Jack Larish
Sports Editor
The Sewanee Sailing Club had an impressive first outing as an organization, winning six out of six of their scheduled races. The club competed on March 25 in the Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia Trophy Regatta. The competitor schools were Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, and Auburn.
Michael Edge (C‘25), a co-founder and member of the sailing club, described what it was like to win the first ever regatta the club has competed in, “This regatta was our very first and it was awesome to come back with a win.” The club’s A and B divisions each had three races on the 25, and Edge reported that, “We were able to finish first in all six races.”
Photo courtesy of Michael Edge
“The club was formed in the fall and this is the first year Sewanee has ever had a sailing club, so we’ve been working hard to get everything up and running smoothly,” said Edge when describing the club’s founding last semester. Although sailing might be new to Sewanee, many of the club’s members are familiar with the sport, “Our team has a wide variety of prior experience. Some people competed in high school and went as far as nationals while others had only recreationally sailed before and were never in a competitive event,” said Edge.
For a school as small as Sewanee, it is always exciting news when a team is able to outcompete larger schools. When asked what the biggest reason for the team’s success was, Edge said, “I think we just have a really talented group of sailors at Sewanee that are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the success and longevity of the club.”
According to Edge, the team’s funding has come mostly out of pocket from members themselves. Edge added that “A generous member at Privateer Yacht Club has been willing to let us practice on their boats.”
The club holds weekly practices at Privateer Yacht Club, which is in Chattanooga on the Tennessee River. Edge said, “In terms of the rest of the year, we plan on continuing to practice on Sundays, and we are working extremely hard to launch our learn-to-sail program later this spring.”
Although the team is not scheduled to compete in any more regattas this spring, Edge said that, “We’re looking forward to applying for AFC funding this year and hopefully having enough to start traveling to more regattas next fall.”
Photo courtesy of Michael Edge