GW Sailing - Raise High the Sails Fundraising Campaign

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Raise HigH SailS

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Raise HigH SailS

“Over the past four years I’ve watched the team grow from a student-run club to a full-fledged varsity sport that continues to improve immensely each season. The new fleet of boats will allow us to practice harder than ever and host home regattas that will attract the best teams in the conference and in the country.”

Kaitlin Denney, Class of 2014, Team Captain “I was attracted to GW because of the sailing team’s work-hard attitude and the ability to take advantage of all that DC has to offer. A new fleet of boats will make this opportunity even more appealing to top-level recruits in the future.”

Colin Kennedy, Class of 2017

The GW SailinG Team knows what it’s like to dream biG and See ThoSe dreamS come True.

A year ago, the GW Sailing team became a varsity program thanks to the dedication and perseverance of its student-athletes. Now the time has come to purchase boats that match the caliber of professionalism and talent this team possesses.

This is no small feat, but Coach John Pearce has big dreams of his own that require top boats, top recruits, and community commitments to fulfill:

we are shifting our focus from regional competition to national “over The competition. We want to qualify for the ICSA nationals every nexT yearS year and improve our finishes. We also want to consistently be ranked in the top 20 teams nationally.

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in 3-5 we want to consistently be in the top five to 10 teams at nationals yearS and in the rankings. We’d like to have sailors on the All-American team each year. We would also like to have our graduates on the Olympic sailing circuit with the US Sailing Team.

PhilanThroPy for us because we need to replace the fleet every eight iS crucial years. That is a big recurring cost. We also need to travel more extensively to regattas in New England, Florida, and California so that we face the toughest competition and hit the best recruiting markets. Lastly, we want to go on an international training trip every four years so that our athletes get that global experience. We can only meet these goals with your help.”

why is fleet replacement important

Right now we have 10 boats of all different a and some are faster than others. That makes pra slightly unfair and is a recruiting disadvan Also, in order to host a regatta we need to hav evenly matched boats to provide the compe teams. Hosting regional and potentially nati level regattas is great exposure for the school a competitive advantage for our team.

how often does this need to happen

Most schools replace their fleets every six t years. Our goal is to be on an eight-year cycl we will sell these boats in eight years (usual high schools or sailing schools) and buy a fres at that point.

what will this mean for the students?

GW student-athletes excel in the classroom as academic leaders and in the community as productive citizens. A new fleet of boats will allow them to train and compete at the highest level in their sport, evolving into a nationally known and respected program.

what type of boats are you buying? why is fleet replacement important?

Right now we have 10 boats of all different ages, and some are faster than others. That makes practice slightly unfair and is a recruiting disadvantage.

Also, in order to host a regatta we need to have 18 evenly matched boats to provide the competing teams. Hosting regional and potentially nationallevel regattas is great exposure for the school and a competitive advantage for our team.

how often does this need to happen?

Most schools replace their fleets every six to 10 years. Our goal is to be on an eight-year cycle, so we will sell these boats in eight years (usually to high schools or sailing schools) and buy a fresh 18 at that point.

We will buy either FJs (Flying Juniors) or 420s (named for the size of the boat – 4.2 meters long). Both are 14 foot, two-person racing boats. They are small, fast, and very durable with simple rigging.

For that reason they are ideal for institutional use; FJs and 420s are the standard boats for college sailing across the country.

what is the timeline for this campaign?

The goal is to raise funds in the fall and spring to purchase the boats and have them ready to race in the 2014-2015 season.

we’re nearly a third of the way there, but we need your help to Cross the finish line. here’s how you Can help. a gift of…

• $10,000 buys GW a new boat and gives the donor the naming rights to it* • $5,000 helps to pay for slip fees, trailers and covers, and ongoing maintenance for the fleet • $1,000 buys a suit of new sails • $500 covers the travel costs for a GW Sailor to compete in regattas away from Washington • Any gift of any level supports the GW Sailing team’s travel, training, and uniforms *Naming gift of $10,000 may be pledged over five years.

want to name a boat but don’t have the individual means?

Get a few sailing buddies together and go in on one together – a great way to commemorate a coach, class, or crew member.

Endowment gift opportunities are also available and start with gifts of $100,000. Please contact MG Bailey at 202-994-8412 to discuss.

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go.gwu.edu/give2sailing ContaCt information MG Bailey mgbailey@gwu.edu 202-994-8412

go.gwu.edu/sailing @GW_Sailing www.facebook.com/GWSailing

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Charles e. smith Center 600 22nd Street, NW Washington, DC 20052