How did you keep your energy up through both regattas?
You know, I thought it was going to be a huge problem going into the regatta, but I ended up not getting tired the whole time.  The Georgetown team spent a lot of time in the gym preparing for the regatta so getting tired would not be an issue.  In addition to being in pretty good shape for the conditions that we saw, we made sure we got plenty of sleep and ate proper food.  We were really serious at Nationals and we made sure that we did all the right things to stay energized.

Copyright Glennon Stratton / www.gtsphotos.com

Charlie Buckingham and crew Alex Taylor sail fast downwind at the ICSA Team Race Championship.

What was the high point this year for you?
Winning the award at the end of the year was great.  Besides the award though, I would have to pinpoint the Trux.  It is a very historical event and the biggest college sailing event.  My dad even sailed the Trux when he was younger, so to win such a big and long-running college sailing event was really cool.  It also truly showed the depth of our team. We have at least six very good sailors this year on our team and it was just really awesome to go there with four divisions and win. 

You mentioned that your dad sailed at the Trux.  Has he influenced your sailing career?
Definitely.  He is pretty much the person that introduced me to the sport.  He's always been there to support me, watch me at regattas and even give me advice.  He was the one who showed everything to me and I've always looked up to him.  He still sails a lot.  It is actually kind of funny because now he is doing some Master's Laser stuff and I sail against him sometimes, which is very fun.  I'll always look up to my dad and he'll always be one of my biggest role-models.

As a sophomore, did you think you'd be in the running for winning Sailor of the Year?  
It actually never crossed my mind the whole year.  A couple of people had mentioned it to me, but to be honest, I just wrote it off because I thought a sophomore would never be able to win it.  It was something I didn't really focus on, which I think in the end worked to my advantage.  It felt extremely good to be nominated and then when I won, I don't know, I was beside myself.  It just felt really great.  
I want to thank my crew Alex: there's definitely no way I would have gotten the award without her.  I just want her to be recognized because she is such a dedicated crew.  I'd also like to recognize my team because they are such an awesome group of people.  Our practices are intense, but they are also really fun and the team definitely challenges me everyday on the water.  Finally, I'd like to thank my coaches, Mike and Alana.  They are great coaches and fun people to be around.  It was just a very good year.  Overall, I am really, really happy.

You've had two fantastic years of sailing.  Anything specific that you are trying to work on for next year?
After having a tough time starting at Nationals, one of the things I am going to work on is my starting strategy.  On average, I've been a decent starter, but I really want to make that a strong point in my game.  Next year, I'm going to go in and work on that hard so it is never an issue again.