Admiral McNitt crewed in the Naval Academy’s yacht Vamarie in the 1938 Newport to Bermuda race, was skipper of Navy’s Royono in the 1964 Bermuda and Tall Ships races, and sailed as navigator of Navy’s Insurgent, Class-A winner in the first Marion, Massachusetts-Bermuda race in 1977. He has served as commodore of the U. S. Naval Academy Sailing Association, as president of the U. S. Naval Sailing Foundation, and as a member of the Sailing Advisory Council (Fales Committee) at the Naval Academy. He was the dean of admissions at the Naval Academy 1972-85.