Sacred Heart Cathedral is proud to offer 20 different sports across both boys' and girls' programs. Soon, that number will grow to 21 with the addition of an Irish sailing team.

Thanks to the efforts of current SHC student and avid sailor Ryland Pugh '28, along with SHC athletic directors and school leadership, the idea of a sailing team has become a reality. Creating a high school sports team, especially one as niche as sailing, is no easy feat, but Pugh was determined to make it happen.

The first step was to find coaches, chase boats, sailboats, and most importantly, a place that could support hosting a new high school program.

"A lot goes into making a sailing team. In addition to sailboats, which need more repairs than you'd think, you need coaches, chase boats to follow the fleet on the water, and trailers to tow everything to regattas," Pugh said. "That's why high school teams sail out of yacht clubs, where all of those resources are shared. The main obstacle was finding a club that had space for a new team, because clubs have limited coaches and boats, and the Bay Area has a lot of high schools."

Fortunately for the SHC, the Golden Gate Yacht Club had both the space for a new team and a coach that Pugh already knew.

"We learned through a friend that Golden Gate Yacht Club, which had lost its junior coach about two years ago, hired a new coach late last spring," Pugh said. "Coach Finnagh is rebuilding the high school program and had room for an SHC team. I have sailed with this coach before and knew this could be a great club with excellent coaching. From there, I brought the opportunity to Ms. Beima, who worked with the coach to gather all the information the school needed to decide about forming a club team: the equipment students would need, the costs associated for both the student-athlete and the athletic department, and how SHC students who want to participate could get additional experience on the water."

Boats, coaching, and facilities are essential, but a team is not complete without passionate student-athletes. Pugh hopes to introduce future Sacred Heart Cathedral students to the sport and what sailing on the Irish sailing team is about.

"Sailing on San Francisco Bay is thrilling, and equal parts challenge and rewarding," Pugh said. "It is a sport where you get what you give. This year, the Irish sailing team is about time on the water, practicing alongside sailors from other clubs and schools, and establishing a footprint for SHC in San Francisco's sailing scene."



Practices will be held on the Bay, near the Golden Gate Bridge, an otherworldly sailing venue. The team will sail double-handed FJs (Flying Juniors), with two sailors in each boat. Best of all, no prior sailing experience is necessary. Anyone can join and learn!