In the late 1980s and early 1990s, URI had one of the best sailing teams in the country. Often, the recruits came from right here on Narragansett Bay. Narragansett Bay is not as strong in its youth movement any more. Thompson is another promising player. It's not like basketball, where you've got five guys all working together.
Dinghies are double-handed and each helmsman tends to be independent.
Building team spirit means molding freshmen. A lot of recruits don't care about academics or the price of tuition. There are no sailing scholarships. Kids want to go where the glory is.