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Sailor of the Week
Chris VilicichWhen in elementary school, Chris Vilicich (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) was voted “Most likely to sail around the world” by his classmates. Chris remembers that fondly, and with his positive attitude and winning spirit, he just might make it a reality.
The 17-year-old won the Sportsmanship Award at the Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta in Miami last December. This regatta is the pinnacle of the USA Junior Olympic season. The event was a significant learning experience for Chris. A more experienced Laser sailor, Chris was sailing 420s at the Orange Bowl Regatta. This was his first big event sailing in 420s and he was interested in trying something new.
“I learned a lot about fleet management in a really big fleet,” said Chris. “I can get out of sticky situations in a Laser, because I have good boat speed, but I'm new to 420s so it was a little challenging.”
Chris recalls getting several OCS calls and how frustrating it was for him. Nonetheless, Chris pointed out that it was more important for him to learn about his mistakes and try to correct them than focus on his end results.
Keeping a positive attitude is nothing new to Chris. He was recognized with the Sportsmanship Award at the CISA (California International Sailing Association) Clinic last April. “CISA is so important to me because I always come out of it knowing so much more than the first day I start,” Chris explained. “I always go in ready to learn and take in as much as I possibly can because the coaches are so great and have so much experience. It is truly an honor.”
Chris enjoys all types of sailing. From match racing to keelboat racing, his goal is to be a well rounded sailor. “I want to learn how to Kite Surf in the near future because that is something that I have never tried,” he added. Chris volunteers his time every summer to the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club as a junior sailing instructor. He also participates in local beach clean-ups.
Chris also shared a funny story with US Sailing. “I sailed my boat to a venue once because it seemed more fun than loading it on a trailer. As we proceeded to sail, about half way through, the wind completely died and I was stuck in the middle of Los Angeles Harbor shipping channel with a few other sailors. It started to pour rain and we were stranded in the dark with no wind. We were forced to sail back and ultimately loaded boats on a trailer.”