Sailing is one of college athletics' most grueling, yet underrated, sports. Teams train for six different disciplines in a season that spans both the fall and spring. The "offseason" constitutes a gap in winter, but programs, especially in the northern parts of the country, are bound by weather and favorable conditions.
It creates one of the most competitive atmospheres in any sport. A team capable of winning a championship in any one discipline is celebrated among its peers, and a team sailing to glory in multiple areas rightfully earning an elite status. Doing that consistently makes an entire program a gold standard that, like anywhere else and in any other sport, is virtually unmatched.