Caroline Leicht Combines Passions for Sailing, Engineering with American Magic

HANOVER, N.H. – Before Caroline Leicht even stepped foot on campus as a student-athlete on the sailing team, she was making an impact on the sailing community and setting herself up for success in The Woods.

Leicht, a rising sophomore hoping to study electrical engineering and human centered design, is now working with American Magic for the second straight summer. In 2024, she spent a year in Barcelona, Spain, working as a mechatronics and design intern for the Human Interface Device (HIDs) department. In a very hardware focused role, Leicht built and wired custom designed HIDs, the boat's steering wheel, sail trim controllers, and flight controllers, for example, for development and made controllers for the race boat, simulator, and spares.

Now, she is working for the simulator team on software development and maintenance of the AC75 simulator.

Despite two years of working with American Magic under her belt, her passion for the company has been growing her whole life.

"A few things drew me to want to get involved with American Magic, the first being my grandpa William Kelly, who won two America's Cups on Weatherly (1962) and Intrepid (1967) for New York Yacht Club," Leicht said. "I grew up on his stories about America's Cup racing and always wanted to carry on that legacy in my own career. As a competitive sailor and lifelong fan of America's Cup racing, I have always dreamed about the feeling of bringing the Cup back home to the New York Yacht Club like my grandpa did."

While Leicht is only a sophomore at Dartmouth, her experience at American Magic not only sets her apart but sets her up for success through her four years of study.

"I think that having this experience prior to starting college has given me a lot of added focus going into my studies. I feel very lucky to have found a job that I am truly passionate about so early in my career and knowing that my education at Dartmouth will set me up for success in this industry has motivated me, especially in sailing season when balancing classes and athletic commitments becomes difficult," Leicht said. "I am very grateful for American Magic for giving me the confidence that my studies in electrical engineering will lead me back to a career that I am genuinely in love with."

Leicht sailed in six regattas during her first season with the Big Green, finishing in the top ten in each competition. As both a student and a college sailor, she says there is "nothing more exciting than the America's Cup."

"The competition is truly the epicenter of yacht racing and design, and it still feels like a dream that I get to be involved in it," Leicht said. "Beyond just that, it has been incredible to meet and work with some of the most talented sailors in the world. It's impossible not to feel passionate about your sport when you spend your workdays surrounded by Olympians and world champions."

Her goal; pursue a career in designing human interfaces for yacht racing and motor sports. Leicht says her favorite part of the job is working directly with athletes to "understand their precise needs, optimize the tools we give them, and set them up for success in competition."

She also hopes to continue her work with American Magic, continuing to work during her off terms and completing at least one full America's Cup campaign post-graduation in 2028.

As this summer with the American Magic ends and Leicht returns to Hanover, she looks forward to continuing to apply what she's learned to all future endeavors.

"Starting out with very little experience in the industry, it was beyond intimidating working with such talented and driven individuals. That aspect quickly became one of the most interesting parts of work, because it gave me a unique vantage point into the sailors' mindsets while racing…" Leicht said. "My favorite part of this job was working for people who I have such great respect for. I think that I have learned a lot about myself since starting with American Magic, primarily what drives me to work hard… I never want to let down my team and that pushes me to be better during challenging situations at work. That aspect of working for American Magic is definitely something I will be looking for in future work and team environments."

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