Smooth sailing with Legler at the helm

What separates the good coaches from the great coaches in collegiate sports is leadership, experience, and high expectations.

In his 24th season, sailing coach Ken Legler encompasses all of these characteristics with the Tufts sailing team and since his arrival has achieved unprecedented success with the program.

Perennially the Jumbos compete within the toughest region of college sailing. With its main competitors, namely Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, and Boston College, all ranking in the top five in New England at one point in 2004, this season will be no exception. However, Legler still expects a lot out of his team.

"New England is the strongest district this year," Legler said. "They're all good, and it's not going to be easy to win nationals, but I expect us to qualify for all three of them as well as the team racing championship."

The Jumbos lost some key laser sailors from last season, which could hurt the team in the upcoming Trum Umstead Regatta at the Naval Academy. However, Legler believes his team has enough talent to make up for the loss. Among the strengths that Legler highlights are the team's starting skippers and their conditioning.

"We've got a large number of very good and conditioned sailors," Legler said. "For the most part, none of our starting skippers are tall, which will be a big advantage in our Dinghy races when the winds are below 15 mph."

Under Legler, the co-ed team won the Inter-collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Dinghy National Championship in 2001 and the women's team the 2003 ICSA North American Women's Championship, and throughout the 90's; they won more championships than any other team. The team's success can be attributed to Legler's unique coaching style, which his sailors view as essential to the team's cohesiveness and strength.

"Coach Legler provides an atmosphere that lets us learn from ourselves while we compete with each other in practice," senior co-ed captain Joel Hanneman said. "Unlike other coaches, Legler lets us come together on our own, while still leading and teaching the team. It brings out the best in us."

Legler, who is a member of the ICSA Hall of Fame, also attributes the team's success to the way practices are carried out. Because he has a large team to work with, Legler likes to run race-style practices, focusing on drills only when necessary. Running large practices simulate regattas, allowing sailors to get used to the motions and cut down on their mistakes in racing situations.

"Our sailors tend to make less big mistakes than other teams," Legler said. "We practice racing situations all season, so we don't make the common foul mistakes in the first place."

After a successful college career at the University of Rhode Island and two years coaching at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Legler became coach at Tufts in 1980. His leadership has bred many notable professional sailors. He has coached six sailors who have become world champions, and a 1984 Olympian in Magnus Gravare. After a career under Legler, many Jumbos have gone on to compete and win major national and world championships.