Portage Lake not only adds to the scenic beauty around Michigan Technological University, but also gives rise to a lot of water sports and the clubs associated with them. This week, we’ll take a look at the Sailing Club through the eyes- well, more like through the mind- of the MTU Sailing Club President, Jacob Henley.
Sid: Hello Jacob! How’re you sailing? Tell me something about the Sailing Club..
Jacob: Hello! Well, the Sailing Club started in 2003, a long time back. It’s a club sport. We practice by the docks and have six boats. Practice takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 pm and we have cruising day on Friday from 4 pm to sunset. The club travels to various regattas all over the Midwest just about every weekend.
Sid: Awesome! How many people do you have in the club?
Jacob: We have about 35 people in the club.
Sid: That’s quite a few. When did you start sailing and what motivated you to start?
Jacob: I started sailing at the age of 15 when my mom put me in a sailing school at Harbor Springs and I just fell in love with it. Now I work for a sailing company on the east coast.
Sid: That experience must definitely be of great value to the sailing team at MTU. I’m assuming you started in freshman year.
Jacob: Yeah I’ve been involved since the freshman year. I’m in my senior year now. I sought out the sailing club when I got here. But for 90 percent of the people joining the club, sailing is something that is totally new and we’re happy to teach them everything right from the beginning.
Sid: All I know about sailing is you put up the sails and maneuver the boat and I’m sure that’s not all there is to it. Let’s hear some details from you.
Jacob: For sailing you need at least a little bit of wind. We measure wind in knots. One knot is 1.1 miles per hour and the minimum wind speed necessary is about five knots, which isn’t asking for a lot. The boats are usually two man boats with two sails and it’s a superb experience of enjoying the peace and quiet while being totally propelled by the wind.
Sid: Are the race routes decided as per the wind direction?
Jacob: For all the collegiate races, we sail upwind to a point, go round it then sail downwind towards the other point. The sails are shaped like an airplane wing which helps create lift while sailing upwind. The upwind trajectory is always zigzag and the angle is about 45 degrees. The downwind travel is always in a straight line as the wind just pushes you. There’s a lot of physics involved in it.
Sid: Do you need to be physically fit to pursue the sport? Do you guys have an exercise routine of sorts?
Jacob: We don’t have anything of that sort. But it’s a physically demanding sport, especially for the upper body. Being fit doesn’t hurt at all! One of the things that makes me like sailing is that it’s three in one sport. It is physically demanding, it needs you to be aware of your surroundings and at the same time, you’re playing a chess match on the water against your opponents. It’s kind of like boxing as there’s a physical as well mental component involved. The unique thing about sailing is that unlike other sports, you don’t get bad at it as you age.
Sid: I expect to see a picture of you on a boat 30 years from now! How are the sailing competitions like?
Jacob: We got to approximately ten regattas every fall which are held by the Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association (MCSA). We leave on Friday, sail on the weekend and are back Monday morning. Most the competitions have two-man boats. We take a minimum of four people as we take participate in two different divisions. There are a couple of competitions that take more than two-man boats though.
Sid: For all the MTU students who don’t know about the sailing club, what message would you give them and how can they join the club?
Jacob: I’d say it is a great adventure and a really great way to get out on the water, have fun and meet some new people. We’re at the docks Tuesdays and Thursdays so anyone can come and meet us there. Besides that, they can email me at jshenley@mtu.edu.
Sid: It was a pleasure talking to you Jacob. I wish you all the best for the competitions ahead!
Jacob: Thank you very much!
The Sailing Club had been to Holland, Michigan for the competition hosted by Hope College on the weekend of Oct. 1 and they finished third amongst 12 teams, which is quite a feat. If this is something you’d like to experience, make sure you guys get in touch with Jacob and set sail!
