2025 Community Sailing Award Winners

US Sailing revealed the winners of the 2025 Community Sailing Awards which are annually presented to honor exceptional individuals and organizations for their leadership, innovation, and dedication to fostering community sailing programs and expanding public access to the sport.

Award recipients spanned from the east coast all the way west to Minnesota, with four in the eastern time zone and four in the central time zone. Here’s the US Sailing announcement:

Creative Innovations in Programming Award:
Sam Gervais & Lowcountry Maritime School in South Carolina for implementing a unique remote-controlled sailboat program that uses DF95s to connect STEM and sailing.

Outstanding Program Director:
Emily Augello of the East Bay Sailing Foundation in Bristol, Rhode Island for demonstrating and leading a commitment to sailing education while building a community based on access and inclusion.

Outstanding Community Sailing Program:
St. Augustine Yacht Club in Florida for providing accessible, inclusive, and high-quality sailing opportunities that have made a meaningful difference in their community as they continue to grow both their footprint and their program offerings to move youth and adults through the sport of sailing.

Outstanding Organizational Leader:
Jane Millman for exceptional leadership and guidance that has strengthened each organization she works with and inspires her community at Brendan Sailing. She has been and continues to be a true champion for mentorship and inclusivity in sailing.

Jim Kilroy Outstanding Outreach & Inclusion Award:
The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation in Illinois for creating comprehensive development opportunities for youth in Chicago through the sport of sailing and for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of their programs.

10 Years of Hallmark Service:
Community Sailing New Orleans in Louisiana for its sustained excellence, visionary leadership, and longtime commitment to making sailing a sport accessible to its community.

Volunteer of the Year:
Kristin Pratt of the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center in Wisconsin for her selfless dedication and countless of hours of instruction at MCSC, and for her inspirational impact on women in the wider Milwaukee sailing community.

Martin A. Luray Award (“The Marty”):
The Martin A. Luray Award, “The Marty”, is Community Sailing’s highest honor. Named after Marin A. Luray, a SAIL Magazine editor who was a staunch advocate and courageous promotor of community sailing, the Marty is presented to a recipient who has made outstanding and unselfish contributions to advance community sailing on a local and national level.

This year’s recipient of the Marty is Matthew Thompson of Wayzata Sailing in Minnesota for his enduring impact on his sailors, staff, and organization as well as a growing nationwide network of community sailing centers.

As Chair of the Community Sailing Committee, Matt embodies the spirit of dedication and service that this prestigious award represents through his words, actions, and contributions to the sport of sailing. Matt’s contributions to the sport of sailing are numerous and uniquely varied – under his leadership, Wayzata Sailing has produced national champions while also growing scholarship programs and creative programming to introduce new communities to sailing.

The Community Sailing Committee has welcomed new projects, initiatives, and membership and has become a group that attracts inspired individuals from all walks of community sailing. US Sailing celebrates Matt’s commitment to excellence in Community Sailing and looks forward to watching him grow the sport for years to come!