News Flash: S1D Launches SAILRECRUIT, an online youth/performance sailing resume & education center for aspiring sailing student-athletes. Check it out!
Last week, Stanford U. shocked the athletic world when they announced they were cutting several sports teams, including sailing. Now, today, Brown University followed suit… and the sailing world, ironically, is ironically a beneficiary of this move, as sailing was a club sport at Brown. Now, against the current, sailing was actually elevated to Varsity status at the RI Ivy League School. Wow. Sailing at Brown, like so many Ivy league schools, is a popular and competitive sport. In fact, Brown Head Sailing Coach John Mollicone was just awarded with the S1D/Sailing Anarchy Coach of the Year, a prestigious award earned from his dedication and on-the-water success. “The women’s and coed sailing teams, which were previously club sports, were promoted to the varsity level, after considering Brown’s location in Providence, R.I., which has “one of the best sailing bays in the country.” (quote from insidehighered.com)
The plan completely reshapes Brown athletics, eliminating 11 varsity sports and promoting two others to varsity status. University officials said the move will increase its competitiveness in the Ivy League, but athletes whose programs were cut said they were completely blindsided by the decision. And some people in the collegiate sports community are questioning if the decision will diminish racial and socioeconomic diversity in the university’s athletic programs over all.
Brown had 38 varsity athletic programs, the third most in the nation, but earned the fewest number of championship titles in the Ivy League between 2008 and 2018, according to a press release announcing the decision. The high number of sports programs has “hindered our ability to fully achieve” one of the main goals of Brown athletics: to be successful in competition with Ivy League peers, President Christina Paxson said in an email to Brown students and staff members on May 28.
“While many of us have seen recent announcements about reductions in athletics programs at other universities in the wake of novel coronavirus, this initiative at Brown is not a measure to reduce budget or an effort to contend with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Paxson said. “Rather, it’s an opportunity to invest even further in advancing excellence in our full lineup of sports programs.”
After a university committee of Brown alumni reviewed the university’s athletic competitiveness and other factors, such as diversity and inclusion, roster sizes, and the quality of facilities, it concluded it was no longer viable for the university to support certain sports, the press release said. The cuts included men’s and women’s fencing, golf, and squash, women’s skiing, women’s equestrian and men’s track and field and cross-country, which is considered three separate programs for the purpose of counting equal athletic opportunities for men and women under Title IX, the law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded institutions. The women’s and coed sailing teams, which were previously club sports, were promoted to the varsity level, after considering Brown’s location in Providence, R.I., which has “one of the best sailing bays in the country,” Paxson said.
Brown will continue to recruit the same number of athletes, and the athletic department will see no budget reduction, the press release said. But cutting the number of varsity programs will allow operating expenses from the removed sports to be “allocated strategically” elsewhere in the athletic department, Brian Clark, assistant vice president for news and editorial development, said in an email. The primary purpose of the restructuring is to streamline athletics resources into the most promising programs.
“It’s a strategic opportunity to invest even further in advancing excellence in Brown’s full lineup of sports programs,” Clark said. “There will be no budget reduction or savings, and that’s intentional.”
A statement from the Ivy League, the intercollegiate athletic conference in which Brown’s teams compete, said the league “recognizes the various considerations that led to the difficult decisions” to restructure Brown’s athletic department.
“Brown continues to offer one of the most broad-based athletics programs in the country with 29 varsity teams and shares the league’s commitment to providing a world-class academic and athletic experience for student-athletes,” the statement said. (quoted from insidehighered.com)
in 2020. As we all know only too well what’s happened in the world this year, it simply has not had a chance to get out there in competition, as events and regattas, one by one, vanished. Waiting patiently, but with eager anticipation, the time finally came, and yesterday at the PYC Summer Optimist Regatta, the sail was unleashed.
sailing. It was really great to see 30+ Optimist sailors safely, and finally, back on the water enjoying this beautiful sport. Along with some parent fans scouting around the course in powerboats, nearby on Sturdivant I. Ledge, several harbor seals basked on the box-seat rocks, enjoying the show as well.
Today, West Coast Sailing employees 15 dedicated and passionate sailors who work hard day in and day out to answer your questions, help you find the right replacement part or new sailboat,manage our ever growing product catalog, and fulfill your orders. Despite a few challenging months in the first half of 2020, we remain committed as ever to our vision and going the extra mile to help you make the most of your time on the water.
Organized soon after the State of Maryland lifted boating/sailing restrictions and careful to mind all social distancing policies and procedures, the 29-31 May North Sails “C&I” 420 Clinic found some very eager participants, who could not wait finally to get out on the water and get back to sailing.
One of the goals of this clinic was to expose sailors, first-hand, to the distinctions between the i420 and the c420. North Sails Tom Sitzmann, who is currently working on an all-new NS i420 tuning guide, shared some of the tips and tricks that make the North Sails i420 sails set up as they should be (for more information on North Sails i420 options, contact Tom) While both classes offer incredible opportunities for youth sailors, their tuning, trim, and focus points are distinct, and successful teams know these differences. Ultimately, the difference in each boat’s performance characteristics requires teams to dial in to the boat’s capabilities, and recognize tactics must change with boats that go different speeds.
