You were named Cal Maritime's head coach in mid-January and hit the ground running since you arrived to campus. Have you processed what took place the last few months, or are you waiting until the end of the season to look back at everything that took place this calendar year?

Head Coach Tom Tucker (TT): Over the past three months, it's been a pleasure to sail with this team almost daily. I've been continuously impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm I've witnessed at every level. The cadets, administration, and alumni are all motivated to a degree I have not experienced at any other program. It is clear this program is ready to succeed and have the tools to do so. 

Is there a highlight that stands out among others throughout your first few months at Cal Maritime?

TT: These cadets have been practicing almost daily, and racing almost every weekend, with few days off since the start of the semester. This effort produced some standout highlights; one of those took place at the Harbor Cup last month when a crew of nine cadet-athletes dominated the most competitive offshore racing teams in the nation over three days.

This achievement was cemented by the leadership and helmsman skill of Kyle Collins. Brock Paquin was key as the tactician and led the team through two critical protest hearings to secure victory. Seniors Hailey Thompson and Jacob Fisker-Andersen also made substantial contributions with their skills and experiences to ensure that weekend was a successful one for the Keelhaulers. 

Other highlights include dinghy fleet races at UC San Diego where our cadets finished second and third out of 28 teams, and at USC when the Keelhaulers' freshman and sophomore-laden crew captured third place in a field of 24 teams, led by standout performances from freshmen Clay Myers and Etienne Quille to clinch a berth in the conference championship.

The dinghy team dominated a team race at UC Berkeley and finished that event as the only one with an undefeated record. Another noteworthy accomplishment took place at the school's inaugural women's-only regatta when four of our female cadet-athletes competed at Stanford against numerous all-female crews from other conference teams. 

What is the secret to the Keelhaulers' success this season?

TT: There are numerous regattas remaining this season since our cadets are competing every weekend in April, which provides additional opportunities for this team to enhance its success this season. The team will compete in Santa Barbara this weekend, return to campus on April 16 and 17, and end the year with a pair of regattas in Long Beach and Oregon on the same weekend (April 23-24).

Thank you to all the cadets who attend to practice every day and remain focused on doing whatever it takes for the program to succeed. Thank you to the alumni and administration for providing the resources that led to victories at the Kennedy Cup, Harbor Cup, and other regattas that took place this year.

It truly takes a team to achieve success at the level everyone desires, thank you to everyone for providing the best possible experience, and resources, to Cal Maritime's sailing cadet-athletes!

to learn more about keelhauler athletics visit gokeelhaulers.com

read more about the sailing team's harbor cup victory march 2022