J/22 Class Association awards scholarship boat to Patrick Shanahan

by J/22 Class Association on 22 Apr 2016 The United States J/22 Class Association proudly announces that Patrick Shanahan, of the Brown University Sailing Team, has been awarded the first annual Scholarship Boat. Shanahan was selected from a number of very highly qualified applicants – many of whom belong to the nation’s highest ranked university sailing teams.

Shanahan will be campaigning the scholarship boat over the upcoming summer months with his fellow Brown University Sailing teammates Sam Alexander, Nathan Housberg, Sophie Hibben, Haley Carter and Quinn Andersen. Collectively referred to as “Team SPHYNQS,” they maintain a host of impressive performance records in a variety of dinghy and keelboat designs. The team plans to compete in several J/22 regattas – the highlight of which will be the 2016 J/22 World Championships at CORK in August. You can learn more about this exceptional group of students and their progress throughout the season by visiting website.

The J/22 Youth Scholarship Boat Program was designed to encourage talented youth sailors to experience the J/22 Class’s tremendous community of one-design sailors – at virtually no cost. It is our hope that recipients’ experience in the program will escalate their level of competitiveness and inspire them to accomplish great things in the sailing world. We have received generous contributions from Helly Hansen® and members of the J/22 Class Association to make this program possible. However, we are still in need of more contributions to help fund the team’s campaign. To find out how you can help Team SPHYNQS, please see the J/22 Class website.

Team SPHYNQS Biographies:
Patrick Shanahan, from Saint Petersburg, FL, grew up sailing out of the Stamford Yacht Club in the summer sailing program. It was not until he moved to Florida at age 12 that his love for sailing began. During high school, he spent six days a week on the water in all different types of dinghies. Throughout that time, he won two national championships and one national invitational, and hopes to continue this success with the aid of J/22 Scholarship Boat grant. His goals and ambitions include winning the college nationals and one day representing the U.S. at the Olympics. Patrick enjoys being out on the water, regardless of the boat he is sailing. This summer, he hopes to become a better sailor by learning about big boats and match racing.

Sam Alexander is from Yarmouth, ME and is a sophomore at Brown University studying computer science and economics. His interest in sailing was first sparked when his family decided to spend the summer living on their J/120, and he and his sister learned to sail an Optimist out of Sail Newport. Since then, Sam fell in love with racing any dingy he could get his hands on. He also continued to cruise and race his family’s J/120 in various events from the Monhegan Regatta offshore race – both fully crewed and double handed – to club PHRF racing in Portland, ME. Sam loves sailing for all of its many variables for success and is excited to expand these further by learning and competing in another J Boat at the highest level. He hopes that racing the J/22 circuit this summer will be a step toward his goal of racing at the top of a keelboat fleet after college.

Nathan Housberg lives in Jamestown, RI, where he grew up and first learned to sail. His interest in sailing was first piqued by the independence and responsibility that came with sailing his own Opti. However, once he joined the Brown University Sailing Team, what was once a summer hobby quickly became a year-long passion. Now a sophomore at Brown University, Nate studies applied mathematics and during the summers he coaches Optimist racing at Conanicut Yacht Club in Jamestown, RI.

Sophie Hibben grew up sailing on Cape Cod, MA. As soon as she was old enough, she raced Optimist around New England before switching to C420s. After crewing on her mother’s Rhodes 18 for many years, including one National Championship win, she now skippers her own Rhodes 18. She is currently an Optimist race team coach at Wianno Yacht Club and a women’s team skipper on the Brown University Sailing Team.

Haley Carter is a junior at Brown University enjoying her third year on the sailing team and studying biology. She is from Milwaukee, WI and grew up sailing on Lake Michigan, racing a variety of big boats and teaching at the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center. Haley aspires to compete in the Transpac race, Antigua Race Week and the Rolex Fastnet Race during her sailing career. She is incredibly excited to have the opportunity to compete in the J/22 Class this summer. She’s enthusiastic to learn a new boat and meet new sailors. She is also delighted that sailing keeps taking her new places.

Quinn Andersen grew up sailing Club 420s at Sandy Bay Yacht Club in Rockport, MA until he moved to Manchester-By-The-Sea where he sailed 420s at the Manchester Sailing Association for four years. Quinn has sailed Club 420s on the national circuit for five years. He is level 1 certification and is first aid/CPR certified as well. As an undergraduate student studying economics and business at Brown University, Quinn sails collegiately. He enjoys sailing J/70s, spearfishing, playing various sports and swimming in his free time.