SAILING AT UCLA CELEBRATES
ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY
By John Nelson, UCLA Class of 1976, Volunteer Sailing Instructor

We all know that UCLA offers a variety of recreation resources on campus, but there are several off-campus resources as well. One of these is the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center in Marina Del Rey, fondly known by those students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the community who enjoy it as “the MAC.” For almost forty years, Bruins have sailed, surfed, kayaked, windsurfed, rowed, or just relaxed by the water at the MAC and this year one of the most popular activities, sailing, celebrates its 60th birthday.

Sailing is often mistakenly stereotyped as a sport only for the rich, but that attitude quickly changes when you try sailing at the UCLA MAC. Dinghy sailing requires strength, agility, and quick thinking as you sail a Catalina Capri, Vanguard 15 or Hobie “Cat” on the waters of Marina Del Rey and Santa Monica Bay. Those who believe in “no crew, no excuses” can challenge themselves on the Olympic-class single-handed Laser dinghy. Most of all, sailing is fun. And living in sunny southern California means that sailing, as with all activities at the MAC, can be a year-round passion.

But dinghy sailing is not only for the young and agile, as many older sailors will attest. Nor is it just for students, staff, and alumni, because, like all great universities, UCLA serves the community. At the MAC, undergraduates living on campus or off enjoy the opportunity to interact on the water and in the classroom with people from around the world, whether they are a famous surgeon at UCLA, a professor at the Anderson School of Business, or graduate students from around the world. Sailing next to you might be a noted character actor from Hollywood, a digital-arts professional who works at a major studio, or an investment banker. And, if the bug bites hard, as it so often does, you may decide to challenge yourself on larger sailboats, manning the foredeck, handling main-sail trim, or even taking the helm.

For many, sailing and racing go hand-in-hand and UCLA has a rich heritage in these competitions. The UCLA Sailing Team, despite being a club sport, has won numerous trophies, including first place at the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Dinghy Sailing Championship in 1978 and third place in 1954, competing against powerful and well-funded college sailing programs from around the country. UCLA Sailing’s alumni include inductees in the ICSA’s Sailing Hall of Fame, renowned sailing coaches, crewmembers of TRANSPAC and America’s Cup yachts, as well as respected leaders of local and national sailing associations. Several UCLA sailors have been named ICSA All-Americans. In fact, even before sailing was officially organized, UCLA sailors competed in the 1932 Olympic Games and helped win the Gold Medal in the 8-meter class.

The sailing program has, over the years, also provided opportunities for staff, students, alumni, and members of the community who might otherwise never experience the joys of sailing. Summer programs for youth groups, including “at-risk youth,” have also been very successful. When it comes to cost, learning to sail and renting sailboats at the MAC is far less expensive than anywhere else in southern California.

For many, the sailing experience is life-changing. As noted author James L. Nelson put it: “For three years of college I was focused like a laser on my goal of a career in the film industry, laboring away at Melnitz Hall in the UCLA film and television program. Then one day, I was walking across campus and I came across a sailboat, right there on the lawn. The UCLA sailing club had set up one of their Flying Juniors as a promotional display… I stopped and stared at the boat, stunned. It was like that moment in the movies when the skies open and the beam of sunlight falls on the protagonist. … I took one of the flyers and decided that I was definitely going to take sailing lessons and qualify to take out the UCLA boats. Those sailing lessons really awoke a sleeping giant in my soul.” Mr. Nelson went on to sail aboard a variety of sailing vessels, traveling around the world, and is now a well-known and widely read author of maritime fiction and non-fiction.

Challenge yourself and awaken that sleeping giant inside you by joining in the celebration of “Sixty Years of Sailing at UCLA.” It might just change your life.