Yale sailors strive for 2012 Olympic Games
11 September 2009
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Sailing isn’t a sport you do for the glory,” said Sarah Lihan, CC ’10, a member of Yale’s varsity women’s sailing team. Joe Morris, PC’12, a member of the corresponding coed team, had to agree: “At least in this country, it’s not a huge media sport.”
According to Zack Leonard, PC ’89, who once sailed for Yale and now coaches both varsity teams, students’ awareness of the sailing program has never been high. But if Bulldog sailors get less recognition on campus and in the media than do other varsity athletes, you would never know it based on their performance.
Marla Menninger, MC ’10, captain of the women’s team, was proud to report the historic results her team achieved in last year’s national championships. This May’s event, held after the close of spring semester, saw the Yale women claim their second national title in team history, and their first title since 2004.
Yale women also secured major individual awards in the 2008-2009 campaign. Jane Macky, PC ’09, then Menninger’s sailing partner, was named the Quantum Women’s College Sailor of the Year—the first Bulldog to win that honor. Macky and Menninger also walked away from the season with the Madeleine Trophy, awarded to acknowledge their vessel’s win of the primary race at May’s event.
To top it all off, Macky was named an All-American Skipper in women’s competition for the second consecutive year. Her classmate Kate Hagemann, DC ’09 also received her second All-American nod.
Sailors from both teams described Macky in reverential terms. Blair Belling, SY ’11, a female member of the coed team, characterized Macky as an “unbelievable performer” whom it would be difficult for the team to replace. Morris called her a “huge, huge asset” whose exit would leave a “big void.”
Members of the women’s team were more reticent about the impact of Macky and Hagemann’s graduation. Though Menninger was enthusiastic about the team’s freshmen, she admitted that the women’s season likely wouldn’t be “as strong as last year.” Lihan echoed these concerns, praising the recruits but cautioning that they would take “a little time” to be integrated into the team.
Both athletes and coaches, though, were optimistic on the big question: Can the women retain their national title?
Though head coach Leonard would not comment on specific goals for the year, he described this year’s lineup as “definitely in contention” for a repeat championship if sailors gave their all. Menninger’s assessment was equally positive, describing a title as “within reach.”
Members of the coed team, who attend the same practices and regattas as members of the women’s team, have even fewer reservations. Their predictions of success are clear, and members unanimously describe themselves as “excited” for the season.
May saw the coed team, captained by Thomas Barrows, DC ’10, secure second place in the ICSA/Gill Coed Dinghy National Championships—its best performance since 1981. Finishing only 20 points behind the winning 179-point score, by St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the coed team came tantalizingly close to victory.
Barrows, who has led the coed team since last year, said that his squad’s chances for a national title would only improve in the 2009-2010 campaign. Since all three skippers from last year’s coed team are returning, he said, the group should be able to get off to a fast start.
Belling expressed equal optimism about her team’s chances. “We can only go up,” she said, citing the closeness of last year’s loss to St. Mary’s as raising her hopes for this season. Her teammate Morris concurred, praising Barrows’s leadership and adding that the combination of “talented individuals” and a “great team dynamic” meant that this year’s team could be poised for a championship.
Two Bulldog sailors in the class of 2010, though, have sailing ambitions that go beyond even the prospect of a double national title. Coed captain Barrows and women’s team member Lihan are both in training for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Barrows has already competed at one Olympics: 2008’s Beijing Games saw him representing the U.S. Virgin Islands in men’s singlehanded sailing. Although he describes the event as “pretty special,” Barrows said that his appearance at Beijing was primarily a “learning experience.” For him, professional competition will begin in earnest at London, and, he hopes, continue for at least a few Olympic cycles more.
The Olympic endeavor is new for Lihan, who hopes to represent the United States in either single- or double-handed sailing at the London Games. Like Barrows, she sails throughout summer and winter, when college sailing has its off-season, and she plans to sail full-time after graduation.
Like sailors’ post-graduation plans, Yale’s sailing program is distinctive because of how far off the beaten path it lies. Yet the reason for its success is nothing remarkable: the team, said Morris, has accomplished what it has “because everyone’s so driven.”
According to Zack Leonard, PC ’89, who once sailed for Yale and now coaches both varsity teams, students’ awareness of the sailing program has never been high. But if Bulldog sailors get less recognition on campus and in the media than do other varsity athletes, you would never know it based on their performance.
Marla Menninger, MC ’10, captain of the women’s team, was proud to report the historic results her team achieved in last year’s national championships. This May’s event, held after the close of spring semester, saw the Yale women claim their second national title in team history, and their first title since 2004.
Yale women also secured major individual awards in the 2008-2009 campaign. Jane Macky, PC ’09, then Menninger’s sailing partner, was named the Quantum Women’s College Sailor of the Year—the first Bulldog to win that honor. Macky and Menninger also walked away from the season with the Madeleine Trophy, awarded to acknowledge their vessel’s win of the primary race at May’s event.
To top it all off, Macky was named an All-American Skipper in women’s competition for the second consecutive year. Her classmate Kate Hagemann, DC ’09 also received her second All-American nod.
Sailors from both teams described Macky in reverential terms. Blair Belling, SY ’11, a female member of the coed team, characterized Macky as an “unbelievable performer” whom it would be difficult for the team to replace. Morris called her a “huge, huge asset” whose exit would leave a “big void.”
Members of the women’s team were more reticent about the impact of Macky and Hagemann’s graduation. Though Menninger was enthusiastic about the team’s freshmen, she admitted that the women’s season likely wouldn’t be “as strong as last year.” Lihan echoed these concerns, praising the recruits but cautioning that they would take “a little time” to be integrated into the team.
Both athletes and coaches, though, were optimistic on the big question: Can the women retain their national title?
Though head coach Leonard would not comment on specific goals for the year, he described this year’s lineup as “definitely in contention” for a repeat championship if sailors gave their all. Menninger’s assessment was equally positive, describing a title as “within reach.”
Members of the coed team, who attend the same practices and regattas as members of the women’s team, have even fewer reservations. Their predictions of success are clear, and members unanimously describe themselves as “excited” for the season.
May saw the coed team, captained by Thomas Barrows, DC ’10, secure second place in the ICSA/Gill Coed Dinghy National Championships—its best performance since 1981. Finishing only 20 points behind the winning 179-point score, by St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the coed team came tantalizingly close to victory.
Barrows, who has led the coed team since last year, said that his squad’s chances for a national title would only improve in the 2009-2010 campaign. Since all three skippers from last year’s coed team are returning, he said, the group should be able to get off to a fast start.
Belling expressed equal optimism about her team’s chances. “We can only go up,” she said, citing the closeness of last year’s loss to St. Mary’s as raising her hopes for this season. Her teammate Morris concurred, praising Barrows’s leadership and adding that the combination of “talented individuals” and a “great team dynamic” meant that this year’s team could be poised for a championship.
Two Bulldog sailors in the class of 2010, though, have sailing ambitions that go beyond even the prospect of a double national title. Coed captain Barrows and women’s team member Lihan are both in training for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Barrows has already competed at one Olympics: 2008’s Beijing Games saw him representing the U.S. Virgin Islands in men’s singlehanded sailing. Although he describes the event as “pretty special,” Barrows said that his appearance at Beijing was primarily a “learning experience.” For him, professional competition will begin in earnest at London, and, he hopes, continue for at least a few Olympic cycles more.
The Olympic endeavor is new for Lihan, who hopes to represent the United States in either single- or double-handed sailing at the London Games. Like Barrows, she sails throughout summer and winter, when college sailing has its off-season, and she plans to sail full-time after graduation.
Like sailors’ post-graduation plans, Yale’s sailing program is distinctive because of how far off the beaten path it lies. Yet the reason for its success is nothing remarkable: the team, said Morris, has accomplished what it has “because everyone’s so driven.”
By Amalia Skilton
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