By Nick Judson
Contributing Writer
Sailing in variable wind conditions last Wednesday, Nantucket defeated Bourne three races to one to extend its winning streak to three and continue the momentum of its best team-racing start ever.
Wednesday’s win at the Kingman Yacht Club not only gives the Whalers sole possession of first place in the Cape and Islands League, it also establishes the squad as the number-two ranked team in New England.
The recently-updated New England Team Racing rankings rate the 63 registered teams in New England based on strength of schedule, victories against top-20 schools, and win-loss percentage. Currently the Whalers are ranked just behind St. George’s School, last year’s team-racing national champion.
The Whalers’ next four regattas will be critical in establishing their final ranking prior to the selection of the eight teams that will compete for the Mark Trophy at the New England Scholastic Sailing Association’s Team Racing Championship at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. The top four schools receive automatic bids while the teams ranked five through 12 participate in a “Wild Card” weekend to help determine the final four slots.
The Whalers have not qualified for the Mark Trophy in their 11 years competing in the NESSA. Last year, the Whalers qualified for the O’Day Trophy, New England’s Fleet Racing Championship, for the first time ever and hope to repeat that performance this weekend as they travel to Brewster Academy on Lake Winnipesaukee to participate in one of five qualifying rounds set up around New England. If they place in the top three they will compete in the finals at Sail Maine in Portland, Maine.
In a final tune-up for the qualifiers, the Whalers took their undefeated record to Bourne Wednesday.
Race one started out with some difficulty when Adam Ceely and Sarah Poor were over early at the start. They quickly recovered to round the weather mark in first followed by Matt Fabiszak with Meaghan Lynch, and Annie Sager with Julianne Costello, in third. The Whalers held these positions to the finish to clinch the first race of the day.
Race two was a different story as what first looked like another early lead changed into a Nantucket boat hitting a mark and then another Nantucket boat misjudging a mark-rounding as the wind shifted. Fabiszak and Lynch rounded second and tried to catch the leaders from Bourne, but to no avail and Bourne took the second race.
Race three saw Ceely and Fabiszak round one-two, and then Sager did a great job slowing the trailing Bourne boats to help her teammates extend their lead all the way to the finish for a solid winning combination.
In race four Elisabeth Reed came in to crew with Ceely and the duo did not miss a beat as they again rounded first, followed by Fabiszak with Sager again slowing the entire Bourne team. After clinching the series three to one, Jay Getman and Ocean Kane switched in to crew for the final race and again the Whalers prevailed with a first, a third, and a fifth.
Nick Judson is the head coach of the Nantucket High School sailing team and executive director of Nantucket Community Sailing.
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