It’s mentally and physically challenging. By the third day we were feeling tired.”

Kaleigh Morgan

Kaleigh Morgan has been sailing for a long time.

The Barrington native started when she was very young and has grown with the sport. Now she’s a junior at George Washington University, and recently competed in the 2022 Nacra 17 World Championships, held in Nova Scotia, Canada. 

Morgan and her sailing partner, Ben Rosenberg, placed third out of five U.S. boats and finished in the top 30 overall.

“I was definitely really nervous — it was my first worlds ever,” Morgan said during a recent interview. “I had to trust my training. I guess, the first day was really windy and we’re a light team. We held on and finished every race.”

Morgan said her boat had a strong start at the world championships, but challenging conditions and the wear-and-tear of the event took its toll. 

“It’s a lot,” she said. “It’s mentally and physically challenging. By the third day we were feeling tired.”

Morgan, who also sails for her college team at GWU, said the competition at worlds was also challenging. Morgan had only been training in the Nacra 17s, a high-performance foiling catamaran that is an Olympic Class sailboat, for a few months prior to the event. The rest of the field, meanwhile, featured a number of sailors who had been to prior worlds and Olympic events. 

“It was definitely a learning experience,” Morgan said, adding that the event re-ignited her excitement for the sport. 

Sailing, and competing in college, requires a level of dedication and commitment, Morgan said. She is up early training before classes some mornings, but does not mind the hard work.

“I love it,” she said. “You have to love it.”

Morgan was a three-time captain for the Barrington High School sailing team. She also played varsity field hockey, lacrosse and competed in track and field during her time at BHS.