Completed Event: Sailing - Open & Women's at Coast Guard Alumni Bowl on April 18, 2026 , , 13th of 18
Final
Sailing - Open & Women's
at Coast Guard Alumni Bowl
13th of 18
Spotlight on Sailing - Jimmy Attridge
4/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Sailing - Open & Women's
If you want to learn about the Dartmouth sailing team, Jimmy Attridge is the person to ask.
If you want to learn about Jimmy Attridge the sailor ? you'd better find a new source.
In a sport noted for the work of individuals or pairs, Attridge has developed camaraderie and pride within his team. The senior co-captain is most comfortable singing the praises of his All-America teammates or turning questions about his career into answers about theirs.
“Though there are some people sailing the top events each week, everyone feels like a part of the team and a part of something great,” said Attridge. “One of my proudest moments was when we won the Atlantic Coast Championship and I did not even sail. It is just as much of an accomplishment for any of us though, with all our efforts combining to make the wins possible.”
It is that selfless attitude that has compelled Attridge to singlehandedly increase awareness of his nationally ranked team while doubling the squad in size.
Classmate and friend Erik Storck, an All-America and candidate for National Sailor of the Year, recounted Attridge's campaign to help the team last summer.
“After a couple of years of high attrition rates, the team needed numbers badly, so Jimmy began recruiting incoming 2010's as well as students already at Dartmouth with an interest in sailing who were not yet on the team. He resorted to the Internet, word of mouth and any other way possible to recruit. As a result, our incoming class grew to 13, most of whom are now key contributing members of the team,” said Storck.
Dartmouth is fortunate to have Attridge, the government/geography double major who admits he had no early interest in Hanover, as his mother was an alumna and he wanted to try something different.
“I kept meeting Dartmouth people and things just kept coming back to it ? I just fell in love,” says Attridge, who hails from Annapolis, Md. “It had the right mix of sailing and academics too.”
For Attridge, who has often been a role player for the Big Green, ensuring the future of his team may be the greatest accomplishment of his career.
“We get a lot of ?you have a sailing team?' questions and as captain, that is a challenge I have tried to address,” says Attridge. “We have done very well historically and fortunately The Dartmouth has allowed us to write columns and the athletic department has been responsive in helping us showcase our success and our failures.
“It's always a challenge, but we hope the results will speak for themselves.”
The results of hard work have been clear for Attridge, who spends most of his time as a skipper in the B Division races, but has won Ivy League titles in both A and B Divisions. Yet his eyes light up when he recalls winning the A Division as Storck's crew at the New England qualifiers his sophomore year.
While the skipper and crew play equally important roles in a two-handed boat, Attridge's crewing experience has been different from many others. Throughout his career, he has served as a “heavy crew” for several skippers, but most often Storck. The heavy crew is a bigger team member who can provide better ballast in the boat in stronger winds.
“The heavy crew is one of the most thankless positions to be filled on a team,” said Storck. “They go to the most competitive regattas where they sit and hope it gets windy so they can go sailing. Jimmy will often not get out at those regattas, but he is always there in support of his team.”
In Attridge's mind, it has always been about the team, and he is not only a key member, but also its biggest fan. When asked about his goals for the season, he rattles off his teammates' accomplishments and capabilities, while mentioning his hopes for a national championship.
Storck summed up Jimmy Attridge the man by recalling that he was glad he lost to his teammate in captain elections last spring.
“I am honored to call Jimmy my friend, my teammate and my captain.”
When he graduates, Attridge will have truly left Dartmouth better than he found it ? always putting his team and his school far above himself. (Dara Ely)
If you want to learn about Jimmy Attridge the sailor ? you'd better find a new source.
In a sport noted for the work of individuals or pairs, Attridge has developed camaraderie and pride within his team. The senior co-captain is most comfortable singing the praises of his All-America teammates or turning questions about his career into answers about theirs.
“Though there are some people sailing the top events each week, everyone feels like a part of the team and a part of something great,” said Attridge. “One of my proudest moments was when we won the Atlantic Coast Championship and I did not even sail. It is just as much of an accomplishment for any of us though, with all our efforts combining to make the wins possible.”
It is that selfless attitude that has compelled Attridge to singlehandedly increase awareness of his nationally ranked team while doubling the squad in size.
Classmate and friend Erik Storck, an All-America and candidate for National Sailor of the Year, recounted Attridge's campaign to help the team last summer.
“After a couple of years of high attrition rates, the team needed numbers badly, so Jimmy began recruiting incoming 2010's as well as students already at Dartmouth with an interest in sailing who were not yet on the team. He resorted to the Internet, word of mouth and any other way possible to recruit. As a result, our incoming class grew to 13, most of whom are now key contributing members of the team,” said Storck.
Dartmouth is fortunate to have Attridge, the government/geography double major who admits he had no early interest in Hanover, as his mother was an alumna and he wanted to try something different.
“I kept meeting Dartmouth people and things just kept coming back to it ? I just fell in love,” says Attridge, who hails from Annapolis, Md. “It had the right mix of sailing and academics too.”
For Attridge, who has often been a role player for the Big Green, ensuring the future of his team may be the greatest accomplishment of his career.
“We get a lot of ?you have a sailing team?' questions and as captain, that is a challenge I have tried to address,” says Attridge. “We have done very well historically and fortunately The Dartmouth has allowed us to write columns and the athletic department has been responsive in helping us showcase our success and our failures.
“It's always a challenge, but we hope the results will speak for themselves.”
The results of hard work have been clear for Attridge, who spends most of his time as a skipper in the B Division races, but has won Ivy League titles in both A and B Divisions. Yet his eyes light up when he recalls winning the A Division as Storck's crew at the New England qualifiers his sophomore year.
While the skipper and crew play equally important roles in a two-handed boat, Attridge's crewing experience has been different from many others. Throughout his career, he has served as a “heavy crew” for several skippers, but most often Storck. The heavy crew is a bigger team member who can provide better ballast in the boat in stronger winds.
“The heavy crew is one of the most thankless positions to be filled on a team,” said Storck. “They go to the most competitive regattas where they sit and hope it gets windy so they can go sailing. Jimmy will often not get out at those regattas, but he is always there in support of his team.”
In Attridge's mind, it has always been about the team, and he is not only a key member, but also its biggest fan. When asked about his goals for the season, he rattles off his teammates' accomplishments and capabilities, while mentioning his hopes for a national championship.
Storck summed up Jimmy Attridge the man by recalling that he was glad he lost to his teammate in captain elections last spring.
“I am honored to call Jimmy my friend, my teammate and my captain.”
When he graduates, Attridge will have truly left Dartmouth better than he found it ? always putting his team and his school far above himself. (Dara Ely)
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