New sailors making a difference

New and veteran sailors in the IU Sailing Club will compete at a top event in its conference for the first time in its four-year history. \nThe club will race in Timme Augsten Memorial, the highest event hosted by the Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association (MCSA). Some teams from other conferences also participate in the event.\nThe meet will take place at the Belmont Station of Chicago Yacht Club between Friday, Nov. 29 and Sunday, Dec. 1.\nThe club already took second place at a qualifier event, Area East Eliminations, held Nov. 2 and 3 at Ohio State University.\nSenior Elizabeth Mirr, last year's club commodore, said this year's recruits played a large role in clinching a berth to the regatta. \n"It has focused on competition instead of growth (of new sailors)," Mirr said.\nFreshman Mike Schmid said he started sailing when he was nine. Schmid said his father who sailed at Marquette University in Milwaukee got him on the water.\n"He taught me the tricks of the trade in sailing," Schmid said. "He worked with me on my form, strategy and gave me the knowledge that I needed." \nSchmid and three other sailors represented an 11-member club earlier this month to participate in the qualifying regatta and placed second out of 11 teams overall to advance to Timme Augsten Memorial. \n"When we found out that we took second place out of the whole event, the main thing that was running through my mind was that I could not wait to notify my father," Schmid said. "I felt he should be the first one to know how we did because he was the one that got me involved with this sport."\nSchmid said he will sail in Chicago during the Thanksgiving break. As for the tactics of the regatta, he said he would figure that out after he reaches the site.\n"We do not know how strong the wind is, what direction it is going, if it is a steady breeze or even if part of the course has more wind than the other side," Schmid said. "Most of the time I develop tactics through my experience on the water and just observing the fleet when I am not sailing."\nSenior Katie Triplett is the club's commodore and publicity secretary of the MCSA. \nDespite the club's success in recruiting this season, Triplett said they would like to have more sailors, and new members are always welcome. The club holds a callout meeting every Thursday.\nTo raise the awareness of the club Schmid has worked to develop a club Web site, and it should be complete soon, Triplett said.\n"Now, I know that there are a lot of skilled sailors out there, but the fact is that they know nothing about our sailing program," Schmid said. "That also included me at the beginning of the school year. With this Web site, I am hoping that people would become more involved and aware of the program."\nMirr said the club must advertise itself strongly at the beginning of the semester when many other organizations approach students. \nThe club belongs to IU Recreational Sports, and the University also offers non-credit lessons and one-credit classes about sailing and other related fields. \nInterested students can join a beginner or intermediate class.\nThe Timme Augsten Memorial will start after a skippers' meeting at 8:30 a.m. \nFor more information about the Timme Augsten Memorial, visit www.mcsail.org and click on Notices of Race. Students must pay a $75 fee to join the club. Triplett can be reached at ktriplet@indiana.edu and 339-9892. \nThe lesson and class offerings can be found at www.indiana.edu/~iuyacht/classes.html.