It’s no secret that the College of Charleston’s Varsity Sailing Team is a force to be reckoned with in collegiate sailing, and this spring season, they’re definitely on a roll. Here are five reasons for supporting the team:

Action with Rav Bridge bkg copy

Members of Charleston’s dominant sailing team practice on Charleston Harbor.

  1. They won the Mendelblatt Team Race Regatta at Eckerd College (Feb. 27-28, 2016).
  2. They were honored by the South Carolina House of Representatives (Jan. 21, 2016).
  3. They won the 2015 Match Race National Championship (Nov. 20-21, 2015).
  4. They’re defending the Fowle Trophy this year, which celebrates the best all-around sailing team in the U.S.
  5. And…the College is likely the only university in the country that has four sailors who will be competing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer. Former Cougar sailor Juan Maegli will represent his home country of Guatemala in the Finn Class. Junior Stefano Peschiera will represent Peru in the Laser Class. Junior Enrique Arathoon will represent Guatemala in the Laser Class. And sophomore Paris Henken, recently profiled in the New York Times, will represent the U.S. in the 49er Class, along with her skipper Helena Scutt.

Want a closer look at the sailing team? Check out this video: