Follow Up on Luke Muller by Airwaves writer Grace Lucas
The past couple of months have been a blur for most high school sailors who are seniors – trying to cram in college visits, time for applications, and schoolwork into a very short period of time; however, it was no surprise that Luke Muller was recruited to one of the most competitive sailing schools in the nation – Stanford. There is no doubt that Luke will continue to have success in the future and it is definitely worth keeping an eye out for this upcoming household name in the sailing world.
Back in August he was selected to be the Sail1Designer of the Month, (https://www.sail1design.com/muller/) after his first place finish in the Radial at Youth Champs in Corpus Christi this past summer, with half of the points of the 2nd place boat. Since then, he has had some significant wins, such as 1st place at Orange Bowl in December 2013 in the Radial, which is arguably the most competitive youth fleet in the nation. Luke has also been selected to represent the United States at Youth Worlds in Portugal this summer, along with the US Sailing Development Team.
Read more about his recent success and future plans for sailing below:
S1D: When you came out of the Opti, what made you decide to sail Lasers instead of other common youth boats?
I guess it was mostly fate. I usually put myself in the most difficult/rewarding option when making decisions so the Laser was a good choice with its reputation as being one of the hardest fleets in the world but also has a history of turning out some of the greats in sailing, which is humbling and inspiring. I was also growing like crazy so I fit in the strap well.
S1D: What is your favorite aspect of sailing Lasers?
Coming in from a long and tough day happy with what I did.
S1D: You mentioned in your last interview that you trained using the CrossFit program. What aspect of that program is most beneficial when it comes to sailing?
You know, since then I haven’t been doing much CrossFit because of my recent switch back down to the radial but CrossFit has some really great benefits in keeping you fit and harnessing your mental toughness, which is key in any task.
S1D: You were recently accepted to Stanford for sailing, do you have any worries about transitioning from Lasers to college FJs and 420s?
No, I love learning new things and accepting new challenges so I’m actually looking forward to sailing them.
S1D: How does it feel to be chosen for the Sperry Topsider youth development team?
It feels great. The leaders of the team are really steering the whole program in the right direction and it is really exciting being one of the first group of sailors feeling the benefits of this new leadership.
S1D: Do you intend to continue to train with the youth development team while sailing at Stanford?
Yes
S1D: Do you have any long-term goals for sailing? Do you have any specific plans in place to achieve them?
It’s always been my dream to go to the Olympics, do a Volvo, and sail in the America’s Cup and I hope I can hold on to that dream for as long as possible.
S1D: How are you preparing yourself for Youth Worlds this upcoming summer in Portugal?
The US team is now based out of Long Beach so I’ll be spending a lot of time out there this summer preparing for the worlds.
S1D: Do you have a favorite drill? What about a favorite leg of the course?
Favorite drill…..hmm practice isn’t really ever fun haha I’m joking.
I like really short course racing with a tight group of fast sailors. It’s a drill where every mistake is magnified and you have to be almost perfect to win. It gets pretty intense.
Favorite leg….I like the second upwind because people start to lose their focus and it is a leg that provides a lot of opportunity to make big gains for those who are still making good observations and putting out 100% physically.
Leave a Reply