On the 50th anniversary of its sailing program, the College is celebrating not only what’s old, but what’s new on the water. Though College sailors have informally competed for years in occasional offshore sailing events, the Cougars fielded its first varsity offshore sailing team this past school year, piloting bigger boats in tournaments across the country.
The College’s inaugural offshore team, which featured a co-ed crew from places as far-flung as Ohio, Rhode Island and the Bahamas, was coached by Ned Goss ’02, the College’s dockmaster, former national and North American champion, and member of the U.S. Sailing Team. Among the first year highlights was the offshore team tying for first place in October at the Storm Trysail International Collegiate Regatta in Larchmont, N.Y., where 28 schools competed.
For Greg Fisher, the College’s director of sailing, the offshore team’s strong start bodes well for future Cougars interested in sailing big boats.
“The new varsity offshore team gives another whole group of talented sailors the opportunity to enjoy all the sailing program offers at the College. Some of the bigger sailors may not be ideally suited for small boat sailing, but a perfect match for bigger boats,” says Fisher. “It’s great that the College of Charleston is able to be one of the 20 to 30 schools that are making a commitment to offshore sailing and fielding teams to many of the major events.”
Photo by Terry Manier
