General: Considering how well-known Burlington is for its enthusiastic outdoors sports and open-minded culture, it is no surprise that the University of Vermont Sailing Team is one of the most popular and competitive sports on campus. The Sailing Team is easily recognizable as one of the most committed, dedicated, and competitive organizations on campus. Consisting of about 40 active members, the UVM team trains between four and five days per week under the direction of a full-time head coach. The team currently practices on Lake Champlain in eighteen Flying Juniors. Practices run from 2:30 pm until dark, beginning in September and going through November, then beginning again as soon as the lake thaws in March and going through May. The team combats the cold weather by attending a mandatory spring break training trip, scheduled for 2008 at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. UVM Sailing Team competes in the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association, or NEISA, which is undoubtedly the most competitive district in college sailing. The team will attend as many as eight regattas per weekend - while the competition for spots at top regattas each weekend is hot, the expansive schedule ensures that everyone who demonstrates commitment to practice will have the opportunity to sail on weekends. Most regattas are either fleet or team racing in double handed dinghies, but the team sails in a variety of sloop and single handed regattas as well. The team is funded as a club sport through the Student Government Association at UVM, and fundraises actively to augment its budget each season. With a nationally ranking in Fall 2007, it is clear that the UVM team refuses to use the "club" label as a reason not to perform with the nation\'s best.