As an organizer or attendee, the run up to a Friday night event might feel a little frantic, but once you walked in the door of The Mountaineers for the 2025 Husky Sailing Auction, a sense of community and contentment filled the room.
With a fully rigged FJ in one corner, food and drinks, along with auction items catering to a room full of sailors, this year’s event once again forged connections between alumni, current team members, and Husky Sailing supporters.
“You’ve taken time out of your busy lives to support our team, and that generosity does not go unnoticed. Without you—our donors, alumni, friends, and family—none of this would be possible,” said Team Co-captain Kirin Dhaka during his remarks.
Hearing from current team leaders
Dhaka, like many other current and past team members, is the first in his family to sail. He is an example of how the growth of youth sailing and community boating centers directly impacts Husky Sailing. Many college sailors also work at these community sailing hubs, providing yet another connection with the team.
“Although it is only my second year with Husky Sailing, I can confidently say this is an experience that I will never forget,” Dhaka said.
Husky Sailing Co-Captain Kirin Dhaka speaks at the 2025 Husky Sailing Auction.“The camaraderie, community, and competitiveness of this organization shines through everyday whether it be at frigid winter practices or sunny California regattas. Both on and off the water, our members push each other, support each other, and share experiences that we’ll carry for the rest of our lives.”
Many of the attendees, including Husky Sailing Foundation board members, remain connected with the sailing team at the University of Washington for this exact reason.
In addition to the current team, who organized and staffed the event, multiple generations of teammates from the 1970s and on gathered for dinner, a dessert dash and a paddle raise. All together, the event raised over $30,000 to support team activities.
Co-captain Max Miller, a senior, told the crowd he’s excited about the depth the team is building. He said the team is consistently getting eight to 10 boats on the water and the roster has grown significantly.
“None of this would be possible without the alumni who set the stage for this team. The foundation they built gave us more than just a program—it gave us a family, a culture, and the ability to keep growing,” Miller said.
He added that beyond the results or regattas he competes in, he deeply values the opportunities they can provide for younger sailors thanks to this community support.
“They get to wear that ‘W’ and realize they’re part of something bigger,” he said.
Husky Sailing Co-Captain Max Miller thanks HSF Board Member Jim Skeel for his help maintaining the team’s 12-boat fleet.Team leadership took a moment to recognize HSF Board Member Jim Skeel for his time and effort spent helping the team maintain the 12-boat FJ fleet.
“His work often goes unseen, but without him, we wouldn’t have the boats we need to train, compete, and grow as sailors,” Miller told the room.
How the Husky Sailing Foundation helps
Speaking earlier in the evening, HSF Board President Brian Thomas highlighted more of the Foundation’s behind-the-scenes work. In the past year, HSF raised $32,000 from nearly 50 donors, plus a multi-year commitment from the Jeff Wright family to fund part-time coaching. He expressed gratitude to past and present donors for their support.
The Foundation, like the team, is also building depth. The board added new members, as did the Husky Sailing Advisory Committee (HSAC) which includes recent graduates. The Friends of Husky Sailing community is now almost 400 members strong.
In the coming year, the Foundation is focused on growing this community, raising funds to cover the team’s annual fixed costs (boat storage, insurance and collegiate dues), while also starting a capital reserve for boat and equipment replacement.
This consistent and reliable support to the team is a priority as HSF builds year over year. However, the Foundation also continues to pursue ambitious long-term goals such as returning the team to the UW campus and funding a full-time coach.
Along with continued financial support, Thomas asked the community to help HSF’s mission in these ways:
- Tell your story about your college sailing experience and how it impacted your life.
- Help us build the community. Connect the dots.
- Volunteer in direct support of the Husky Sailing Team (coaching, running events, fundraising).
- Be open to one day joining the HSAC or the Board itself.
An accomplished alum shares her path
The featured speaker of the evening was Husky Sailing alumnus and the 2023 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Christina Wolfe. She is an accomplished offshore racer known for sailing doublehanded. Wolfe reminisced about her time at UW, joining the nascent 49er fleet, and rediscovering racing in Austin, Texas.
“As I look back, it strikes me that Husky Sailing set things in motion for saying ‘yes’ to some pretty key points in my sailing life,” Wolfe told the crowd.
Husky Sailing alumnus and the 2023 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Christina Wolfe was the 2025 featured speaker.She spoke about the Red Ruby Project, an ongoing campaign with a Europe-based boat and two doublehanded teams involving Wolfe’s husband Justin, and fellow Seattle sailors Jonathan McKee and Alyosha Strum-Palerm.
“We’ve now done some pretty special bucket list offshore races, including the Middle Sea Race and the Transatlantic, but I’ll never forget the starting line at Fastnet with 100 other boats in our division, in 25 knots against wind and tide,” Wolfe said.
She called sailing “a very special sport,” pointing to the opportunity women have to compete alongside men, including in events like the 2024 Vendée Globe, a single-handed nonstop round the world race.
“The six women participating in this past race more than held their own in that 40-boat fleet,” she said.
Wolfe is no stranger to the work, commitment and endurance competitive sailing requires. Many in attendance know it well too. She encouraged the room to help UW sailors get a big jump start, like she did.
“Whether you are just starting your sailing career or you are decades into writing your sailing legacy…we all know that sailing is incredibly competitive, benefiting those who put in the hours and show up to big regattas. What we can do tonight is provide opportunities for travel, for coaching, for workshops, for gear, for relationships — to help these Husky sailors succeed,” Wolfe concluded to applause.