Sailing as an international sport was first introduced to the world at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. Since then, it has steadily gained popularity and interest, with over 250 million viewers globally watching sailing events during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Although the sport has gradually gathered traction within college and high school athletics, it has only reached a handful of students at Gunn.
One of these sailors is junior Bosco Zhang, who is in the Penninsula Youth Sailing Foundation. Zhang was introduced to the world of sailing by a family friend, who was his first coach. After coming to the United States, he joined a sailing team in order to improve and meet new people.
“I have been sailing for 8 years,” he said. “My mother’s friend was a former world champion, and he asked me if I was interested in sailing during a summer vacation. I wanted to try it, and I liked it. The reason why I joined (the sailing team) is that I want to continue to improve my skills.”
“When you’re on the water, you cannot just quit. It’s just like life. When you make a mistake, you need to rethink and learn from it.”
— Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation coach Juan Pablo Del Solar Goldsmith
PYSF coach Juan Pablo Del Solar Goldsmith, who coaches Gunn’s team, also began sailing at a young age, and through his commitment and perseverance was able to compete at international competitions.
“I have sailed since I was six years old, I lived right around the sea,” he said. “So as a young kid, I started sailing, I competed at the World Championships and I went to the Olympics three times as a coach. I’m very competitive in any sport.”
According to senior Gunn sailor Naomi Lowenthal, the unique appeal of sailing and what makes it different from other sports can be summarized in a quote by sailing coach Dave Perry, a five-time national match racing champion.
“I think Dave Perry said it best: ‘Sailing is the most complex sport in the world (because) it requires split-second decisions based on a variety of strategic and tactical considerations.To execute successfully, you need to gather the right information, evaluate your options, and communicate clearly,’” Lowenthal said. “(Sailing) also teaches you how to control what you can in unpredictable situations. We can’t control the weather, but we can learn to adapt
to (it).”
Goldsmith believes that more high schoolers should consider sailing as a sport due to the important values and qualities it can develop in the athlete.
“If you were on a soccer field or a rugby field, quitting is very easy, where you just walk out and you’re out,” he said. “When you’re on the water, you cannot just quit. It’s just like life. When you make a mistake, you need to rethink and learn from it. And just by doing (sailing), it kind of teaches you that right away.”
Zhang believes that the allure of sailing comes not from the learning, but from the excitement and enjoyment it brings.
“(Sailing) is the one (sport) that allows me to relax and just focus on doing this one thing,” he said. “And it doesn’t have the constraints of the venue. I can go anywhere I want. It’s more free, and I just like the feeling of not being bound.”
Like Zhang, Goldsmith finds that sailing gives him a sense of liberation that could not be otherwise obtained.
“When you’re sailing, it’s like living twice,” he said. “I enjoy being in the water and competing against others.”
While sailing is still mostly unexplored at Gunn, to the students it does reach, sailing is a large portion of their lives. From reducing stress to teaching life lessons, sailing offers a unique experience that extends beyond the confines of traditional sports. It fosters a sense of freedom and strategic thinking that resonates deeply with those who partake in it.
