Yale University: Best Overall College Sailing Team

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) has six separate national championships – Women’s Singlehanded, Men’s Singlehanded, Match Racing, Women’s Dinghy, Team Racing, and Coed Dinghy National Championships. The overall strength of a college team is measured by their results in these championships, and the Leonard M. Fowle Trophy recognizes that team.

In the 2015-16 school year, that team was Yale University. Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck spoke with Bill Healy, assistant coach for Yale, regarding their accomplishment…

Tell us how you got here.
This accomplishment is a reflection of our strengths. In the Fall season, we didn’t qualify for the Match Racing and we didn’t have someone for the Women’s Singlehanded, but we did win the Men’s Singlehanded with Malcolm Lamphere. Then when we got to the Spring season, we finished fifth in the Women’s Dinghy, first in Team Racing, and third in the Coed Dinghy.

So those points proved to be significant, but winning this trophy is a complete team effort. We had something like 12 or 13 different sailors in all of those championships, plus many more training against them during our practices. So this honor really is for everyone on our team.

Preparing for the various nationals must be a challenge.
Definitely. The Fall season is the hardest as we continue to train and compete in the Dinghy events while also preparing for the Singlehanded and Match Racing Nationals. Trying to fit all that practice into one small season is really difficult. Thankfully, we have some great alumni that can help. We brought in Dave Perry to help with Match Racing, and while it didn’t come to fruition at the end, that kind of assistance is huge.

What is the impact of this accomplishment?
The Fowle is probably the least known trophy outside of college sailing. When new recruits are looking at colleges, I don’t think they are too familiar with it, but they certainly are looking at schools that do well at the Women’s. Team Racing, and Coeds. Our accomplishments there are a more notable recruiting tool.

However, the school administrators and alumni get it. When we explain what it takes to win the Fowle Trophy, they are pretty stunned and excited that the university has the best overall college sailing team. They think it’s great, and the alumni love it as well. The alumni think it’s the best thing.