the water. By adding high intensity interval training to your workout routine today, you will be able to start maximizing your performance on the water.
Now that we know what is the right cardio to do for sailing, how do we get started? Check out below the 20 minute HIIT workout I created that will start you on your way to improving your cardio for sailing. Also check out the moves in the video.
HIIT Workout:
-Warm up for 5 minutes
-1 minute alternating lunges
-1 minute jumping jacks
-1 minute butt kicks
-1 minute squats
-1 minute high knees
-Set your timer for 15 minutes. Do each exercise giving 100% effort for the amount of reps listed. Rest for 30 seconds between each exercise. Continue the exercises until you reach 15 minutes. Cool down and stretch after completing the workout. (If you want a longer cardio workout set your timer for 20 or more minutes. )
-15 Squat Jumps
-12 Alternating Tap Ups
-15 Alternating Jumping Lunges
-20 Plank Jacks
-15 Burpee Spins
Sailors need to always be on top of their game and ready to move quickly. You may have been doing cardio, however, by incorporating the right cardio into your workouts, high intensity interval training you will see major improvements in your sailing. You will be able to maximize your performance for those movements where your heart rate is high. Along with being able to give 100% effort without being fully exhausted, you will also see a boost in your endurance while out sailing. Get started today with the HIIT workout above and check out the video of the moves.
For more information on fitness for sailing contact rachel@sail1design.com. Also check out Sailorcise on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily tips on fitness, nutrition, and sailing.
World Cup Supply: Your Source for Sailing Pinnies
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High School Sailing Spotlight: PCC Dinghy Championship Report
Sail1Design would like to welcome our newest intern/reporter, Sammy Pickell, to our Airwaves team. Sammy is a high school student and sailor on the Corona del Mar team, and will focus on west coast & high school sailing!
Pacific Coast Championships: Competition Pushes Corona del Mar Sailing Team to the Top!
In summer 2006, two competitive eight-year-olds, Derek Pickell and Rhodes Garner, stood out particularly among racers in the junior sailing sabot program at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. The two boys, constantly alternating wins with one another at Southern California regattas, pushed each other to fly up the fleets and rankings, to say the least. However, soon after reaching the more advanced fleet of sabots, Rhodes switched over to Newport Harbor Yacht Club permanently.
Ten years later, now on a new team together, both eighteen year-olds stood proudly holding their trophy with our Corona del Mar High School sailing team. These two had returned, and improved upon their former success that sailing on a team together brought them; Rhodes and Derek led the Corona del Mar Seakings to the Pacific Coast Championship for the Seakings’ first time in decades.
After half our team graduated preceding the 2014-2015 season, the two senior boys first took on the responsibility of skippering our Varsity Gold Division, as the only two upperclassmen skippers on the team. Though obviously racing against different sailors in separate divisions, unlike the sabot days, each boy’s competitive nature and excellent scores constantly motivated the other before his race— a recurring relationship of amicable competition benefiting our sailing team. It was never about Rhodes and Derek simply fighting for scores against competing schools; the sense of the Seakings’ community comes with pushing teammates to race stronger and better, and they were no exception. For many years, the CdM team had constantly fallen as underdogs— always close behind Newport Harbor and Point Loma, yet always edged out. We constantly managed to take third or fourth places, only narrowly qualifying for the Mallory in 2015.
This year at the 2016 Pacific Coast Championships at the US Sailing Center in Long Beach, an area famous for its voracious windsurfers and breezy conditions, our team had our work cut out for us. Heading into the regatta, we ranked third place behind Point Loma and Newport Harbor, the 2015 national champions. To qualify for the Mallory, CdM needed to place in the top four at least. PCISA has over 58 schools actively participating in regattas and is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. With such a strong sailing presence throughout California, the competition never lulls, and we knew the Pacific Coast Championships would be no exception.
On the first day of the qualifier, the race committee kept the 22 schools racing continuously from about 11am to 6pm. The wind began light and shifty, thankfully a condition very familiar to Corona del Mar. The drastically shifting offshore breeze made it necessary for us to play the sides of the course intelligently and facilitated the importance of focusing on boat speed. As a 10-12 knot breeze began to fill midway through the day, keeping our boats completely flat became essential. Small waves also emphasized the need for good boat handling and warranted the infantile stages of surfing on the downwind legs. The race committee kept a pace of fast rotations to achieve as many races as possible. Rhodes and I (A division) and Derek and Victoria Thompson (B division) each began and ended the day with consistent, upper fleet scores. We ended the day smoothly and secured a second place behind the Francis Parker School, with Point Loma on our tails.
On Sunday, the sailors faced almost identical conditions as Saturday. It was still fair game for any team— the point values were so close that CdM could not afford to make a blunder during a race. Rhodes and I managed to secure strong pin starts at the
beginning of the day, as Derek and Tori sailed more conservatively from the middle. Nonetheless, each team sailed well, Derek and Rhodes always remembering to exchange advice to the other on the rotation dock about the constantly shifting wind. ! Rhodes and I ended the day in second place, and Derek and Tori directly responded to his success with two strong finishes crucially ahead of Point Loma. Constantly on the cusp of greatness, with its senior boys’ strong competition and teamwork with one another paving the way, the CdM sailing team finally broke through the underdog status— finally ahead of Point Loma and Newport Harbor.
(for full results click HERE)
Teamwork in the CFJ is prevalent everywhere— from the actions between the skipper and crew to assisting your teammates in being mentally and physically prepared come race time. An often forgotten aspect in the process of working as a team is the inner rivalries among team players— the competitiveness and the drive to exceed your teammate’s previous performances. For CdM’s case, the two skippers had pushed each other to the top since sailing sabots from the same yacht club. Inner team competition is a force that molds champion sailors, but more importantly, it creates champion teams. Nationals, here we come!
Corona del Mar, Point Loma, Newport Harbor, and Santa Barbara are headed to nationals this May 14-15 in Charleston, South Carolina !