College Sailing Briefs - John Loe, St. Mary's College

Posted by ben on February 16, 2008 - 12:10pm in

Interviews

John Loe is a senior sailor on the perrenial powerhouse St. Mary’s College of Maryland team. St. Mary's began its' tradition of winning at the varsity level in 1970. The team has won 13 national titles to date, and they have a very good shot of increasing this number in the near future. St. Mary's competes (and excels!) in the MAISA, which is often considered to be the most difficult conference in the country.

During his tenure at St. Mary's, John has played an extremely large role in the teams success. Some of the highlights of his resume include Intercollegiate College Sailing Association All American status in 2006 (Honorable Mention) and in 2007. He is well poised to continue this streak and stick a third All American award in his pocket after this year is complete. This past December, John skippered his team to the ICSA National Sloop title in Fort Worth, Texas. The team sailed their J22 masterfully to best some extremely tough competition and finally capture this crown after coming close in the previous two years. John is definitely one of the main reasons that the team has recently achieved a number 1 ranking in the February 12th Coed College Rankings.

SailingSmarter had the opportunity to ask John some questions about himself and his team. If you run into John at a regatta in the near future be sure to get a demo of those freestyle walking skills!

SailingSmarter: Where did you grow up?
John: I grew up in New Orleans, LA.

SailingSmarter: What was your first sailing experience?
John: I lived on a boat with my family in the Carribean for two years while in grade school.

SailingSmarter: Well, you might've just answered our next question, but Who taught you to sail?
John: My mom and Dad.

SailingSmarter: What do you think has led to your success as a college sailor?
John: Good coaching and lots of hard work. Adam Werblow and Bill Ward have been great and steered me in the right direction. I also learned a lot from watching my brother and talking to him as he is a Dartmouth '07 alumni.

SailingSmarter: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
John: I see myself winning keelboat events and doing some team racing in the summer for fun.

SailingSmarter: What are the best and worst things about college sailing?
John: The best thing is the friendships and constant learning. The worst part is that by the time you get the hang of it, the four years are over.

SailingSmarter: What is/was your favorite sailing experience?
John: Any warm April day practicing team racing in light air on the river at St. Mary's.

SailingSmarter: What are your predictions for your team this year?
John: I predict we will work hard, and we'll just have to see how good we can get.

SailingSmarter: What two tips would you give to the sailing community to help them finish closer to the front?
John: Sail more. Also, do things right beforehand so the racing is fun and not stressful.

SailingSmarter: What do you like to do when you not sailing?
John: Play golf. Freestyle Walking.

SailingSmarter: Best of luck this upcoming season!

St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Members: 36
Waters: St. Mary's River, Chesapeake Bay
Facility: Teddy Turner Sailing Center
Coach: Adam Werblow