Published: October 16, 2008

Sarah McKay, FCLC ’12, is doing something few students at the Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) campus have ever attempted to do. As a member of the sailing team, based out of the Rose Hill campus, McKay is the only FCLC student currently participating in a Rose Hill club sport.

Fordham is a member of the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA), which includes schools from upstate New York and Canada, down the east coast to Virginia. On the weekends, the team may participate in as many as four or five regattas at various sites along the east coast.  Teams of four to five sailors are sent to any given event, allowing the team to divide itself up and participate in these two-day events against other colleges.

“People do not understand that it is a physically demanding sport. You have to be in good shape, know what direction the wind is coming from and work with your partner in order to be fast and more efficient,” McKay said.

McKay is originally from the small town of Darien, Conn. Because of the town’s proximity to Long Island Sound, sailing is a popular sport there. She started sailing at the age of 12 and raced competitively at Darien High School.  Earlier this year, McKay decided to become a member of the Fordham sailing team after contacting coach Joe Sullivan and expressing her interest. When it came time to make a decision on where to live and attend class, McKay chose the Lincoln Center campus, although all the club and varsity sports are based at Rose Hill.

“I liked the Lincoln Center campus and its surroundings better than that of Rose Hill. The coach had no problem with me staying here,” McKay said.

Participating in the Rose-Hill-based club has not come without its challenges, explains McKay, as she has had to adjust her life to the demanding schedule.

McKay and the rest of the sailing team practice Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons at the Morris Yacht and Beach Club on City Island, located off the coast of the Bronx.  According to Phil Krug, FCRH ’11, a teammate of McKay’s, Fordham maintains a fleet of ten collegiate 420s, which are 14-foot sailboats used at the site.  The sailors go through different drills and practice racing with an aim at improving boat speed, teamwork, strategy and tactics.

With practice lasting for hours on end these days, McKay had to condense her school schedule in order to fulfill her commitment to the team.

“I had to arrange my schedule to fit all my classes in the morning so there would be no conflict with practice,” said McKay. “Since I live at the Lincoln Center campus, it takes me longer to get to practice than the rest of the team who live at Rose Hill. My coach will pick me up because he lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and take me to practice.”

According to Krug, in addition to  twice-a-week practices, McKay and the other sailors spend much of their weekends away at sailing competitions. Teams leave around 2:30 p.m. on Fridays and may not get back to Rose Hill until late Sunday nights.

Although she is new to the team, McKay has begun to impress her teammates.

“Sarah is a great sailor, and we have been impressed with her tactics and her working relationship with teammates in practice and during races,” Krug said.

Recently, her team has enjoyed success. On Oct. 4-5, in the Queens University Fall Open at Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Sarah’s team finished their regatta in second place out of the eight schools who competed.

While there is a lot of hard work and preparation involved in every race, McKay feels her dedication to Fordham sailing is worth the challenge.

“Sailing is really fun,” said McKay. “It is great to get acquainted with the people at Rose Hill.  It really enhances the college experience.”