Zach Railey

Zach Railey grew up in a family that was always around the water. And when he began sailing at age 8, that is what he liked about being on boats: "I had found a sport where I could be around and on the water, all the time." Three years later, he was on the starting line of the Optimist Worlds. His love for being on the water hadn't changed, but competition added a new layer: "I realized I had an ability to succeed at a pretty high level," said Railey. "My goal then was to become one of the best Optimist sailors in the world."

At age 16, two local Laser sailors were training for the 2000 Games. Railey sailed with them after school, and their desire for Olympic gold was contagious. That same year, Railey—whose sister Paige is also a world-class competitive sailor—and his family decided to focus on making their Olympic dreams come true. Over the years, Railey's choice of boats has changed—from Optimist to Laser to Finn—but his passion for excellence has not.

After an unsuccessful Trials in the Laser class for the 2004 Games, Railey continued studying at the University of Miami and subsequently switched to the Finn class, finding the boat better suited to his physique. When he arrived at the 2007 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, he faced venerable Finn talents—some of whom had more than a decade in the boat compared to his three years of Finn sailing. But Railey was not cowed by the competition.

"I think that for sure experience was something I had to overcome," he says of the Trials. "I went into that regatta knowing I had done everything I could to win, and it gave me an extra bit of swagger and confidence before the event began. Once we started sailing, all my training and preparation just took over: I have never wanted to win an event more in my life."
As Railey prepares for Qingdao, he reflects on the challenges and inspiration he's faced on his Olympic path. He started sailing competitively at a young age and misses a "normal" life: spending a lot of time away from home, he is not able to do all the things most 23-year-olds do. His sister Paige has been one of his greatest inspirations: "I was able to watch her rise through the ranks while I was in college and really saw what she did and how much work she put into making it happen … She was a huge part of helping me get to where I am at today."
Those making Olympic predictions need to remember one thing about Zach Railey: he likes the heat of competition. He is drawn to high-pressure situations on the water and the rigorous training needed to face them. "I like sailing in pressure situations," says Railey, "and I don’t think anything will be more pressure-packed than the Olympics."

SIGNIFICANT SAILING ACHIEVEMENTS:

In 1995, youngest sailor (age 11) to qualify and compete at the Optimist World Championships
Top-ranked U.S. Finn sailor in the ISAF World Rankings (2007)
Ranked on the US Sailing Team in two classes: Laser (2001-2004) and Finn (2005-2008)

SAILING RESUME:

2008
3rd Princess Sofia Trophy/Palma de Mallorca, Spain
5th Sail Melbourne International Regatta/Melbourne, Australia
28th Finn Gold Cup/Victoria, Australia

2007
1st U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing/Balboa, California
1st Finn Pacific Coast Championships/San Mateo, California
2nd Expert Olympic Garda/Lake Garda, Italy
3rd Finn Midwinter Championship/Ft. Laurderdale, Florida
5th Finn European Championship/Balatonfoldvar, Hungary
8th The Good Luck Beijing - 2007 Qingdao International Regatta/Qingdao, China
10th US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR/Miami, Florida
11th Syndey International Regatta/Sydney, Australia

2006
3rd Finn Midwinter Championship/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
6th Kiel Week (Kieler Woche)/Kiel, Germany
6th - The Good Luck Beijing - 2006 Qingdao International Regatta/Qingdao, China
7th – US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR

2005
2nd – Finn North Americans/Clearwater, Florida
4th – US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR

2004
4th – CORK Week/Kingston, Ontario, Canada (Laser)