bwhealy
**
Apr 12, 2010, 10:50 AM
Post #1 of 1
(1561 views)
Shortcut
|
|
College Sailing Profile: The College of Charleston
|
Log-In to Post/Reply
|
|
The College of Charleston, located in historic and scenic Charleston, SC, has been a power house in college sailing over the past few decades. With an ideal location on Charleston harbor, an extremely talented coaching staff, and very strong funding, it’s no wonder the college has been so successful. The weather conditions in Charleston, as well as the fact that the team trains on an open body of salt water, provides for year-round sailing, arguably giving them an advantage over many northern teams, whose venues may be iced over in the early spring. With a gorgeous facility on the Cooper River, a broad variety of conditions to practice in, and the continued success of the team, the college is sure to continue to attract young talent from around the country to keep its winning tradition alive.
The J. Stewart Walker Sailing Complex has been the team’s home since its construction in 1999. The facility is located in the Charleston Harbor Marina, just across the Cooper River from downtown Charleston. The sailing center is built entirely on floating docks and possesses garages for both sail storage as well as storage for the teams’ sailing gear. The building also has a team room with a large whiteboard, digital projector and flat-screen TV for reviewing on-the-water action shot during team practices. There is a large garage for the maintenance of its fleet of 18 420s, 6 FJs, 8 Lasers, 10 J/22s, and 4 coach boats, as well as an upstairs office for the coaching staff. In addition to these amenities, only matched in college sailing by the major academies, the team has a broad range of conditions to train in.
Because of the location of the sailing center, the team is privileged with the opportunity to train in a variety of conditions. The Cooper River is the team’s primary practice and regatta venue. The area is extremely tidal, providing very challenging current for the team to utilize. Because of this current, there are days with opposing breeze and tide directions which produces a large, steep chop, allowing the team to practice in both flat water and waves. The tide is not completely inescapable however, and if the team is preparing for an event with minimal current, they may chose to train in the fairly shallow waters of Crab Bank, just around the corner from the Charleston Harbor Marina. A dependable southeasterly sea breeze in the early fall and late spring also provide for pristine sailing conditions, and a north or westerly breeze direction allows the team the opportunity to see more shifty conditions. With these wind and tide variables, the team experiences a large variety of conditions.
The third major contributor to the College of Charleston Sailing Team’s success lies in its coaching staff. Director of Sailing, Alice Manard, employs Head Coach Ward Cromwell, Assistant Coach, Nick Ewensen, and Dock Master Colin Bentley to keep the winning tradition going. Each member of the coaching staff was an ICSA All-America team member during their own college sailing experience, and it is because of their knowledge, that the team continues to produce All-American sailors year after year. The team also possesses a large amount of funding in the Hissar Sailing Endowment, a result of the collective contributions from both alumni and fans of the team. Because of this funding, the team is able to leave its relatively isolated area in the South-Atlantic Sailing Association (SAISA) and travel to the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and West Coast to complete throughout the season. All of these factors enable the College of Charleston Sailing Team to continue to be a strong force in collegiate sailing. Team alumni have gone on to represent their country in the Olympic Games, and some have crossed over into the world of professional sailing. With the ability to attract young, talented sailors from around the country, the college is sure to remain a top contender in ICSA competition for years to come.
|
SCUTTLEBUTT
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG IN