An active duty Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps, who served in Afghanistan, Kate Polevitzky is a racing sailor who just bought her first boat and is focused on singlehanding skills. She served in three combat operations (Desert Fox, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom) and earned her most recent masters degree in National Security Studies from the National War College, National Defense University. Now living back in Chesapeake country, Polevitzky says, “I am thankful to live near water and have the freedom to sail.”
Tell us about your sailing experiences
I started sailing when I was born. My parents took me along on their Ranger 24, and they even have a photo of me teething on a winch of a Ranger One Ton. I spent the majority of my childhood in California, where I learned basic sailing on a Sabot. After growing up on boats, I was away from sailing for several years while attending college. My alma mater, Sweet Briar College in Virginia, didn’t have a sailing program.
I got back to sailing in 2011 and 2012, when I was stationed in Hawaii, where I mostly sailed dinghies. In 2012 and 2013, while stationed in Maryland, I took lessons at J/World Annapolis. After finishing two courses, coaches and directors Kristen Berry and Jeff Jordan determined I was skilled enough to join QA2, Norm Olson’s J/92 S crew. I sailed with QA2 for about a year. My highlight was working ‘pit’ for a race, but mostly I filled in where needed with crew positions. I would have sailed with them longer, but a new assignment came up, with a move to South Carolina.
In 2015 I moved back to the area and purchased my dream boat, Intrepid, a Beneteau First 35 carbon fiber edition. I single-hand her and look to race her next summer. Jason Currie and the team at Quantum built a kite, which is near and dear to my heart. It has the my college emblem and a great quote, “At Sweet Briar College the impossible is just another problem to solve.”
Currently my focus is working on fundamentals single-handing Intrepid. As Chris Doscher of Beneteau North America pointed out to me, the design of the draught keel provides a sailor the opportunity to learn to ‘sail the keel’ if you fly only the jib. I am certain there have been some odd looks when I single-hand with a mainsail cover on and only the jib flying. However, I think it is important to learn Intrepid inside and out; then I’ll be a better sailor and a better racer.
Giving back on and off the water
I just started volunteering with the U.S. Naval Academy Varsity Offshore Sailing Team. The Midshipmen are very capable sailors and true team players. To be a volunteer coach, there are exams to pass and supervised time on the water is required. Completing the requirements is taking longer than I’d like due to a busy work schedule. However, the best part, without a doubt, is providing a bit of insight from both a tactical view and a leadership view.
It is interesting to watch a crew, military or civilian, all focus on one thing, while keeping their situational awareness. In sailing, each crewmember is responsible for what can be seen from port, bow, starboard, and stern and communicating to the rest of the crew, whether racing or cruising. But what if every crewmember became focused on a problem with a sheet? Then who would be keeping an eye out for the other boats on the water, the change of wind, or current conditions? It is especially challenging at the end of a race when a crew is tired. I am able to provide the Midshipmen a tactical viewpoint of keeping your situational awareness in tactical situations when assigned a sector of fire.
Off the water, I am interested in supporting Sweet Briar College, which recently survived an attempt to shut it down. The alumnae fought hard to keep it open and are having true success in bringing the college into a new era with a new board of directors and president. At present my participation is financial support, but I have been nominated as a potential board member.
~interview by Beth Crabtree
