College Sailing Team Spotlight
Location/Enrollment: Charleston, S.C., 10,000 undergraduates, 1,500 graduates
Sailing Site: Charleston Harbor
**Facilities/Boats: **Since 1999, the J. Stewart Walker Jr. Sailing Complex—located in Mt. Pleasant—has served as home base. The facility’s floating docks, the Cato Docks, accommodate a fleet of 18 420s, 8 Lasers, 6 FJs, and 10 J/22s.
Coaching: Greg Fisher, director of sailing; Ward Cromwell, head coach; Nick Ewenson, assistant coach; Colin Bentley, assistant coach/dockmaster (Ed. note: Ewenson is now the head coach at the University of Rhode Island)
**Team Status: **Varsity
Last fall, Greg Fisher left his post at North Sails to sign on as the College of Charleston’s director of sailing. Assistant coach Nick Ewenson has the utmost respect for the new head honcho. “He’s a legend in the sport, but also a great guy and leader,” says Ewenson. “He’s totally modest and super positive. He’s doing a lot to grow sailing in the community of Charleston and will help put the city more on the ‘sailing hot-spot map’ in years to come.”
Charleston has been a strong force in college sailing for decades, producing more than 60 All-Americans, three College Sailors of the Year, a Quantum Female Sailor of the Year, and a Sportsman of the Year. With a formidable coaching staff and an excellent facility, the Cougars always finds themselves in the hunt.
**Did you know: **
Several Cougars are on the Olympic path. Juan Maegli sailed at Charleston for two years after representing Guatemala in the 2008 Olympics, and he’s currently taking time off to practice in the Laser in preparation for the 2012 Games. Sophomore Deborah Ong also competed in Qingdao, representing Singapore in the 470 class. She remains on the team and is focusing on school and college sailing. Freshman Carly Shevitz trains with the U.S. Sailing Team Development Team as a 470 crew, but she spends most of her time skippering for her school.
For more information, visit the Charleston sailing team’s website, and find all of our College Sailing Team Spotlights here.
