Ned Goss is an accomplished sailor, coach, and educator whose career has been defined by a passion for sailing and a commitment to helping others discover the sport. A 2002 graduate of the College of Charleston, Goss has spent much of his professional life developing sailors, building programs, and creating opportunities for people to experience the challenges and rewards of sailing.
Goss currently serves as the Offshore Sailing Coach and Dockmaster at the College of Charleston, where he has been an integral part of the sailing program for more than 15 years. He oversees the College’s extensive fleet and sailing facility and has played a major role in the growth of its offshore sailing program. He helped establish the College’s varsity offshore team in 2013, providing sailors with the opportunity to compete at the highest levels of collegiate big-boat sailing.
Under Goss’s leadership, the offshore program has developed into one of the country’s premier collegiate offshore programs, competing nationally in keelboat and offshore events and earning multiple major championships.
Goss’s own competitive sailing career is equally accomplished. He was a member of the United States Sailing Team, competing in the high-performance 49er class in 2004 and 2005. He is a five-time National Champion and three-time North American Champion in the Fireball class and has competed successfully across a wide range of high-performance and one-design classes.
In 2025, Goss was inducted into the Intercollegiate Sailing Association Hall of Fame, receiving the prestigious Graham Hall Award for Outstanding Service to College Sailing. The award recognizes his longstanding commitment to growing the sport, mentoring sailors, and contributing to the development of college sailing.
While Goss has achieved considerable success on the racecourse, he considers teaching his greatest accomplishment. He particularly enjoys watching young sailors develop confidence, learn to solve problems, become better teammates, and ultimately fall in love with sailing.
His philosophy is simple:
“Sail Calm. Sail Confident. Sail for Fun.”
For Goss, sailing is about more than winning races. It is about being present, working with a team, connecting with the water, and passing the sport on to the next generation.