Franny Charles is sailing through life. Sailing ever since he can remember, he naturally joined the sailing team after he was accepted to Tufts University in Medford, MA. Since then, his main boats of choice have been 110s, 210s and Stars. Seventeen years ago, he found the perfect vessel to share his passion for sailing as Sailing Master of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nautical Association (MITNA). His favorite part of the job is “working with very smart people who never stop asking questions. Students always want to learn more.” His passion is clearly contagious, as he has watched the MITNA develop into a fleet of 85 boats, 40 sailing team members and 2,000 recreational members; a growth of 60% since he started. He has big plans to also make it the best in the country. In the next three years, his goal is to renew all of the sailing fleets and rededicate them on a new floating dock system. “It’s an interesting challenge,” he says of the multi-billion dollar project. Despite this huge undertaking, he still has time to serve as Chief Umpire at US SAILING events. His next gig will be in August in Erie, PA, at the U.S. Team Racing Championship where he has arranged for 21 umpires to volunteer. For him, umpiring is a natural fit, as his collegiate coaching experience has trained him to anticipate a sailor’s moves before they happen and to position himself accordingly. No doubt Franny is in a great position to keep our sport going strong.