From Anchored Ship to Soaring Athletic Building: The History of the USNA Robert Crown Sailing Center

It rises up out of the Santee Basin, more than just a building. The USNA Robert Crown Sailing Center is a tribute to modern architecture, having been praised for its structural and symbolic beauty, as well as the successful Navy sailing programs it fosters. Yet looking at it now, it’s hard to imagine just how far it's come since its humble beginnings.

Sailing at the Center of It All

This building stands out on the Yard, and that’s by design. It was built to be the center for the U.S. Naval Academy’s professional maritime development, and it lives up to its promise. Sailing is deemed a "crucible" for leadership training at the Naval Academy. Maritime expertise sets this academy apart, as the future military leaders must be able to master the skills of small-boat handling, navigation, safety at sea, watch standing, and small-unit leadership.

Like many of the buildings dotting the Yard, the Robert Crown Sailing Center has a long and rich history. Let’s explore it here.

Related: A Walk Through Dahlgren Hall’s Diverse History

Navy Sailing Training: Anchored Sloop Beginnings

The center for naval training had a rocky beginning, and was certainly not always recognized for being the pillar of education it is today. The Academy’s formal ties to the sea started on the spot where the center currently resides—although instead of using a building on the shore of the Santee Basin, the center was IN the Santee Basin.

In its earliest iteration (though not yet recognized as a training facility), the center was aboard the Santee, which was moored at the Naval Academy dock from 1863 until she sank at her wharf there in 1912. The Academy next brought in a captured Spanish naval ship, the Reina Mercedes, to serve as a replacement. Both ships served as makeshift brigs to punish unruly sailors, as well as housing for enlisted Naval Academy personnel and the ship’s commanding officer, who oversaw all waterfront activity. Then, in 1936, a more formal sailing group, the Midshipmen Boat Club, was founded on this boat. They kept their sailboats in a few slips in the basin and had them maintained by both the Navy and the local boat yards.

When WWII placed an excessive demand on boat builders, these repair facilities pivoted to building wartime vessels and the Naval Academy ran its boat club program independently. In 1943, the USNA constructed the North Severn basin and several boat repair shops to maintain the boats for their growing sailing team.

Meanwhile, work continued on the Reina Mercedes until 1957, when the ship was decommissioned and sold for scrap. Without a true home for naval operations, the Academy installed a double-wide trailer and shed on the property. The offices were so flimsy that a poorly piloted sloop was able to push its bowspirit through the wall, right above one of the secretaries’ desks! It was time for an upgrade.

The Current Center of USNA Sailing

In the spring of 1974, the USNA gave the sailing program a home that could grow with it. They unveiled the beautifully modern Robert Crown Sailing Center, a building that aptly represented the incredible strength of the Naval Academy’s sailing operations. In 2003, the Center, named for Captain Robert Crown, USN, underwent an expansion and corresponding renovation to make it the well-admired facility it is today. Its striking form was built to recall the ships it represents, with mast-like columns and a large, triangular roof for a “sail.” This triangular motif repeats throughout, and a copper roof ties the modern structure back to the Beaux-Arts buildings across the Yard that are emblematic of architect Ernest Flagg’s early 1900s vision for his “new academy.” Large, soaring windows reflect the group of boats docked in the Santee Basin so the building connects seamlessly with the sea. The Center ultimately ties together the historic with the new, and the seascape with the landscape. From 2022 to 2024, the seawall surrounding the Sailing Center, as well as many of the docks, underwent construction to accommodate for rising tides and minor storms through the year 2100.

Inside, you’ll find everything needed to manage a world-class sailing operation, including the administrative and coaching offices, team classrooms, locker rooms, and equipment repair and storage facilities. 

You’ll also see the impressive Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association Hall of Fame, showcasing many of the Academy’s North American collegiate trophies, plaques, and half-models, as well as the All-America lists, which chronicle the achievements of over 70 years of intercollegiate sailing at USNA. As you wander, you can also take time to admire the assortment of Naval Academy sailing trophies and awards in the hall.

Fair Winds and Following Seas: Programs at the Center

The U.S. Navy credits the discipline of sailing with teaching the knowledge, confidence, and respect for the sea that builds outstanding officers. As such, their sailing program is second to none. The Center oversees four pillar programs that work to achieve this excellence:

1. Basic Sail Training: This program is conducted every summer for the class of incoming plebes, in order to acquaint many of them with the water and launch their military training.

2. Command and Seamanship Training Squadron: After plebe year, this program, which includes offshore training, is administered to classes during the summer to continue their maritime training

3. Varsity Intercollegiate (IC) Team: As a member of the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), the USNA IC Sailing Team trains in the fall and has its main competition season in the spring, battling colleges near and far during weekend-long races. The home practices and races for the IC teams take place on the Severn River and the Chesapeake Bay.

4. Varsity Offshore Team: In the fall and spring, the Varsity Navy Offshore Sailing Team and co-ed teams also train and compete with other colleges. In the summer, they go bow-to-bow with civilian teams.

Related: Plebe Summer: Learning the Ropes in Navy Sailing

To keep these four programs moving, the Santee Basin houses the USNA’s 250-plus sail training fleet, which includes 20 Navy 44s, six donated offshore boats, 12 J-24's, 22 420s, 22 FJs, and 136 Lasers used by the sailing teams. 

Dillon Paiva, associate head coach for the Varsity IC sailing team, is in his tenth year with the team. He notes the programs are markedly different at USNA. “The best thing about working here is working with the mids. It is a really special group of people—they’re all super motivated. We try to keep things fun and light, but the team has no trouble pushing hard everyday,” Paiva says. They prove what it takes to live the midshipman values with every practice.

It is indeed a special place. From a grounded boat to a world-class institution training some of the best in collegiate sailing and beyond, the Robert Crown Sailing Center and its programs are one of the most important cornerstones in the education of the midshipmen here at the Naval Academy. 

Support the Sailors

You can support their mission by purchasing USNA sailing gear (or any Navy gear or apparel) at Navyonline. You can also support them by taking USNA tours. Both options give all proceeds to the Brigade and its rich tradition of naval excellence, providing funds for extracurricular activities like cultural arts, music, theater, club sports, and more to support teamwork and camaraderie. While you’re here for a tour, you can catch the two famous Annapolis boat shows: the Annapolis Powerboat Show from October 3rd-6th and the Annapolis Sailboat Boat Show from October 10th-14th, both at the City Dock. Sail away in “America’s Sailing Capital,” where this enduring tradition extends beyond the Yard. Come for a visit and see what makes this place so special.