The Ohio University Sailing Team provides an opportunity for Bobcats to set sail.
Most wouldn’t say Athens is their No. 1 sailing destination, but for 95 members of the Ohio University Sailing Team, there’s no other place they would rather be.
“Who would expect to go to Athens and learn to sail and make all your best friends while doing it?” Andrew Atkins, a freshman studying communication and journalism, said. “I sailed at home all summer, and then I grew up with several of the sailing members on this team.”
Some students do not know about the opportunities that the OU Sailing Team has to offer.
“Recently, we have just come back about five years ago. Five years ago we lost a lot of boats and things because previous members had been using the team’s funds for their personal sailing,” Rob Berry, treasurer of the sailing team and a senior studying international business, said. “So we haven’t had the resources until now.”
Despite the setbacks the team has faced, membership has gradually increased over the years.
“We had a lot of interest this year,” Alyssa Das, a senior studying strategic communication, said. “It’s grown every year since I have been here.”
There is also more than one way to get involved with the club. Before getting started on sailing, members of the team can belong to the group socially, then be trained on how to sail and eventually how to race in regattas.
“If you are a social member, you don’t go to the big races or anything, but you can still learn,” RJ Sanders, a freshman studying graphic design, said. “We just go to group meetings and get the information that we need like big events, what we can come to — basically we just socialize, meet new people and have fun. I can join the racing team anytime I want to. I just have to pay the dues.”
To participate socially, it costs $40 per semester. For racing members, the fee is $100 per semester.
“It is a pretty good price especially for learning how to race and sail,” Atkins, one of the 30 racing members, said.
The team stores two boats at Lake Snowden during season, and then during offseason they are stored at The Ridges, Das said. The group practices semiweekly at Lake Snowden in Albany for racing members.
No previous experience is needed to join the team.
“Anyone can join whenever they want,” Das, the president of the team, said. “You just show up and that’s it. I had never been on a sailboat before, and I went and now I am the president.”
So far this year, the OU Sailing Team has competed at two regattas, one at Oxford and another at Columbus.
“I honestly made all of my best friends through the sailing team,” Das said. “I get to hang out with my friends every single day. It’s perfect.”
The fondness Das holds for the sailing team has even rubbed off on some of the newest members.
“My favorite part is being able to spread the love of the sport to people that never expect to do it in such a random place,” Atkins said.
