The sport of sailing is actually a popular sport in the US, but unless you sail, you may not realize just how big it is. Many families and individuals sail, and there are over 200 colleges who have sailing teams in the US. Families who sail together say that it strengthens their family by giving them a common goal to work towards together, and individuals say that there is nothing like the sense of calmness and peacefulness that sailing can provide.
There are racing championships in the sport of sailing for adults and children alike. Sailing must take place by the ocean, of course, so it is very big on both the East coast and West coast of the US. Cape Cod and areas along the Atlantic Ocean are spots where many sailboats can be seen. Although some people sail just for fun, there are many who sail for sport in competitions. There are high school sailing teams as well as college sailing teams on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Some of the colleges who have top sailing teams are on the Atlantic coast, and they have been sailing since the 1890’s. Each weekend of the spring and fall, it is possible to watch these races or to take part in them if you are a student at one of the colleges and have become a member of the sailing team. Sailing takes team work much of the time to control the sails. The changing and quick actions of the sport are what makes it so much fun and so challenging. Even though the wind cannot be controlled, what the sailors do with the sails can affect the speed of the boat.
Some of the college sailing leagues that have top teams are from Ivy League or well-known colleges, such as Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, Navy, Old Dominium, South Florida, and others.
