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Bancroft Magic
BANCROFT MAGIC
LIAM SHANAHAN ’14 IS TURNING A BANCROFT PASSION PROJECT INTO A CAREER
BY EMILY BAKER
Passion and enthusiasm. Two words that describe Liam Shanahan ’14 when talking about his career since graduating from Bancroft ten years ago. Liam is a mechatronics engineer for American Magic, a racing team set to compete in the 37th America’s Cup in October 2024. His love for sailing began at an early age and was kickstarted by a science fair project back on Shore Drive.
Liam grew up in Princeton, MA and spent summers with his family in New Hampshire at Lake Winnipesaukee. Sailing lessons led to racing, becoming an instructor, and eventually a role as the Director of Sailing at Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association (LWSA). Despite his love for boats and being on the water, Liam never imagined sailing would become anything more than a summer activity - until he entered Bancroft as a freshman in 2010.
Liam attended Bancroft for all four years of Upper School. As a freshman, he worried about fitting in with classmates who were established socially, but he quickly realized that Bancroft was welcoming, inclusive, and wanted students to explore and express what makes them unique. From the faculty, to the students, to the overall structure of the School, Liam felt the nurturing and supportive environment that gave him the motivation to express who he was and see the potential within himself. In the Upper School, Liam was an active member of both the Cross Country and Ski teams. Students being given the tools to embrace what made them unique is one of his most fond memories of the School. Liam considers himself a bit of an introvert, but he and his friends created a band and played in front of the entire Upper School during assemblies. On another occasion, a friend wanted to rap during assembly so Liam became his back up vocalist. His best memory however, speaks to the connectivity he felt throughout his time at Bancroft: During his senior year, Liam won the championship race for the ski team and once he got to the bottom of the mountain, his friends and teammates piled on top of him to celebrate his win. For Liam, the congratulations from his teammates typified the encouragement students receive at Bancroft.
It was during his junior year that Liam realized his love of sailing could lead to academic success. That year his science fair project was one of the three “jolting switches'' that he says eventually helped him realize that this passion could be turned into a career. Liam admits he has a very competitive nature and he really wanted to win the fair, but picking a topic for the project was a tedious task for Liam. While classmates were choosing great topics with potential winning ideas, nothing seemed to inspire him. Former Bancroft faculty member MaryAnn DeMaria, or Mrs. D as Liam refers to her, encouraged him to think about the sailing life that he was so deeply interested in. Liam recalls their conversation by saying that “Mrs. D wanted me to focus on the excitement of building a project I was passionate about and not just winning the fair.”
That year, the organization that runs American Magic had just introduced a boat with a new design. While at speed, the new boat now rose out of the water on extendable hydrofoils under the hull. Also, the sail was no longer a traditional flexible sheet but rather one made of rigid material shaped like an airplane wing. The switch to the new type of sail fascinated Liam and motivated him to make it the focus of his project. To fuel his new excitement, Mrs. D put Liam in contact with WPI professor, Ken Stafford, who helped him with his research. Liam then created model sailboat ‘wings’ in the woodshop at Bancroft, with the help of longtime woodworking teacher and Director of Operations Peter McKone, and eventually took them to WPI for testing in their state of the art wind tunnel. Reflecting on the work done together in the woodshop, Mr. McKone recalled that “Liam was determined to see his project succeed. The first year I worked with him he constructed sails using balsa wood and tissue paper, similar to the wings of model airplanes. The second year he had a more sophisticated design. He made molds and created the surfaces with carbon fiber and epoxy. It was really fun work!” This testing and building went on for nearly two years until he entered his project in the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair where he was a top finisher.
While Mrs. D’s encouragement was the first step in Liam’s journey as an engineer in the sailing industry, two other experiences also helped him find his way. After graduating from Bancroft, Liam would continue his education as an undergraduate at WPI. The same professor that helped him during his science fair project at Bancroft invited him to join a robotics project where the main focus was on improving sailboat designs. His thorough enjoyment of this more advanced work began to convince Liam that sailing could become a career. However, after graduating from WPI with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Liam worked for the Air Force as an Aircraft Systems Engineer where he outfitted aircraft for special missions. During his time with the airforce, Liam said that “my coworkers were always so passionate about their jobs. They talked non stop about jets and engines and I did not feel the same passion. After about a year I realized that it wasn't work that I wanted to do for the rest of my career.” Ultimately, Liam realized that sailing was his calling. After leaving the Air Force, Liam went on to work at North Sails, Sail GP, and then with the American Magic team in Barcelona, Spain.
Now living in Barcelona full time, Liam has a career that he is excited about. As a mechatronics engineer in the sailing industry, his daily tasks are constantly changing. Early in the morning, you may find Liam hard at work on the computer designing modifications to improve American Magic. Then, before the boat launches for the day, he will go on-board and inspect the boat to ensure that every technological and mechanical aspect is fully operational. Midday, the crew launch and sail for most of the afternoon. Not only does the crew have to practice and perform well, the boat also has to be designed, built, and outfitted to the highest standards in order to fit the crew's needs given the wind and water conditions. When the boat returns to dock, a data report is created, explaining every intricate detail of the journey. Liam analyzes the report and determines any changes that need to be made to ensure the boat’s optimal performance for the next day. This daily process intensifies as the date of the America’s Cup series approaches. The constant pursuit of excellence is Liam’s favorite part of his job. He describes it as “one big engineering sandbox where I am given a lot of creative freedom in my drive to make American Magic an America’s Cup champion.” It is safe to say that Liam is finally experiencing a career where he deeply loves his work.
Because he had positive reinforcement beginning at his time at Bancroft, Liam was able to pursue his passion at a much younger age than most of his coworkers. At just 28, Liam is one of the youngest members of the American Magic team.
Liam credits the start of his success in the sailing industry to his time at Bancroft, a place where students are given the tools to embrace what makes them unique. More than just the source of happy memories of his school, the encouragement of his classmates and teachers pushed Liam to pursue his passion for sailing and allowed him to see it as a starting point of a distinctive, creative, and rewarding career.
Best of luck to Liam and the rest of the crew on American Magic as they get ready to race in the America’s Cup in Barcelona, Spain in October, 2024.
