Sailing Interest Club president, junior Ava Rotondo, is shining a new light on an underappreciated sport by proving her club is more than it seems. As an interest club, members meet to discuss technique, possible improvements and more.

The club offers a place for people to express their love of sailing.

“It [the Sailing Interest Club] changed my whole approach to my life I guess,” Rotondo said.

All students are allowed to attend meetings which take place every other Thursday in room Y204.

“If anyone is interested in sailing, in college or beyond we’d also talk about that, and what are the opportunities in college based on the teams and clubs that are available, that kind of thing,” Rotondo said

Rotondo introduced the idea of the club last year as a sophomore and it took her roughly a semester to iron everything out.

“You can know nothing about it and join and then you would just learn by coming to the meetings and talking to the other people,” Rotondo said.

Hott was approached by Rotondo when the idea was first introduced. She graciously accepted the position as sponsor and has been helping Rotondo and her fellow club members run the administrative side of it ever since.

“Mostly at this point I am helping facilitate, having a room,”club sponsor Catherine Hott said.

Outside of the confines of her club, Rotondo has been practicing sailing at DC Sail, which is a community sailing program.

“Sailing is not like any other sport out there…it teaches you life skills you wouldn’t learn with any other sport,” Rotondo said.

Rotondo has participated in other sports but didn’t enjoy them as much.

“After school when I would go to cross country or soccer, I wasn’t as happy as when I would go to sailing,” Rotondo said.

Both Hott and Rotondo said they would recommend the club to anyone with any amount of knowledge about sailing.