Hobie Polarized Sailor of the Month
Sailor of the Month: May, 2013
Yale sophomore skipper Graham Landy (Norfolk, Va.) added another impressive win to his sailing resume last weekend by winning the A division at the ICSA Western Semifinal in Hampton, Va. The win propelled Yale to the overall victory in the Western Semifinal by a point over Georgetown.
Landy posted consistent top of the line results throughout the regatta by successfully adapting to fluctuating conditions and changing crew. Landy won four out of the 13 races. He started the regatta sailing with Heather May before transitioning to Eugenia Custo Greig in heavy wind.
“As a team we talked a lot about avoiding high finishes early in the event,” said Landy. “I tried to start cleanly in low risk areas so that I could hit the first shift and use my boat speed from there. Consistency was my main focus of the weekend. I was concentrated on executing on the start line and keeping my bow pointed at the mark. The wind was shifting in a regular pattern, so being lifted in clear air would almost always lead to a top finish.”
The ICSA National Championship Semifinals were divided into two fleets, Eastern and Western. There were 17 teams in the Eastern fleet and 18 in the Western fleet representing schools from across the nation. The top nine schools in each fleet qualified to compete in the Gill/ICSA Coed Dinghy National Championship is May 28-30 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
As a freshman, Landy was named to the ICSA Coed All-American Team as a skipper. He was also the New England Rookie Skipper of the Year for 2011-2012. Yale finished in first place in the B Division at the ICSA Dinghy National Championship last spring. He finished in third place at the 2011 High School National Team Racing Championship as a senior at The Hotchkiss School. In 2010, he won US Sailing’s U.S. Youth Sailing Doublehanded Championship.
Landy is also a tactician on the USA45 Racing Team, who will be competing at the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup (RBYAC) on Sept. 1-4, 2013 on San Francisco Bay in the AC 45 catamaran.
“I had been looking to compete in the event and was happy to be a part of such a talented team,” he said. Landy was selected to represent the U.S. in the event after sailing in the selection trials with Oracle Team USA last November. “I expect college sailing to help us prepare for the RBYAC, with short courses and many close mark roundings being common in both types of racing.”
Landy grew up in lower Chesapeake Bay in Norfolk, Va. and began sailing at the age of eight at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club. He quickly developed a high level of interest in the sport and by age 12 was competing in fleet and team racing in the Optimist dinghy at the international level.
Landy had this advice for high school sailors contemplating a career in college sailing: “I think it's important for high school students to do as much sailing as possible; that doesn't necessarily mean regattas, but time on the water is crucial to becoming a successful college sailor. Sailors entering college need to be flexible. Coaches may put you in unfamiliar situations and working through them effectively will demonstrate commitment and skill.”
Learn more about Graham in this interview.