On a dark November evening, in a classroom on the ground floor of the University of Washington’s Chemistry Library, multiple generations of Husky sailors gathered to celebrate recent successes while also keeping an eye on the horizon.
At this second annual “Town Hall” meeting, members of the Husky Sailing Foundation’s Board of Trustees met with the current Husky Sailing Team — an important opportunity for these alumni and students to connect.
The second annual “Town Hall” meeting brought HSF and the Husky Sailing Team together.The students in attendance ranged from freshmen to seniors and are from all over including Boston, Wenatchee, Oakland and Tacoma. Their fields of study are also wide ranging, including biology, archaeology, engineering, computer science and more. Many sailed in high school but others discovered sailing at UW.
For all of them, their university and collegiate sailing experience has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They are thrilled to be traveling to regattas, motivated to build the team and planning ahead for spring.
Some highlights the Husky Sailing Team shared include:
- 39 sailors on the roster and a goal of regularly having nine boats at practice.
- This fall they hosted three events, attended all Northwest events and traveled to three high-ranking regattas in California.
- Benefitting from regular coaching by Claire Dennis who was able to travel with the team to two events.
And the Husky Sailing Foundation’s 2022 successes include:
- A successful fundraising campaign to provide the team a new fleet of FJs.
- Hosting HSF’s first in-person event to celebrate the new fleet and Husky Sailing community.
- Expanding the board and advisory committee and launching a new website.
- Approving the first grant for the Husky Sailing Team.
During this joint meeting, both groups also had future ambitions in mind.
For the students, that includes the annual fundraising auction on Feb. 25, 2023 (save the date!), recruitment in the spring and continuing to improve their ranking in the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference (PCCSC).
For the alumni and volunteers behind the Husky Sailing Foundation, helping the team with continuity, engaging other alumni and creating an endowment to fund coaching into the future, are top priorities. HSF will be sharing more on all these initiatives in the months ahead.
Founded in 2020, the Husky Sailing Foundation’s mission is to provide the funding, leadership and long term vision necessary to build and maintain a diverse, inclusive and highly competitive sailing team at the University of Washington. To follow along and learn how to get involved, subscribe to receive HSF news.