Junior Charlotte McIlnay enjoys what many would perceive as an uncommon hobby. 

“I love sailing so much,” McIlnay said. “I have spent a total of three months of my life sailing. Each month I sailed every day for a month straight.”

She has been going to a sailing summer camp in northern Minnesota for a few years. 

“I started sailing at a summer camp in Minnesota when I was 12,” McIlnay said. “Minnesota has a lot of lakes so it’s nice to sail there [and it] has good sailing weather.” 

McIlnay finds being in the waves to be relaxing.

“Sailing is a really good stress reliever because you always feel free when you are on the water,” McIlnay said. “It’s really an amazing feeling when you are going really fast across the lake and your boat is high siding and you can feel the wind in your face. Mist from the water blows up from the lake onto your face and hair.”

As well as being a camper at her sailing camp, she got to take on a leadership position.

“I got to teach girl campers as young as the age of five how to be a crewmember on a sailboat,” McIlnay said.

McIlnay has sailed on multiple types of sailboats.

“The types of sailboats that we sailed [with] over the summer were E scows, C scows, MC scows, 4-20s, and Picos.”

McIlnay got to experience being the captain over the summer.

“I was put in charge of our biggest boat most days, which held about 14 people,” McIlnay. “It was an E scows boat.” 

McIlnay has grown in her knowledge of sailing. 

“I have learned a lot from sailing, like leadership skills, how to tie multiple different sailing knots, how to do boat maintenance, how to recover a capsized or turtles boat,” McIlnay said.

She has been to this camp a few times. 

“I have been going to camp for four years. Every year I go for a month,” McIlnay said.

McIlnay has had the privilege to participate in sailing races and also was in charge of the boat she was on during the competition. 

“I have been part of multiple regattas. [There was] one where I was skippering. I have also won them,” McIlnay said.

McIlnay recommends that more people participate in this hobby.

“I love to be out on the water because it makes me happy,” McIlnay said. “I think everyone should go sailing at least once in their lifetime because it is such an amazing thing.”