New York Yacht Club American Magic and New England Science & Sailing ?

Announce Partnership?

Bristol, RI & Stonington, CT - New York Yacht Club American Magic and New England Science & Sailing (NESS) are pleased to announce their partnership intending to further the core missions of both organizations.?The result of this partnership will be a suite of K-8 lesson plans and curricular units that use the American Magic campaign as a learning platform to advance students’ academic achievement and social-emotional development. This work has a particular focus on high-needs learners and is also designed to increase access to sailing for all youth. 

American Magic is a challenger for the 37th America’s Cup in late 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. The American Magic team, formed in 2018 and led by Hap Fauth and Doug Devos, is based on competition and the desire to constantly evolve into the best version of itself.? 

NESS is a nationally recognized and accredited non-profit education organization that provides students of all ages with year-round experiential programming that uses marine science, sailing, and adventure watersports as thrilling learning platforms. NESS’s standards-based STEM lessons and curricular units excite students with a combination of on-the-water and in-the-classroom learning that increases academic achievement while building confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills. ? 

Through this partnership, NESS will develop experiential lesson plans and curricular units for schools and community sailing programs. American Magic will provide NESS with high-quality resources and access to top talent, providing extraordinary content that will engage students and excite their learning in new and unique ways.?

“America’s Cup represents the pinnacle of the sport of sailing; it’s the sailing world’s equivalent of F1 racing,” says NESS Founder and Board Chairman Spike Lobdell. “NESS’s work serves a much broader audience, broadening the pyramid, focusing on providing access and improved outcomes for high needs students. By partnering with American Magic, we will engage youth in important learning related to the science and team skills central to American Magic’s campaign.”? 

By participating in NESS’s lesson plans, students will explore topics such as the science of how boats sail faster than the wind, the technology that enables boats to foil, the design cycle that leads to constant advances in sailing performance, and the success skills – such as resilience, perseverance, and teamwork - that allow competitors to compete at the highest levels.?

Mike Cazar, American Magic CEO, says, “American Magic is committing all efforts to win the 37th America’s Cup for the United States and the New York Yacht Club while reconnecting the American sailing base with this premier event. NESS was a natural partner for American Magic, given NESS’s relationships with the sailing community and its commitment to inclusivity and providing underserved students with access to the sport. This partnership also benefits from NESS’s expertise in developing experiential learning resources that will allow teachers nationwide to introduce, engage, and excite their students to standards-based content and broaden the sport and inclusivity even further.”