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About Us
In partnership with the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, the Spirit of Nicholas Sailing Fund is dedicated to inspire future generations of sailors to learn to love sailing, creating a lasting legacy in honor of Nicholas Papadopoulos. Nicholas' passion for sailing--the social, technical and competitive nature--will carry on by supporting non-profit organizations and schools who provide junior sailing programs, team and fleet racing, and related maritime and STEM educational activities in Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay.
A Message from the Founder
My name is Heather East. I am Nicholas' Mom.
I am proud to announce the launch of the Spirit of Nicholas Fund, established to honor the memory of my beloved son Nicholas Papadopoulos. Nicholas started sailing at the young age of 6 months with his parents on their Tartan 33. From the age of six, Nicholas participated in junior sailing programs here in Annapolis. As a Key School and junior sailor's parent, for more than 12 years I held roles as parent chaperone and scholastic team and summer camp liaison and experienced first-hand the fun and excitement of youth sailing and racing. I have many fond memories of those times, like helping Nicholas purchase and sail his first optimist at SSA, as an "Opti Mom" ensuring my son had water, snacks, sunscreen and his bailor on race day, helping put team boats on a dollies and getting them rigged, traveling to unique sailing clubs and community centers on the Bay with trailered boats, attending summer regattas and end of the season awards ceremonies, chaperoning the Key School high school sailing team at Nationals, and spending many summers traveling throughout New England with AYC's C420 travel team. I smile whenever I see kids rigging, launching and sailing Opti's and 420s as I drive over the spa creek bridge thinking of the joy it brought Nicholas and me. Sadly Nicholas is gone too soon yet never forgotten as the Spirit of Nicholas Sailing Fund will carry on his legacy, providing future generations of youth sailors with the opportunity to share in his dedication to sailing and love of the Chesapeake Bay. As I continue to navigate my profound loss and learn to live without my son, I have found strength in establishing the junior sailing fund that will provide financial support to so many wonderful organizations that impacted Nicholas' sailing career and have found support in the sailing community while I sail and race on the Chesapeake Bay to keep my beloved son Nicholas' memory alive--all for the Spirit of Nicholas.
In high tide or low tide,
I'll be by your side.
In Memory of Nicholas Papadopoulos
A local elite sailor, tech enthusiast and gifted engineering student.
An accomplished sailor, Nicholas began sailing at age six and placed highly in many district, regional, and national regattas in both fleet and team racing. He was a member of the Key Varsity Sailing Team for four years, serving as co-captain his senior year. He also sailed in the J70 Youth Nationals in Newport, RI, and attended the prestigious Brooke E Gonzalez Clinic at Sail Newport. Locally he sailed with the Annapolis Yacht Club 420 Travel Team and the Severn Sailing Association 420 and Optimist Travel Teams. To view his sailing resume, click resume. Nicholas was also an active scuba diver and held an Advanced Open Water Diver certification.
Nicholas was a third year Dean's list Industrial Engineering student at the Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania. In 2019, Nicholas' team of engineering students won the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 SEDTAPP client-driven engineering design competition for their project work for the Wabtec Corporation. He had recently completed a summer internship for Catalent Pharmaceutical Solutions working with the Continuous Improvement and Technology division, and the company was so impressed that they asked him to continue to work for them part-time while at school. While at Penn State, he sailed on the Penn State Sailing Club Team traveling to compete against collegiate teams in New Jersey and New York.
Nicholas attended the Key School from prekindergarten through his graduation in 2018. While at Key, he developed his love of engineering and computers and helped create Key School’s 3-D printing program. For several summers while not competing, Nicholas apprenticed for Hank Hinckley builder of Great Harbor Yachts in Southwest Harbor Maine.
He was truly beloved by his family, friends, and fellow sailors, and he is deeply missed.