By Ralph Naranjo

A midshipman from the US Naval Academy once wrote that, “only memories remain of slanting decks and wind-filled sails…a crashing bow and a white lee rail.”   These were the words of CCA member Rear Admiral Bob McNitt, USN ret., and are from an article he wrote for Proceedings in 1938 summing up the experiences of a USNA crew aboard the 72 foot wishbone rigged ketch Vamarie—the Naval Academy’s first entry into the Newport to Bermuda Race.  Bob would take his dinghy sailing and offshore racing experience with him into the fleet and emerge a highly decorated veteran of WWII, and the Naval Academy would develop a tradition of competing in offshore yacht racing, with the biannual CCA Bermuda Race taking preeminence.
 

Captain John Bonds, USN ret., a past Director of Naval Academy Sailing once said that, “ocean racing is like war without the bullets,” and the preparation, logistics and tactical training that midshipmen go through is a real world training experience rather than a training simulation.  Today, the USNA Varsity Offshore Sailing Team under the guidance of head coach Jahn Tihansky and his able staff and experienced volunteers, prepare for offshore racers with both on and off the water training.  Weather and Gulf Stream conditions are scrutinized, and oceanographic research data plays into the tactical preparation, all a part of the midshipmen’s pre-race routine.

Over the years, the Naval Academy has had its fair share of class winners, and even one Lighthouse Trophy recipient.  However, the big win is for every crew member who gets to compete in the race and experience the challenges posed by the sea and the way crew skill and shipboard dynamics can influence the outcome.  These are lessons learned that have career carryover value, and as Ensign Bob McNitt wrote in 1938, “these memories will never be forgotten, but clearest and most pleasant of all is that of the warm and generous welcoming of naval men into the yachting fraternity.”