#072 Ask G 04: Is Off-Shore Sailing a year round sport? And where do they sail to?

Ready to navigate the thrilling world of Naval Academy sailing? Join us as we unravel the opportunities and adventures that await those who become part of this elite team. Listener Nick Veldhouse from Boise, Idaho has questions about his daughter's new commitment to the Naval Academy's offshore sailing team, and we’ve got the answers. This episode covers everything from the team’s year-round schedule and prestigious East Coast regattas to their exhilarating international voyages, including an intriguing trip to Bermuda. Plus, if you're keen on firsthand insights, episode 55 with former skipper Andrew Shea comes highly recommended.

As we continue season two of the Academy Insider Podcast, our mission remains to support midshipmen, prospective candidates, and their families. This episode blends practical information with captivating stories from Academy graduates and affiliates. Whether you're a current midshipman, a parent, or just curious about life at the Naval Academy, this episode is your gateway to understanding the unique experiences and rigorous training that shape these young sailors into champions. Tune in and discover why being part of the Naval Academy sailing team is a remarkable journey that extends beyond the horizon.

The mission of Academy Insider is to guide, serve, and support Midshipmen, future Midshipmen, and their families.

Grant Vermeer your host is the person who started it all. He is the founder of Academy Insider and the host of The Academy Insider podcast and the USNA Property Network Podcast. He was a recruited athlete which brought him to Annapolis where he was a four year member of the varsity basketball team. He was a cyber operations major and commissioned into the Cryptologic Warfare Community. He was stationed at Fort Meade and supported the Subsurface Direct Support mission.

He separated from the Navy in 2023 and now owns The Vermeer Group, a boutique residential real estate company that specializes in serving the United States Naval Academy community PCSing to California & Texas.

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Transcript

Speaker 0: 0:06

Hey Grant, nick Veldhuis from Boise, idaho, my plebe daughter made the offshore sailing team, so my question is twofold One, do you know if this is a year round sport? And two, where exactly do they sail to? Thank you very much. This episode is a part of the Ask G series here on the Academy Insider Podcast, where we're answering your Naval Academy questions as efficiently and concisely as possible. If you like this format and you want to ask a question of your own, you can head to our website, wwwacademyinsidercom, navigate to the top of the page and click on the Ask G tab and it'll direct you to where you can submit your question. To receive the latest information from me and the Academy Insider team, please be sure to subscribe to our newsletter at wwwacademyinsidercom. Backslash newsletter.

Speaker 0: 0:55

Nick, my guy, thank you so much for your question and to answer your question right off the bat, yes, it is a full-time, the entire year sport that they do at the Naval Academy. And then two, they're sailing up and down the East Coast. They're sailing internationally. They go to Bermuda. They do some cool extended trips, especially during the summer. Being on the sailing team at the Naval Academy is awesome and if you want a full, in-depth deep dive. I highly encourage you go check out episode number 55 of the Academy Insider Podcast where I have Andrew Shea on, who used to be a skipper of one of the boats on the offshore sailing team, and it's just so cool, like it really is so cool, and they kind of expand upon being a year-round sport. You know they sail all through the fall semester at the Naval Academy. They're competing in multiple regattas, multiple races and just things practicing every single day getting out on the water. It's incredible. There is a short period during this, you know, peak dark ages, peak cold time at the Naval Academy, that January to late February, early March timeframe where the boats are out of the water but they're still continuing with their training and education at the sailing center. So the sport does continue. And then in late spring and into the summer they continue getting out on the water and racing. So it is a year long sport and it is a sport.

Speaker 0: 2:03

It's a varsity athletic at the Naval Academy and on top of that the Navy sailing team is an NCAA juggernaut Like they're extremely good at what they do. They're constantly winning NCAA championships, like it's a big time program to be a part of. And then you couple that, with the fact that you're able to get out on the water every single day, you're sailing up and down the East Coast, you're getting these awesome summer training opportunities, being a part of the sailing team at the Naval Academy. It's incredible, it's a really cool opportunity, and so, again, for anyone who's interested, I encourage you to check out episode number 55, where you can get that real in-depth insight into the sailing program at the Naval Academy, but at a high level. It's exactly that. It's a varsity athletic. It's a year-round sport. They're sailing up and down the East Coast, competing in regattas all of the time, getting a chance for international sailing during the summertime. It's a really cool opportunity that exists in Annapolis.

Speaker 0: 2:48

So, for anyone who may be interested, again, I highly encourage you to check that podcast episode to learn more. But I hope that answers your question here in a short, short timeframe about. You know the sailing program being a year long sport and where they go. So I hope you really enjoyed it. Thank you so much and for anyone else, whoever has a question, please, please, please reach out. I'd love to be a resource for you. Thank you, welcome to season two of the Academy Insider podcast. Academy Insider is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that serves midshipmen, future midshipmen and their families. At its core, this podcast is designed to bring together a community of Naval Academy graduates and those affiliated with the United States Naval Academy in order to tell stories and provide a little bit of insight into what life at the Naval Academy is really like. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much for listening and reach out if you ever have any questions.