By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
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Photo by Nick Judson
Skipper Ocean Kane, back, with crew Elizabeth Reed in front, sail during the team racing portion of the Raise the Sail scrimmages in Barnstable Sunday. The Whalers participated in the three-day event in preparation for the upcoming regular season.
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Boat speed has been the focus for the Nantucket sailing team in the first two weeks of preseason practices. With youth and inexperience on the squad this spring and a new Cape & Islands League schedule format, the varsity program will need to work on the basics to earn a spot in the Cape & Islands Team Racing Championships in late May.
The Whalers had a solid season last year, compiling their best record ever at 10-4 overall and taking second place in the league. But with the graduation of a number of key sailors, the squad will be looking to rebuild by gaining experience for the younger competitors.
“Our focus really has been on getting people out sailing. We haven’t been doing a lot of tactics and rules. It has been getting out on the water, sailing and boat-handling,” head coach Nick Judson said. “We are going to have a tough time at some of these regattas because there are lot of teams with a lot of experience out there. But we are going to get a lot of freshmen, sophomores and juniors a lot of experience.”
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