Though a loosely organized club before 1996, the UVM Sailing Team really began to surge with the hiring of Greg Wilkinson in 1996.  By practicing hard in the cold Vermont weather and making regular weekend trips to Boston, the team established itself as a competitor in the NEISA district.  Since 2000 the team gained recognition in the Sailing World Coed and Women's rankings, and has successfully fundraised to attend regattas in California and Ohio. Current head coach Justin Assad has built the team to be the fifth most active team in the country. The benchmark of the UVM program has been team commitment, which allows the sailors to continue to compete at such a high level.