Section B ยท Page 8 The University Daily Kansan Friday, April 9, 1999 SPORT OF THE WEEK Sailing club finds smoother waters as it adds members By Matt James mjames@kansan.com Kansas writerwriter Fred Tucker came to Kansas to sail. The Norman, Okla., senior laughed as he thought back on his decision to transfer from Oklahoma to Kansas, a University in a state not known for its abundance of water. Transferring from one university to another for a club sport is a bit unusual. But Tucker said the Oklahoma sailing club was all but dead โ€” all that was left was one club member and two broken boats โ€” and his love of the sport outweighed all other considerations. Now, he is the Kansas Sailing Club's fleet captain and head of maintenance. Tucker has worked hard to rebuild the club during the last two years. What he found after transferring to Kansas in Fall 1997 was a club sport in shamables. In two years, he has led a club transformation that vice president Chris Drisay, Chicago junior, compared to a rusty, old lawn mower becoming a well-oiled machine. Drayer said that the club's fleet of 18 boats, including a third racing boat recently purchased from Baylor University, was fully operational for the first time in nearly a decade and that its 32 members were the most since the mid-1980s. the boats were more turnaround," said Liz Riggs, Omaha, Neb., sophomore and the club's president. "We're trying to be more prominent and let people know about us, but it's so important to have a working fleet of boats to sail. We can't say 'come on out and sail, but wait, we've got to fix our boats first.'" KU Sailing Club members (left to right) Liz Riggs, Omaha, Neb., sophomore; Fred Tucker, Norman, Okla., senior; Chris Drayer, Chicago junior; and Tyler Meyerdirk, Mission Hills freshman; stand next to one of their three racing boats. The club has a membership of 32 people, six of whom represent the club in racing competitions across the country. Photos by Graham K. Johnson/KANSAN Tucker's handiwork has been the major factor in the restoration of the fleet. "When I came here, there were a couple lasers with rats living in them, and I just decided we should fix them up, Tucker said. Lasers, he said, are a type of small sailboat. Fred Tucker, Norman, Okla., senior, and Meghan Collar, Overland Park junior, battle the wind while trying to fold up one of the KU Sailing Club's sails. When the weather prohibits safe sailing, club members often spend the afternoon fixing up the fleet of 18 sailboats. Those lasers will be raced for the first time on April 17 when the team holds a friendly regatta, or boat race, versus the Navy Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Clinton Lake. Holding its own regatta is a rare occasion for the team, which usually must take a road trip to Texas or other southern areas to find competition. The team traveled to Dallas for Southern Methodist University's regatta in mid-March and to New Orleans for Tulane University's regatta during spring break. It will be heading to Ames, Iowa, this weekend for a battle with Iowa State. But Drayer is quick to point out that the club is much more than racing. Only six members are on the racing team โ€” most are simply social members who enjoy a sunny afternoon of sailing. For Turner, however, sailing is much more For Tucker, however, sailing is much more than a social activity. "He loves to sail and fix boats," Riggs said. "That'sbisbing." Tucker spent his summers in high school on the West Coast with his mother and learned to sail in the Pacific Ocean. However, he said that before coming to Kansas, he never had sailed in a lake. Tucker took an instrumental role in the club when he spoke out with ideas for improving the fleet and bolstering membership. He was soon voted commodore, a title that the club uses for some of its leaders. "I started just thinking this is a great opportunity to learn," he said. "I've never had a leadership role before, so I was hesitant about becoming commodore. But it's been so rewarding. Now I schedule school and work around the sailing club. It's my life's passion." club it says he's in rebuilding the club has restored some of the sailing club's past success and reputation. Drayer said the club was founded in the 1960s and endured various structure changes and funding problems until the 1980s, when it flourished under generous funding by Student Union Activities. An annual week-long trip to the Bahamas helped the club top 150 members. The club, whose funding has risen from $500 to $6,400 during the past year with the addition of new members and support from the local sailing community, is now supported by KU's recreation services. Club members said they hoped that the increased funding, which would allow them to travel more and purchase additional boats, would continue to bolster membership. But Tucker needs no extra incentive. "He'll be one of those guys you see in a gray sweater with a hat and a pipe, sitting on a boat in the freezing cold in Massachusetts," Riggs said. - Edited by Nathan Willis The 2nd Annual Symposium on the Recruitment & Retention of Students of Color "Connecting the Circle" April 16 & 17,1999 The University of Kansas Kansas Union (Registration for KU Faculty, Staff and Students $50.00) Schedule At A Glance Friday, April 16, 1999 - 3 PM - 5 PM Check-in/Registration - Ramada Inn - 7:15PM - 8:30 PM Keynote Address - Billy Mills (Free to Public) - Saturday, April 17, 1999 - 8:15 AM - 8:30 AM Welcome - Chancellor Robert Hemenway, University of Kansas - 8:45AM - 9:15 AM Opening Speaker - Dr. Nina Patterson - 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM Session I- Three Concurrent Sessions - 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM Session II - Three Concurrent Sessions - 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Conference Luncheon & Speaker - Dr. John Alderete, Kansas Union Ballroom - 1:45 PM - 3:00 PM Session III - Three Concurrent Sessions - 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM Session IV - Three Concurrent Sessions - 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Closing Banquet & Speaker - Dr. Frederick S. Hump... Kansas Union Ballroom Kansas Union Ballroom For Registration information Contact Tara Fitxpatrick 864-5447 1