Chris Klevan was promoted to head coach of the Stanford sailing program on June 18, 2021, and enters his sixth season at Stanford in 2024-25 after spending his first two years as an assistant coach.
Stanford cemented itself as the best women’s sailing program in the nation in 2024, completing the sweep of the ICSA Women’s Team and Fleet Race Championships, also becoming back to back champions in the Women’s Fleet. The wins marked the third and fourth national titles for Stanford in the last 12 months, and with the addition of the women's team race title, Stanford now has won at least one of each major spring sailing title.
Stanford cemented itself as the best women’s sailing program in the nation in 2024, completing the sweep of the ICSA Women’s Team and Fleet Race Championships, also becoming back to back champions in the Women’s Fleet. The wins marked the third and fourth national titles for Stanford in the last 12 months, and with the addition of the women's team race title, Stanford now has won at least one of each major spring sailing title.
Klevan led a strong contingent of sailors during the 2023-24 season, headlined by the Quantum Women's College Sailor of the Year, Vanessa Lahrkamp. She became the second recipient in Stanford history, joining her sister Michelle. Klevan guided Vanessa Lahrkamp to a PCCSC Skipper of the Year award in both the women's and open divisions. Stanford sailors also earned nine ICSA All-America awards during the 2023-24 season.
In 2022-23, Klevan led Stanford to a dominant national finish, taking home two fleet race national titles, a singlehanded national championship, and three other national runner-up finishes. Along with the event victories, Klevan helped Stanford claim the Leonard M. Fowle Trophy for the first time, which is given to the most successful collegiate sailing program in the country.
Stanford's dominant 2022-23 season began with a strong fall, led by ICSA Men's Singlehanded champion, Chapman Petersen. Klevan led the freshman to a decisive title, Stanford's first men's singlehanded title since 2006. The Cardinal also finished second overall in the women's singlehanded, thanks to a strong performance from Hallie Schiffman.
The spring saw more success for Stanford, beginning with the ICSA Women's Team Race Championship which was hosted by the Cardinal in Redwood City, Calif. Klevan guided the Cardinal to second place in the event with the three other national championships on the horizon. Stanford's first ever women's title came later in the spring as the Cardinal claimed the Women's Fleet Race Championship in King's Point, N.Y. Following another runner-up finish in the Open Team Race, Klevan guided the Cardinal to its second fleet race title of the spring in the ICSA Open Fleet Race.
Six sailors garnered All-America selections, led by Michelle Lahrkamp and Vanessa Lahrkamp who are the only Stanford sailors to ever receive All-America awards in both women's and open divisions in the same season. Michelle Lahrkamp was also awarded the James Rousmaniere Award for Student Leadership, becoming the first recipient in Stanford history.
In 2021-22, Klevan led the Cardinal to one of the best all-around finishes in program history, taking Stanford to a fifth place finish or better in each of the four events, including the inaugural ICSA Women's Team Race Championships. He guided six Cardinal to All-America honors, one of which was Michelle Lahrkamp who became the first Stanford sailor to win both the coed and women's All-America awards. Klevan was also awarded for his efforts on the season as the Sail1Design 2022 Coach of the Year.
Stanford was in a prime position to make a run for hardware in 2019-20 before the cancelation of the season due to the COVID-19 global outbreak. The coed team was the top-ranked program in the country when the season ended, and the women's team was ranked No. 6. The Cardinal captured the 2019-20 ICSA Match Race National Championship in the fall - the program's first win in the regatta - while Jack Parkin and Michelle Lahrkamp became the first Stanford sailors to win ICSA National Sailor of the Year awards.
The 2020-21 campaign saw similar levels of success, as Stanford finished in the top five in each of the three national championships. The Cardinal produced a second-place finish at the ICSA Coed Championships, while also placing fifth at the ICSA Women's and Team Race Championships.
Klevan was an assistant at Coast Guard for six years prior to joining the Cardinal. He helped lead the Bears to the 2016 Sperry Women's National Title as well as back-to-back second-place finishes at the Gill Coed National Championships in 2015 and 2016, a third-place finish at the 2017 women's national championships, and two Quantum Women's Sailor of the Year award winners.
Klevan, who also spent one year as an assistant at George Washington University, was a four-year member of the Hobart and William Smith sailing team. Klevan helped the team bring home a second-place finish at the 2011 ICSA College National Championship regatta in Hood River, Oregon, an A Division victory at the 2011 Atlantic Coast Championship, and a third-place finish at the ICSA College National Team Race Championship in Austin, Texas in 2012. Klevan was honored as an All-American crew each of those two years.
Outside of college sailing, Klevan was an avid member of the Vanguard 15 class and boasted finishes consisting of third at the 2010 V15 National Championship regatta and first at the 2016 V15 National Championship. Klevan also competed in the George R. Hinman National Team Race Championships eight times between 2010-18 finishing fifth, seventh, 12th, fourth, 11th, third and fifth before eventually winning the championship in 2018. Klevan also competed in the Wilson Trophy, the United Kingdom's Open Team Race Championship three times (2015, 2018, 2019), where he finished fourth, third and third, respectively.
Stanford's dominant 2022-23 season began with a strong fall, led by ICSA Men's Singlehanded champion, Chapman Petersen. Klevan led the freshman to a decisive title, Stanford's first men's singlehanded title since 2006. The Cardinal also finished second overall in the women's singlehanded, thanks to a strong performance from Hallie Schiffman.
The spring saw more success for Stanford, beginning with the ICSA Women's Team Race Championship which was hosted by the Cardinal in Redwood City, Calif. Klevan guided the Cardinal to second place in the event with the three other national championships on the horizon. Stanford's first ever women's title came later in the spring as the Cardinal claimed the Women's Fleet Race Championship in King's Point, N.Y. Following another runner-up finish in the Open Team Race, Klevan guided the Cardinal to its second fleet race title of the spring in the ICSA Open Fleet Race.
Six sailors garnered All-America selections, led by Michelle Lahrkamp and Vanessa Lahrkamp who are the only Stanford sailors to ever receive All-America awards in both women's and open divisions in the same season. Michelle Lahrkamp was also awarded the James Rousmaniere Award for Student Leadership, becoming the first recipient in Stanford history.
In 2021-22, Klevan led the Cardinal to one of the best all-around finishes in program history, taking Stanford to a fifth place finish or better in each of the four events, including the inaugural ICSA Women's Team Race Championships. He guided six Cardinal to All-America honors, one of which was Michelle Lahrkamp who became the first Stanford sailor to win both the coed and women's All-America awards. Klevan was also awarded for his efforts on the season as the Sail1Design 2022 Coach of the Year.
Stanford was in a prime position to make a run for hardware in 2019-20 before the cancelation of the season due to the COVID-19 global outbreak. The coed team was the top-ranked program in the country when the season ended, and the women's team was ranked No. 6. The Cardinal captured the 2019-20 ICSA Match Race National Championship in the fall - the program's first win in the regatta - while Jack Parkin and Michelle Lahrkamp became the first Stanford sailors to win ICSA National Sailor of the Year awards.
The 2020-21 campaign saw similar levels of success, as Stanford finished in the top five in each of the three national championships. The Cardinal produced a second-place finish at the ICSA Coed Championships, while also placing fifth at the ICSA Women's and Team Race Championships.
Klevan was an assistant at Coast Guard for six years prior to joining the Cardinal. He helped lead the Bears to the 2016 Sperry Women's National Title as well as back-to-back second-place finishes at the Gill Coed National Championships in 2015 and 2016, a third-place finish at the 2017 women's national championships, and two Quantum Women's Sailor of the Year award winners.
Klevan, who also spent one year as an assistant at George Washington University, was a four-year member of the Hobart and William Smith sailing team. Klevan helped the team bring home a second-place finish at the 2011 ICSA College National Championship regatta in Hood River, Oregon, an A Division victory at the 2011 Atlantic Coast Championship, and a third-place finish at the ICSA College National Team Race Championship in Austin, Texas in 2012. Klevan was honored as an All-American crew each of those two years.
Outside of college sailing, Klevan was an avid member of the Vanguard 15 class and boasted finishes consisting of third at the 2010 V15 National Championship regatta and first at the 2016 V15 National Championship. Klevan also competed in the George R. Hinman National Team Race Championships eight times between 2010-18 finishing fifth, seventh, 12th, fourth, 11th, third and fifth before eventually winning the championship in 2018. Klevan also competed in the Wilson Trophy, the United Kingdom's Open Team Race Championship three times (2015, 2018, 2019), where he finished fourth, third and third, respectively.