Interview by Eric Hood
North Sails
One Design Zenda
Welcome to Team Melges and North Sails Zenda. I know everyone in Zenda is thrilled that you are on the team. Can you fill all of our customers and friends in on what brought you to Zenda. Also, give us a little history on your high school and college sailing careers?
Sam: Growing up sailing scows, you can’t help but be enamored with the legacy that Melges Boat Works has had not only in the ILYA, but in yacht racing throughout the whole world. To be a part of a company that is so successful and highly respected amongst sailors is really an honor. After sailing at a high level and working hard for 4 years at college, working for Melges seemed to be the next logical step in pursuing my goal of working in the sailing industry. I am very excited to be in Zenda and I can’t wait for the summer to roll around.
You had a incredible winning streak at the C Scow Nationals this past year winning I think three races in a row. M.J., Tiger, Lance, tell us about that incredible winning streak.
Sam: I would contribute the first two races of the streak to the big breeze that we saw on the second day at Nationals and the hard work of Eric Oppen and Jeff Sullivan. C-Boats have another gear when the breeze picks up and our team was really good at finding that gear and making the boat go fast. Anytime the breeze is up, we feel confident about our chances. The last race of the streak, we simply needed to go out and win to have any chance at the regatta. It was a pretty light air race and we had been dueling with B-2 up until the last beat when we finally got around them. We held up our end of the bargain in winning the race, but Jo Sko and Peter K. were too tough in the end and held on to the victory. Winning three races in a row at the Nationals was a total rush and will definitely be a lasting memory.
You grew up on Lake Minnetonka sailing with and racing against some of the best sailors in the country like Gordy Bowers, Bill Allen, John Dennis, Robbie Evans, Tom Burton just to name a few from your club. What was that like?
Sam: A big thrill for me has been when I was younger watching all of these great sailors on Minnetonka and sailing with them in Jr/Sr races, to lining up on the same starting line the last few years. It is good to know that to do well on Minnetonka and the Inland that you have to be at the top of your game. The best part about all of the sailors mentioned above is that even when you are competing against them, they still go out of their way to lend a helping hand on the race course. From E-scows, to J-24’s, to C-scows, the Inland has some of the premier sailors in the country and it is a blast to race against them.
Tell us about your dad Peter Rogers. No doubt one of the most likeable
sailors in the scow world. He is like the ultimate dedicated crew to his skipper Jack Strothman. They have been together so many years. Any classic stories you would like to share about those two champion C Scow veterans.
Sam: It has been great having parents that have been so supportive of my sailing goals and aspirations. Without parents who were supportive as mine were, the success I have had so far in sailing would not have been possible. As far as racing in the same fleet against my dad, it was a little awkward racing against he and Jack my first year in the C-boat fleet since I had grown up watching and cheering for them. That awkward feeling disappeared pretty quickly however, when we got to the leeward mark of our first race against each other and we started yelling about buoy room. I hope I have the same amount of intensity that the M-9 does after that many years of racing. Those two have also showed me the importance of having a dedicated teammate who is willing to work as hard as you do. I believe that is one of the reasons they have been so successful over the years.
What are your sailing plans for 2005? I am sure you are like the rest of the team in Zenda and responsible for all classes but are you focusing on any particular events this year?
Sam: My main focus is going to be the C-scow. With the Nationals on Minnetonka this year and with us coming so close to victory last year, that is definitely going to be a big event for us. Obviously the Inland Champs on Okoboji will be another event that we are going to work hard for. I am looking forward to this summer since the major C-boat regattas are at venues that I am very familiar with, so if there were any season to make an impact, this is the one. I am also very excited to do some sailing on the new Melges 17. I had a chance to take a short sail on the 17 in Key West this year, and man, is that thing a rocket ship. I have a feeling that boat is going to be a very successful worldwide class in a couple of years. The other perk of working for Melges is that I will be able to hop into a lot of different classes and do some sailing with a lot of different people.
Tell us a little about your routine when getting ready for a big
Championship. Everyone has a little different program. We would like to hear a little about your preparation.
Sam: First off, when getting ready for a big event, I believe that time in the boat is a big factor. Before the nationals last year, Eric Oppen and I had spent a lot of time in the boat together so we knew what to expect from one another. I think our 2nd place finish was due largely in part to the amount of time we spent in the boat. We did not do as well as we would have liked at the Inland on Green Lake, and interestingly enough, we did not put nearly as much time in before the Inland as we did the nationals. Practice and finding a compatible teammate I believe is paramount to a successful campaign. I also like to get to an event with plenty of time to spare. This allows for time to get accustomed to the venue and to take care of any unexpected issues that may arise during travel or set-up of the boat. Before the race itself, I like to make sure we have plenty of time for a decent breakfast to make sure we are ready to go for the day. I hate feeling rushed when heading out to the race course. Once a team takes care of all the outside distractions, the only thing left to focus on is the racing.
Again, welcome to the team at Melges Performance Sailboats and North Sails Zenda. The addition of you and Gordy Bowers this year to the already heavily talented list of boat builders, sailmakers and sailors really makes for a long list of people our customers can rely on and lean on for support. Sam can be contacted at 262 275 1110 or sam@melges.com
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