Sailing is no wine and cheese party

Sailing, setting off on the water for a relaxing day with the sweet salt water smell in the air, the sound of calming music on the boat deck and the cool wind at your back.

If you think this is the typical experience for the Cal Poly Sailing Team, then you should think again.

It takes a whole lot more to be a competitive sailor, from being able to maintain a strong mindset to proving you can handle true physical endurance.

For 40 years, the Sailing Team has been a part of the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association (PCIYRA) and now hosts the largest collegiate regatta on the West Coast.

This is a team who knows a lot about experience and what it takes to have several successful seasons. Last season the team placed seventh in league competition, thanks to the 20 determined members on their team.

Racing season goes underway in October and ends in May. Competitions, also called regattas, take place about once a month.

Some of the regular events that occur each year can be seen in San Diego, Monterey, Long Beach, Santa Barbara and Redwood City.

Team Captain Patrick Maher is in his second year with his team at Cal Poly.

“Our goal is to place well enough at these events to qualify for the Pacific Coast Championships, which are in Hawaii at the end of every season,” Maher said.

Maher describes a normal regatta as a Saturday morning where people go to a “skippers meeting” and the people in charge talk about racing and how everything will work that weekend as far as meals, scoring, protests and courses.

Racing starts around 11:00 a.m. when the wind fills in and they can set up a course. This is the beginning of as many races as they can get off before it all ends at 5:00 p.m.

“It is awesome to get the whole team together and travel to these cool places and to compete against some of the best college teams in the country,” Maher said. “It is even better when we do reasonably well.”

Maher says the team unfortunately doesn’t have the best equipment to practice with due to lack of funds, but they do the best with what they have. The team is pleased with their finishing scores and how well they do in these events considering their circumstances.

“Lots of the other teams in our division have sailing as a varsity sport in their campus and most practice everyday,” Maher said.

“However, in future years I expect the team to grow and be placing top five at every event we enter.”

According to Maher, the team is always trying to get more students to come out for the team, preferably with a little experience.

“Obviously we expect to see people come out who are comfortable around water,” Maher said. “Lots of people who joined the team in years past have had no sailing experience before they came out; however, it definitely helps at securing a starting position.”

There is no doubt that sailing is a physically demanding sport, therefore it takes a bit more than simple knowledge of what exactly the jibsheet or boom is or even how to tie a proper sailing knot.

Being in your best shape and becoming fluent in sailing lingo will only help improve your skills.

“If you are someone who thinks that this is a sport where you can come and sip wine and cheese out on the water, you’re mistaken and this is not the sport for you,” Maher said.

This year Maher expects that many new freshmen will join the team based on the responses from interested people that he has been receiving.

As a certified sailing instructor himself, Maher recommends getting out there and learning on your own time as well. “I completely encourage people to learn how to sail considering we compete against these top-rated teams, and we need to dedicate our practice time to improving our skill not just beginning them,” he said.

Other preparations to be sure to make before eagerly setting off for your first regatta are findingshoes that can get wet as well as a wetsuit, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and of course a towel and change of clothes.

Of course, you never know when it might get extra-rough out there on the water, so make sure to bring something to hold onto your hat and sunglasses!

Once you have all the basics squared away and you’re interested in joining the Cal Poly Sailing Team, check out www.CollegeSailing.org.

This website will help you through your Individual Registration as well as offer plenty of helpful information.

The Sailing Team’s competitions will begin in October. Until then stay updated with their information at www.sailingteam.calpoly.edu.