Allison (Allie) Gray, 22 grew up in Clearwater, FL where she was always on the water. Not only on sailboats but also aboard her grandfather’s tugboat named after her great grandfather Clark Mills. Mills the designer of the Optimist Pram. Not surprisingly, she began racing Optis at 13, moving on to Lasers. Allie also coached sailing in Ft. Myers for close to 9 years.
In high school she was fortunate enough to participate in three, adventure filled, crossings from Roatan, Honduras to Ft. Myers, FL as well as countless trips to the Dry Tortugas off the coast of the Florida Keys.
She continued sailing at the University of Florida, studying Spanish and Pre-physical therapy, and served as the President of the club sailing team. The “scrappy” sailor was offered the opportunity to attend the Korea Cup International Yacht Race in the summer of 2012, following her junior year at UF. She did not take kindly to the title of “rail meat” and found herself invited back in 2013 as a skipper due to her tactical intervening (meddling) in 2012.
At Oakcliff, Allie hopes to further her knowledge of offshore racing, build a stronger base in sail making and learn how to cope with the chilly northeast coast. Her future goals include racing professionally, working with disabled sailors and children to help spread both the community and independence that sailing can provide.
Oakcliff is a high-performance training center for sailors who have progressed beyond traditional coaching methods. We are a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. In 2013, Oakcliff Sailing was named a US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider National Training Center.