When it comes to sports, many people always go to the big five: basketball, football, soccer, baseball and hockey. Sometimes Olympic sports come to mind, but one sport that goes under the radar for a lot of people is sailing.

NC State has a pretty fair reputation for sports, especially when it comes to the likes of wrestling, cross country and swimming. When it comes to club sports, NC State’s production is no different. As one of the top performers in the SAISA North conference last year, the sailing club racing team has proven that it deserves to be considered of the most successful club sports on campus.

The NC State race team is coming off an amazing semester, as it won its conference last year but unfortunately failed to win conference championships. That won’t stop it, however.

“This semester our goal is to qualify for Nationals and make our presence known in the sailing community,” said team captain Scott Harris, a second-year studying environmental science. 

Sam Marcom, a third-year studying mechanical engineering and member of SailPack, spoke about the culture created within the sailing club.

“Sailing here is a really fun time,” Marcom said. “You meet a lot of new people, but the competition is great enough to keep everyone interested. Sailing at NC State is like being part of a close-knit community that has a competitive focus.”

That competitive focus has led the team to success in recent years.

“We won our conference and are looking to qualify for nationals this semester,” Marcom said. “It’ll be a hard road to get there, but we are prepared to put the work in and are looking to leave our mark. Things are looking up for us, and with a new batch of sailors and a steady stream of recruits, the team is looking stronger than ever, the best it’s ever been, in my opinion.”

While sailing isn’t the first sport that comes to most people’s minds, there are a lot of things that draw people toward the sport.

“It’s very competitive, it’s challenging physically and mentally, and the rush you experience when you win a race is unmatched,” Harris said. “I’ve been sailing for most of my life, and I can say without a doubt that the experience is worth it.”