Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation Fundraiser

Annapolis, MD March 2023

I have called the Annapolis Yacht Club home since 2010; I started as a competitive Opti sailor who liked to mess around, and I transitioned into the C420 where I kept my lighthearted personality and let my natural talent keep improving my results. In my last summer as a junior sailor, I committed 10 hours a week to the 49er amid a part time job, full time school, and a pandemic. During this time, I shed some of that lightheartedness and tried to create more than what my natural talent would on its own.

 The Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation began to step into my career in a big way when my junior sailing came to a close. In 2020, when I began sailing the 49er, the foundation helped me compete in my first event where James Golden, fellow AYCF grant recipient, and I finished in 3rd. I started to realize where my sailing career could take me if I decided to combine my talent with real dedication. This event, and several glimpses of success in college sailing, motivated me to finish on a high note in my last two years of college. With all competition canceled for three semesters due to the pandemic, I never saw what my capacity would be in sailing. 

Since 2020, the foundation has helped support my sailing in two major 49er events - the 2022 World Championship in Halifax, Canada, and the 2023 Princesa Sofia Trophy in Spain. I am very proud to represent my home club across the globe in one of the world’s most competitive sailboat fleets, and I can say confidently I am exploring what my capacity is in sailing just as I always hoped to.

I reconnected with the foundation in March of 2022 when we hosted a two week training camp out of the West River Sailing Club which included five 49ers. As it happens, we were training just off the front porch of Kathy Park’s house, who serves as Vice President of the AYC Foundation. With a few connections, and some extra friendly motivation from Kathy, the foundation organized the largest fundraiser to date. The best part - I got to sit on a three person panel as a highlight of the evening with two of my longest standing sailing partners, Leo Boucher and James Golden. Leo and I spent countless hours in the car driving to Opti regattas together, and James and I have spent the better part of the last 5 years messing around in boats whenever I’m home.

This was the first fundraiser the Annapolis Yacht Club foundation has put together. In one night, we hosted 1 America's Cup Helmsman, two America’s Cup winners, two Olympic medalists, and three aspiring Olympians including myself. The event opened up with a presentation for AYC’s junior sailors, and moved into a similar show for the remainder of the club members. After a presentation from Olympan Paul Cayard, the event moved into a panel hosted by Gary Jobson with myself, James, and Leo. We talked about a wide range of subjects, including our aspirations going forward, and our greatest successes. We even spent a few minutes discussing the challenges of financing a campaign like this in the United States. 

The event ended with a VIP dinner and a successful raffle. Surrounded by close friends, family, and an enthusiastic club ready to support us on our journey to Olympic Gold, we warmly raised over $100,000 on the night for the foundation.

We look forward to continuing a strong relationship with the AYC Foundation. They have pledged to support our campaign each year we give it our best effort. With that in mind we have entered our month-long training block in Palma with the support of the entire Annapolis community behind us. Go AYC, and go Team USA.