FTV 1/30/2012 Sailing Team Headed to LA

After a great season the MMA sailing team has been invited to compete in the Los Angeles Harbor Club Regatta. On March 9-11 they will raise their sails against Cal Maritime, the Coast Guard Academy, the US Naval Academy, and the University of Michigan Sailing Team. The team is particularly proud of their performance when they competed against the Naval Academy, where they placed third in two of their events. Another accomplishment was taking 1st place in the Hyannis to Nantucket, Figawe race in Spring, 2011.

This year's team brought pride to the long tradition of sailing at MMA. The MMA offshore team sails from the prestigious Beverly Yacht Club out of Marion Mass on 37 foot sailboats with a crew of seven. The seniors went out with a good record for their last year, and maybe the last time they will compete as sailors of these beautiful off shore boats. The team is coached by Head Coach-Chuck Fontaine who is the Director of Boat Donations at MMA, he is assisted by Twice Tougas, who will accompany the team to California.

This year's team consisted of First Class Jeffrey Gawrys who is a Marine Engineering Major; he will remember his senior year sailing season as his best. Jeffrey was been sailing for over 15 years, and comes from Marblehead, Mass. Another senior, Graham Philpot of Laconia NH, is majoring in marine transportation, he has been sailing his since he can remember. He chose Mass Maritime because of the unique training offered by the Academy. Eric Pattison, a 1st class Marine Transportation cadet began sailing, 4 years ago as a freshman at MMA. He chose to attend MMA because he loves boating, and wants to work on water. He is from Woodbury CT, and attributes part of his success as a cadet to the structured instruction he received at the Academy.

Underclassmen team member include, Sean McLaughlin 4th class who has been sailing his whole life, comes from Fairhaven, MA. He chose MMA because of their marine engineering major, and the fact they had a great sailing program. Andrew Gregoire 3rd class Marine Transportation Major from North Carolina chose Mass Maritime in preparation for his life and work the on sea 4th class Marine Transportation Travis Thonus is from East Dennis. He chose Mass Maritime for its excellent reputation, location, and their sailing team.

 Third class Cadet Tim Dexter hails from Vermont where he has been sailing his whole life. Not pictured here is Mike Reney 2nd class marine engineer major, from Duxbury, as a 2nd class cadet he is spending his sea term as an intern on commercial ship. We wish the best to our Sailing team as they head to Los Angeles this March. We will all be cheering them on here at MMA.

Keeping your boat a float is based on a physics concept called bouyancy