Captain Fantastic

The waters surrounding the College of Charleston sailing center at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., shimmer with the afternoon sunlight as a southerly offshore breeze picks up. Assistant coach and dockmaster Ned Goss ’02 stands on the dock, smiling as student-athletes bustle by, rigging up boats in preparation for sailing practice. Goss steps aboard the J/105 with lines coiled neatly, sails snapping gently in rhythm with the sea breeze, before he deftly moves the boat out into the harbor with a couple of visitors.

Goss was in his element as he raised the spinnaker, the sails filled and the vessel picked up speed.

“Being present when you’re sailing and not worrying about the bills you have to pay or the chaos of the day is where the power of sailing can take you because,” as he reminds his students, “real life hits hard when you’re not sailing.”

Severe dyslexia was the left punch life threw at Goss, who grew up in Madison, Conn. But, on the water, Goss felt normal. “Sailing was my out to fitting in and feeling included and not different,” he says.

He doubted he would ever be able to graduate college, but then he came to CofC, which has a robust support program for students with dyslexia. After graduating with a studio art degree, he joined the U.S. Sailing Team in the high-performance 49er class, competing in 2004 and 2005 and winning five national championships and three North American titles in the Fireball class. He also set a world speed record in the Moth class at an astonishing 36.6 knots/42 mph in 2012, the year after he started coaching at the College.

He started the offshore team in 2013 and today manages a fleet of nearly 60 boats while overseeing the College’s 120-member recreational Sailing Association and serving as a professor of sailing.

He is also the newest member of the Intercollegiate Sailing Hall of Fame and won one of the sport’s most meaningful honors – the Graham Hall Award for Outstanding Service to College Sailing.

“I’m embarrassed, nervous and excited,” he says. “I much prefer to be behind the scenes and building the team to get things done. But I’m excited to see what the future of sailing looks like at the College.”

The Graham Hall Award celebrates a lifelong dedication to the sport’s growth, to mentoring young sailors and to preserving the values that make college sailing special.

That mission defines Goss’ career and passion for the sport of sailing.

“It’s about more than speed,” he says. “It’s about connection with the water and nature, your teammates and the next generation.”

In many ways, Goss’ induction into the Hall of Fame isn’t a capstone, but a continuation. Goss fits that legacy perfectly. He guides sailors with a simple tenet: “Sail calm. Sail confident. Sail for fun. If we can do these three things, the results will come.”

Indeed, his mix of humility, craftmanship and competitive drive has helped the College of Charleston sailing program remain one of the most respected sailing programs in the country.

It’s a reminder that, while races may be won in seconds, the life lessons learned through sailing last a lifetime.

– Marissa Bamonte ʼ18 (M.A. ʼ20)