Maine Maritime Academy sailors take first place in Los Angeles race
Thu, 03/14/2024 - 3:15pm
Maine Martiime Academy’s victorious sailors just after winning the Port of LA Harbor Cup in Los Angeles, California, March 10. From left to right: Skipper Zach York, Main Trimmer Sarah Evans, Jib/Spinnaker Trimmer Ellis Braga, Tactician Nala Ho, Pit Person Courtney King, Floater Drake Reid, Mastman Aidan Pepperd (hidden), and Bowman Kyle Carse. (Photo courtesy Patrick DiLalla)
There is a few in the crew who would be handy on the windward rail.
I’m told that Courtney King (the “pit person”) is Capt. Barry King’s daughter — of the Schooner MARY DAY, one of the Camden Windjammers that takes passengers on one week cruises along the Maine Coast.
I’m told that one of the other kids is the son of a deep sea captain from Stockton Springs, Maine.
Castine really creates great sailors, considering how far away they are from the East Coast Racing Center of Gravity like Annapolis, Newport, and Charleston relative to their peer institutions.
There’s your future low-level managers and internal auditors. Nice job sweethearts.
That’s funny. I see promising young mariners with practical experience that are already on my short list of people I’d like to hire.
Congratulations on your obtaining your MMC. However, your negative comments about people you know nothing about indicates your future more likely points to you landing in a position of subservience than these folks whose positive efforts were rewarded with a win. I hope for your sake you’re able to improve your outlook if you intend to succeed.
I found over a few decades in the USN, and as a USN Senior Offshore Sailing Skipper, that aviators become good sailors, because they quickly understand the forces on a sail, and a keel, are the same as the forces on a wing.
Also found that sailors more readily understand the basic concepts of set and drift, right down in their belly, because every sailing vessel contends with these factors on every point of sail except dead downwind.
JMHO
Exactly, for those reasons an experienced sailor can become a good barge handler much quicker than someone with only tugboat experience.
Sailing, especially racing, builds leadership and teamwork skills that are transferable to any field of endeavor.
Exactly why I qualified, and then served as, an Offshore Sailing Skipper. Took NROTC sail training yachts out with 8-10 3rd class and 1st class midshipmen (persons), plus an assistant, for three weeks once or twice each summer from '87-'93. Very rewarding platform for teaching seamanship, teamwork and leadership. “Yes, you have to go on deck for your watch even if you’re seasick, because no one else can replace you” is a major lesson for a 19yo.
Sorry to taking the topic off course a bit. But ASAIK, all the training academies maintain sail training programs for just these reasons. Racing, and winning, is just an extra added bonus. 
I’m not a sailor, never have been. However, I am a better than average small boat/small ship handler.
Watching skilled sailors, I have no doubt in my mind that the experience, specifically the critical relationship of current and wind to maneuverability, will translate through osmosis to ship handling.
Hey don’t knock it till you tried it MMC.
After sailing Master, it’s nice to step back and let other’s stress the small stuff while sharing some hard earned lessons so hopefully the next generation doesn’t repeat them!