Sailing program riding a wave of success
![Clinton Overton (Captain) and Anna Feldbush (First Mate) are shown here during a recent intercollegiate regatta in St. Petersburg. The pair took second place in every race they entered March 30 at the Lake Virginia Invitational hosted by Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.](https://photos.smugmug.com/Web/New-College-News/n-z5dKVp/i-LbQKh96/0/f782d3da/L/i-LbQKh96-L.jpg)
The New College sailing team has been riding a wave of success this year, thanks to a core group of dedicated students.
“We’re out most weekends,” says one of the team’s captains, Renbourn Chock. In addition to practicing three days a week, the team has participated in seven regattas since the fall semester began and five since the beginning of this year.
This past weekend, Chock and teammates Clinton Overton, Anna Feldbush and Michelle Guyette took second place at the Lake Virginia Invitational hosted by Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Participating teams included Rollins, Palm Beach Atlantic University, the University of Central Florida, and the overall winner, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Other team members include Lydia Dykema, Evan Hunter, Lucas Rencker-Usui, James Parker, Olivia Lowrey and Daria Paulis.
The team’s intensity has been building for a while, Chock said. “The waterfront is on the upswing,” he noted, saying staffing and increasing interest is making it easier to recruit team members. “It comes in waves. Since it’s student run, you’ll find students who are enthusiastic and charismatic enough to attract people, and then they leave. Then it slows down until the next one comes along.”
“We have the momentum. The trick is to keep them around long enough,” he said. “We’re hoping to bring together people to keep it on its current course for a while.”
The team has a common goal to accomplish that. Chock hopes to bring students and key members of the administration together to come up with some goals.
“This wouldn’t be possible if we all didn’t realize we have to pull together and make the waterfront a place people want to be,” said Chock. “When people pull together, it gives them hope. They want to practice more.”
Although their racing season is over for this semester, there are ways to still be involved. The team practices at the Caples waterfront on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and may host a “Learn to Sail” day in the near future.
More more information, visit the New College website or view the team’s Facebook page.
— Jim DeLa is Digital Communications Coordinator in the office of Communications and Marketing.