Courtesy photos.
CAMARILLO — The CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) student-run CI Sailing Club has qualified for the prestigious 2025 Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference (PCCSC) Championships. The team will travel to the Bay Area city of Richmond, California to compete in the regatta April 19–20. The regatta is hosted jointly by UC Berkeley and the Richmond Yacht Club.
The CI Sailing Club landed one of just 18 spots in the championship after finishing 10th in the South Designate Semi-Final Regatta held in the city of Long Beach at the end of March. Their performance placed them ahead of notable sailing clubs from UC San Diego, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara University. The CI Sailing Club was only nine points behind one of the region’s top teams – UC Berkeley.
“We’re incredibly proud of our sailors,” said volunteer coach Robert Hazle. “Earning this spot against some of the best teams on the West Coast is a testament to their dedication and teamwork.”
There are about 14 members of the CI Sailing Club, which is a co-ed club with plans to develop an all-women’s sailing team to compete in women’s events. Members of all skill levels are welcome. Member Ben Valenzuela, for example, didn’t start sailing until last semester, when he enrolled in CSUCI as a first-year History major. Valenzuela grew up in Hemet doing water sports but had never tried sailing. Now, he serves as the club’s social chair, managing their social media.
“You don’t have to be part of the regattas, you can just come out to the CI Boating Center and learn,” Valenzuela said. “The vast majority of our members join as freshmen.”
The club is also for experienced sailors like club president Sterling Maggard, a second year Chemistry major with a biochemistry emphasis. Maggard started sailing in the eighth grade and was on a sailing team in high school.
“My dad was in the military, so we moved from Temecula to Maryland after elementary school and in Maryland, you have to intentionally avoid the water,” Maggard said. “There are boat ramps everywhere.”
Treasurer Brett Stein is also an experienced sailor and will be skipper on one of the championship boats in Richmond. Stein, a senior majoring in Business, grew up in Camarillo.
“I’ve been doing water sports my whole life. I’ve always been on the ocean,” Stein said. “I started working at the CI Boating Center and learned CSUCI had a sailing club and I joined. If you don’t know how to sail, join, give it two weeks and you’ll get the hang of it.”
Any member of the public curious about sailing or interested in supporting the CI Sailing Club is welcome to join the “Alumni, Friends and Family Day Regatta” set for Saturday, May 3 from noon to 5 p.m. at the CSUCI Boating Center at 3880 Bluefin Circle in Oxnard – the Channel Islands Harbor.
There will be games for kids of all ages and CI Sailing Club members will be available to take adults out sailing in the harbor. CSUCI alumni are especially welcome to come out and join the festivities, go for a sail, and if you like, make a donation to the club.
“All of the funds you donate go directly to our club,” Stein said. “One of our biggest needs right now is a good racing sail. The race sail we have now has holes in it that we need to patch up. New sails would go a long way to help us compete with those clubs that are fully funded.”
To learn more about the CI Sailing Club, follow them on Instagram @ci_sailing
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHANNEL ISLANDS
California State University Channel Islands?(CSUCI) is Ventura County’s only public university and opened in 2002 as the 23rd campus in the?CSU system. CSUCI is located between Camarillo and the Oxnard Plain, midway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
The campus is nestled against the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains and is a 10-minute drive from the Pacific Ocean. With more than 4,880 students, 29,000 alumni, and 1,000 employees, CSUCI is poised to grow in size and distinction, while maintaining one of the most student-focused learning environments in public higher education with more than 90 academic degrees, teaching credentials, certificates, and professional and community programs.
CSUCI is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and has earned the distinguished “Research Colleges and Universities” designation from the?Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Connect with and learn more by visiting www.csuci.edu or CSUCI’s Social Media.
The University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs, events and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the respective area below as soon as possible, but no later than seven (7) business days prior to the event/activity:
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