WARRIOR SAILING PROGRAM TAKES ON J/22 WORLDS
North Sails partners with Warrior Sailing Program Competitive Team for the J/22 Worlds in Kingston, Ontario
Since 2013 the Warrior Sailing Program has introduced 165 wounded veterans and active military athletes to the sport of sailing. Continuing to surpass all of the original expectations, the program is expanding to provide it’s training camp graduates with opportunities beyond just ‘learning how to sail’. An option for graduates is to earn a spot on the competitive race team. Other options include sailing certifications, big boat racing, small boat racing, and regional sailing.
This year the Warrior Sailing team made a decision to compete in the J/22 world championship in Kingston, Ontario. With the tremendous support of the USMMA Sailing Foundation and partnerships with companies like North Sails, we are ready to take on the WORLD.
Competing in the event on the WS team is Scott Ford (Navy), Sammy Lugo (Army) and team head coach Ed Norton (sailor not actor!). Additional team members, David Caras (Coast Guard) and Josh Agripino (Marine), made the trip up to learn from this experience on a spectator boat.
A new suite of J22 sails will help enhance boatspeed. Program director Ben Poucher says, “Without the support of North Sails, our team was going to start out at a disadvantage on the World stage. The J/22 sails North provided on short notice has helped our team generate positive results and pushed our team to be more competitive during each race. Thank you North One Design!”
The Warrior Sailing competitive team is looking to continue in the J22 class and also expand its horizons to provide more spots on the competitive team in the near future. We are always seeking ‘ready to race’ boat donations and monetary support to offset event costs. The support of the donation allows us to use the boat for our team for 3 years, and then sell the boat to help fund new and promising initiatives.
