In September, the British Universities Sailing Association (BUSA) will be sending their most talented sailors to to take part in the bi-annual Anglo American Championship.
Sixteen sailors, eight male and eight female, who will be selected by CV and by their performance at the upcoming BUSA Championships, will be hoping to retain the title of Anglo-American Champions for another two years. The Championship has been running since the 1960’s and consists of five trophy matches. BUSA has won the Championship at the last three events, in 2005, 2003 and 2001. Past team members have gone on to achieve considerable success in many areas of sailing, including numerous national and international titles, Olympic medals and have competed in the ‘ Cup.
This summer will be the first time that an all girls BUSA team will cross the Atlantic in a quest to establish their dominance over the . Following their success in last October, where they went undefeated by the Irish, the girls team are hoping to tour the East Coast of the , challenging the likes of Harvard, Tufts, MIT, , Brown, the Navy and St Mary’s College.
Oxford Universities Skylar Paulich, originally from , will lead the Men’s Team as Captain. Paulich started sailing at the age of 10, crewing a two man dinghy, quickly moved into a Laser and began sailing in the circuit. At 14 he represented GBR at the Laser Radial Youth World Championships. At University Paulich swapped his Laser for a firefly and with the team, has been working his way up the rankings finishing second and third at the last two BUSA Team Racing Championships. After becoming Captain last April, Paulich has already led the BUSA team to a third place at the Carmella Cup.
Paulich commented, “I am thrilled to be BUSA Men’s Captain and am very much looking forward to representing BUSA in the upcoming tour of .”
Ellen Milner, BUSA Ladies Captain, also from , started sailing at the age of nine in cadets at West Kirby Sailing Club. Last year Milner sailed in several events including the RS Eurocup in Garda, Cowes Week in an SB3, Firefly, Lark and RS400 nationals. Milner has been sailing in the Oxford Ladies team for the last four years and this year is part of ‘s mixed team.
The BUSA Ladies team, led by Milner, attended the Irish Invitational Team Racing event last October and will also be competing in the upcoming Wilson Trophy and the Women’s University Match Racing Europeans in May. Milner commented,
“The Tour is a fantastic opportunity to test all disciplines of sailing,” Milner said. “I really hope we can show the Americans that British girls have what it takes!”
BUSA needs to raise over £10,000 of sponsorship in order to send these teams State-side. If anyone would be interested in funding or sponsoring the BUSA Tour Teams, please contact Jessica Mapplebeck (Tel: 02380 604 167 E: jessica.mapplebeck@rya.org.uk) for further details.
If there are any sailors still wishing to be considered for the BUSA Teams, please contact your Captains, Skylar Paulich and Ellen Milner (skylar.paulich@wadh.ox.ac.uk and ellen.milner@queens.oxford.ac.uk).
Below is the CV application form. Forms are also on the downloads page.