Lessons Learned on the Future of Sailing

In UK Sailmakers’ Lessons Learned podcast series, host Buttons Padin chats with Matt Gallagher, Rear Commodore of the Storm Trysail Club and chairman of the Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta (IOR) series, about the IOR’s role in developing future offshore keelboat sailors.

STC is made up of approximately 1,100 offshore sailing enthusiasts, and one of the Club’s missions is to help young sailors transition from dinghies to offshore keelboats.

To accomplish this, for the past 25 years STC and Larchmont Yacht Club have co-hosted the Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta on Long Island Sound over Columbus Day Weekend. The 2026 edition on October 10-11 had teams from 45 colleges and universities.

The Great Lakes IOR has been sailed since 2015, co-hosted by Chicago Yacht Club and Columbia Yacht Club, with 18 teams on September 26-27, 2026. New this year is the Pacific Northwest IOR at Seattle Corinthian Yacht Club on November 14-15.

Matt traces how the series started on Western Long Island Sound and how it has grown, and explains how the Storm Trysail Club and the independent Storm Trysail Foundation fund the IOR so students sail at no cost, made possible by generous boat owners and onboard owner’s reps focused on safety.

He also gets into demand outpacing available boats, a new team selection process, the Callisto Cup series trophy, growing female participation, and plans to expand into more regions.