This year’s Marine Energy Collegiate Competition (MECC) brought together 25 top colleges and universities from across the country to take on one of the world’s most urgent challenges: harnessing the power of our oceans to support a sustainable future. As the smallest college in the competition, Webb Institute was honored to place third overall, standing alongside much larger institutions like Stanford, Duke, and the University of Michigan, and earned top national recognition by winning the Community Connections Challenge for meaningful and impactful outreach.
From Vision to Reality
Over the course of several months, Webb’s MECC team worked tirelessly balancing demanding academic schedules with a rigorous competition timeline. With weekly meetings and submittals to coordinating events, the team demonstrated both engineering excellence and a great understanding to real-world application.
“This year’s project focused on developing a system that could harness wave energy to generate hydrogen as a renewable fuel,” said Michael Coppi ‘25, who led the technical design and strategy. “We looked at cost-efficiency, market needs, and technical feasibility to ensure that our solution could scale and serve the future marine industry’s needs.”
The team’s proposed system – a breakwater-mounted oscillating water column offered multiple benefits: reduced marine disruption, low installation cost, and ideal integration near ports and transportation hubs. The team also designed a data-scraping tool to analyze wave energy potential at different sites and developed market case studies for future deployment.
In addition to technical innovation, the team built a robust business case, conducted testing, and presented to judges representing the industry. They also participated in optional events such as the poster competition and quick pitch finals, further strengthening Webb’s visibility on the national stage.
People-First Engineering | Winning the Community Connections Challenge Award
Phoebe Garrett ‘25 and Juliette Schaefer ‘27, co-leads of the Community Connections team, led a multi-pronged outreach campaign. It was an intentional campaign rooted in community, mentorship, and educational access. Their strategy was designed to address a very real challenge: the disconnect between academic education and the rapidly evolving marine energy industry.
Their approach was structured around three pillars: mentorship and professional networking, interactive educational events, and digital and social media engagement
“Juliette and I approached outreach like an engineering problem,” said Phoebe Garrett ’25. “We identified the disconnect, developed a targeted solution, and brought it to life through events and experiences.”
Together, the team designed a project for Webb’s freshman programming course where students developed software to retrieve data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and calculate potential power outputs of wave energy converters at various global sites. They also organized events such as a coastal cleanup, a technical presentation to a local high school, and a middle school Engineering Day that brought over 80 students to Webb’s campus for hands-on STEM activities.
With support and funding from Webb, several team members also attended national conferences such as the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) Shipping Conference- gaining valuable exposure to industry trends, engaging with professionals, and bringing those insights back to the team to inform both outreach and technical efforts.
Additionally, members of the MECC team attended STEMapalooza at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Flatirons Campus in Colorado, an event designed to increase interest in STEM fields and inspire the next-generation workforce.
“For us, outreach was a way to bridge the gap we see between generations, classrooms, and industry,” Phoebe added. “We wanted to create momentum that extends beyond our campus by building real connections, sharing what we learned, and showing how students at a small school like Webb can be part of big conversations about marine energy.”
They made sure their work reflected an understanding of how to connect technical ideas with real-world audiences.
What’s Next
For a small, student-driven team, the results speak volumes. MECC not only tested their technical and strategic capabilities but also strengthened their leadership, project management, and communication skills. Most importantly, it showed how Webbies are already helping to shape the future of renewable energy.
“We hope our work sets the stage for future Webbies to step into spaces where we’re not always expected to thrive,” said Burke Kanemasu ’25 , who led the team’s business plan development. “ A big part of our challenge was showing how a wave energy concept could move beyond the lab and into real markets, with real users. We had to think not just like engineers, but like strategists building a path toward commercial adoption.”
The work done by Webb’s MECC team highlights what happens when technical skill meets purpose, and how even a small team can make an outsized impact on the future of marine energy.
Applying Webb’s Engineering Foundations to Composite Yacht Design at MPYD
By Thomas Motyka ’25
One of my earliest childhood memories is of my dad’s 1969 Correct Craft Mustang, a fiberglass ski boat powered by a Ford 302 V8. With its low freeboard and sleek lines, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. Truthfully, it was a bit of a clunker with most outings ending with a tow back to the dock. Despite the endless mechanical issues, I was hooked immediately. My passion for recreational boats started at a young age, and I have been fortunate to pursue that interest in my time at Webb.
I spent the winter work term of my senior year as a Naval Architecture Intern at Michael Peters Yacht Design, spending much of my time on structural design and calculations. My biggest project was developing fiberglass laminate schedules and stiffener layups for the deck of a 46-foot express cruiser, the Eclipse 455. This process allowed me to take a lap of the structural design spiral, including weight studies, construction drawings and hydrostatic checks.
In my time with MPYD I was fortunate to go on a variety of field trips around southern Florida. In my second week of work, a group of us went to check in on the construction of Tribute Custom Boat’s latest build, a 62-foot sportfish. When I visited the hull was just about done, and the crew was landing the lifting strakes on the running surface. On the same trip we attended an open house hosted by Kady-Krogen to see the MPYD designed Summit 54. I got the chance to walk this boat with MPYD’s Senior Designer and Creative Director, where he talked me through many of the challenges they encountered over the course of the design.
Later in my internship we travelled to the Miami International Boat Show, where we got to see many of MPYD’s past designs, and do recon for upcoming projects. I got the chance to get aboard the Eclipse 505, the big brother to the 455 which I spent most of my internship working on. As a fun aside, I also got to see the newly debuted Cobalt R35C. I worked on this boat extensively during my junior year internship with Bill Prince Yacht Design.
As a senior I felt prepared for this internship, and I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had in my time at Webb. The Webb curriculum is rooted in building sound engineering principles and then applying them to the marine industry. These practical applications are primarily related to the commercial shipping industry, so it was very cool to apply these engineering principles to the recreational industry. One of the most notable differences between these two sectors of the industry are the materials of choice. Most commercial vessels are made from metal, while most recreational vessels are made from composite materials. Webb’s material science and strength of material courses both address composite materials, but the brunt of the coursework is centered around steel. I developed an interest in composite structures during my junior year at Webb, and this internship with MPYD allowed me to do a deep dive into composites.
In my time at MPYD I also spent some time working with Michael Peters developing a lines plan for a 35-foot sportfish hull. Once again, this allowed me to take the concepts I learned at Webb and expand upon them. While the Webb curriculum mostly addresses the design of slower speed displacement hulls, I got the chance to draw a set of lines for a high-speed planing hull.
I am incredibly grateful to the team at MPYD for being so welcoming, and for teaching me so much in my short time there. I would like to extend a special thank you to Oscar Como ’21 and Robert Maes ’21 for taking me in and showing me around the Sarasota area.
This was my sixth internship in my time at Webb, and as I reflect on my experiences, the biggest piece of advice I can give for students entering internships is to fully commit to being involved. I went to five of my six internships alone, and while challenging at first, this forced me to get comfortable outside of the support network that I found in my classmates at Webb. Jump on every opportunity that you can, make friends with your coworkers, and force yourself to push the limits of your comfort zone.
Charting a New Course: Rayne Duff ’25 on Leadership, Legacy, and Lifting Webb Sailing to National Recognition
Meet Rayne Duff ’25, this year’s recipient of the MAISA (Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association) Student Leadership Award, a rare and remarkable honor for someone representing a small, fully student-run team like Webb Sailing. The award, one of the most prestigious recognitions in college sailing, goes beyond performance on the water. It honors leadership, sportsmanship, and meaningful contributions to the sport.
When Rayne heard his name announced at the college sailing awards ceremony, he was stunned. Representing a small, student-run team from Webb Institute, Rayne had never expected to receive recognition on such a stage. But his leadership, dedication, and commitment to growing Webb Sailing stood out. Under his leadership, Webb Sailing has grown from a modest club into a nationally competitive team, achieving milestones like cross-regional status and a Nationals appearance, all while balancing the rigorous academic demands of Webb.
In this Q&A, Rayne reflects on the journey, the challenges overcome, and the pride of building something lasting- not just for his team, but for future generations of Webbies.
1. What was your initial reaction when you found out you had been selected?
My first reaction was that I could not believe it. At the awards ceremony, we usually do not expect any Webbies to win awards. Our schedule does not allow us to participate in team racing, which is considered heavily in the awards. Although this award, which is related to uplifting college sailing in MAISA, technically does not require the sailor to team race, I was very surprised to hear my name when they announced it.
2. Can you explain what this award means to you personally, especially as someone representing a smaller school like Webb?
To me, this award really helps me realize that somebody noticed all the work that goes into helping a small team like Webb grow and become competitive. Almost all of the non-academic activities at Webb are student-run, including sailing. This brings a leadership role and large responsibility to many of us. Leadership at Webb is what gave me the responsibility to help the sailing team succeed. At the schools we are competing against, they often have multiple full-time coaches who manage the team. When we race against these teams and perform well, it shows the strength that student leadership gives to our community.
3. The award recognizes not just athletic skill, but leadership, sportsmanship, and contributions to the sport. What specific efforts or initiatives do you think stood out to the selection committee?
Looking back, it can be hard to say exactly what stood out to the selection committee. I can think of a few factors that could have contributed, so I will list them out here. The first option that comes to mind is the promotion of the Webb Sailing team to cross-regional status. Team status does not change very often, as it requires a significant change in the organization and performance of the team. Some other options that could have played a factor are consistent participation in MAISA meetings and regattas, helping promote MAISA sailing though raising the competition level at regattas, and helping Webb sailing in any way possible through the four years here. Another consideration that likely played a factor was that before 2022, Webb had not qualified for nationals since 1976. This marks a significant growth in performance for the team, and brings Webb to a wider audience on the College Sailing scene.
4. You mentioned helping bring Webb Sailing to the national level. What were some of the challenges you faced in doing that, and how did you overcome them?
To answer this question, I have to mention Payne Donaldson and Kenna Reed from the class of 2024. They revitalized Webb sailing after COVID, and helped inspire me to sail my best at every event. Their strong performance was one of the most important factors that brought us to qualifying for College Sailing Nationals in 2022. That performance was what helped our team overcome one of the most important challenges during my time at Webb: upgrading the team to cross-regional status. Cross-regional status allows Webb sailing to participate in competitive regattas against schools from other conferences during the normal sailing season. This is an amazing privilege that is only earned through good organization, communication, and performance for several seasons in a row.
5. How did you balance your academic workload at Webb with the time and energy needed to grow and support the sailing team?
Fully committing to College Sailing at Webb requires some sacrifices in either academics, sleep, or social life. During peak sailing season, particularly in the fall, there is a regatta every weekend. This means all assignments need to be done during the week. It also means that on Friday night when our classmates are celebrating the weekend, the sailing team begins another long drive to the next regatta to represent our school. All the team members choose sailing every weekend they can, highlighting the commitment of this team.
6. How has being part of the MAISA (Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association) and the larger ICSA (Inter-collegiate Sailing Association) community shaped your college experience?
One of the most rewarding aspects of participating in sailing through MAISA has been seeing old and new friends at regattas week after week. Many of the regattas we attend are with the same schools, so getting to see friends from high school who now go to those schools is a unique and special experience in College Sailing. Also, the teams near us, like SUNY and Kings Point, have been amazing supportive friends to Webb, often offering their boats to us so we can practice together. The friendship and camaraderie from those experiences is unforgettable.
7. What advice would you give to future Webb students who want to get involved in competitive sailing or help grow a program further?
My advice would simply be to go sailing! Every regatta we are looking for more people to participate. Even if you have never sailed before, the team is always happy to coach each other and bring everyone up to speed. My best example of this is Kadi Zheng ’24, who had not sailed much before Webb. By her senior year, she was one of the best sailors on the team and competed against the top crews in the country. She did this by consistently showing up to race, even when it was inconvenient for academics. I see a lot of sailors start at Webb with some sailing experience and want to get involved with racing, but sometimes the school work makes it difficult to commit the time required. Focusing on time management early every week will pave the way to racing and representing Webb on the weekends.
8. This award also nominates you for the James Rousmaniere Award at the national level. What does that broader recognition mean to you and the team?
Nomination for this award alone is an honor. Every team captain at Webb in recent years contributed to bring Webb Sailing to where it is today, and we would all feel proud to be recognized on a national level.
9. Looking back, what moment or achievement are you most proud of from your time with Webb Sailing?
What made me the most proud in my time here was the week leading up to the National Championship of 2023. That particular year, Nationals were hosted at Kings Point, which meant that we did not need to pay for housing away from Webb. This left enough money in the budget to hire a coach, Sophia Reineke, for a small training clinic before the event as well as coaching during Nationals itself. This training clinic is what made me so proud to be contributing to Webb sailing. We managed to scrape together enough sailors to get all eight 420s out on the water for several days in a row. Even people who knew they would not race at the regatta still came out to practice to help their teammates prepare for the event. Watching us come together behind a common goal for that particular event made me proud to be a Webbie, and I still look back on it as the highlight of sailing at Webb over the past four years.
10. What’s next for you after graduation — will sailing continue to play a role in your life?
I could never imagine my life without sailing. I plan on moving to Seattle after graduation to work at Elliott Bay Design Group as a naval architect, and I already have plans to participate in several sailing groups in the area. Sailing at Webb gave me a new perspective on racing that will help me to enjoy the sport for many years to come, and I hope that many Webbies have the opportunity to experience the same in the future.
Life at Sea: What they don’t tell you about life on an oil tanker
By Spencer Rankin ’27
I wake up with a jolt to see our car stopping at security gates. At about 10 at night, it’s dark and rainy out. An armed guard meets us, asking us for our ID’s and to open our bags. It’s actually happening now, I realize. I’m about to join the oil tanker I’ll be interning on for the next fifty days.
Home sweet home.
I’ve spent the last three hours in a port agent’s car driving north of Seattle to a BP refinery and port. Sitting across from me is the ship’s first assistant engineer, my direct supervisor for the next two months. Yikes. Trying my best to make conversation, I immediately stereotype him as someone who must love to hunt because he’s from Maine. Luckily, he does. I decided to leave the conversation at that and end up dozing off.
Finished scanning our IDs, the guard comes back to search our bags. He looks at mine and asks me to remove the jacket that’s folded on top. “I’m not actually allowed to touch your stuff,” he explains. So much for American security.
A new car arrives to drive us down the one-lane pier to the ship. “No phones out here,” the 1st mutters to me. They’re deemed an explosion risk around the transfer of fuel, occurring at 7,000 m3 / hour.
We climb the gangway to the ship and John shows me to my room. Home sweet home. Having just completed a 17-hour travel day, I’m tired enough to fall dead asleep. Yet, I can’t. My room is lightly vibrating, and I’m not exactly sure where in the ship, let alone the world, I am. “What have I gotten myself into?” I wonder. All I know is I’m in for an adventure.
I quickly settle in. I’m an engine cadet, which means I spend my days in the engine room learning by working alongside the ship’s engineers. All of them went to college for four years and spent 360 days working as cadets (like me) to do this. They know their stuff, and it shows. I, on the other hand, am a bit like a pet baboon. Nice to have around, perhaps, but not particularly useful.
The 3-story tall low-speed diesel engine.
My first day of work I have the unforgettable experience of helping clean excrement off the toilet eductor – the component that makes our toilets flush like on an airplane, used because it’s water efficient. I gladly move on to more enjoyable activities, like servicing pumps and greasing motor gears. It’s humbling to realize just how little I know. Halfway into my stint an MAN technician comes aboard and we open a crankcase inspection door. It’s my first time seeing inside a working low speed diesel engine. These things are huge, three stories tall, and a marvel of engineering. It occurs to me that if not for this opportunity, I would have begun designing ships without really understanding how they work. How can someone possibly design an engine without ever seeing its insides?
Our ship loads refined petroleum in northern Washington, just a few miles south of the border, and brings it down to San Francisco and LA. 600 feet long, we can carry up to 340,000 barrels of oil, which at $2.50 a gallon equates to around $35M of cargo. For that responsibility, the ship’s crew is on charter for $100,000 a day. Most crew are on 75-day rotations – 75 days of work followed by 75 days of vacation. Some have shorter rotations. This is an industry that’s serious about getting the job done.
The ship can carry 340,000 barrels of oil at a time.
The days go by at sea, each one mostly like the last. You work, you eat, and you sleep, and that’s about it. About ten days in I lose track of what day of the week it is. It makes no difference, anyways. Having quickly finished the two books I packed and resort to reading the Financial Times. My conversation starters are becoming less interesting by the day.
You can spend months out here without ever interacting with half of the ship’s 20-odd crew. The deck, engine, and steward departments have minimal working interactions, which just leaves mealtimes to socialize amongst each other. When you are eating, the licensed officers and unlicensed crew have different mess halls. You end up learning everyone’s job title – 2nd mate, pumpman, captain, bosun, etc. – but often not their name. It’s weird.
The food is edible. Beyond that, you can’t expect much. Rice and fries have become a staple in my diet, for they are reliably all right. Vegetables are sparsely consumed. I occasionally dream of the day I can visit a café and splurge on a macchiato with a madeleine again. The coffee will be warm and textured with a punch of acidity, and the madeleine sweet with crisp edges and a lemon aroma. Realizing just how outrageous my fantasies are, I decide to keep these thoughts to myself.
I’m definitely not destined for a life out here. It’s exhausting. You are temporarily removed from modern society and all the benefits that come with it. But am I glad I’m doing this? Absolutely. It’s not every day you get the chance to experience working on a 600 foot oil tanker.
Link to my blog: https://medium.com/@spencer.rankin.00
An impressive view of the 600ft oil tanker.
Webbies Triumph at Block Island and Newport-Bermuda Race
Webbies Zachary Doerr ’24 and John Feleciano ’25 have solidified their status as exceptional sailors with back-to-back victories in prestigious races, sailing NEKA Sailing’s Groupe 5.
In May, the duo braved the high seas and emerged victorious in the ORC Double-Handed Division at the 2024 Block Island Race. They skillfully navigated 186 nautical miles of light, shifty winds, overcoming strategic challenges and numerous lead changes to secure a welldeserved win at 4 AM.
Continuing their winning streak, Doerr and Feleciano recently achieved a historic victory in the Newport Bermuda Race, securing first place in their class and an impressive second in the Double-Handed Division. They crossed the finish line, completing the grueling 636-mile racecourse at Saint David’s Lighthouse after 3 days, 13 hours, 33 minutes, and 8 seconds.
Despite being the youngest crew in the entire race, the pair demonstrated exceptional skill and determination, missing the top spot by a mere four minutes. Reflecting on the experience, they described it as “the hardest thing we’ve ever done.”
Their success follows one of the missions of NEKA, or the North East Keelboat Alliance: to promote shorthanded offshore sailing to college students who without the program would not have access to this sport. NEKA provides opportunities to Webb students and other college students alike, giving a framework to learn the skills required to succeed at offshore sailing.
Offshore sailing is highly technical, requiring not just sailing skills, but also electrical, computer, engine, and structural knowledge. In addition, the sport promotes leadership, organization, and teamwork, helping to form well-rounded individuals. The Webb community is immensely proud of John’s and Zach’s remarkable achievements. Their consecutive wins are a testament to their dedication and talent, and to the spirit of Webb Institute. Congratulations to these outstanding sailors!
Webb’s Social Committee | A Year in Review
By Phoebe Garrett ’25
Over the past two years, I have served as Co-Chair of the Social Committee, a role that has provided me with the meaningful opportunity to bring Webb’s student body together outside of the classroom. As I enter my senior year and reflect on the traditions and new experiences we are able to share as a community, I recognize how these united moments encourage personal growth as well as stronger connections with one another, both of which define the unique experience integral to a Webb education.
Students at the Pie-Baking Competition
My Co-Chair this past year, Annabel Bornebusch, and I shared a common goal to celebrate student life and foster a sense of community on campus. We loved working together to execute our vision.
The commencement of the year began with a joyful Welcome Back Social geared to introduce the freshman to their new home and family- including faculty, staff, and the returning student body. Subsequent fall-semester highlights included the Halloween Party hosted by the freshman class, a faculty-judged pumpkin carving contest, and Oktoberfest.
The senior class hosted Casino Night which included lots of games, a silent auction full of fun prizes, as well as live music from the talented Max Mah ’24. The Christmas Party, our final fall-semester celebration, was a cozy gathering where students donned their pajamas, decorated gingerbread houses, and gifted each other with creative presents.
In the spring semester, we held a pie-baking competition in honor of Pi Day. The junior and sophomore classes hosted festive parties in the pub on St. Patty’s Day and Cinco de Mayo.
Michael Coppi ’25 enjoying the slip and slide.
Our biggest event of the year, Webbstock, always takes place in early June, as it represents one of the last hurrahs before final exams. This year, the front lawn served as the event venue where alumni, students, faculty, and guests enjoyed performances by 10 different bands, a playground of large inflatables slides, obstacle courses, and lawn games, as well as a snow cone machine and BBQ feast.
Finally, Gatsby was a beautiful celebration marking the conclusion of a successful school year. Seeing my peers and their guests enjoy the sun setting over the Long Island Sound in formal attire is one of my favorite memories of the year. We all enjoyed a catered Italian meal, danced to live music by a local 1920s swing band, and took lots of pictures to commemorate the night. The event would not have been as special without the generous sponsorship offered again by the Class of 2008, in loving memory of their inspiring classmate, Johanna Lee Exner. Johanna was a passionate leader during her time at Webb committed to social experiences, and her legacy continues to live on at Webb today.
Over the past year, Annabel and I have been able to be more successful in our execution of events because of the support and mentorship offered by Alyssa Caliguri, Gailmarie Sujecki, Laurie Martecchini, and Kayla Green. We would like to thank them for their dedication to enriching the social opportunities at Webb and for inspiring us with their gracious approach and benevolence. Serving on the Social Committee has underscored how the experiences students share both inside and outside of the classroom contribute to our education during the four years spent at Webb. The traditions and social opportunities encourage the student body to foster friendships, develop support networks, be present and active within our community, and find positive outlets to reduce the pressures inherent in our academic lives. Collectively, these add dimension to our education, encourage us to build life skills and lifelong relationships, and prepare us for the obstacles and adventures that await us.
As my term on the Social Committee has come to an end, I know the 2024-2025 year will be full of fun and significant moments under new leadership. I also am excited to have taken on my new position as Honor Council Chair. It is a privilege to serve in this capacity and uphold the honor code that embodies Webb and the character of its student body. As the first female student who has been elected to this role, I am excited for the opportunity and am committed to promoting a supportive and equitable environment in which Webbies continue to help each other succeed.
Thesis Spotlight | Harnessing Nature’s Dance: Vortex-Induced Vibrations and the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition
By William Calli ’24
In the relentless pursuit of sustainable energy sources, scientists and engineers have often turned their gaze toward the ocean for inspiration. One such naturally occurring process that has captured the imagination of researchers is vortex-induced vibration (VIV), a mesmerizing dance of fluid dynamics that occurs when a fluid flows past a cylindrical or streamlined structure, generating alternating vortices and causing the structure to oscillate.
In recent years, a series of Webb theses have explored utilizing this captivating natural occurrence for a noble cause: energy generation. The concept is elegantly simple yet profoundly effective. By placing structures engineered to exploit VIV in bodies of moving water, such as oceans or rivers, we can convert the kinetic energy of flowing water into electrical power.
Turning Flow into Power: Harnessing VortexInduced Vibrations with a Flutter-Foil.
The essence of VIV energy generation lies in its ability to capitalize on the Von Karman Vortex Street, a naturally occurring fluid-structure interaction. As water flows past a strategically positioned array of cylinders or flexible structures, the alternating vortices induce oscillations, which can be converted into electrical energy using various mechanisms such as piezoelectric materials, electromagnetic generators, scotch yokes, or in the case of this year’s thesis being carried out by Calli and Sanchez ’24, a rack and pinion.
The beauty of VIV-based systems lies not only in their potential to generate clean energy but also in their adaptability to diverse marine environments. Whether deployed deep below the tumultuous waves of the open ocean or immersed in the steady currents of a river, these systems can gracefully dance to the rhythm of nature, tirelessly generating power without emitting harmful greenhouse gases or depleting finite resources.
Enter the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition, a competition hosted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. For the third year in a row, this prestigious competition has invited Webb to compete among teams of students from around the country to design, build, test, and create a business case for their own marine energy devices. Webb’s entry into this competition is sure to stand out with an excellent technical design for a full-scale device, a business case centered around lowering the cost of energy for rural Alaskans, and model testing conducted as part of Calli and Sanchez’s thesis in Webb’s circulating water channel.
In the grand tapestry of our quest for sustainability, Webb thesis work on VIV-based energy generation stands as a testament to the ingenuity of Webb students and the powerful lessons to be learned from nature.
Webb Exchange | One Student’s Journey
I’m Lisandro Nicoletti, a Brazilian studying at the University of Southampton, UK. I chose to do a semester abroad so as to experience the excitement of my first day at university for a second time, and I chose to do this at Webb Intitule in order to become a part of its well-known alumni community.
As an exchange student, my journey has been full of new experiences. If I had to pick a favourite day at Webb, it would probably be when we hosted the Engineers Cup. We spent the whole day on the water sailing with other marine-engineering-related colleges and universities. And following the sailing, I organized a traditional Brazilian barbecue at the yacht club for everyone.
Lisandro with members of the Class of 2024 at a fellow classmate’s hockey game.
Beyond campus, Webb Institute sponsored me to attend many events, including the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held in Houston, and Broadway shows organized by Webb’s Culture Club.
Looking back, I got to experience many things for the first time, from carving through the slopes of Vermont during the annual ski trip, to seeing an eclipse from a classmate’s hometown, and even scuba diving in the Dominican Republic during spring break. More recently, we as a class had the opportunity to go watch a classmate’s hockey game.
As the semester came to an end, I found myself looking back at all the lifelong memories and friendships, and all the invaluable professional experience I gained over my time at Webb. I can proudly say that in just one semester I gained the title of a “Webbie” – thank you Class of 2024.
Webb Institute Celebrates Historic First National Championship | Daniel Escudero ’25 Clinches College Singlehanded Sailing Title
Webb Institute is proud to announce a historic first in our school’s history. Daniel Escudero ’25 has secured the national title at the 2024 ICSA Open Singlehanded National Championships, earning Webb its first-ever national championship. Competing against elite sailors from universities with legacy sailing programs, including Harvard, Yale, and Brown, Daniel emerged as the men’s champion, securing the Glen S. Foster Trophy on November 10 in St. Petersburg, FL.
Daniel Escudero ’25 wins the Glen S. Foster Trophy – pictured with fellow sailors and competitors, Guthrie Braun ’26 (Brown) and Mathias Reimer ’27 (Yale).
The two-day competition hosted the top 18 sailors out of the 103 in the nation that raced in qualifying stages. Beginning with light, shifty winds on day one on Tampa Bay, the conditions tested each competitor’s adaptability and skill, as they navigated through eight races. Despite the challenging environment, Daniel ended the first day in second place, closely trailing Brown University’s Martins Atilla by only seven points.
On day two, as the breeze and sea state picked up, Daniel surged to the top of the leaderboard, using a strong third-place finish early in the day to gain momentum. With three races left in the series, he extended his lead and ultimately clinched the championship title.
Webb Institute President Mark Martecchini expressed great pride in Daniel’s accomplishment, noting,
Daniel, who balances a rigorous course load in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, has demonstrated remarkable tenacity both in the classroom and on the water.
Reflecting on his achievement, Daniel shared,
The 2024 College Sailing Open and Women’s Singlehanded National Championships saw Sophia Montgomery ’25 of Harvard University win the Women’s title, with competitors in both fleets facing a mix of variable and demanding conditions. Daniel’s triumph also follows his earlier success this year when he captured the ILCA 7 North American Championship, highlighting his standing as one of the most skilled sailors in the collegiate circuit.
Glen S. Foster Trophy – Men’s Championship Final Standings:
- Daniel Escudero ’25, Webb Institute
- Guthrie Braun ’26, Brown University
- Mathias Reimer ’27, Yale University
Photo Credit: Lexi Pline / College Sailing
Class of 2026 Recreates Famous Artwork
Each year, Professor Richard Harris’s Western Culture II class participates in an art project that challenges students to recreate an illustration or painting.
This year, the Class of 2026 recreated artwork from the post-Impressionist period or later from artists such as Jeff Foster, Tim Layzell, and Charles Davis. The class is designed to help students develop their critical eye and appreciation for art and the sense of composition and color.
Students carefully study the original work, break them down and recreate them using their own techniques and understanding. They paid attention to details that might otherwise be overlooked – translating into their own creative process.
Upon completion, the students’ work was exhibited in the Visconti Reception Room during graduation week, June 10-17. The exhibit was a testament to their creativity and hard work.
(In no particular order)
