With 13 national titles, St. Mary’s College of Maryland has a proud history of collegiate sailing. Founded in 1965 as a recreational and course-credit program, St. Mary's sailing had humble beginnings with a small fleet of 420s. The varsity sailing program was later created in 1970 and began competing against other Mid-Atlantic schools. Since that time, the St. Mary’s sailing team has evolved into one of the premier sailing programs in the country. Currently, the St. Mary's Waterfront, located in the heart of campus, is a highly used activity center for everyone at St. Mary’s. Sailing is a large part of life at St. Mary’s. It is common to see faculty, staff and students enjoying the waterfront after a day of classes.  It would be difficult to find a setting as well-suited for the promotion of sailing and water activities as St. Mary's.

Sailing Venues
St. Mary’s sails on campus in Horseshoe Bend on the St. Mary's River, a perfect site for both practice and home events. Along with sailing on the flat water of the St. Mary’s River, the dinghy team also practices at their open water site at nearby Point Lookout State Park. Point Lookout gives the team access to the wind and waves of the Chesapeake Bay, allowing SMC to prepare for similar competition sites.

Competition
St. Mary's competes in the Mid-Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA) - arguably the most competitive district in the country - which includes such schools as Old Dominion University, Georgetown University, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy. The Seahawks have won national championships in all disciplines of college sailing - team, dinghy, single-handed, and sloop. As a result of the team's success, St. Mary's is able to schedule and sail more national-level regattas than any other team in college sailing. Due to that aggressive scheduling, it is common for the team to be competing in several different regattas on the same weekend. This type of scheduling allows more opportunities for team members to compete each season.

Fleet
The St. Mary's fleet consists of 18 2004 Vanguard Flying Juniors and six 420s. The team also owns two Lasers, two Techs, two Larks and four International 420s. In addition, St. Mary's has a fleet of 18 FJs modified for instructional and recreational use. The team also has the use of numerous motorboats, plus an abundance of dockage and storage.

Program
Sailing is a varsity sport at St. Mary's. The team practices weekday afternoons and competes on weekends during the fall and spring seasons. The College supports all of the team's operating activities and program needs. When traveling to events, St. Mary's uses vehicles provided by the College. On all trips and events, the sailors have their basic expenses paid for by the team. This normally includes travel, housing, and meals.

Individual Achievements
St. Mary’s sailors have achieved international and national recognition. Since the program was created, more than 100 Seahawk sailors have been named collegiate All-Americans. Three sailors have gone on to compete in the Olympics with one earning a silver medal. Two alumni have been named Rolex Yachtsman-of-the-Year.