IUP Sailing Club members Karl Richter and Joe Cristello represented IUP in the Pinkerton Memorial Regatta on Saturday. The pair traveled to Annapolis where they sailed against the University of Maryland, Salisbury University, and University of Maryland Baltimore.

“It was our first and certainly not our last! Here’s to a long lasting legacy for IUP Sailing” said Richter. And from Cristello’s perspective, “The regatta was an amazing experience with wonderful people at an absolutely beautiful location”

Waking at 6:00AM, the IUP sailors headed to the water to rig and launch the two-person FJ sailboat. They competed in a series of 16 round-the-buoy races, sailing for a total of seven hours. “We had a blast! Next time we’ll bring more sailors. Sailing for seven hours is tiring and the other teams had constant rotations.”

Racing began at 10am with light air but built to 8 knots by noon and peaked at 13 knots around 4pm; perfect conditions for a race.

According to Cristello, “There’s no beginner’s luck in sailing. But we learned so much competing against other sailors and we were able to gradually improve and hone our abilities through the day.” 

“We were a very competitive team for out first time. We only missed 3rd by a few sets,” said Richter.

Another challenge for the new racers–this was the first time Cristello and Richter had sailed FJs. “We learned a lot about FJ sailboats. And we met a neat group of people, students and coaches from the other schools” said Richter. Visiting teams bring their PFDs and personal gear, while the host team provides sailboats for all competitors in intercollegiate regattas. One team-mate takes the tiller, while the crew member tends the jib sheets.

Karl Richter, a Sophomore and Safety Science major is from Bangor, PA. He sailed for many years and works at the waterfront of a summer camp when not studying at IUP. Karl was elected Fleet Captain for 2014-15. Richter notes he’s proud “knowing we were the start of something new for IUP and for the sailing club!”

Joe Cristello, is a Freshman Natural Science/Pre-Pharmacy major from Natrona Heights, PA. He learned to sail with the IUP club beginning this past fall. Joe was elected club president for 2014-15.

The club regularly sails at Yellow Creek State Park, 12 miles west of IUP in Penn Run, PA. The new IUP Sailing Club was founded in 2012, and purchased six JY15 sailboats with the support of the Student Cooperative Association in 2013. Currently, they are collaborating with the park and Friends of Yellow Creek to reopen the historic sailing base.

The club welcomes beginners and experienced sailors. All members of the IUP community may join, including staff, faculty, and alumni. Classroom workshops are provided fall and spring, and free sailing lessons at the lake are provided during the good weather while school is in session. Instructors Richter, Julia Campbell (club educator, Sophomore, Child Studies) and club advisor Kenneth Sherwood (Prof. English) are US Sailing instructors, giving members the opportunity to become certified small-boat sailors. For more information, visit the website at: blog.iup.edu/sailingclub/ or email iupsailingclub@gmail.com