Meet Morgan Pinckney. One of America’s Hottest Sailors, Who Does it His Way.

Morgan: I had never heard of the “Triple Crown” before, but to win all three of those events is incredible. I never would have guessed it would actually come true. It was a long, brutal time in the making. For a while I thought I should have just retired after we won Rose Cup for the second time. Every year we were so close to winning Gov Cup or Worlds, but something always got in the way. We finished 3rd at the Govs three times! We returned from many events discouraged, not quite feeling like we got the result we wanted. That’s what makes this summer so special — none of it came easy, and it took a lot of tenacity and perseverance.

Morgan: The Governor’s Cup has always been on my mind growing up in Newport Beach. My uncle Mike won a couple and my dad raced in a couple. In my opinion it is the most difficult U23 Match Race in the world — more so than the Worlds. In that sense, I always dreamed of seeing my name on it, but never really thought it would be possible. Also, I never really planned on being a match racer growing up, but how I slowly got roped into match racing is a whole other story.

The event is quite difficult and unique in a couple different senses. The first one being the conditions. Newport is one of the trickiest places to sail in the world. 90 percent of the time it is 5 knots lumpy and crummy. 10 percent of the time the westerly cycle fills and it absolutely honks. The second sense is the boats are custom. They are one of my favorite boats to sail because of how powered up they are, but their thin foils make boat handling and down speed maneuvers rather difficult. Those two factors make the weight decision really important: sail four up and be on weight, or sail three up and be a little under? I always sail four up because the extra set of hands is nice, and if the westerly fills, you can really belt the underweight teams.

As for this year, conditions were light and garbage. We were the only team on weight, which put us at a disadvantage. To add salt to the wound, there was a 12-foot south swell, and we had a perfect view to watch all my buddies get shacked at the Newport Point. The whole event was an uphill battle, and nothing went our way. We received three very questionable 42 penalties on the first day. Since we were 100+ pounds heavier than everyone else, we were trying to maximize weight movement in the prestart. That was a massive bummer. In another key race, we wrapped a full kelp paddy around our bulb, and even after a backdown it still wouldn’t come off. After a few unfortunate shifts resulting in losses, I thought our regatta was over. My dad calculated that we still had a chance, but it would take five races going a very specific way, so it was slim. We continued to fight even though we were beyond frustrated, and eventually an opportunity opened. Somehow we slid into the semis, and from there we just sailed well and nothing went wrong.

Morgan: Regarding basn5 and the Tajima lenses, I could not be more stoked on them. Growing up, my parents always bought me the cheapest glasses because I was an irresponsible kid who would lose them constantly — some would say I still am. I always focused on style more than lenses; I wanted to keep a core aesthetic. However, these glasses have been an eye-opener. The first thing that has stood out is the lenses. They work well in every condition, and I find I can see the wind much better than any other pair of glasses I have had before. My biggest worry with them while sailing has been them falling off my face and getting lost. But they’ve had a pretty good grip on my face while still being really comfortable and not leaving any marks. I’m wearing the Copper Rose Mirror lenses and they’re stunning. I see everything in vivid color and detail!

The real surprise for me has been everywhere outside of sailing. I’m also a big fisherman and have been on a couple of weeklong trips with them, hunting marlin and tuna. They have made an incredible difference in spotting fish — half of the game is finding the fish, and these glasses might be the biggest difference maker. Off the water, I’ve worn them to cocktail parties, yacht clubs, or just out on a bike ride. I’ve been stunned by the number of compliments I’ve gotten on them!

Morgan: Frankly, I haven’t enjoyed college sailing that much. I also think the sport is headed in the wrong direction, getting too serious. As a result, I have always made it a goal to sail as many boats as I can get my hands on, just to keep everything fun and fresh.

As for big boats — yes, I’ve sailed a lot on the It’s OK!, doing buoy racing and offshore. I’ve also sailed a bit in other one-design classes like the Farr 40 and 52. I also really enjoyed foiling when I was younger.

However, I think in the past this approach has prohibited me from ever being the best in one discipline, but it has made me a threat in any boat. I think this approach is quite a bit different, but it is healthier for the sport, and certainly for me. Most kids grow up roll tacking a 420 or FJ, then spend four years in college doing more of the same. Once they graduate, they’re finally introduced to the broader facets of the sport — that is, if they don’t burn out by then. I think if kids were told to focus on fun and sailing as much as possible in whatever class, it would create more well-rounded sailors. I think it would also prevent burnout and create more lifelong sailors.

Morgan: Heading into senior year at Yale, I don’t really have any sailing goals in mind. College sailing has definitely been a challenging experience for me for many different reasons. It would be nice to finally find some success, but the best I can do is try and let the chips fall where they may. I’ll leave it at that.

Morgan: I would say fun, novelty, and the water are what drive me. Those are my passions. I always love new experiences and certainly love anything in the water. I hope to keep it that way, which is why I plan to avoid going pro in any real sense.

Morgan: This summer was also epic off the water. I also had the opportunity to work at Strategic Global Advisors as a Fundamental Equities Analyst. I gained insights and personal mentorship from their team. They were also quite flexible with my hours, so I am very grateful to have had that opportunity. Right now, I am looking into finance, law, or foreign policy for post grad. California has been amazing, but I might have to put in my time elsewhere for a little bit. It unfortunately might mean a little less time on the water, but I am always up for something new and exciting. For now, I’m just going to enjoy my last year at school and see if I can squeeze in some more match racing!