Redondo Beach, CA (PRWEB) October 19, 2015
King Harbor Yacht Club (KHYC) member Brian McMartin has a history of successful sailing. Recently he and the Groovederci team won the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship took place from Sept. 24-27, 2015 at Long Beach Yacht Club. This event can be likened to the Super Bowl, the World Series or the World Cup. This is the pinnacle of sailing. McMartin was very proud of his selection as a crewmember of this elite team. KHYC members Mick Shlens and Jim Murrell also participated in the competition.
Brian McMartin was prepared for this event because of his history in the sailing world. He’s been racing since he was 7 years old when he started in the King Harbor Yacht Club’s summer sailing program (the King Harbor Youth Foundation).
His family has been KHYC members since his grandfather joined the King Harbor Yacht Club in 1963. Brian personally joined last year and is the first third generation member of the King Harbor Yacht Club.
Although Brian participates in a multitude of other sports, he doesn’t’t compete in any of them. Sailing is his favorite because of the passion he has for the sport. “Sometimes, it is a love hate relationship because in many cases its more painful than fun,” he jokes. “But the feeling of being victorious over many other highly competitive boats makes up for the pain involved.”
Winning the World Championship was the culmination of a year of hard work, practice, and extreme attention to detail.
The Groovederci team didn't know they had won until their chase boat full of cheering spectators came up along side and went to toss them champagne and the media boats started following them in, including the helicopter. At that point, they did the math and knew that they had won. A euphoric explosion of excitement swept through the crew followed by celebration.
“I honestly have never felt anything quite like it. We all knew that we had done it. All of the time, effort and pain we had put in paid off. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. And that night we celebrated like no other,” states McMartin.
Brian McMartin is not sure what is next. He hopes this victory opens more doors into more Grand Prix sailing around the globe. He cherishes the experience and the unique bonds and friendships formed by intense competition. The characters he was sailing with for this seasons Farr 40 Circuit are some of the best sailors in the world from teams like Artemis and Oracle Team USA including John Kosteki an Olympic medalist, Americas cup winning tactician, and Volvo Ocean Race winner.
Brian McMartin hopes his performance left his teammates impressed and willing to offer him rides on boats in the future. For now he'll be returning to the University of California Irvine where he majors in Psychology and Business and racing in as many local events as he can. Those that know the 22-year-old college senior can see that his star is on the rise.
About King Harbor Yacht Club
King Harbor Yacht Club (KHYC) has been located in King Harbor in beautiful Redondo Beach, CA since 1960. It is open 7 days a week, hosts 1,458 slips, and has ten official fleets. KHYC has an active racing schedule, offers club cruises to locations all over Southern California, has a popular fishing fleet, and hosts educational and social events. Boat ownership is not required to be a member of KHYC, just an interest in boating and having fun!
The King Harbor Yacht Clubs also houses a 501c3 non-profit organization entitled the King Harbor Youth Foundation. This group was created to promote youth sailing in Southern California. The mission is to provide access to the sport of sailing to local girls and boys of all backgrounds, in order to build self-esteem, teamwork and a respect for the environment.
Websites:
http://www.khyc.org
http://www.khyf.org
Socials:
https://www.facebook.com/kingharboryachtclub
https://twitter.com/KingHarborYC
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCcIYrERlBON7SougfN876A
For more information, contact: Mike Mena at: 310-316-0612 or mike(at)ileanainternational.com
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