Meet Jeff
Jeff Campbell is a 45year old City Bus driver who immigrated to the US from Jamaica when he was 19 years old. He grew up watching the elite of Jamaican society enjoy access to the sport of sailing but he was never able to afford access to the sport himself. Despite being surrounded by water, Jeff never sailed a day in his life.
Upon arrival to the US, Jeff wanted to try the sport he had spent his life watching others do. It would take 20 years in the US before Jeff would make that leap into sailing – the limiting factor was a string of jobs that never allowed for regular time off on the weekends. It was his job as a City Bus Driver that first gave Jeff the free time to go sailing.
He began three years ago by showing up for a Wednesday nt. Beer can race and being picked up for a crew position on a 40’ boat. He sailed with that team for 3 years. At that point, Jeff was like many weekend warriors. He enjoyed racing in local regattas until he realized he wanted to up his racing game and discovered the Oakcliff Sailing Center.
SF: How did you find Oakcliff?
JC: “I Decided I needed to up my game. So I went to the American YC where I hoped to get a crew spot on a boat racing to Bermuda. Unfortunately, returning crewmembers with much more experience squeezed me out of a spot on the boat. That skipper suggested that I look up Oakcliff. He thought I might even be able to get on a bigger and better boat there. He was right. My first Oakcliff program was the American YC Spring Series. The very first day I was picked for a 50’ Ker and that’s the boat I have been sailing on ever since. I am the sewer guy. I take care of everything down stairs. I pack the chute, take the chute down, hoist it - it’s so great. I love it. I have to be pinching myself sometime, is this really for real? I love it.“
SF: How has the Oakcliff experience been so “great” for you?
JC:” The thing that really surprised me was the opportunity at Oakcliff. I mean there is literally so many different boats you could sail whenever there is a race available. That really strikes me – and makes me just say wow. Another thing was the fact the 50’ boat, the largest boat I have been able to sail on, was a new boat in great condition. The fact that I could walk on to a boat like that right away and get a spot was unbelievable. Usually, I get ‘we’ll call you’ or ‘you can be our back up’. But now I have this position, I am not a fill in person. It’s my position to loose. Another great opportunity is an offshore race that I am going to participate in. It’s will be more challenging then anything I have ever done in the past.”
“To me, Oakcliff is a wonderful opportunity. And when I say wonderful I mean in every sense. It’s a great way to get onto the water without having to fork out a lot of money - without even having to be known by anyone or recommended by anyone. As long as you are interested in sailing and you are in.
SF: What’s the attitude of the programs at Oakcliff?
JC: "The culture of Oakcliff is pretty much mixed. There are people from every background and they all speak the same language – they all speak sailing."
SF: Oakcliff has really sparked your passion for sailing. What are your sailing goals?
JC: "To sail back to my homeland would be a fantasy coming true. Growing up in Jamaica you admire all the fancy yachts that come in to the island but you never got the opportunity. I never had a chance to be a part of that. It would be very special and very emotional for me to accomplish that in my lifetime. If I could get a crew spot on a boat racing in the Pineapple Cup (Ft. Lauderdale to Jamaica) then my dreams could completely come true."
More Info
Curious about Oakcliff? Here’s a peak at more. You can find more info on their web site http://www.oakcliffsailing.org :
In many ways it is easier to say what we are not than what we are. We are not a yacht club with restaurants and pools; we are not a junior sailing program; we are not a community learn-to-sail program; we are not an Olympic training center – those already exist. We are, in part a match racing training center, but we are much more than that:
We are a training and coaching center.
We sail keelboats.
We fleet race.
We use match racing because there is no better way to raise your game than a one-on-one fight to the finish.
We coach.
We train boat captains.
We train boat owners.
We match and coach boat owners and their boat captains.
We coach current business owners.
We train future business owners.
We train Acorns
Oakcliff executes its mission using its unique collection of boats:
- Six Swedish Match 40s
- Six Shields
- Six Melges 24s
- Two Farr 40s
- Three IRC racing boats – one Ker 50, and two Ker 38s
- Three classic wooden yachts – Nautilus (1905), Dolphin (1914), and Anne Caie (1935)
The Center is physically comprised of an America’s Cup-like campus in downtown Oyster Bay. The clubhouse, boat yard, and climate-controlled buildings house boat and sail storage, as well as rigging, composites, winch and hardware workshops. All of this is in close proximity to the commuter train station and a hundred yards from the Center’s deep-water docks and moorings.
Click here for more: http://www.oakcliffsailing.org
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