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Photo by Jim Powers
Sarah Erichsen, left, and Meaghan Lynch sail against Dennis-Yarmouth last Thursday. |
By Nick Judson
Contributing Writer
The high-school sailing team completed a busy week, including a 3-0 win against Dennis-Yarmouth Thursday, a 2-0 win against Falmouth Friday, and a 4-1 loss to Martha’s Vineyard Tuesday.
The Whalers, ranked 16th in New England in team racing, also participated in the Terk Invitational Saturday at the Hyannis Yacht Club, placing seventh overall.
Tuesday’s loss to the Vineyard was a complete reversal of the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season, when Whalers easily defeated their rivals 3-0 at home. Right from the start the Whalers were taking unnecessary risks, and they did not pay off. In the first race none of the Nantucket boats had a good start and the head start they gave the Vineyard was insurmountable. In race two Adam Ceely and Jesse Lang nailed the start at the pin but by the time the teams got to the weather mark the Vineyard had recaptured the lead. Sarah Erichsen and Meaghan Lynch made a valiant effort, performing a perfect pass-back to help teammates Annie Sager and Julianne Costello pass one of their opponents, but it was too little, too late as the Vineyard held on for the win. In race three all the Nantucket crews had almost perfect starts with clean air, but the Vineyard sailors seemed to have an extra gear and by the weather mark were soundly in control. After the 3-0 series loss, Lynch switched to skipper in race four and Lang switched to skipper in race five. They sailed well for their first time skippering in a regatta and Lang and Elisabeth Reed were able to come from behind with some help from Ceely and Costello to help win race five.
On Saturday, the Whalers arrived at the Hyannis Yacht Club for the Terk Invitational in pea-soup fog and almost no breeze. After an hour, the fog started to dissipate and a light 2- to 5-knot breeze emerged so that racing could commence. The regatta is a round-robin team race and each squad sails against each of the eight participating teams twice. After the double round-robin is completed, the top four teams compete in a championship round to determine the overall winner. With the winds light and variable, the Whalers got off to a slow start, losing to Nauset and Martha’s Vineyard, two teams they had defeated earlier in the season. After sailing close losses to Barnstable, Dartmouth and Milton, the Whalers easily defeated Cape Cod Academy before dropping their last race of the first round-robin to Sharon.
With the breeze dying and concerns that they would not be able to complete the regatta, the organizers decided to end the series after the first round-robin and give the win to the team with the best overall results. Milton Academy and Dartmouth were tied so they sailed a one-race sail-off. Dartmouth won, giving it the Championship.
By the time the boats were rigged for Friday’s race against Falmouth High School at the Falmouth Yacht Club, the fog was so thick you couldn’t see more than 20 feet in front of you. The two teams slowly sailed out to the course following safety boats blowing whistles to lead them through the dense fog. The fog lifted when the teams gathered at the starting line and a light 2- to 4-knot easterly filled in. Seeing light conditions and finicky fog, the coaches agreed to amend the series to a best of three regatta. Right from the beginning Ceely and Lang port-tacked the fleet at the pin end of the starting line and this huge head-start allowed them to get out to an early lead which they held to the finish. Erichsen and Reed came in second to give Nantucket the win. In race two, Sager and Costello had a rough start in dirty air, but after tacking into clear air they were able to catch the fleet and get to the weather mark first. Ceely and Lang rounded in second and the Whalers held on for the race – and series – win 2-0.
On Thursday, the Whalers took to the water against Dennis-Yarmouth in 18- to 20-knot breezes with an occasional monster puff of 30 knots. Both teams were up for the challenge and ready to compete after canceled races earlier in the week, and Nantucket was almost too aggressive with two boats over early at the start of the first race. Undeterred by their bad starts, the Whalers ground down their opponents and Sager and Lizzie Skokan performed an almost perfect pick at the finish putting them in first, but more importantly allowing Ceely and Lang to move up to second for the win in race one. There was, however, a protest that would be heard on land after racing to determine the winner. In race two the Whalers were a bit more conservative at the start and were able to capitalize on their better boat-speed to get out to an early lead. Ceely and Lang finished first, Erichsen and Trevor Lockley were second, and Sager and Skokan third for the clean sweep. Race three proved to be more than the sailors from Dennis-Yarmouth could handle as the Whalers again were able to score a winning combination.
Because of the protest in race one the two teams sailed a fourth race in case Nantucket ended up losing and the Whalers easily won clinching the series after the protest decision 4-0.
Nick Judson is the head coach of the Nantucket High School sailing team and executive director of Nantucket Community Sailing.
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