The 2018-19 College Sailing Singlehanded National Championships will be hosted by the Hope College Sailing Club, the Grand Valley State University Sailing Club, and the Macatawa Bay Junior Sailing Association on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 3-4, at Macatawa Bay Yacht Club.
It is the third time that the regatta has been held in the Midwest.
“Eighteen men and 18 women collegiate sailors qualified in regional regattas across the country to compete in this national regatta,” said Abby Reeg, who is adviser of the Hope College Sailing Club and is a member of the event’s Organizing Committee. “The sailors will compete in Laser sailboats, which are a popular brand of one-design sailing dinghy. We have several dozen volunteers helping us with everything from boat set-up to registration. The weather this time of year is typically cold and we are especially grateful for our volunteers on the water who are donating their boats and expertise to make this a top-notch event.”
Laser Performance is the primary event sponsor, providing more than 30 laser sailboats for the event. Additionally, Marlow Ropes and several individuals provide supporting sponsorship for the event.
Matt Bounds will act as the Principal Race Officer (PRO), with an extensive resume and certification as a U.S. Sailing National Race Officer. Bounds is the founder and principal of Wolverine One-Design Management, a one-design association and yacht race management firm based in Commerce Township. Mike Kaspar will act as Chief Judge, also with an extensive resume and U.S. Sailing National Judge and U.S. Sailing National Umpire certifications. Kaspar is Director, Global Command Center at CME Group and has been a U.S. Sailing Judge since 2009.
The Organizing Committee consists of Antoinette Martin (GVSU commodore), Nick Hovland (director, Macatawa Bay Junior Association), Libby Reeg (social operations chair and 2017 Hope College graduate), Nick Zomer (race operations chair and 2017 GVSU graduate), and Abby Reeg (secretary/development chair and Hope College Sailing Club adviser).
Hope College and Grand Valley State University are members of the Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association (MCSA). The purpose of the MCSA is to educate and instruct college students in the useful arts of sailing, seamanship, and safety and to regulate the sport of sailboat racing in all its phases among universities and colleges of the Midwest Conference of the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association of North America and to promote and develop the high ideals of sailboat racing and the sport of sailing among their student bodies useful in the development of sectional, intersectional, international, Pan-American, and Olympic competition. The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) is a volunteer organization that serves as the governing authority for all sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada.