While Christopher Newport looks forward to the return of intercollegiate competitions, our friends at TowneBank are partnering with CNUsports.com to spend some time throughout the fall semester looking back at a few of the more memorable moments in the storied history of the athletic department. Over the course of the next three months, the Captains will honor the anniversary of three dozen record-setting accomplishments, championship-clinching victories, and other historic events in order to celebrate the past while preparing for even more great moments in the future.
 
AT A GLANCE
 
Having made a tremendous journey across the globe to compete for Christopher Newport University sailing, Vir Menon saw his career culminate in a national championship experience during his junior season. On November 4, 2018, Menon wrapped up his first of a record-setting two appearances at the InterCollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Singlehanded National Championship. The India native became the first Captain since 1990 to compete for a sailing national championship, finishing 13^th overall.
 
BACKSTORY
Born and raised in Bangalore, the capital city of India's southern state of Karnataka, Menon lived amongst a population of over 12 million people six hours from a body of water capable of hosting sailing regattas. A megacity well-known round the world as a global technology center, Bangalore is about as far from a sailing hotbed as can be found on Earth. That would not stop Menon, a third-generation sailor, from going after his dream to become the first Indian to qualify in the Laser fleet for the Olympic Games.
 
A sailor since eight years old, Vir followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Raja Menon, a Navy Admiral, and his father, Aditya Menon. Prior to coming to Christopher Newport, Menon had already competed amongst the world's best sailors at championship events across the globe, but he wanted his journey to include collegiate sailing. As he came of age, his interest in competing in college grew due to the focus on both academics and competitive sailing as a joint experience in the United States.
 
Head coach Maxwell Plarr eyed Menon for the Captains while scouring potential recruits. After "touring" Christopher Newport online and discussing his sailing opportunity with Plarr via Skype, he eventually committed to the Newport News-based program. Fast forward to his junior year as a Captain and a record-breaking career was unfolding for the single-handed sailing star.
 
REGATTA RECAP
Only 18 sailors nationwide qualify for the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Singlehanded National Championship and oftentimes there are only a couple in-season regattas during the Fall to hone your skills before a qualifying event. For Menon and the Captains, finishing in the top-five at the Carl Van Duyne MAISA Singlehanded Conference Championship was the gateway to nationals. After finishing 9^th as a freshman and just missing qualifying as a sophomore with a 6^th place finish, Menon was more determined than ever heading into his third year.
 
In 2018, the number of chances to compete in singlehanded events was shortened even further due to Hurricane Florence wiping out one of Menon's final tune-up opportunities before the conference championship regatta. He had finished third at the Laser South in a fleet of 20 sailors, but without another chance to compete, the CNU junior would have to put it all on the line at the Van Duyne.
 
The Captains leader never finished lower than eighth in the 14-race event, and finished in the top five in seven of the 14 completed races. Menon held the lead after the first four finishes and picked up a win in the ninth race as well. After it all, he was able to secure a fourth-place effort with 72 total points to qualify for nationals.
 
Looking ahead at the ICSA Singlehanded National Championships held on November 3-4, 2018, Menon and the Captains knew it would be a challenging setting for him especially, as the fleet would take the water on Macataway Bay in Michigan. The chilling temperatures were a stark contrast to the tropical climate of India where Vir had learned to sail and even far different than the mild waters of Hampton Roads where he spent three years preparing for this opportunity. Plarr challenged Menon with ice bath puzzles to improve cognitive function in cold temperatures, film sessions to study, along with his usual personal workouts in his room with a hiking bench where he practiced proper boat positioning for hours at a time.
 
All the hard work culminated in the championship appearance where Menon started slow in just 17^th place after the first three races, but shot up to 13^th after a momentum-shifting turn halfway through the first day. With 93 points after the first eight races, Menon was not far behind the top-ten heading into the second day of action. With just six more races completed on the second day, Menon posted two more top-ten finishes and closed out a 13^th-place finish in his championship debut.
 
 
POSTSCRIPT
Facing freezing air temperatures all weekend, Menon was not accustomed to the unique conditions that met the competitors in 2018. He acclimated himself nicely in his first career championship event and finished ahead of five of the nation's most elite talents in singlehanded sailing, but was not satisfied. He returned as a senior and set a new standard of success for Christopher Newport sailing as the first ever two-time qualifier to the national championship event.
 
In 2019, the senior star captured an eighth place finish, moving his marker five spots on the leaderboard before closing out his collegiate career. His effort was shy of a top-five finish by just 31 points as he looked more than capable of competing amongst the best wearing the royal blue and silver burgee of Christopher Newport University.
 
Following his graduation, Menon moved on to serve as Laser Coach at the Hampton Yacht Club while continuing to compete.
 
Menon was the second Captain ever to qualify for the singlehanded national championship. In 1990, Brian Huntsman finished second at the MAISA Mono Championships and qualified for the championship event. Ironically, Huntsman's Singlehanded National Championship appearance was also in Michigan.
 
Sailing under first-year head coach Dale Hinman, Huntsman made history as the first ever national qualifier for the Captains as the team also qualified for the Sloop Nationals. Huntsman has gone on to make a career out of sailing with stints as the head coach at St. Augustine Prep as well as at the Ocean City Yacht Club. He competed as a member of the US Sailing Team from 1993-95 and again from 1997-98.
 
 
For a full listing of the fall 2020 features published to date, click here.