Spring Update
This content is adapted from the Michigan Sailing Team Newsletter. Subscribe to receive updates like this one, right in your inbox!
Dear Friends of the Michigan Sailing Team,
With our spring season nearly complete, we have a lot going on at the moment! We have had a very successful season so far. This year, our team double qualified for nationals, earning automatic berths in both Open Team Race and Open Fleet Race Nationals! After a competitive weekend at Brown for Open Team Race Nationals at the end of April, the team is ready for Open Fleet Race Nationals at St. Mary’s College of Maryland!
Nina Gonzalez ‘27 and Jack Homa ‘27 at Open Team Race Nationals
Giving Blueday: Thank You!
We are excited to share that our community raised $3,780 on Giving Blueday this year! We are eternally grateful to our 33 donors for their generous support of our team. This year, your contribution on Giving Blueday helped our team cover our coaching expenses for this spring. Our access to coaching has been truly impactful this year, and we hope to see this upward trajectory continue!
Spring Break Training
Over spring break, 15 members of the Michigan Sailing Team traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana for a week of intensive practice. The sailors spent five days training on Lake Pontchartrain with coach Ciara Rodriguez-Horan, a former Tulane All-American sailor. Conditions varied from light wind to gusts of 25 knots and chop. Unfortunately, one day of practice was spent off the water due to unsafe conditions. However, this day was fully utilized with a chalk talk and team sports. The team learned a lot throughout the week, most notably regarding fleet management, start line strategies, crewing techniques, and wind patterns. It was a fun week both on and off the water, as well as great preparation for the spring season. We are proud of the dedication of these sailors and the progress they made!
Dave Perry Team Racing Clinic
In March, we welcomed Dave Perry back to Ann Arbor for another highly beneficial team racing clinic. We spent two full days on the water and in the classroom with Dave, which were well-spent with productive drills, one-on-one coaching, and impactful chalk talks. Our team experienced tremendous growth during the clinic, with many of our team members who previously had little or no experience with team racing becoming confident team racers! With our very own Big 10 Team Race starting the following day, the clinic proved to be excellent preparation for the regatta, as our Wolverines took first place after a dominant performance.
Regattas
Our spring season is nearly complete, with only Open Fleet Race Nationals remaining. This season, we traveled to seven different states, were represented in regattas by 27 sailors, and had first place finishes in two regattas. With conditions varying from freezing temperatures in Minnesota to warm and sunny in Wilmington, we saw it all! By taking second place in the MCSA Open Fleet Race Championship and winning the MCSA Open Team Race Championship, we qualified for Open Fleet Race and Open Team Race Nationals! Our full scores for the season can be viewed on Techscore.
Last month, the team competed in the Team Race National Championship, sailing against the top competition in the country. Over two days of challenging conditions, the regatta proved to be a valuable and successful experience. Despite the stiff competition, the team competed hard, learned a lot, and had fun throughout the event. We hope that attending this national championship will help launch our team to greater heights and inspire us to not only return next year, but to also improve our performance in the standings.
Thank You!
Thank you for keeping up with the Michigan Sailing Team! We look forward to sharing more exciting news with you all. Stay tuned for recognition of our graduated seniors, upcoming events, and more!
Go Blue!
The Michigan Sailing Team