A Shape-Shifting Sailor of the Year
A Shape-Shifting Sailor of the Year
The ability to sail a variety of boats under a variety of disciplines helped Boston College's Anne Haeger win the 2011 Quantum Women’s Sailor of the Year award.
Anne Haeger will race just about anything. Growing up on Wisconsin's Lake Beulah, Haeger sailed Optimists, X boats, 420s, and Laser Radials. This summer, when she's not coaching at the Lake Beulah Sailing School, she's racing J/22s, Tom 28s, 470s, and C Scows. As a member of the Boston College Sailing Team, the three-time All-American competes in singlehanded, women's, team racing, and coed competition. "I'll sail wherever my team needs me," she says. That dedication—and her success at events such as MIT's Hatch Brown regatta, ICSA / Laser Performance Women's Singlehanded Championship, Women's New England Championship, and ICSA/APS Team Race National Championship—earned Haeger the honor of 2011 Quantum Women’s Sailor of the Year. She has another year of college sailing ahead of her and an Olympic campaign in the 470 that's just heating up, so you can bet we haven't heard the last of this rising star.
What have you been up to this summer?
I was coaching, and I've also been doing a ton of sailing in a lot of different boats, including Laser Radials, keelboats like the J/22 and Tom 28, scows, and some 470 stuff. This weekend, I'm sailing with my little brother in a C Scow for the Inlands (Inland Lake Yachting Assocication Championship on Minnesota's Lake Minnetonka).
What's the latest from your 470 campaign?
Briana (Provancha) and I are taking a break for the rest of the summer, but hope to join in on training camps this coming fall. In the short term, I'm going to focus on college sailing. But I'm set on picking back up our campaign for 2016.
Have you made a conscious decision to sample as many different college-sailing disciplines as possible?
I'll sail wherever my team needs me! I think that I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to sail a variety of regattas, and I encourage younger sailors to sail as many different boats and events as possible.
How did your experiences as a junior sailor prepare you for college?
I sailed Optimists, X boats, 420s, and Laser Radials, and I trained hardest in Radials. I went to the youth worlds in the Radial twice and finished with a silver medal the first trip. I did high-school sailing in the fall, which was four days a week, but I focused mostly on soccer in the spring.
What was the highlight of your 2010-'11 season?
The highlight of my season was winning Quantum College Sailor of the Year. I'd been dreaming about having my name after all of the other amazingly talented sailors who previously won the award, and my dreams came true.
What did you learn last year, both in a general and specific sense?
I learned how important effective communication with your crew is this year. My crew, Emily Massa, and I have been sailing together since my freshman year, and I know for a fact that I would have not gotten nearly as far without her. I also learned the importance of patience this year, though I have a lot to improve on.
You edged out Megan Magill from St. Marys for the award. Did the two of you have any memorable showdowns?
Nothing specific that I can remember, but she is a joy to sail against and a very talented sailor.
What do you like to do when not sailing?
My friends and family mean the world to me, so just spending time with them is a great break.
What are you studying at Boston College?
I'm a marketing major.
What are your goals for the coming year?
Learn as much as I can in college sailing, and to help keep BC near the top.
Post-college plans?
After school, Briana Provancha and I are going to do a full campaign for the 2016 Olympic Games.
