Sailor Henry Marshall Wins Singlehanded Nationals

In his first season for the Crimson, freshman Henry Marshall has attained single-handed glory.

Marshall began his collegiate sailing career in the New England Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association’s Singlehanded Championships on Sept. 15, where he bested 19 other sailors to take home first-place honors. More importantly, the victory earned him a ticket to Singlehanded Nationals on Nov. 3.

The National Championship, spanning this past weekend, was hosted by Grand Valley State University, which organized the event on Lake Michigan.

Posting top-five finishes in every race but one on the weekend, Marshall clinched the title before the last race even began. He ended his commanding weekend with an impressive 40 points, holding a sizable lead over Leo Bucher, a freshman from St. Mary’s College of Maryland who recorded 71 points.

Marshall kicked off the first day of the competition on a tear, earning a top-five finish in each of the eight races. His three first-place finishes on the day propelled him to the top spot on the leaderboard, with a comfortable margin of 15 points between himself Bucher.

The second day produced spottier wind patterns. However, the weather was no match for Marshall, who continued his dominance over the rest of the field by not giving up his position atop the pool of competitors.

Marshall is no stranger to first-place finishes. In 2016, he won the Laser Radial Youth World Championship, taking home the gold among a field of 58 international competitors. Leading up to the regatta, he took time off from school and trained with U.S. Olympic Laser Radial sailor Paige Railey at the United States sailing headquarters in Brazil.

Currently a member of the United States’ Olympic Development Program, Marshall is looking to continue his success representing the Crimson and the United States in the future.

“There's a lot to look forward to in the spring,” Marshall said. “There are two national titles on the line and we're going to do our best to win again.”

In international racing, Marshall is preparing to begin his training for the 2019 Pan American Games qualifiers, another step towards achieving his ultimate goal of sailing for the United States in the Olympic Games.

Marshall’s immediate impact as a new member of Harvard’s sailing team came as a result of his rigorous preparation going into his first-year season.

“I’ve had a pretty heavy training load right through the summer leading into my season,” the freshman said. “My coaches and I worked hard to put together a schedule that we thought would put us in the best position possible come November, and I think we achieved that.”

However, his immediate impact was not limited to his accomplishments on the water.

“His work ethic is unparalleled both on the water and in training” said freshman skipper Frankie Doyle, Marshall’s high school classmate and current teammate. “Everything that has happened with his success has come from his hard work, and I think he has really motivated the people around him as well.”