Mother Nature has smiled on the sailing team this year. After last year’s shortened season, the sailors were excited to begin practices before spring break, and it has been great conditions ever since. The right temperature and wind have allowed the team to compete early against some competitive opponents. The first race was against Dover and the next Tabor; the team scored a win of 3-1 in both races. The sailors then headed to Manchester, where they won a day of racing by a score of 3-1 again. The team participated most recently in the O’Day Qualifiers in Maine and finished fifth, just shy of qualifying for the next round.
This year the sailing team is captained by James Collins ‘16 and Lucas Jurgensen ‘16. The team has many returning starters and a few new boys on the roster. The more experienced sailors have helped train the new members on the finer points of roll-tackling, team racing, and fleet racing. The team has practiced out of the Winchester Boat Club on Mystic Lake. The first boat consists of skipper James Collins and crew Jacob Whitney, who have been sailing together at Belmont Hill for four years. Collins and Whitney look to finish their last season strong before Collins goes on to sail at Boston University. Jacob Whitney will return next year with experience to lead the team to another impressive season. The sailing team will continue to compete at a high level throughout the rest of the year. It looks forward to individual races as well as the Downeast Regatta in Castine, Maine.
