To the rise of State Sailing

If you’re old enough, you remember when California schools were competitive in College Sailing, and Stanford wasn’t one of them. Today, top youth sailors follow the money, leaving the Pacific Coast club teams as an afterthought. But San Diego State University believes that’s not the end of the story.

Located in sailing mecca, with National Sailing Hall of Famers Dennis Conner, Carl Eichenlaub, and Mark Reynolds among the alumni, Head Coach Casey Gignac is inspired by the futher:

Twelve months ago, SDSU Sailing was ranked 94th in the nation, but we finished the season 37th, the highest year-end ranking in program history, and knocking on the door of College Sailing’s “big dance.”

This wasn’t luck. It was by design.

This historic season didn’t come easily. It took late nights, honest conversations, and planning no one will ever see.

Last summer, Team President Beverly Schimmel and I knew that mindset alone wouldn’t get us there. We both read Legacy and threw out the old playbook. We rebuilt the program from the ground up. We created a culture where competitiveness and support could thrive together.

We built a shared-values and purpose-driven culture that could allow competitiveness to flourish while still building a family that can support outside of sailing. Culture enables winning. Not the other way around.

The results spoke loud and clear.

On the water, we made history with two Aztecs earning All-Conference honors, a first for SDSU Sailing. That didn’t just happen. They earned it through consistency, competitiveness, and buying into the culture we built together.

Off the water, Beverly Schimmel’s leadership set the tone every day. That’s why her peers across the Pacific Coast Conference voted her the Bob M. Allan Award winner, recognizing her as the top student leader in our conference.

These weren’t just awards. They were validation. Validation that this program has changed. Validation that showing up every day, holding each other accountable, and doing things the right way leads to winning, both on and off the water.

One year in, this team is no longer chasing. We are here. Next year, we don’t plan to watch Nationals from the outside. Next year, we dance.

To the rise of State Sailing.

2024-25 Season

Fall National Championships:
November 9-10: Women’s and Open Singlehanded Nationals – St Petersburg, FL
November 15-17: Match Race Nationals – Oyster Bay, NY

Spring National Championships:
April 24-26: Open Team Race Nationals – Cranston, RI
April 27-28: Women’s Team Race Nationals – Cranston, RI
May 20-23: Women’s Dinghy Nationals – St Marys City, MD
May 27-30: Open Dinghy Nationals – St Marys City, MD