Skipper try-outs will be Wednesday, August 22nd.

We will start sailing tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Naval Base. Since we can only have six students on the water at once I want to restrict this session to skippers only. If you want to try out for a racing skipper slot, and if you have a physical on file with the athletic director, then you should plan on attending. Bring sailing gear (shoes, pfd, extra clothes in case you get wet.) I'll bring helmets and pinnies. The forecast is for winds of about 10 knots:  

https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/23509:4:US

If thunderstorms are around we'll come in and end early.

Plan on being on the bus by 3:30 (short bus #2) we should return around 6:30.

EMAIL ME if you plan on attending Wednesday's session. Once I finalize the skipper slots we'll open up the crew try-outs (probably Friday or early next week.)

Sailing team try-outs

All:

We are still shore-bound until we get permission to use the Naval Station. Hopefully sometime this week!

I will work with students wanting to skipper on the team first. We have three 420s so I can have 6 folks on the water at once. You'll be paired with another skipper and will demonstrate your sailing ability.

Once the skippers are determined we'll add in the crews (and if you don't make the cut as a skipper you will probably be an excellent crew...)

I expect to have about twelve people on the team with practices every day after school, but with only half the team at a time. My initial planning is that half the team (probably the juniors/seniors) will practice on the M,W, F of one week and then on the Tu/Thurs of the following week. On the off-days the underclassmen will practice. Each practice session will start with a trip to the Naval Station on a mini-bus, leaving school at 3:30. Depending on the weather we'll sail until between 6:00 and 7:00 and then return to school (it's about a 20 minute transit so if practice ends at 6:00 we should be back by 6:30.) Yes, these will be long days (so you should bring an after school snack on your practice days.) Note that on the days you are NOT practicing you need to make an extra effort to keep up (or even get ahead) of school-work.

I've established a googleclass called Sailing Team where I've posted assignments and questions in the Stream. Please accept the g-mailed "invitation" to join the class.

Sailing team tryouts Postponed

We still do not have approval to use the Naval Base. Hopefully by the end of the week!

Students wanting to skipper on the team should have previous experience in sailing small boats. Racing experience is assumed, but if your sailing skills are at a high level, prior racing in not required. You should be able to handle a small boat proficiently in 15 knots. We will be sailing 420s (no trapeze or spinnaker) so experience in comparable boats is best, but single-handed experience is okay, too.

Please e-mail me bousquej@chsvb.org if you plan on attending the session. When we finally get approval, we will meet at school at 3:00 p.m. Bring your USCG approved type III pfd, a change of clothes, in addition to your sailing clothes, and a towel. The school will provide helmets.  We will use a mini-bus and go to the Naval Station sailing center and sail for a couple of hours. We should return to school by 6:30.

A quote from Ed Adams

A recent article in Sailing World quoted multi-class National, World and Olympic champion Ed Adams. When asked by parents "How can I make my kid be the next Olympian, the next gold medalist?," his reply was that "...doing well in sailing is probably 25 percent athletic ability. And it's probably 25 percent preparation: taking the kid to regattas, getting him good equipment, hiring him some good coaches. And it's 50 percent ambition and drive, which is not something you can purchase."

The quote struck me as something our team needs to focus on. No, we will probably not be producing Olympians. Look instead at the quote as a roadmap on how to get better. Yes, there are some physical aspects of dinghy sailing that are advantageous: flexibility in drifters,  light weight in moderate conditions, height and upper body/ hand strength when it blows. The "good equipment" comment is pretty much a non-issue for high school sailing since we rotate boats, but at least now we have our own equipment. It's the 50 percent "ambition and drive" that will allow us to have the greatest improvement and that's on you.

As winter approaches, sailing small boats winds down, but if you have the will you can still improve. First, keep up with all school work. Then keep in shape physically. Excess weight is seldom useful. Cross training with other sports is advised. Study the Racing Rules. Read articles on techniques specific to small boats. Think sailing. Look for opportunities to sail (it would be on a keel boat, or in a mid-winters regatta in Florida.)

We will get on the water again in the late spring/early summer!

Cross Posting from the Rowing team blog

For those who might be interested in "big boats," i.e., not dinghies, I'm cross posting from the rowing blog. Jay O'Brien is the assistant coach of the school's rowing team. In addition to his skill in teaching  and coaching rowing he has lots of experience in sailing onboard a Swan 44 out of New York. Recently he competed in the Rolex Middle Sea race in the Mediterranean Sea. I posted about his adventures, reproduced below.

Congrats to Coach O'Brien!

Coach O'Brien is the navigator on Triple Lindy, a Swan 44. The crew just won their division in the esteemed Rolex Middle Sea Race in the Mediterranean Sea. This year's race had conditions that were called "gnarly" by one website and on the Triple Lindy team blog the crew reported "dropping off a 30 foot wave."

Triple Lindy, with a dark blue hull and carbon sails, nailed the leeward end of the start for her class, shown at 2:14 in this video and at 0:28 in this one, and then went on to defeat 21 other IRC Class 5 yachts. She finished 10th overall of 70 starters in (ORC - Offshore Racing Congress) and 13th overall of 91 starters (in IRC.).

 Since the owner is retiring this boat, it was the last race for the boat with this crew.

The picture below show Triple Lindy entering Malta Harbor five minutes from the finish. Coach O'Brien is on the rail wearing the yellow trous.

Here is the link to the team blog. Congrats to the whole crew!

JV Championships

On Saturday, November 4th, Zach, Gus and Tyler braved some cool and brisk conditions on Mill Creek and competed in an eighteen boat JV Championships. The aeronometer at the Willoughby degaussing station recorded breezes 15-20 during the racing. The bay water temperature had dropped to 68 degrees, the coolest we've seen all season.

Here is the summary report from the regatta organizers:

Saturday, November 4:

Eighteen teams from 11 VISA schools met on the coast of Mill Creek at historic Fort Monroe for the final JV regatta of the season. Overcast and damp but not raining, at a raw 60 degrees F, seas were lumpy, an winds held at NE 10-12 mph with higher gusts and minor oscillations. JV sailors competed aggressively, many continuing competition in good spirits well after they were drenched by righting their vessels.

Six W-4 races were completed in a single division allowing for sailors to rotate in as needed every 2 races. One protest by Norfolk Academy in Race 3 resulted in a DSQ For Grafton Team 1 for failing to honor a starboard tacker.

Congratulations to Norfolk Academy for finishing in first place, followed by Poquoson Team 2 in second, and Hampton High School in third place.

A number of boats capsized and retired, but Zach and crew stayed upright and finished every race. Our finishes were  9-12-11-12-12-11 placing us 12th of 18, our highest overall finish of the year.

Thanks to Mr. Suhr who acted as "coach" and adult representative

 and to Mrs. Bromley for the pictures.

VISA Fleet Championships

Our three seniors -  A Sabrina between two Matts...

The last regatta of the season was held at Fort Monroe on a warm fall day. Here is the summary from the race organizers:

Wind built all day from the south to 10 knots with gusts to 12. Sunny, with 0.5 ft waves. There were 18 boats on the water representing 15 schools. The top three overall winners (in order) are: Norfolk Collegiate; Christ Church School; Norfolk Collegiate. The top three finishes in A Division are: Norfolk Collegiate; Christ Church School; and Nansemond Suffolk Academy. The top three finishes in B Division are: Christ Church School; Norfolk Collegiate; and Norfolk Collegiate. A total of 9 races were sailed in each division.

Here are our results, first in A division,

 then in B Division:

Note that, in general, our finishes got better as the day wore on, with Josh's 6th in the last race as the best of the day.

Pics from the day: