{"id":81798,"date":"2025-05-27T10:43:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T14:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=81798"},"modified":"2025-05-27T10:43:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T14:43:58","slug":"abie-mclaughlin-on-the-bow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/racing\/abie-mclaughlin-on-the-bow\/","title":{"rendered":"Talent and Experience On the Bow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-177-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Abie McLaughlin with crew\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-177-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-177-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-177-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-177-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-177.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Top-level amateur foredeck crew Abie McLaughlin presses the rail on\u00a0board Lindsay Duda\u2019s J\/88, Sin Duda!, at the class\u2019s 2024 North American Championship, which their team won.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Doug Wake\/Vakaros<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Abie McLaughlin, age 38, had a breakout year in 2024, achieving a hat trick of North American championship wins in the J\/88, Tartan 10 and S2 7.9 classes. Having quickly earned a reputation as a skilled and dedicated amateur sailor, she is now in demand as one of the best foredeck crews you\u2019ve never heard of\u2014until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe id=\"x8aa2rgac1\" src=\"https:\/\/Sailingworld.dragonforms.com\/x8aa2rgac1\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>McLaughlin\u2019s low-key personality has kept her under the radar. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, she\u2019s been sailing with Trey Sheehan\u2019s and John Evans\u2019 <em>Hooligan<\/em> and <em>Airplane<\/em> programs for several years, racing shoulder to shoulder with professional sailors on the TP52s, Tartan 10s, J\/70s and more. She\u2019s often one of only a few amateurs on the boat she races and, more often than not, she\u2019s the only woman. You\u2019ll find her on the pointy end, moving sail stacks and tackling the unsung grunt work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her r\u00e9sum\u00e9 also includes a win at Charleston Race Week in the Melges 32 class and a slew of offshore races. With so many days on the water, it\u2019s surprising to peers that McLaughlin doesn\u2019t work in the sailing industry. Few 9-to-5 careers offer enough time off to keep up with the pro-sailing lifestyle, but her availability is key for the competitive programs that count on her contributions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI max out my vacation time,\u201d says McLaughlin, a product designer with an Ohio-based lighting company. She\u2019s an active year-round crew with the availability to travel around the globe for events thanks to a strong relationship with her long-term employer. Average weekend warrior McLaughlin is not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a family-owned company,\u201d she says of her employer. \u201cThey\u2019re boaters in Cleveland, and we\u2019ve come to an agreement that they understand I have a passion for sailing. I want to sail as much as possible, but I also obviously need to do my job. As long as I\u2019m doing it well, they let me be flexible. I\u2019m extremely lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The arrangement is a successful formula for McLaughlin. She often works in the morning and takes time off in the afternoon for practice sessions or race days. It\u2019s a \u00adflexibility that not all amateur sailors can secure, but while her time on the water has kept her in demand, pro sailing is not something she\u2019s ever strongly considered. Maintaining her amateur status allows her to race in classes that have limits on professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides, having aspirations of a professional sailing career is not what got her into sailing. \u201cI was dating a guy who brought me onto a beer can race Sunday afternoon at the local yacht club,\u201d she says. \u201cI didn\u2019t even know there were sailboats on Lake Erie, I was that naive. It was a big-breeze day, on an Express 37, and I fell in love with it immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After three years of beer can racing and \u201cnot really having a role,\u201d McLaughlin wanted more. She joined the women\u2019s learn-to-race program at Cleveland\u2019s Edgewater YC and found herself on a J\/22, learning the ropes with more responsibilities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you are 33 percent of the team, you learn really quick,\u201d she says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a summer in the women\u2019s program, the \u201copportunities just started rolling in,\u201d with invitations to race in other fleets. Tall and thin, McLaughlin understands that her stature made her more desirable for teams looking to fill a certain role, helping her hitch a ride in the fast lane to high-performance racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think I was the right size,\u201d she says, \u201cso I probably got opportunities quicker than I should have, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But McLaughlin also started gaining a reputation for her work ethic and fierce sense of competition, a holdover from her days growing up as a competitive skier. \u201cMy mom\u2019s been a ski instructor for 30 years, and my dad was a ski race coach, so I was technically a very good skier,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s my first passion in life, ski racing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Skiing shaped a discipline that has crossed over to her passion for sailing. Both sports also offer the same truth: \u201cThe time you put into it is what you get out of it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The days when McLaughlin\u2019s size and availability were a ticket to opportunity are behind her. Now, it\u2019s her foredeck prowess and the impressive string of triumphs taking the spotlight. Her win at the J\/88 North American Championship was with skipper Lindsay Duda on <em>Sin Duda!<\/em>. The regatta, hosted by Macatawa Bay YC, was a master class in how to win a championship: Start fast and stay ahead. With McLaughlin on the bow, <em>Sin Duda!<\/em> won the first two races and had points to spare by the last day, taking pressure off the team to close out the regatta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-191-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"McLaughlin with racing crew\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-191-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-191-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-191-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-191-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/j88NA-191.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Balancing work and play, McLaughlin won three North \u00adAmerican championships in 2024\u2014her personal one-design hat trick.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Doug Wake\/Vakaros<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>\u201cWrapping up with one race to spare was a great feeling,\u201d McLaughlin says. \u201cThat event was really challenging. It was shifty, with varying wind conditions, and the fleet was very strong. We had a great first day, which put us in a position to have some confidence in our boatspeed, our boathandling and our crew work. We all felt that as long as we could sail clean and maintain composure, we had a shot at winning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One week before, also at Macatawa, was the S2 7.9 championship with skippers Dan Cheresh and Brad Boston on <em>Extreme2<\/em>. And a month before that, in Chicago, it was the Tartan 10 championship with Sheehan\u2019s <em>Hooligan<\/em>. The three-win championship run revealed the depth of McLaughlin\u2019s versatility. She says that the success she\u2019s enjoyed thus far comes down to being a fluid, \u00adresourceful and mindful athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCore foredeck responsibilities are really similar boat to boat,\u201d she says. \u201cThe bigger adjustments are adapting to each team and their unique nuances. You have to be easygoing. You have to have a positive attitude, and I ask a lot of questions. If you\u2019re hopping from boat to boat and you\u2019re on a boat for the first time, you\u2019ll most likely be surrounded by people who know that boat a lot better than you, so learn from them. I try to be a \u00adchameleon adapting to each team\u2019s dynamic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being a strong team player is her value-add, she says, which is more important than \u00adhaving a specialized technical skill. Mastering soft skills, such as communication and adaptability, are her proven traits. \u201cI sail with a lot of boat owners who prioritize personality as much as talent when they form their teams,\u201d she says. \u201cGelling as a team \u00adelevates your performance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She\u2019s taken the same \u00adattitude offshore on the TP52 <em>Hooligan<\/em>, adapting her mentality \u201cfrom a sprint to a marathon\u201d and determining where to add value alongside her \u00admore-experienced professional teammates. Overcoming imposter syndrome was the first&nbsp;hurdle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI often think about the first day I stepped onto the TP52,\u201d she recalls. \u201cIt was the biggest boat I had been on. The sails were heavy and the loads were big. I questioned my abilities and if I had a place on the boat. After a few practice days, I learned techniques to make my job more manageable. I noticed small jobs that I could take on, in addition to my responsibilities, which made other people\u2019s jobs&nbsp;easier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Namely, she took on \u201ccrappy jobs like packing kites and moving the stack down below\u201d and even making coffees. Four years later, her persistence has paid off. The <em>Hooligan<\/em> 52-footer recently won the SORC Islands in the Stream Series \u00adoverall after a strong finish at the Nassau Cup Ocean Race in February.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p style=\"font-size:30px\"><em>\u201cI sail with a lot of boat owners who prioritize personality as much as talent when they form their teams. Gelling as a team elevates your performance.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>With another victory under her belt, McLaughlin looks ahead to a host of new challenges in 2025, including the J\/70 Mixed-Plus World Championship in Lake Garda, Italy, later this year with Evans\u2019 <em>Airplane<\/em>. She\u2019s also on the hook for a few more offshore races. \u201cI\u2019m actually still not sure if I like offshore,\u201d she admits. \u201cI do it, and, at the moment, it\u2019s terrible. You\u2019re like, \u2018Why do I do this?\u2019 And then you finish. You get there, and you\u2019re like, \u2018Man, that was great.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether inshore or offshore, McLaughlin\u2019s experience is \u00adpassion-driven. It\u2019s clear that she\u2019ll stay at the top across classes, showcasing just how important it is to be versatile to win, as long as it\u2019s fun. \u201cI haven\u2019t found [a boat] I haven\u2019t liked,\u201d she says. \u201cI love hiking on that uncomfortable rail on the T-10, and I love blasting downwind on the TP52. It can be uncomfortable and still fun, slow and fun, fast and fun. I love them all.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With three one-design North American championship titles in hand, bow-star Abie McLaughlin is a go-to call.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":81803,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Amy Baxter","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[159],"tags":[876,232,2992,177,178],"class_list":["post-81798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-racing","tag-crewing","tag-one-design","tag-print-spring-2025","tag-racing","tag-sailboat-racing"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81798\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}