Sailing is a collegiate sport like no other. There are no scholarships or NCAA rules. It is run by the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association across the U.S. and Canada.

In 22 years, University of Hawaii coach Andy Johnson has guided teams to more than 40 nationals, including the ICSA Women’s and Coed championships beginning Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

He has coached sailors with years of experience, like Olympians John Myrdal and Molly (O’Bryan) Vandemoer. Current UH freshman Kellie Yamada started sailing as a Sacred Hearts freshman in 2008 and met Johnson at a high school regatta.

Johnson has also coached students with zero experience, like seniors Holly Nishiguchi, from Illinois, and Ana-Melissa Kea, from Waianae. He found both at freshman orientation.

"I was walking around campus by myself freshman year, trying to find my classes before school started," said Kea, a Kamehameha graduate. "This guy came up to me and said, ‘Hey, you like water sports?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I do.’ He said ‘You should come out for the sailing team; you are the perfect size.’"

Kea, hoping to get into med school after graduation next year, is headed to Tampa, Fla., this week.

"I tried it for the first time, partnered up with Mitchell Icard, who has now been my partner for the past four years," Kea recalled. "At the first practice I liked it. I got to know the rest of my teammates, got into the habit of coming here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon. It’s good to be a part of something in college, so I stuck it out."

In contrast, sailing was one of UH’s primary selling points for Yamada.

"Sailing is really a big part of my life now," the pre-nursing major said. "It’s been amazing, no regrets. I have a lot of great friends on the team right now and the opportunity to travel is amazing. I’d never been to the East Coast until last week when we went to nationals (semifinals) in Virginia."

Hawaii captured the 2001 ICSA Women’s National Championship and finished in the top six the next three years. Its best finish since is 12th, in 2006. Last year it reached the finals for the first time since 2008, finishing 15th.

The school also won the 2004 ICSA Dinghy National Championship. It did not advance out of semifinals last week, but is making its 11th appearance — and first in three years — at the ICSA Team Race National Championship, which starts on Saturday.

The goal is to make the final round of both — top nine in semifinals for women and top six coed.

"This team has worked really hard all year," Johnson said. "I can’t say it has over-achieved, but making the nationals is a result of hard work. This is probably not the most talented team I’ve ever had, but it has worked hard and practiced hard and deserves everything it has."

On the water and in class. The roster is littered with high school honor students. Skipper Madeline Kennedy is a civil engineering major. Lindsay Stewart was a member of Model United Nations, Junior Philharmonic and the National Charity League in high school. Icard is a graduate student and Adam Pokras, Yamada’s skipper, is studying marine biology.

Sailing is clearly not their primary goal at UH, but they have become quite good at it, quickly in some cases.

"The improvement was dramatic," said Kea, who felt comfortable on the water after one semester. "I had so much fun learning from everybody older than me. I strive to be as good as them. Now I’m here, trying my best to do things technically correct. It’s been a good four years.

"If you can be part of anything in college, it makes your experience so much more memorable. I’ve never regretted coming out for the team. A lot of people told me I should consider quitting or getting a job, but where will I get a chance to be a college sailor ever again?"

The perks might go far beyond that opportunity. Nainoa Thompson, navigator for the Polynesian Voyaging Society, has been encouraging Kea to work with the PVS since her freshman year. This summer, she will finally have time.

Yamada went back to help at Sacred Hearts, armed with a wealth of knowledge she learned in her first semester. She has become one of Johnson’s top recruiters.

"If kids ask about the team, I tell them review your schedule," she said. "Go to class and study. Obviously sailing takes up a lot of time. It’s definitely worth it to be an athlete during college, though, and sailing is special, so find some time."