Racing'??a blur of NASCAR cars speeding past, Olympic sprinters puffing to the finish line and Lance Armstrong leading the pack all come to mind. Usually, sailing is not a first thought. This could not be further from the truth for UW-Madison junior Matt Schmidt and the UW-Madison sailing team.
'It's one of the most challenging sports I've ever competed in,' Schmidt said about the mental and physical demands of sailing.
Schmidt was one of two students from the Midwest who qualified to compete in the 2005-06 Single-Handed North American Championships Nov. 18-20 at the University of Hawaii.
Schmidt also worked this summer as an instructor for the Hoofers' Sailing Club. The team is a branch of the club, which is where it gets some of its funding.
The club certainly was not Schmidt's first taste of sailing, however. He has sailed since the summer after second grade.
'I sort of got dragged into it,' he said. 'My parents met [while] sailing.'
His sailing influence extends far beyond his parents, as his aunts, uncles, cousins, sister and even grandparents all race together in his hometown of Slinger, Wis.
'Even my grandpa was out on the same course as all of us, winning just as many times as the rest of us. You can't say that about many sports,' Schmidt said.
His sister Patti Schmidt, a UW-Madison sophomore, is also a member of the sailing team, where she continues to sail with her brother. Since they grew up with similar sailing styles, she said she has found his presence on the team very useful.
'I personally think it's great,' she said. 'He's very encouraging and helpful'he's taught me a lot.'
It is no surprise that Patti Schmidt has found his expertise useful, considering her brother's accomplishments. He helped the co-ed team qualify for the Spring Nationals in Oregon as a freshman and also qualified for the recent Championship Regatta in Hawaii, which showcased the 16 best sailors in the country. Schmidt placed 15th overall. Although he was slightly disappointed with this finish, he said the varsity competition he was up against was quite challenging as opposed to the completely student-run UW-Madison team.
'It's fun to say, 'Ha, I didn't spend thousands of dollars on coaching, but I'm still here,'' he said.
The sailing team prides itself on running its own practices and not relying on a paid coaching staff, making Schmidt's entry in the regatta all the more significant.
'It was really cool to have him go to Hawaii to represent us. The Midwest doesn't get a lot of respect in sailing compared to the East Coast where there is a lot of funding,' said UW-Madison sophomore Michele Lorenz, Schmidt's teammate and doubles partner.
Instead of a coaching staff, Schmidt actually plans the practices himself as the team's captain. It also has two executive board captains, Liz Prange and Anna Bargren, both UW-Madison juniors who help make administrative decisions about the team, including finances and transportation to regattas.
Planning is crucial, considering the team sends its members to an average of 35 regattas during its fall and spring seasons. These include women's, team and co-ed regattas. Each school is allowed to have three boats compete at team regattas, whereas they are typically allowed only one at co-ed and women's events.
Since the most recent regatta in Chicago, the UW-Madison sailing team can proudly say they won the Midwest division. The team continues looking for greater successes, primarily qualifying for all three national regattas, and Schmidt's qualification to the Hawaii National Regatta has helped the team's reputation within the collegiate sailing world.
'Every chance we get to qualify members to a national regatta gives our team a higher ranking,' Prange said.
Although the sailing team is for more competitive sailors, it is just one aspect of the UW-Madison Sailing Club. The club offers lessons for beginning and experienced sailors and claims that it will have you sailing on your own within nine hours or three lessons.
Around 1,100 members signed up to experience these sailing opportunities in the club this year, making it the largest inland sailing club in the country. Although most of the members are college students, many youth and older community members come ready to sail each year as well. Brian Borkovec, the club's head of instruction, emphasized the ability of anyone to sail.
'Anyone who comes to the terrace to have an ice cream or beer could very well be out there sailing with us,' he said.
Borkovec also explained the many fascinating things people in the club have done with their sailing skills, including sailing off the coast of Italy.
'There's actually people in the club who have sailed around the world,' he said.
If you prefer to stay closer to home, the club offers social events for members to get a chance to meet each other. One example is Pirates' Day, where members dress like pirates and sail around Lake Mendota looking for a hidden treasure.
Even when the lakes freeze over, the club does not sit idly. Instead, it offers winter kiting and wind surfing, making the opportunities extensive.
The next time you are casually checking out the boats on Lake Mendota over a cup of Spotted Cow, remember that you too could be out on the water. Take Schmidt's word for it: 'I enjoy going out there on days where it's blowing stink. Something about the rush keeps me going. There's no better way to experience Madison and all it has to offer than from the water.'
