Brophy has always believed in allowing almost anything to become a club, from Lego’s, Pokemon, movies, and now a sailing club. Weston Walker ’25 began the club because he missed sailing with his brother back in New Jersey. He founded the club with a couple of his friends and although there aren’t many places they can practice, they have been able to compete with California sailing teams.

Walker wanted to start the club since his freshman year. However, the logistics of sailing in the desert are hard. Walker had to be able to find a place to practice, then transport boats to that place, and then he had to find a place to store the boats. Even through all of those obstacles, Walker didn’t give up on his club. 

Lukas Villela ’25, a member of the sailing club, said “I like the freedom of sailing.” When Villela was first approached by Walker, he thought he was crazy. Yet he trusted in his friend and decided to give it a shot. 

The sailing club has had many trials, and learning how to sail isn’t as easy as it seems, yet Walker and his team have been able to persevere through it all. Their hard work truly payed off when, last year at the Rose Bowl Regatta, they placed 2nd out of 20 teams. This was an amazing achievement for the club.

For Walker, it’s not just about winning or losing, it’s about “going out in high-risk conditions and dealing with the elements. While many think it’s scary, unpredictable, and not as fun, I love it because every minute offers a new challenge to be solved”

Walker has many hopes for the future of the sailing team, saying “we would like to continue to build a larger team of sailors at Brophy to up the level of competition at practices and regattas.”  Along with that, Walker wishes to one day be able to help bring in other schools around the valley. Currently, they have received participation from students that go to BASIS, Phoenix Country Day School, and even ASU.

For now Walker and the rest of the Brophy Sailing Team look towards preparing for the Pacific Coast Championships held in Santa barbara California late april.