Two teams of young sailors have received an F18 Scholarship boat with NAASA for Summer 2022.
The Narragansett Adult Athletic Sailing Association (NAASA) awarded two teams with scholarships for the 2022 F18 League season. In its second season of operation, NAASA saw a jump in interest with over 30 strong applications. Scholarship teams are provided with an F18 Catamaran and a stipend to cover boat storage and entry fees for all F18 League events.
One F18 Catamaran was awarded to the returning team of Kaleigh Morgan and Marina Barzaghi. Newport resident Barzaghi is a recent grad of the University of Southern Florida and former Saunderstown Yacht Club coach. Kaleigh is a student at George Washington and a current coach at Conanicut Yacht Club.
The second award recipients are a new team of KB Knapp on the helm with Parker Colantuono forward. Knapp is a Providence resident and sailed at Yale University. Colantuono is currently a University of Rhode Island student and sailor who grew up sailing on Narragansett Bay.
Both teams are already building plans to tune their boats and train together. The first event on the F18 League calendar is the Wickford Regatta June 11th and 12th. Both teams will have the opportunity to sharpen skills against seasoned boats with training sessions leading up to the first event and throughout the summer of 2022.
NAASA was founded in 2021 and is a non-profit organization dedicated to organizing and promoting competitive sailing in high-performance boats. Their mission is to grow this part of the sport of sailing. Removing economic barriers and promoting diversity are core principles.
