Salty Dips Episode 7: High-Performance Sailing Programmes with Ben Mumford
High-performance sailing does not just happen. It begins with a clear goal, committed sailors, good coaching, and the willingness to keep learning.
In Salty Dips Episode 7, Chris Maier speaks with Ben Mumford of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club about building serious Corinthian sailing programmes. Ben shares his path from Nanaimo dinghy sailing and instruction to Martin 242s, Stars, match racing, Mum 30s, One Design 35s, Six Metres, IC37s, and the Santa Cruz 70 All of It.
He also tells the story of the 2025 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational. It is an exciting account of preparation, adversity, and the resilience of a team that has 'put in the reps'.
Meet Ben Mumford
Ben brings a broad racing background to every programme he joins. He won the 2012 Martin 242 North American Championship and placed second at the 2017 Six Metre Worlds. He has raced numerous Star-class events, match-raced in the Pacific Northwest and Bermuda, and competed in Farr 40s, One Design 35s, J/105s, and other one-design classes.
In 2025, Ben helped lead a Royal Vancouver Yacht Club team at the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational. More importantly Ben was an architect of the programme well ahead of the big event - as early as 2021. The team overcame a collision and a major boat change to finish third. Ben now mentors Joy Dahlgren and the Cascadia Sailing Team as they prepare for the Women’s Invitational. He is also campaigning the Santa Cruz 70 All of It, which placed second in the 2026 Swiftsure International Yacht Race.
Key Navigational Marks
[00:00:36] Welcome to Episode 7: Ben Mumford of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club
[00:01:15] The CV: Martin 242 North Americans, Six Metre Worlds, Star-class racing, and the New York Yacht Club Invitational
[00:03:39] The Invitation: Ben’s 2025 team and the road to the podium
[00:04:42] There Is Always More to Learn: From the rubber boat to building a programme
[00:05:30] Aubrey Meyer and the Rise of Royal Vancouver’s Sailing Programme
[00:07:08] Moving Up: From smaller one-design boats to the IC37
[00:09:54] The Youth Pathway: Bringing dinghy sailors into bigger boats
[00:12:04] Building a Programme: Coaching, commitment, and Corinthian sailing
[00:17:26] The Coaching Effect: Skills clinics and starting practice
[00:19:32] Small Boat, Big Boat: How the Mumm 30 and Santa Cruz 70 connect
[00:21:37] From Dinghies to Offshore: Giving young sailors their first big-boat experience
[00:23:22] Swiftsure: Navigation, teamwork, and keeping the hammer down
[00:25:16] Looking Ahead: All of It and the 2027 Transpac
[00:27:14] The Long Road: Nanaimo, instruction, 2.4-style one-design sailing, Stars, and match racing
[00:31:19] Six Metres: Rebuilding, redesigning, and racing
[00:33:09] Favourite Boats and Formats: Why one-design racing keeps pulling Ben back
[00:37:12] The Salty Dip: The New York Yacht Club Invitational resilience story
[00:48:58] Clubs Working Together: Building the Next Generation
[00:51:03] Mentors and Influences: Richard Clarke and the Generous Sailing Community
[00:54:38] Closing: Swiftsure and the 2027 Van Isle 360
From Nanaimo to High-Performance Keelboats
Ben’s sailing story began in Nanaimo. His father introduced him to the sport, and he started sailing a small dinghy when he was 12 or 13. He completed his instructor courses and became a sailing instructor in Gabriola and Nanaimo at 15 and 16. His next step was one-design racing. He sailed Martin 242s and Stars, then moved into higher-performance racing through the Victoria sailing community. Match racing became another important part of his development. Alex Fox, Dalton Berg, Ben Glass, and the Seattle Challenge team all influenced Ben during this period.
That experience led to Farr 40s, One Design 35s, J/105s, Six Metres, and larger offshore boats. His path was not linear. Each class added a new set of skills and expanded his understanding of crew work, boat handling, and competition.
Ben’s experience also showed why smaller and larger boats belonged in the same development conversation. Skills learned in an Elliott could transfer into a Farr 30 or Mumm 30. The Mumm 30 then offered a practical bridge into larger crewed keelboats.
Building the Programme
Ben values the Corinthian model. He wants sailors to learn together, apply the coaching, and improve as a team. That requires a programme. The team needs goals, training opportunities, events, defined roles, and a commitment to show up. The class can change, but the development process remains.
Ben explains that coaching now sits alongside racing as one of the most rewarding parts of the programme. Skills clinics and starting clinics give sailors a shared foundation. They also create more opportunities for club members to participate, improve, and stay engaged.
Aubrey Meyer is central to that progress at Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Ben describes Aubrey as a driving force who brought energy and direction to the club’s sailing programme. His clinics and skills challenges help sailors improve across the fleet. The effect reaches beyond one team. Sailors take the lessons to their own boats. They share the knowledge with other crews. The overall level rises.
The Youth Pathway
Ben is building a genuine route from dinghy sailing into larger keelboats. Young sailors from junior training programmes come on board All of It for Wednesday-night sailing, or regattas such as Southern Straits, and Swiftsure. The process is practical. The crew holds a briefing, assigns positions, goes sailing, and reviews the session afterwards. Young sailors learn about loads, crew work, communication, and the demands of a larger boat. In 2026, All of It carried eight or nine sailors under 25 for Swiftsure, including a 17-year-old. Ben wants these sailors to gain the kind of experience that first drew him into big-boat sailing.
The result is already visible. Sailors from the IC37 programme have moved into other major events, including Newport to Bermuda and TP52 sailing. The programme becomes a launch point.
Small Boats and Big Boats
Ben sees a strong connection between the Mumm 30 and the Santa Cruz 70. The boats differ in size, but many of the fundamentals remain familiar.
The sail handling, crew positions, sheets, guys, foredeck work, and communication all translate. The Santa Cruz 70 is effectively a much larger version of the same crew-work conversation.
The Mumm 30 also makes regular training more realistic. A Wednesday-night session on the Santa Cruz 70 can involve a significant amount of work for limited sailing time. The smaller boat allows a core group to sail more often and focus on learning something each time they leave the dock.
Swiftsure and the 2027 Transpac
The 2026 Swiftsure result reflects the value of the programme. Ben credits navigator Stuart Dahlgren with excellent strategic decision-making and navigation. He also highlights the team’s consensus to keep the boat moving when the conditions became demanding. The crew had different levels of experience on the Santa Cruz 70. Some sailors had limited time on the boat. Others brought offshore knowledge. The team stayed safe, communicated well, and made the decision together to keep the pressure on.
The next major goal is the 2027 Transpac. Ben also identifies the California Coastal Cup and other offshore events as possible future objectives. The Santa Cruz 70 remains focused on the West Coast while the programme develops.
The Salty Dip: Resilience at the New York Yacht Club Invitational
So, there I was...
Three years of preparation had gone into the 2025 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational. The team had trained through a winter of relentless rain. The team arrived with a realistic goal of fifth place. A podium finish was the stretch goal. After the first two races, they had two sixth-place results and felt they had more to give.
Then came the collision.
In this episode's dip, Ben shares the incredible story of resilience, perseverance and a long night of prep. Listen to the full episode to hear all about it. It's no secret: They returned to racing and finished third overall. Ben credits the New York Yacht Club staff for their support. He also credits the crew for applying the lessons from Richard Clarke and Eric Champagne under pressure. The experience created a lasting trickle-down effect. The sailors could now share those lessons with other teams and the next generation at Royal Vancouver.
Closing Thoughts
Ben’s story is about more than results. It is about the people who make improvement possible. He recognises generous mentors such as Richard Clarke, who has offered direct advice from Ben’s early match-racing years through the latest high-performance programmes. He also recognises the clubs, coaches, sailors, and organisers who keep creating opportunities.
The lesson is clear. Strong programmes develop sailors, not just boats. They create competition, camaraderie, and a reason for people to keep coming back.
That vision extends across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. It is the same approach that supports the global sailing community: set a goal, prepare properly, learn together, and give the knowledge back.
Expect More from Ben and All of It
Ben Mumford returns to the starting line with All of It, the Santa Cruz 70, and a team that continues to grow. The 2027 Transpac is in sight. More offshore ambitions are taking shape. At the same time, the next generation is moving forward. Dinghy sailors are gaining big-boat experience. IC37 sailors are earning opportunities in major programmes. Clubs are working together. Coaches are sharing knowledge.
That is the real return. Every race brings new lessons back to the club, the fleet, and the sailors who are preparing for what comes next.
Listen to Salty Dips Episode 7 and be the first to know what is forthcoming from Black Wolf Racing. You can also learn more about the 2027 Van Isle 360 Black Wolf Edition.
Disclaimer: The safety information and advice shared in this article are for general guidance and information only. Every skipper and vessel operator is solely and ultimately responsible for the safety of their crew, boat, and decisions made on the water. All skippers must ensure they are fully informed, exercise their own judgment, and comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and race rules. Readers should do their own research and consult with qualified professionals as needed, as situations on the water can vary widely and may require different actions.
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