Oh Dog of Sleds, you didn't happen to attend Stanford, did you?
Stanford (LSJU) and its Cross-Bay Rival Cal Berkeley have had a long sailing relationship. Many outstanding sailors, world's champions, Americas Cup skippers, Olympic medalists, ocean voyagers, and others have attended these two schools.
For LSJU, until recently, a problem existed: there was no access to water on which to sail. Lake Lagunita, on campus, was small to begin with, didn't fill with water until January, and by May was weed choked with an exotic species found only in this large pond, and of which the Biology Department was fiercely protective.
Other sites were explored: Lake Vasona in Los Gatos, Palo Alto Harbor (shoaled); Redwood City (no facilities). Even Crystal Springs Reservoir was a possibility until the City of SF put their foot down, saying it was their drinking water we'd be sailing on.
It wasn't only lack of water that presented a challenge to LSJU students. The University administration and Athletic Department decided sailing was unworthy of recognition and might impinge on the more news and financial worthy sports of football and basketball.
With a lot of hard work, in the 1960's, things began to change. SSA (Stanford Sailing Assoc.) was donated a fleet of 6 Flying Juniors, and 3 Shields. Docks were built on Lake Lagunita, and afternoon sailing lessons and practices were scheduled. Much to the chagrin of the Administration, SSA grew to be the largest student club on campus, with more than 400 members.
Things really began to shift about 1967, when the Stanford Sailing Team flew East to the Naval Academy at Annapolis and won the National Inter-Collegiate Sailing Championship, the Kennedy Cup, over favorites Navy, Tufts, and USC. The victorious Stanford crew had borrowed red blazers from the Stanford Band and showed up at the prize giving, attended by admirals and Kennedy family members, looking like the class act they were. When two team members, Skip Allan and Kim Desenberg, were named to the All-American Intercollegiate Sailing Hall of Fame, the LSJU Administration finally woke up and realized they had an asset on their hands. Here is the victorious 1967 LSJU Kennedy Cup Team
Flash ahead 50 years. A lot changed. LSJU abandoned their Indian mascot, and much to the Administration and Alumni's chagrin, the student body unanimously voted in their new mascot, the "Robber Barons." Bowing to Alumni protest, the Administration nixed the "Robber Barons" and chose the "Cardinal," a non-controversial color. That certainly did not go over well with students, and though Cardinal remains, the student body is represented at sports events by a dancing redwood tree.
Today, Stanford Sailing has a fine facility at Redwood City Harbor, a well maintained fleet of boats to sail, coaches, and a nationally ranked team and individual sailors of both men and women.
Here's a trivia for today: Back in the mid-late 1960's, Stanford sailors, using a single industrial sewing machine, made their own FJ sails. The skill with which these sails were made, and their racing record, became known through-out SF Bay. Soon after, a small sail loft was opened which exists to this day, having made great sails now for nigh on 50 years. What is the name of this sail loft, a SF Bay institution?