JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former Jacksonville University sailor has reached the top of her sport, years after arriving at JU with dreams of one day competing on the world stage.
Charlotte Rose, a 2022 Jacksonville University graduate, recently won the 2026 ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. She became the first American woman to win the event since Paige Railey in 2005.
More than 100 boats competed in this year’s world championship, making Rose’s victory one of the biggest accomplishments of her sailing career.
Rose joined WOKV with Kristine Bellino alongside JU Head Sailing Coach Jon Faudree to talk about the win and the path that took her from college sailing in Jacksonville to becoming a world champion.
From Texas to Jacksonville
Rose grew up in Houston, Texas, about an hour away from the Gulf of Mexico. Her introduction to sailing started with family weekends on the water before her parents signed her up for a Learn to Sail summer camp.
By around 13 years old, she had moved into the ILCA 6, the type of boat she still races today. Rose said she has wanted to go to the Olympics since she was a kid.
That goal also played a part in her decision to attend JU. When she was looking at colleges, Rose wanted a program that would allow her to compete for the university while still working toward the Olympics.
She said Faudree was one of the few coaches she spoke with who fully supported that plan.
For Faudree, Rose’s success was not exactly a surprise. Before she even arrived at JU, he had followed her career as a young sailor.
Once she joined the university, Rose became a two-time national champion and finished on the podium at the national championship all four years.
“I knew the sky was the limit for her,” Faudree said, pointing to her work ethic and competitive nature.
At JU, Rose earned a degree in kinesiology with a minor in psychology while balancing college competition with training and traveling with the U.S. Sailing Team.
College sailing also forced her to adjust to a different type of competition. ILCA 6 sailing is done alone, while much of college sailing involves two people working together in one boat. Faudree compared the difference to indoor and beach volleyball: similar sports, but with different skills and strategies.
Becoming a world champion
Rose described the world championship as one of the hardest events to win in her class, along with the Olympic Games. The competition lasts several days and moves to a different location around the world each year, giving sailors different conditions to deal with.
This year’s event took place in Dublin Bay, where Rose had a strong week and spent most of the competition in first place.
Going into the final races, she knew she was close to winning but tried not to think too far ahead.
After crossing the finish line, Rose said she was still unsure whether she had officially done it.
“Did I win?” she remembered asking.
She had.
Rose said she was in shock before the excitement finally set in.
“I think I was just super, super happy,” she said. “I had a really strong week of sailing, and I took a lot of confidence going into the last day and just had to finish it off.”
Next goals
The championship also comes after Rose came close to reaching her first Olympics. She finished second at the 2024 World Championships and later placed third at the U.S. Olympic Trials, missing the American spot for the Paris Games.
Now, her focus is on another chance.
Rose is working toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, with the goal of not only making the U.S. team, but competing for a gold medal.
For Faudree, Rose’s success is also a major moment for Jacksonville University. He said seeing an athlete like Rose reach this level helps show future recruits what can come from JU’s sailing program.
Rose’s latest win adds another major accomplishment to a sailing career that started with family weekends on the water in Texas. Now a world champion, her next big goal is Los Angeles in 2028.
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