We are a team of female sailors racing against some of the best sailors in the world. Whether we’re on or off the boat, we are a team. Everything we do is in pursuit of one primary goal: to do the best we possibly can in each race. When we’re racing, everything we do, think, and say is committed to making the boat move as fast as we can physically go in the right direction. None of this is easy; it can be physically exhausting and mentally draining, and yet, we love it. What do we love even more than the act of racing itself? Doing it together as a team.

Off the water, we live around the country – from Maine to California. Among us are mothers, daughters, spouses (both newlyweds and those celebrating 40+ years of marriage), caretakers, full-time employees, and retirees. For each of us, doing what we love – racing sailboats – is paramount. The sport of sailing is incredibly time-consuming, but we make the time, and our friends and family support us.

Before each event, we prep and clean the boat, pack up sails and lines, and gather all other required equipment. We hitch up the trailer and tow the boat to the venue, sometimes ten or more hours away. When we arrive, we often have to measure the boat and sails before we rig a gin pole and put the mast up, rig the rest of the boat, tune the rig, and use a crane to put the 24-foot boat in the water. If we’re lucky and time allows, we’ll get out on the water to practice. And that is all before racing starts.

Although we do enjoy messing about with boats, racing is the fun part. Doing it well is exhilarating. And it can also be extremely frustrating when we don’t put the pieces together. When the regatta is over, we undo everything we did to prepare for the event, and decompress as a team, followed by a long drive home. Often, we’re back at our desks on Monday morning working.

It makes life busy, but it’s worth it.

Racing sailboats is exhilarating. It makes me feel so alive. As our skipper, I’m laser focused and get into a state of flow while we’re sailing. As a mother of two teenagers, this is what I do for myself. I think it makes me a better mother because it fuels my tank.

For Emily Carville, our trimmer, sailing at a competitive level and especially on an all-women’s team, started in earnest in college. Sailing is where she feels her best, “I can tune out all the stressors and demands on my time when I’m traveling with my Sea Bags team and especially when we’re on the water. I achieve balance in my life through sailing, and I am honored to act as a role model for my two young children, who get to see their mom doing what she loves with her teammates, demonstrating leadership, sportsmanship, and a love of the water and travel.”

Hillary Keimig, our tactician, says, “there's such a unique feeling I get when we push off the dock and sail away from land. No matter what is going on back there – it just doesn't matter. Together as a team at each event we embark on something new and learn important lessons that have and will continue to shape us. Sailing provides so much release from the daily grind, and although it doesn't always go our way, I recognize how fortunate we are to have the opportunities to compete in this sport.”

There is no better way to spend a long day on the water than racing with our team. All coming from different phases of life, everyone brings a unique perspective to the team, and to the boat. We are connected like family, bonded by the love of our favorite pastime.

What’s In a Team?

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