Ian Burman just finished his 17th season as head coach of Navy intercollegiate sailing. In that time, he has led the program to three national championships and multiple top-ten national finishes. The Navy Letterwinners Association sat down with Coach Burman, as his team comes off a second-place finish at the ICSA Open Fleet Race National Championships.

Letterwinners: After a great second-place finish at the ICSA Open Fleet Race National Championships, how do you view the entirety of your season?

Coach Burman: I'm pleased with where we ended up at the end of the season. We've been rebuilding since COVID and are finally putting the pieces together to compete with the best in the country. The Class of 2022 was very strong, so this current group has worked hard to get to where we are today. We were disappointed in our results at the Team Racing Nationals, but it was exciting to see the team compete during Fleet Racing.

Letterwinners: What are the differences between the different championships at the end of the season?

Coach Burman: So, we compete in open sailing and women's sailing. For each category, we compete in Team Racing and Fleet Racing. Team Racing is a head-to-head competition against one other school, where each team has three boats in the race. It's very tactical and has a lot of strategy involved, where we run a set of plays based on where the boats are during the race. Fleet Racing is a larger race with one boat per school in the event. Typically, there are 18 schools competing in a race and we have an A and B division at the National Championships.

Letterwinners: Your team placed four sailors on the ICSA All-America teams. All four of them are coming back, two are juniors and two are sophomores. How does that bode for the future of the squad?

Coach Burman: It definitely bodes well for the future. The biggest thing that led to our team's success this year was the depth and competition during practice. So, it wasn't just our four All-Americans who contributed. The whole squad pushed each other throughout the year and made huge improvements throughout the season. With the core group coming back and a great class of recruits arriving soon, we are excited for the future of the program.

Letterwinners: You have been coaching at Navy for 17 years. How have you seen the landscape of collegiate sailing change?

Coach Burman: Over my time here at Navy, intercollegiate sailing has undergone a major shift similar to other college sports. It has become more professional, more legitimate, and the funding has grown significantly across the board. Colleges are spending more money on facilities, coaches, and sailing technology. We now have GPS trackers, 360-degree cameras inside the boat, and drones flying overhead. We put all that footage together to coach technique and how it affects the speed of the boat. New technology is coming out all the time and we need to stay current to compete with the top teams in the nation.

Letterwinners: How does the Friends of Navy Sailing weekend build engagement with our Navy sailing alumni?

Coach Burman: We have an amazing alumni group and it's exciting to get our current midshipmen involved in our annual Friends of Navy Sailing event. We constantly talk about the history of Navy Sailing with our current student-athletes, not just about the past success but about the support after they graduate. We are in a really unique spot with the current Superintendent, VADM Yvette Davids '89, and the former Commandant, CAPT Walter Allman '97, being alumni of our program. The team feels a strong connection to the institutional leadership and our alumni network. During the FONS weekend, it's great to see all of our alumni come back, learn about the state of our program, and join in on a few sailing events. 

Letterwinners: As a native Annapolitan, what makes Annapolis so unique in having a great sailing community and does our venue help with recruiting?

Coach Burman: The Annapolis sailing community just makes everything better for our program. We can tap into the locals for race officers, umpires and judges, while having great partnerships with the local clubs, like the Severn Sailing Association and the Annapolis Yacht Club. As for recruiting, many of our prospects have already raced in Annapolis, so they know our venue well. Annapolis is a sailing destination and a huge part of our Navy sailing history.

Letterwinners: Your son was just accepted into the Navy Foundation program with the hopes of matriculating with the Class of 2030. How has that process evolved for the family?

Coach Burman: My son, Trey, has been around the Naval Academy since he was one year old. He seemed to gravitate towards everything about the school. He is fascinated by the history, the ships, the planes, the submarines, the engineering…everything. He's also been around the midshipmen and been a part of the Sea Cadets. I've stayed out of the process and it's been his ultimate decision. So, I couldn't be more proud of him to realize a future here at Navy.

Letterwinners: What do you want our alumni to know about the Navy Intercollegiate sailing program?

Coach Burman: The future of the program is strong and in a really good place. Not only are we producing results, but we have quality people and an amazing environment. The atmosphere is cooperative and professional. Our alumni would be very proud of this team.