Just days after completing a 65-day, 12,500-nautical-mile Summer Sea Term voyage aboard Training Ship Golden Bear, five Cal Poly Maritime Academy cadets headed back to sea. This time, they were racing against some of the world’s most accomplished offshore sailors with decades of racing experience.

Competing in the 2026 Pacific Cup, a biennial offshore race from San Francisco to Kauaʻi that covers more than 2,000 nautical miles, the cadets became the first undergraduate collegiate crew to compete in the event’s 46-year history.

In a powerful example of Learn by Doing, the Pacific Cup race challenged students to apply the navigation, engineering, leadership and decision-making skills they developed during Summer Sea Term in one of the world’s most demanding offshore sailing environments.

The Cal Poly Maritime Sailing team raced to an impressive third-place finish in their division aboard OAXACA, a Santa Cruz 50 designed specifically for West Coast offshore racing to Hawaiʻi.

The effort was led by Marine Transportation cadets Chase Englehart (’26), Nick Mueller (’27), Indigo Craig (’29) and Cameron Furin (’29), along with Marine Engineering Technology cadet Silvanus Watson (’29). Head Sailing Coach Kerry Deaver led the crew, supported by Rob Vandervort and Cal Maritime alumni Jacob Fisker-Anderson and Cyrus Khaleeli.

“I am thrilled to play my part on the only Pacific Cup crew featuring college sailors,” Deaver said. “Leading this young crew against boats that possess decades of experience by comparison, watching them learn, grow and mature throughout the race is truly an honor. This is Learn by Doing in a unique environment under unique circumstances.”

The Pacific Cup was a natural extension of Summer Sea Term, a two-month voyage across the Pacific with stops in Tahiti, Fiji and Hawaiʻi that prepares cadets for careers as licensed maritime officers. The Pacific Cup required them to apply many of those same skills under the pressure of competition.

The crew encountered everything from strong winds leaving San Francisco Bay to stretches of light air that demanded constant adjustments in strategy. Around the clock, cadets rotated through watches, managed sail changes, monitored weather and navigated changing sea conditions, building on the technical and leadership skills developed aboard Golden Bear.

For Silvanus Watson, the opportunity was almost unimaginable.

“As a student with less than 10 months sailing experience, there are times I wonder how I earned a spot on this crew,” Watson said. “If you told me two years ago that I would attend college and part of that experience would involve sailing toward Hawaiʻi as part of the Pacific Cup, I never would have believed you.”

For Indigo Craig, the race was equally memorable because of the people on board.

“I always knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps and race to Hawaiʻi,” Craig said. “What I didn’t realize was that I would get to do it with a group of classmates that have become close friends. We are a young team, but the skill is there. We are serious but also have so much fun. I think everyone can say they are learning a lot.”

After 12 days, 27 minutes and 54 seconds at sea, OAXACA crossed the finish line in third place in its division, missing second place by just over an hour while finishing ahead of several experienced offshore racing teams.

For Deaver, the podium finish was only part of the accomplishment.

“I’m pleased with how well the crew came together and all that the cadets learned, stretching their comfort zone and growing each day,” she said. “This offshore program is unique in collegiate sailing, and it takes the proverbial village to pull it off at this level. Everyone played an important role in making an opportunity like this one come to life.”

Following the race, the crew began preparing OAXACA for its return voyage to California. Along with a podium finish, they brought home advanced offshore sailing experience, stronger leadership and communication skills, and the confidence that comes from competing alongside some of the world's best sailors.