River Servia’s goals are bigger, and due to his hard work and training, he is well on his way to achieving them.

Servia is an avid sailor, who has learned to navigate sailboats since he was a young boy. Last month he was invited to join the crew of It’s A Zoo in the annual Bayview Mackinac Race — which begins in Port Huron — and wraps up at Mackinac Island, and helped the team place sixth in its class and 129th overall.

Despite encountering severe weather and strong winds, which tore some sails and caused the boat to broach, the crew completed the race in just under 36 and a half hours.

Servia said he was at the helm of the sailboat for about half of the race. He said he was invited back to race again with the same team, and added he expects to rejoin them next summer.

Courtesy Photo River Servia, 16 years old, participated in the Bayview Mackinac Race last month. Despite encountering some severe weather the boat and crew were able to finish six in their class.

Servia’s sailing lessons, and experience on the water helped him prepare for the long race, and the adverse conditions his team faced. He said he took the sailing class offered by the Alpena Youth Sailing Club when he was seven years old and fell in love with it.

From then on, he said, he dedicated as much time as he could, until he was seasoned enough to handle larger crafts.

“Every week I did every class I could because I liked it a lot and kept doing it,” he said. “I was finally old enough to sail on a Yngling and did the youth racing for Ynglings for many years and by age 11 I was sailing as many as five nights a week.”

Wendy Servia, River’s mother, said she and her husband are blessed to have friends who are avid sailors, who have taken their son under their wings. She said her son has always had a passion for boats and activities on the water.

“Our friends have taught him about hard work and professionalism and introduced him to sailing,” she said. “Before he was old enough to enroll in the sailing school he would build boats out of Legos. Now, he will do anything he can to be on the water. Sailing has already opened up so many opportunities for River and introduced him to other kids and adults that share his same interests. It is a lifelong skill and a love that he will always have.”

Courtesy Photo Randy Servia, left, and his wife Wendy Servia, center, pose in front of the boat their son River Servia, right, helped navigate to a sixth-place finish in its class during the Bayview Mackinac Race last month.

Servia said he always wanted his own sailboat and last year he made up his mind to earn the money to purchase one. He said during the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked three jobs to raise the money he needed to buy a large sailboat, which is now docked at the small boat harbor in Alpena, ready for him to use on a whim.

“It was in pretty bad ruins, but over the last fall and spring I was able to make a bunch of repairs to make it more presentable,” he said. “That has been my project I’ve been working on and I really enjoy hanging out on it.”

Servia said he loves boating and being on the water. He said it is something he hopes to do for many years.

“It is very peaceful,” he said. “You’re not hearing a motor or smelling fumes. You’re just using the wind to move across the water. It’s pretty interesting that you can be moving, and getting somewhere, silently. Plus, you are forced to constantly use your head, always thinking about something, and always staying busy. It’s isn’t something you really get bored doing because each trip is different.”