Meet Sara Stone

Sara Stone is a professional sailor competing at the top level of the sport, both inshore and offshore. Inspired by the all-female Team SCA in the 2014–2015 Volvo Ocean Race, she shifted her career path from epidemiology to pursue sailing. After officially transitioning away from her previous career in 2018, she slowly began to get opportunities with different teams, saying yes to everything.

In 2022, she put together her own offshore project as a skipper for the Newport–Bermuda Double-Handed Return Race and went on to win overall, earning recognition as a 2022 U.S. Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year finalist. In 2024, she was named skipper and port-side trimmer for the American Magic women’s team in the first Women’s America’s Cup, and in 2025 became the first female navigator to win the TP52 World Championship.

Sara races in a variety of positions depending on the boat and the team. Sometimes she races on the bow, in the middle of the boat, as a trimmer, or as the navigator. Sara has previously raced with teams including RC44 Team Aqua, the Ocean50 trimaran Upwind by MerConcept, the U.S. SailGP Team, and the U.S. Olympic Nacra 17 program.

So, How Did Sara Get into the Navigator Roll?

Recently, she shared her pathway and gave advice on Instagram, inviting her followers to ask her anything and everything to do with navigation. Read on to learn from Sara and gain the confidence to step into the roll yourself. Take it away, Sara!

How to Start Navigating

Doing offshore deliveries is a great way to get time on a boat while sailing, and to explore the software on board while getting real-time data into the system. Plus, having someone on board with you will give them time to explain things!

If you’re racing inshore but in a different position, bring a spare hard drive and ask if you can take a voice recording of the navigator. Then, you can rewatch drone or onboard video with the audio and start learning the comms—what is being said, when it is being said, and who the info is directed to.

If you’re interested in offshore, investing in software like Expedition or Adrena, and then following a race like the Transpac or Newport to Bermuda while running your own routings and comparing them to what happens in reality is a cool way to practice.

If you’re not on a boat, taking online classes and watching YouTube videos on things like weather, basic marine systems, intro to electrical systems, and calibrations are great ways to start learning how the pieces fit together.

Go sailing as much as you can—in any position! Even with a tablet, you need to contribute to boat handling, especially when something goes wrong. The more you understand every position around you and what they need to do, the better you will be as a navigator.

Real questions from sailors interested in navigating!

Q&A with Sara:

Q: What mistakes taught you the most in your development as a navigator?

A: Don’t trust that the instruments will always work—or that they’re always accurate. You need to filter everything through your own sailing knowledge. More importantly, the entire system can crash, so you have to be prepared to navigate manually at any point. That means tracking your headings on port and starboard, both upwind and downwind, knowing your tacking and gybing angles, and understanding current and wind shear so you can still get around the course without electronics.

Q: What advice do you have for novice navigators?

A: Check, double-check, and triple-check everything—and then have a backup plan ready.

Make sure you’re constantly confirming the course axis, start time, and mark locations. Compare your boat computer heading to a handheld compass and any other systems you’re using, like Vakaros. Just as important, ask yourself if the numbers actually make sense. Compare what you’re seeing on the screen with what you’re seeing and feeling on the water, and encourage your team to speak up if something looks off.

Often, one bad number is the first sign that the rest of the system can’t be trusted—and that you may need to switch to manual navigation.

Q: How do you approach communication while on board? 

A: A lot of navigation communication is shorthand and timing.

In the pre-start, I’ll say things like:
“5 under pin lay” — we have 5 boat lengths until we’re on the pin layline, including the tack
“30 kill boat” — we’re 30 seconds early to the boat end and need to burn time

Around the course, it shifts more into timing and strategy:
“3 and 4” — 3 minutes on our current tack and 4 minutes on the other tack to reach the next mark

“Run square 325” — the downwind leg has an axis of 325°. If the true wind is also 325, both gybes should be equal, but if the wind shifts, one side becomes longer and the other shorter

Just as important as what you say is when and how you say it. Managing tone and volume—especially in the pre-start—is huge. The goal is to give the team exactly the information they need, at the right moment, so they can make the best decisions.

Q: Recommendations for learning offshore strategy, fleet management, and weather?

A: One of the best ways to learn is to do weather routing at home while a real race is happening, then compare the routes you chose to what actually plays out.

Most routing software has sample polars, so you can simulate different boats like an IMOCA 60 or TP52 and practice real decision-making. It’s especially useful during transatlantic or long-distance races, where you can follow how the fleet positions itself over time. You can also use Virtual Regatta offshore to practice in real time.

If you want to go deeper, there are structured resources like Marine Weather University (paid), along with books like Modern Marine Weather that are great for building a foundation.

Q: Why did you choose navigation over other roles?

A: I started out on the bow and mid-bow, learning the mechanics on a variety of boats. At the time, I didn’t have a strong understanding of tactics or sail trim, but I was detail-oriented and picked up the systems and processes quickly.

As I kept racing, I moved into the pit and then trimming, and my understanding of boat handling and tactics improved. Offshore sailing pushed that even further, since you have to do everything—including navigation—so I started learning the software and electronics.

Eventually, I got an opportunity to step into an inshore navigation role with American Magic and Quantum Racing, and I went for it.

Q: For inshore navigation, what do you focus on most?

A: Starts are a huge priority, so I focus heavily on communication and accuracy in the pre-start, along with time-to-layline and layline precision during short courses.

But before calling a layline, you always need to look at the bigger picture. Consider wind shear, potential shifts, and where the pressure is on the course. If conditions are changing, they can significantly impact whether a layline call is actually correct.

3 Key Takeaways

• Learn while you are not navigating—virtually or during offshore deliveries with real-time data
• Learn from those around you—ask questions, record a navigator during a race, and re-listen (with permission, of course!)
• Say YES – sail anything and everything, in any position.

Looking for more?

Learn more from Sara HERE
Follow Sara on Socials HERE