Published January 28, 2025
BY DANIELA FOLEY
Freshman sailor June Emerson, recently named Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club’s Outstanding Junior Sailor for 2024, has been successful as a passionate participant in the program landing her wins in competitions across the Bay Area.
Sailing since early childhood, June Emerson’s passion for the sport has transformed her to into a highly skilled competitor. (courtesy of MICHAEL FIALA)
Sailing for nearly a decade, Emerson, who typically serves as a skipper, the person driving the boat, has put her skills to the test in highly challenging competitions, typically involving around 100 teams, and has reached the podium in eight of the nine competitions she’s sailed at this past fall.
According to Dante Fiala, the youth team head coach and recent Carmel High graduate, Carmel placed second and third at the NorCal 1 Silver Fleet in Richmond and third at the NorCal 2 Silver Fleet in Richmond in September, and third at the NorCal 4 Silver Fleet in Alameda in November.
To Fiala, the impact Emerson has made on the team is clear.
June Emerson was awarded Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club’s Outstanding Junior Sailor for 2024. (courtesy of MICHAEL FIALA)
“She has developed a good intuition for what is going to change with the boats around her as well as the wind on the race course,” says the five-year coach. “She has gotten a lot more confident at using the ‘rules of the road,’ pretty much the traffic rules of sailboat racing, to her advantage.”
Despite the occasionally stressful environment present at competitive sailing events, Emerson’s passion for the competitive sport has allowed her to succeed as a key component of the team.
“Sailing is an outlet to challenge my intellectual and physical self,” explains the sailor. “It gives me a place to calm my thoughts from the day, and even with high stress situations out on the water, I find calm in them.”
Spending around eight hours a week sailing and more frequent practices leading up to the national competition, Emerson has found success as a team player.
“June received the outstanding junior sailor award this year because she made tremendous progress while at the same time helping those around her in the team get better themselves,” explains Fiala. “Helping others get better is really important for this award as it helps keep the team cohesive and oftentimes. People listen better to their peers than the coach.”
Receiving the award from Commodore Todd Muck on Dec. 14, Emerson’s success was honored at the Commodore’s Ball. Eager to continue her sailing career in the future, Emerson will continue sailing as a part of the Monterey Peninsula’s Yacht Club.
The high school freshman says, “I want to continue through highschool and hopefully sail semi-competitively in college or beyond that.”
