Meet Knee Deep, the Watershed Sailing Team

You guys, we got a boat. Well, sort of. We are sponsoring a sailing team and, one day, if we’re lucky, they might even let us on board!

Here’s how it happened:

We connected with local Watershed fans, Brett and Katie Langolf, who happen to captain a competitive sailing team made up of adventurous friends, family and crew. Even their daughters, age 9 and 11, take part! (We happen to love their hashtag #morekidsonsailboats.) They race their 34-foot boat, Knee Deep, in organized, competitive races throughout the Great Lakes region, some of them lasting through multiple nights or across multiple state/international lines.

This is not your casual sailing situation, though they do a good bit of that too out of love for the water and the sport.

Brett and Katie, along with the rest of the crew, have become highly decorated competitors and are often among the youngest to win some of the races they compete in. 

The partnership was a no brainer when we got to know the Langolfs – an adventurous spirit and admiration for the great outdoors (and perhaps a healthy competitive drive) fuels both of our teams, and a synergy blossomed.

Next thing you know, we’re raising co-branded sailing flags and studying up on nautical vocab, while the Knee Deep crew sips Watershed Old Fashioned after a long day on the water. Okay, we’re all sipping Old Fashioned after a long day.

Throughout the summer, Brett and Katie have been documenting their races, favorite harbor stops, an admirable snack bin, trophies and crew pics. They compile their videos on a Youtube channel, so you can see what it’s like to haul ass on the open water with the best of ‘em.

The Knee Deep season kicks off in late May with some tune up races in Sandusky Bay.

On June 7, the crew competed in the Mills Trophy Race, the largest race in Lake Erie and one of the oldest. ‘This is a drink from the trophy kinda race,” according to Brett. “We have done five,” he says, “and have five Top Five finishes.” It’s an extremely technical and difficult race. This year, Knee Deep finished 4th, five seconds behind 3rd place after 9+ hours of sailing.

There’s a Father’s Day race in mid-June in Sandusky Bay, followed by stops in Detroit and Port Huron to prepare for the Bayview Mackinac Race.

Over 4th of July weekend, while the rest of us were parked in lawn chairs taking down hot dogs, the Knee Deep crew completed a 100 Mile Night race along Canadian and American shores in Lake Huron, “dodging 1,000 foot shipping freighters and finishing in the fastest fresh water current in the world,” according to Brett. The took first in this Lake Huron International Championship.

From there, everyone gears up for “the big one,” Bayview Mackinac Race, recognized as the most challenging freshwater race in the world, in which boats sail Michigan’s Great Lakes from Port Huron to Mackinac Island.

“For the last five races, out of up to 250 boats, I have been the youngest skipper each year,” says Brett.

It’s an illustrious race with a deep seeded history spanning nearly 100 years.

According to legend (and, okay, Wikipedia), President Franklin D. Roosevelt once wired a message to Bayview Yacht Club during World War II when word reached the White House that the club was considering canceling the race. The message? “Sail your race.”

The race was completed that year and has been raced continually since 1925, making it the longest consecutively run freshwater race in the world.

This year was a special one for the Knee Deep crew, who’s hard work, calculated efforts and impeccable Watershed gear led them to a third place finish.

The rest of the summer’s racing schedule calms down a bit. There’s a full moon race around Kelley’s Island in Lake Erie, a Sunday Series and some Labor Day races in Sandusky and Port Clinton.

It’s a packed summer schedule for Brett, Katie and crew, but we’ve enjoyed being along for the journey in spirit(s).

See more photos and videos on the Knee Deep website.