When the Husky Sailing Team received a new fleet of Flying Junior sailboats last year, the new boats promised new opportunity. They also came with new responsibilities.
For years, the Team largely relied on Sail Sand Point’s fleet of FJs for practice and hosting regattas. When traveling, the Team used a handful of older boats or chartered from other teams. Now, the student-led team is working to both master racing the boats on the water, and how to maintain a fleet of them on shore.
After helping fundraise and secure the 12 new boats, the Husky Sailing Foundation (HSF) wants to support the Team through this transition.
This spring, with a small grant from HSF, team member Zack Martin tackled constructing new boat racks, with help from his parents Ira Martin and Pam Springer. These racks allow the boats to be stored in two tiers and sit at an angle for drainage.
The Team wrapped up the school year by installing carpet to pad the racks and storing the boats for summer. However, a good storage solution for the team’s sails, rudders, and tillers was still required.
Tapping into the collective experience of the HSF board, Husky Sailing Team Captain Maya Outhred identified a prefabricated shed that looked like a promising solution. The Team purchased the shed materials and HSF recruited some extra volunteers.
On July 12, a “shed raising party” commenced in the boatyard at Sail Sand Point. In the middle of summer, when sailing and travel are at their peak, it was terrific to see the Husky Sailing community come together to make this project happen.
Ten volunteers, half from the team and the others from the HSF community, set to work assembling sheets of metal siding and dozens of screws into a 10′ x 8′ space. The group worked until dark, completing a lot, but not all, of the work in that initial push.
The Team returned the next week to complete the roof and floor frame. The final touches will be finishing flooring and setting up the internal storage ahead of the fall season.
HSF is seeking a volunteer to join our board of trustees as Fleet Captain. This new position will support the Team as they develop best practices for maintaining the fleet and help HSF identify how we can support the team’s future equipment needs.
Thank you to all the team members and volunteers who helped make the new racks and storage shed a reality! They are:
- Derek Bottles (‘91, HSF board)
- Enzo Dougherty (‘27)
- Aragorn Crozier (’24)
- Dave Edelstein
- Jaxon Gordon (’25)
- Cora Knauss (‘19, HSF Administrator )
- Cara Kuhlman (HSF board)
- Zack Martin (‘23)
- Ira Martin
- Lauren McClintock (‘25)
- Julia Ogleive (‘26)
- Maya Outhred (‘24)
- Geoff Outhred
- Thomas Pentimonti (’24)
- Pam Springer
- Duncan Weiner (’24)
Ta-da! The Husky Sailing Team’s new storage shed!