KINGSTON, R.I. – June 30, 2025 – For the first time in nearly a decade, the University of Rhode Island club sailing team finished its season with two Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association All-Americans.

Kerem Erkmen ’25 was named to the 2025 Open Skipper All-American Team and Abbie Chipps ’25 earned a spot on the 2025 Crew Honorable Mention All-American Team. The two also earned New England Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association awards this season with Erkmen named an All-NEISA First Team Open Skipper and Chipps an All-NEISA First Team Open Crew.

Erkmen is the first URI sailor to earn All-American honors since Rachel Bryer in 2016, and just the third in the last 15 years. He was also an Honorable Mention All-American last season.

“What’‘s important to understand is that we are the only club team that receives these awards throughout the whole ICSA,” said URI club sailing head coach Joakim Karlsen. “When you look at the other teams out there, we’re an outlier, but it’s possible for a team with our structure to be fighting among the top teams in the nation. Abbie and Kerem work hard, come to practice every day, and set a great example for the rest of our sailors.”

In the New England Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association, URI is one of several club teams competing against varsity-level colleges and universities but URI was the only club team among that group in 2024-25 to earn postseason accolades. This year, the Rams ranked as high as 10th in the ICSA national coed poll – one of six NEISA teams to crack the top 10 and the only club team to accomplish that feat.

After finishing sixth in the Open Eastern National Championship Semifinal Regatta in May, URI qualified for the Open Fleet National Finals in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, and finished 14th among the 18 teams competing for a national championship. Chipps served as crew for 19 regattas in 2024–25 while Erkmen was skipper in 18 races, both providing leadership and setting an example for their younger teammates, Karlsen said.

“Abbie and Kerem have shown the other sailors on the team that if you practice hard, race hard, and do all the right things, you will be rewarded,” Karlsen said. “That’s an important lesson for those following in their footsteps.”

A Seattle, Washington, native, Chipps transferred from George Washington University during the second semester of her sophomore year and said she began dreaming of earning All-American honors the moment she set sail at URI.

“I remember being at a regatta down in Charlestown sitting on a coach boat with one of my teammates and as another boat sailed past us, she whispered to me, ‘See that girl crewing? She’s an All-American,’” Chipps said.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind, but I think if you told my freshman-year self that it was real, she wouldn’t believe it. I was very stressed about the list before it came out. I just kept reminding myself that I had already put in the work and was proud of our accomplishments, regardless of the committee’s choices, and, obviously, I was ecstatic and relieved when I got the news.

“It’s a testament to how much work that me, Kerem, Joakim, and the rest of the team have put in this year. I’m just so humbled that my name will forever be on a plaque on our team wall along with so many amazing sailors that have come before us.”

Narrowly missing out on being named an All-American in 2023–24 was enough motivation for Erkmen to take his performance to the next level as a senior. Erkmen’s leadership on and off the water set the tone for the Rams in 2024–25 and both the NEISA and ICSA voting committees took notice when choosing their year-end awards.

“Being named an All-American this year is an incredible honor and a meaningful way to close out my sailing career at URI,” said Erkmen, who is from Istanbul, Turkey. “After earning Honorable Mention last year, I was motivated to keep improving and push myself to earn the award again. This recognition feels like the culmination of years of hard work and personal growth, both on and off the water. It means a lot for someone from a club team to receive this kind of recognition. My time with the team has come to an end, but I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished, and I wish Joakim and the team the best of luck next season.”

Michael Parente, director of communications and marketing in the URI Division of Student Affairs, wrote this news release.