What is WWU Sailing?
The WWU Sailing Team is a spirited, student-run collegiate racing team that calls beautiful Bellingham's Lake Whatcom its home. We compete throughout the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference (PCCSC), facing off against universities from California to British Columbia in our fleet of FJ dinghies. But more than a competitive program, the WWU Sailing Team is a community! a place where students from all majors, backgrounds, and experience levels come together to learn, race, explore the water, and build lifelong friendships.
Our fleet of 18 FJs is the heart of our program. These boats see constant use: weekly practices, training sessions for new sailors, weekend scrimmages, and regattas up and down the coast. Sailing is a sport that requires precision and maintenance; boats don’t fix themselves, sails don’t last forever, and lines, blocks, and hardware get worn down by wind, water, and enthusiastic college sailors who occasionally capsize more often than they’d like to admit. As a student-run team with limited funding, we do everything we can to stretch every resource to keeping our fleet safe and competitive.
That’s where this fundraiser comes in.
This Viking Funder campaign will support three essential goals:
1. Maintaining and repairing our fleet
Keeping 18 boats in working order is a nonstop job. Donations help us repair hull damage, replace worn rigging, fix dolly wheels, maintain safety equipment, and invest in new sails and hardware. A well-maintained fleet keeps our team safe, competitive, and able to give every sailor — new or experienced — the opportunity to get on the water consistently.
2. Traveling to regattas
Regattas are the heart of collegiate sailing. They’re where our team puts training into practice, gains experience, and builds pride representing Western Washington University. Traveling, however, is expensive. Funds help cover van rentals, gas, lodging, entry fees, and equipment transport, making it possible for us to compete throughout the PCCSC circuit without leaving sailors behind due to cost.
3. Keeping the team financially accessible
One of our core values is that any WWU student who wants to sail should be able to sail, regardless of financial barriers. Team dues help cover coaching, equipment upkeep, and travel, but not every student can afford them. Donations ensure that dues can be reduced or waived for any sailor who needs support, allowing our team to remain inclusive, welcoming, and diverse. Many of our members learned to sail for the first time at Western — and your generosity helps ensure that opportunity stays open to all.
Why Supporting WWU Sailing Matters
The Sailing Team is more than a sport; it’s a home-away-from-home for many students. Practices are filled with laughter, learning, capsizes, breakthroughs, and the kind of teamwork you can only build on a windy day in choppy water. Alumni often tell us the community they found on this team shaped their college years in ways that lasted long after graduation.
- Supporting the WWU Sailing Team means helping students:
- build confidence on and off the water
- learn leadership and seamanship
- compete proudly for their university
- develop lifelong friendships
- stay active and connected to the outdoors
- access a sport that traditionally has high financial barriers
Your gift directly fuels all of this. Every donation, whether large or small, keeps our boats fast, our sailors learning, and our program thriving.
A Community of Sailors, Students, and Friends
The WWU Sailing Team is made up of experienced racers, total beginners, and everyone in between. Some grew up racing; others grew up hundreds of miles from the ocean. Some want to compete intensely; others simply want to learn to sail and be part of a tight-knit community. What makes our team special is how fully we welcome all of these paths.
We practice rain or shine (mostly rain, this is Bellingham after all). We carpool to regattas, share gear, teach each other, laugh through the cold, and celebrate every improvement. Whether you’re a parent, alum, friend, sailor, or someone who simply loves empowering students, you are part of this team’s success.
Your support keeps this program alive.
Why We’re Asking for Your Help
Sailing is an incredible sport, but it isn’t a cheap one. and unlike many collegiate programs, we rely heavily on student effort and community generosity. With your help, we can keep the WWU Sailing Team strong, accessible, and competitive for years to come.
Thank you for supporting us, believing in us, and helping us keep wind in our sails.
Go Vikings, and see you on the water! ⛵
