Welcome to American Sailor

US Sailing has launched American Sailor, a new podcast that delivers a monthly pulse of the sailing world with news, stories, and conversations that connect and inspire sailors across the country.

With interviews from across the sailing community — from elite competitors to passionate grassroots sailors — US Sailing seeks to celebrate the sport’s legacy, explore its evolving future, and spotlight the people who make American sailing exceptional.

In Episode 1, hosts John Pearce, Lexi Pline, and Whitney Kent dive into College Nationals and Women’s Match Racing and the origin of where the name, “American Sailor” comes from. Also, DJ Khaled’s SailGP appearance and a sit down with US Sailing’s new CEO, Charlie Enright and SVP of Development, Blaine Pedlow.

About the hosts:
John Pearce is US Sailing’s Youth Racing Director, focused on regattas, clinics, and the new US Sailing Youth National Team. Originally from Ithaca, NY, he grew up sailing on the Finger Lakes and attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS), where he was an All-American. After finishing 5th in the 2008 Olympic Trials, he went on to coach at HWS, Stanford, Dartmouth, and George Washington University. He joined the US Sailing staff in 2016.

Lexi Pline is a photographer and sailor from Annapolis, MD who started her sailing journey is Snipes. She was an Honorable Mention All American crew at Boston University, and now mostly sails Snipes and match races. She is the Media & Communications Coordinator at US Sailing where she manages the association’s outward facing communications and content creation.

Whitney Kent is the Youth Programs Associate at US Sailing. She supports Community Sailing Accreditation and Resources, Instructor Recertifications, Reach (US Sailing’s STEM Program), and other youth program initiatives and resources. Whitney enjoys sailing with her family on the Great Lakes, primarily racing dinghies and keelboats on Lake Michigan. After college at the University of Wisconsin, she was Program Director at the Sheboygan Youth Sailing Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin for nearly 10 years before moving to Annapolis, Maryland in 2024.