The First Hundred Years: Clearwater Yacht Club, 1911-2011

Zach Railey was born in Clearwater in 1984 and graduated from Clearwater High School and the University of Miami. Zach became interested in sailing because the family dentist suggested summer sailing classes. He began sailing Optis at the age of eight, moved up to Laser Radials at the age of fourteen, and on to the larger Laser Full-Rig at fifteen. By the age of eleven, Zach set his sights on becoming an Olympic champion. Throughout his youth, he excelled in single handed dinghy racing in the Pram, Laser Radial, and Laser Full-Rig. In 2003, Zach decided to begin training in the Finn class. Zach has an outstanding record of achievement. He has competed in major regattas around the world and has consistently taken first, second, or third place. In 2008, he won a place on the US Olympic Team and won the silver medal. In 2009 he won first place in the US National Championships. Zach is one of Clearwater Yacht Club’s most celebrated champions of this century. Clearwater Yacht Club currently has four of its Youth Sailing Program graduates training for the 2012 London Olympics. The sailing siblings, Zach and Paige Railey , and Brad Funk are again training hard and traveling the world participating in the regattas that lead up to the Olympic trials. Brad Kendell is training for the 2012 games in the Paralympics. Brad and his two crew members are currently among the top rated Paralympic Sonar Teams in the United States and they are putting together a very serious campaign. Clearwater Yacht Club is extremely proud of the accomplishments of these young athletes who are carrying the club’s tradition of excellence in competitive sailing into the twenty first century. Tomorrow

Zach Railey. Courtesy of the Railey family.

The sailing siblings raising money for 2012 Olympic hopefuls—the champions of tomorrow. Courtesy of the Railey family.

126 The First Hundred Years: Clearwater Yacht Club, 1911-2011