Nikolas Wiggins Earns JSA High Point Award

Nikolas Wiggins, a WFC Opti Race Team sailor, was awarded the JSA High Point Award for Opti Area A! The award is presented to the Opti sailor who earned the highest percentage of wins throughout the season. Congratulations Nikolas for this well-earned accomplishment! We look forward to seeing where your future takes you!

Nikolas and his family have been a part of The WaterFront Center community since 2019, but it seems much longer than that. Nick is a young sailor who gives 110% to whatever task he is doing. Whether Nick is sailing an Opti, a C420, or volunteering, he's always committed.

Nikolas is genuinely a hard-working individual who is passionate about sailing and has grown tremendously throughout the two years he's been sailing at The WaterFront Center as an Opti Sailor. Not only did Nick race on all 3 of our youth sailing teams this fall, but his dedication to all aspects of sailing extends beyond the racecourse. Nick has volunteered during every breakdown week, which isn’t the most fun since it consists of mundane tasks that help us keep our fleet ready for the next season.

Sailing at the WFC in Nick’s blood. Nikolas grew up sailing with his grandparents, Howard and Deborah Wiggins, and hanging out on the water, kayaking, and boating. They were one of the first owners of The Oyster Bay Sailing School and helped relocate the facilities to where The WaterFront Center stands today.

Nikolas started sailing Optis in 2017, at the age of 7. In 2019 he transferred to The WaterFront Center in the spring and joined our Opti: Intro to Race program. It was during this program that Nick found his passion for sailing; his first coach, Cormac Murphy, recalls him working hard to better his boat handling during the summer and into the fall of 2019. He participated in as many Opti regattas as he could, including Shelter Island, Douglaston, The Ice Cream Cup in Centerport, The Waldo Cup at The Head of the Bay Club, JSA LIS Opti Champs, USODA Atlantic Coast Champs at Brant Beach, and New York State Opti Champs.

Even with the challenges faced in 2020, Nikolas stayed committed to sailing through The WaterFront Center’s socially distant sailing programs. He was still able to participate in New York State Opti Champs, hosted by The WaterFront Center. In the fall of 2020, Nick wanted to do more than just Opti sailing and became the youngest member of our Fall C420 program at the age of 10, attending weekday practices. Sailing in C420s gave Nick a different perspective on sailing, which strengthened his tactical knowledge and boat handling within the Opti.

When Nikolas returned in 2021 for the spring season, he once again practiced with both our Opti Race Team and our High School Sailing Team. Nick was committed to sailing six out of the seven days of the week. This past summer, he sailed with our Opti Race Team, focusing on Opti Regattas throughout the season. He participated in JSA LIS Opti Championships as well as New York State Opti Championships, both hosted by The WaterFront Center. In the fall, he stayed with our Opti Race Team, was able to join and compete with our C420 High School Sailing Team, and committed himself to our new Big Boat Race Team. He sailed seven days of the week, between regattas and practices for all three groups in September and October. Along with the High Point Award, Nick also participated in The Dinghy Shop’s Optimist Fall Series, winning the Mumm Regatta, and taking First Place in the Series as a whole!

Congratulations Nikolas! We are so proud of you, are honored to have you on our team, and look forward to seeing what else you can accomplish in the future!

If you raced alongside Nick this season and want to check how you faired in the standings, Check the link to our Fall Regatta results below!