Marlow Ropes College Sailor of the Year announced

by Jennifer Mitchell on 6 Jun 2015 At an awards ceremony following racing for the Gill Coed National Championship at the Sail Newport Waterfront Center at Fort Adams and New York Yacht Club, the honors for the Marlow Ropes College Sailor of the Year, Robert H. Hobbs Sportsmanship Award and the Leonard M. Fowle Trophy for the Best Overall Team were presented. The names of the winners will be added to the ICSA Hall of Fame display located in the Robert Crown Center at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

The Everett B. Morris Trophy is awarded annually to the Marlow Ropes College Sailor of the Year for outstanding performance at the highest level of sailing in the collegiate year. The trophy is named in memory of a distinguished journalist who spent more than 30 years, as a yachting writer and editor. This year there were two finalists for the prestigious award: Nevin Snow (San Diego, Calif.), a junior at Georgetown University and Graham Landy (Norfolk, Va.), a senior at Yale University.

Although both sailors have had incredible years, the winner, calculated by the numbers is Nevin Snow. Snow placed first with his team at the Match Race National Championship, fifth at the Men’s Singlehanded National Championship, fifth overall and third in A-division with his team at the 2015 Gill Coed National Championship. He also finished fifth with his team at the 2015 LaserPerformance Team Race National Championship.

Snow was named an All-American for the 2013 season, his freshman year at Georgetown and also for the 2014 season. Snow has already had an impressive collegiate sailing career as a junior.

“I am ecstatic – a little surprised – but relieved,” says Snow of the award. “It [college sailor of the year] is something that I have thought about, after being a finalist last year,” he says. “But it has not been on my mind over the last days of competition,” he continues, “Especially after the other finalist, Graham Landy, has sailed so well.”

Snow credits his coaches, Mike Callahan and Janel Zarkowsky, with being his biggest supporters.

“It’s a long year in college sailing,” says Mike Callahan, “Everyone thinks of the spring championships as the big events, but there are six championships and Nevin has done well in all of them,” says Callahan. “What makes him great is his ability to excel in all types of boats and all types of conditions,” says Callahan.

Georgetown has had numerous College Sailors of the Year over the last few years. “We have done a good job of having our good sailors impart their wisdom and abilities down to the next generation of sailors,” he says.

Snow grew up sailing in San Diego and says that his parents got him into the sport. “My Dad works for North Sails and my Mom did an Olympic campaign in the 470,” he says. It’s in his blood.

Snow is studying physics and math at Georgetown and will graduate next spring. In the meantime he has one more year of college sailing.

“I can’t wait for next year,” Snow says. “We have a lot of new freshman coming in and as sad as we are to lose our seniors, we are excited for what’s new and next,” he says.

The winner of the Leonard M. Fowle Trophy for best overall collegiate team is College of Charleston. Georgetown University was second and Boston College was third in line for the trophy. The team with the most Fowle points, which are compiled results of the ICSA Women’s Singlehanded, Men’s Singlehanded, Match Racing, Coed Semi-Finals, Women’s, Team Racing, and Coed National Championships, determines the Fowle trophy.

Charleston had a successful competitive year including placing eighth place at the Women’s Singlehanded National Championship, first at the Men’s Singlehanded National Championship, fifth at the Match Race Nationals, fifth at the 2015 Sperry Women’s National Championship, fourth at the 2015 LaserPerformance Team Race National Championship, first in the 2015 Eastern Gill Coed Semi-Finals and fourth at the 2015 Gill Coed National Championship.

The Robert H. Hobbs Sportsmanship Award is awarded annually to the Sportsman of the Year. The trophy honors Robert Hobbs (MIT '64), past Executive Vice President of ICSA, past President of U.S. Sailing (1992-1994), and former chair of the U.S. Sailing Olympic Committee.

This year’s finalists are Kieran Chung (Newport Beach, Calif.) a senior at Stanford University and Mary Hall (Seminole, Fla.), a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy, both of whom have shown outstanding sportsmanship during their collegiate sailing career. This year’s winner is Kieran Chung.

“This is a huge surprise,” says Chung, “I never thought I would receive it,” he says. “It is humbling to be named with past recipients of this award – especially Adam Roberts who was a coach at Stanford – it is a unique award and I am really proud,” says Chung.

Chung grew up sailing in Newport Beach, Calif. at Newport Harbor Yacht Club after his grandparents suggested he give it a try at age 13.

In addition to Chung’s excellent college sailing record, he was named an All-American in 2014. Chung will graduate on June 14th from Stanford with a major in Biomechanical Engineering and plans to apply to medical school.

“I definitely want to continue to sail,” says Chung. “I will be team racing this summer domestically and in England and hope to pick up another class that will be fun to sail in the future,” he says.