Now in its sixth year, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s women’s sailing team is welcoming a new leader.

Luke Hubert has served as assistant coach of the team since 2011, but this year, he’ll take helm of the program.

The Dartmouth High sailing alumnus and instructor at the New Bedford Community Boating Center began his sailing career at a young age. His parents were not involved in the sport at all, but growing up alongside Dartmouth’s waters had a huge influence on Hubert.

“It was hard to avoid getting excited about the sport,” Hubert said.

When he was 10 years old, he asked his parents to enroll him in sailing lessons at the New Bedford Yacht Club, and they agreed. He stuck with the club for eight years, and later joined Dartmouth High’s sailing team, where he climbed the ranks to captain.

When Hubert took the assistant coaching position under Head Coach Jerry Jennings in 2011, the initial crop of sailors had no experience in the water. That’s still true today, to some extent. For some, it is indeed their first exposure to the sport, but the team is also becoming a destination for sailors in the region.

“Now we have a hierarchy of older sailors helping out the younger sailors learn and grow, and we have talented recruits this year,” Hubert said.

The Corsairs have tough competition in the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA), facing off against everyone from small club teams to powerhouses like Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The past two years have been the most successful in the team's history. In 2016, the Corsairs gained three Top 10 finishes in the NEISA competition, and took eighth place in a 20-boat fleet at the Savin Hill Central Regatta. In 2017, the team secured a second-place team finish in the Wesleyan Invitational.

This season, Hubert is eyeing a strong performance from Shannon McKeown and Isabel Rombult, both returning athletes with a strong track record.

“We rely on them a lot to have a stand out season and to share their knowledge,” Hubert said.

He also hopes to extend the program’s reputation and exposure in the community through partnerships with the Community Boating Center, as well as secure a place at the facility to host home meets, as there is currently no venue for such events.