Sailing with Speed

North Idaho College already boasts a wrestling dynasty. Both men and women’s soccer teams are on a rampage through their new conferences and the Lady Cards are nationally ranked ninth in the NJCAA volleyball poll.

However, there exists one more realm for the Cardinals to rein supreme and dominate the national playing field with a severe upper hand.

“NIC could have a nationally ranked sailing team!” said Craig McBurney, of The Catamaran Club, a sailboat dealership/club that has found a new home on Lake Coeur d’Alene.

With the enrollment of NIC increasing each and every term, it seems fitting that the population of Coeur d’Alene is rapidly rising, as well.

And for a city defined by its lake, the increase in boats is only to be expected.

Thus, it was simply a matter of time before sailing found its niche in what National Geographic has proclaimed one of the five most beautiful alpine lakes on the planet.

“When I first visited North Idaho,” he said, “I quickly realized that this area has some of the best sailing in the world.”

Miles Moore of sail-s.com, the local Hobie Cat and MacGregor yacht dealer, is also the sailing instructor for NIC. Once he contacted McBurney at Reynolds Sailing and his role as r33.com dealer territory manager, he sought to bring in the Reynolds Sailing line of performance sport racing and cruising catamarans.

The catamaran procured by Moore, a 33-foot double-hull with a 14-foot beam, stands nearly 50-feet out of the water and can catch even the slightest breeze.

“The funny part,” said McBurney, “is that Idaho was actually one of the last states on my list to prospect for dealers! Miles quickly convinced me otherwise.”

The addition of Lake Coeur d’Alene to the Catamaran Club adds a new home to four of the West’s most premier sailing waterways: San Francisco, Long Beach, Los Cabos, Mexico, and now Coeur d’Alene.

Lake Coeur d’Alene is a beautiful lake to sail on and produces some amazing winds to sail with, said Moore. The deepest point is 187 feet, which, combined with the warm summer months, tends to produce smaller waves ideal for sailing.

For students who can’t fit a sailing class into their schedule via the PE department, they can still join the local sailing club and/or the Catamaran Club, related to the Reynolds 33 Catamaran. Or, by simply heading down to the NIC beach, the boat is ready and waiting on the dock.

“Walk down the dock and meet me on the boat, the Lake Cat,” says McBurney. “We will take students out for free; and for those who dream of sailing the world, we’ll shanghai them into being first mates, as we are always seeking a good crew for our charter operations.”

What makes the Lake Cat an ideal sailboat for this lake is its incredible bulk: Once a big cat begins moving, it creates some of its own wind and then converts that into sail power, called apparent wind. Another reason this area attracted McBurney is the occasional shift in those same winds.

“On light days, with puffs and shifts, one quickly develops real sailing skills by necessity,” he said. “Big, steady air, like the Caribbean trade winds, for example, makes it easy to get a boat moving.

“Lake Coeur d’Alene, with its many protected and phenomenally gorgeous anchorages, and no rough wave conditions, combine for the perfect environment for beginners to seasoned ocean sailors.”

Indeed, McBurney and crew have sailed all over the world, professionally and commercially. With their expertise and knowledge of all aspects in this sport, a strong endorsement and commitment to NIC, as well as the surrounding area is quite the accomplishment.

While NIC currently offers sailing classes and dawns an active group of sailors off the college-owned beach, the catamaran that Moore has brought in is an added bonus few can claim.

“NIC is the only college in the country that has this kind of high-tech racing multi-hull available to introduce state-of-the-art gear, carbon fiber sails, high apparent wind and extreme sailing techniques; as well as seamanship skills in general,” McBurney said.

Now it simply remains a matter of time, and a matter of will, before a competitive sailing team will represent the Cardinals of NIC. Athletic funding aside, the possibilities are sky high for a future sailing team: The necessities are available, now all that’s needed is a team.

“Sailing is truly a life-long sport that can be enjoyed by all persons, regardless of ability or disability,” said Moore. “How many sports do you know that can be done from the age of six to 106?”

For more, contact 888-LAKE-CAT, or visit www.r33.com.