Hoya’s wind-win situation

Charlie Buckingham didn’t have a speech ready Wednesday night.

He knew it was common practice to say a few words as the person named the Everett B. Morris College Sailor of the Year. But he wasn’t expecting to receive the award.

No way a sophomore can win it, he thought. But at the national awards banquet held after the Intercollegiate Sailing Assn. National Championship, the Newport Harbor High product was announced as the College Sailor of the Year.

Yale junior Thomas Barrows and Boston College senior Brian Kamilar were also finalists for the award.

“I was really surprised,” said Buckingham, who sails for Georgetown University. “It was overwhelming. It’s taken a while to sink in. I was obviously extremely happy ... It wasn’t something I was expecting, so it felt really good to get it.”

Buckingham, who has been named an All-American in his first two years with the Hoyas, appears destined for greatness. It’s rare for someone as young as Buckingham to win the award, but it has happened. Carl Buchan, who was a freshman at Washington, won it in 1977. Buchan went on to become an Olympic gold medalist.

Who knows what’s ahead for Buckingham, but the present is looking great.

“Charlie is a talent,” said Adam Werblow, the St. Mary’s coach who was also on the selection committee.

Werblow said he could not deny Buckingham’s consistency and his ability to perform at his best in big races.

“He did pretty damn well,” Werblow explained. “The guy is awfully talented and he works hard. He just sailed well all year long. He was ultimately consistent. He earned the title to be the best college sailor of the year.”

And, when Buckingham was presented the plaque, he wasn’t totally sure what to say. He was sincere, but not really emotional. He didn’t cry. He claimed he didn’t say anything unique.

He said it was a fun year and thanked his teammates and coaches.

As he spoke, it did not appear he had forgotten a speech, said Mike Callahan, the Georgetown coach. The gratitude that his sailor showed, that’s just Charlie, he said.

“He’s just the nicest kid,” Callahan said. “Everyone gets along with Charlie and everyone likes Charlie. He’s just a great guy. He’s very fair. He’s the type of guy you like to sail against and the type you like to sail with.”

Buckingham became the third Hoyas’ sailor in the past four years to win the prestigious award. Just two years completed in college and he can already be described as a decorated sailor.

Last year, he was the only freshman in the nation to be named an All-American. And, he led the Hoyas to their first sailing national title at the Fleet Racing National Championships.

He was also awarded the Carl Van Duyne Trophy for winning the Middle Atlantic ICSA championship.

This year, Georgetown finished third in the fleet racing nationals and third in the co-ed national championship. But it was Buckingham’s consistency that put him over the top, Werblow and Callahan said.

Another aspect didn’t hurt Buckingham’s opportunity to earn the award. His specialty is the Laser class (men’s one-person dinghy), but he could also perform well in other boats, Callahan said.

There was a sense Buckingham would become special at Georgetown. Consider his background. He left many impressed with his accomplishments at Newport Harbor on a boat or on a surfboard. He excelled on the Newport Harbor surf team. And, on the school’s sailing team, he was on another level.

He was a big part of Newport Harbor’s national championship in 2007. There was definitely some talent on that team and top-level sailors in that program during that time. In 2006, Newport Harbor was No. 2 in the nation.

Michael Menninger and Blair Belling were on that 2007 Newport Harbor team. Marla Menninger graduated from Harbor in 2006.

Michael Menninger, an All-American skipper, won his ‘B’ Division race and helped St. Mary’s to a ICSA/Gill Co-ed Dinghy National Championship last week. Marla Menninger, a two-time All-American, won her ‘A’ Division race and led Yale to the women’s national championship. Belling contributed for Yale, alternating with Menninger.

“I think there just happened to be really driven sailors born around the same time,” Buckingham said. “We’ve all been competitive with each other. We all practiced against each other since we were young and we pushed each other and made each other better. All that practice transferred real well into college.”

Buckingham is also planning to have his experience help him on the international scene. Next week, he’s leaving to compete in Kiel, Germany. He was one of three named to the 2009 U.S. Sailing Team AlphaGraphics for the Laser Class.

After that event, it’s off to England for three weeks to compete in match racing. Later in August, he’ll be in the laser world championships in Canada.

Then it’s back to Georgetown, as the reigning College Sailor of the Year.