Revitalized sailing team earns a bid to ACCs

Coach Zack Leonard, PC '89, is just one of the new assets that has helped revive the fortunes of Yale's club sailing team since last fall. This time last year, the Bulldogs had failed to qualify for the Atlantic Coast Championships (ACC), but next weekend they will go as one of six teams to represent New England at the competition.

The club's turnaround had already begun by last spring, when it secured a bid to the national championships. Most recently, the team has collected a series of near-victories at major regattas, including its second-place finish at the Rhode Island State Championships at Brown the weekend of Sat., Oct. 27.

"We've made leaps and bounds since last year," Leslie Kuo, JE '03, said, in part because of the experience Leonard—who used to coach Olympic sailors—has brought to the team. As a Yale graduate, "He seems to be a good fit for our team, understands how we think," Kuo said. "He's racing-oriented and gives good advice."

Leonard's takeover coincided with the arrival of several key sailors, including Stu McNay, JE '04. These newcomers bolstered an already strong Class of '03, who nearly doubled the size of the team when they arrived as freshmen.

Now, as robust numbers allow for more competitve practices, the team is only getting better. "We're still a young team, but we have more potential for improvement than a lot of the teams we're competing against—that's what really excites me," Leonard said. He called Brown a "breakout weekend" and said he hopes to keep on pace at ACCs, where Harvard, now ranked No. 1, will be among the most formidable competition.

—Kate Moran

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