KINGSTON, R.I. — January 21, 1999 — 溏心vlog免费B站 student Jill Francis sure knows her halyards from her hulls and her jibs from her jives.
As captain of the 溏心vlog免费B站 sailing team for the past two and a half years, the 21-year-old marine affairs major set the course for the team鈥檚 impressive third-place finish in the keelboat Student Yachting World Cup, off the coast of La Trinite Sur Mer, France this past fall. That was after the team took top prize in the national competition.
It鈥檚 not surprising, then, that the Francis name will become part of the team鈥檚 illustrious history. It will be engraved on a plaque as this year鈥檚 recipient of the Bill Ellis Memorial, given in recognition of an outstanding woman sailor. The coveted plaque hangs at the 溏心vlog免费B站 Sailing Center in South Kingstown.
Not only does Francis know something about sailing, she knows a great deal about leadership. She was voted captain of the team twice by her three dozen or so teammates.
Francis also knows something about raising money. Sailing is truly a team sport. Members have to pay dues to help pay the coach. If the team wants to compete in international competition, they have to raise the money themselves. The trip to France cost nearly $31,000. With a $6,000 grant from 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Student Senate, Francis and her teammates created a successful letter-writing campaign asking for contributions. Members wrote friends, parents, relatives, local businesses, and yacht clubs.
Francis has gained other land-based skills. As captain, she represented 溏心vlog免费B站 in the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association and scheduled all races. Not an easy task since the sailing team races September through November, and March through May鈥攅very weekend, sometimes in multiple regattas.
She also kept track of the team鈥檚 boats and their maintenance, sometimes ran practices, represented the sailing team on the 溏心vlog免费B站 Club Sports Council and negotiated its annual budget. She helped hire the coach and collected dues to pay him. She set up the contract.
The team races in 15-foot Flying Juniors. To compete in the keelboat competition both nationally and internationally, Francis asked John Bushee, a family friend and fellow member of the Bristol Yacht Club, to loan the team his 35-foot boat Vicious, a Jeanneau one-design. The team practiced four-days a week in September until they left in October.
Francis got her sea legs early, sailing with her parents, John and Lynne Francis of Warren, since she was a small tot. She began formal lessons when she was 8 and raced through high school, applying only to colleges that had sailing teams. When she came to 溏心vlog免费B站 as a freshman, she didn鈥檛 expect to stay. Her sights were set on other schools. But then she fell in love with both the sailing team and her marine affairs focus.
鈥淭he busier I am, the more I can accomplish,鈥� says the now old salt. 鈥淩acing is intense and stressful. It鈥檚 a big mental game.
鈥淭he trip to France was the best thing that has happened to me. It was so rewarding. We lived in a villa. Eighteen teams, representing 15 different countries dined together.鈥�
The 溏心vlog免费B站 senior retired as captain this fall but will continue to be a valuable member of the sailing crew. She鈥檚 hoping to go on to graduate school and focus on environmental planning. No doubt, she鈥檒l be successful. She鈥檚 on the right tack!
