The Orcas Island High School Sailing Team tacked and jibed against 10 other northwest teams this weekend on Dogfish Bay in Poulsbo, Washington. This was mostly a team-racing regatta, though some fleet races were run as well.
Fourteen of Orcas’s 25 sailors traveled to Dogfish Bay and all sailed. The group was comprised of Barrett North, Sam Parish, Jake White, Josh Inch, Lea Bossler, Annalies Schuh, Carly Temple-Wareham, Alex Waldron, Makala Forster, Lee Gibbons, Chris Walsh, Taylor Smith and Forrest Gropp.
Typically, the Orcas team is stronger at fleet racing than team racing, and this weekend was no exception. According to coach Burke Thomas, “We did really well in the few fleet races that were run and finished in the middle of the pack in the team races.”
At press time, only unofficial results were available. With an 8-1 win-loss record, North Kitsap Sailing Team won the regatta. Orcas won five and lost four races. “We had a winning record, and we were pleased to beat Bainbridge,” (Orcas’s nemesis the past few years) said coach Thomas.
Mother Nature provided ample winds for the event. The wind blew about 12-17 knots on Saturday and grew stronger on Sunday, at times blowing as much as 23 knots. After all of the team races were completed, it was decided to end the regatta early so that no one, or no equipment would be hurt by the escalating winds.
As frequently happens, the Orcas sailors had to sail boats with which they were unfamiliar. (The host team usually supplies the boats, dictating the type of boat that will be used during the regatta.) The Orcas team practices in Vanguard 15s but this weekend they sailed Flying Juniors which were supplied by North Kitsap, and two other teams.
There are two different kinds of races in high school sailing competition: fleet races and team races. In fleet racing, sailors simply go as fast as they can and try to cross the finish line first.
Team racing is more complicated. In each race, two teams of three boats each compete against one another. To win, one team must get all of its boats over the finish line in a winning combination. Each team of three boats must coordinate their efforts to be successful. Team racing can be a bit more “cut-throat” than fleet racing, but it also requires a higher level of boat-handling skills.
On April 19, the Orcas team travels to Friday Harbor to compete in the Northwest Interscholastic Sailing Association District Doublehanded Championship. They hope to do well enough to be the northwest entry in the Mallory Cup, the Interscholastic Sailing Association National High School Doublehanded Fleet Racing
Championship, being held in Annapolis, Maryland this year.
To get updates on race results, see photographs of the team in action or learn more about the team, visit the team website at www.oiyc.org/sailorcas/teensailtraining.html
