Guilford Sailing Team For High School Sailors Off To Strong Start

GUILFORD, CT — Guilford High School sailors make up the newly formed Guilford Sailing Team. The team holds weekly practices, competes in regional regattas, qualifies for the Great Oaks National Championship.

It also hosts an invitational clinic for middle school and high school students interested in getting involved with the Guilford Sailing Team in the future, was launched in September as a club sport for sailors at high school.

The team’s first fall season is well underway with a team roster of eight "enthusiastic and talented sailors," according to Kerry Schutz, Guilford Sailing Foundation vice president and club Team Parent Leader.

“The day we rigged and launched the boats, it all became real and the smiles on the kid’s faces said it all - we did it," she said. "We have all the components of a great team - the enthusiasm of the sailors, the support of the parents, and the leadership of our amazing Coach Haley Brown to make this all possible. We are building this team for today and for the future. I am so proud to be part of this effort to get the Guilford Sailing Team established, getting so many sailors out on the water, and to already have our sailors racing in regattas and qualifying for a championship.”

With two seasons, spring and fall, sailors are given the opportunity to practice and race in one or both.

The team is team captain Sands Pascucilla, a senior at Guilford High School and Ike Schutz, a freshman is the team’s leading skipper. The core team members for the fall 2021 season include senior Jack Creamer, junior Chris Haar, sophomore Danny Uzzo, sophomore Jackson Skoczylas, sophomore Jackson Ragnow, and freshman Gus Fichtenholz.

Guilford Sailing Foundation board member Whitney Peterson said that starting in early 2020, foundation members, volunteers, parents and coach Brown have worked to get the team established and the first season under way.

“We are thrilled to be able to finally offer a sailing team for high school sailors in our community," she said. "Sailing is a fantastic sport for teenagers to get involved with, and with our town’s shoreline location, we knew we needed to form this team to give kids the opportunity to get out on the water and enable them to compete against high school sailing teams across Connecticut, New England, and beyond.”

The high school sailors are out on the water practicing multiple days a week and have already achieved success at local and regional competitions: in less than a month since the team was formed, the sailors have had 18 practices, competed in three regattas, attended three scrimmages against Xavier School, and held one Open Clinic for new sailors.

During practices, held from 3 p.m. to sunset, sailors work on boat handling, boat controls, racing tactics, safety skills, and racing strategies. Coach Brown combines collegiate-level drills with fun scrimmage-style races.

“What impresses me the most about our team is the level of enthusiasm each sailor brings to every practice. Whether it’s raining, super windy, or sweltering hot, the sailors show up excited to learn new drills and improve their skills," Brown said. "They are a dedicated, excited bunch, and I am proud to be their coach."

The Guilford Yacht Club provided a home base for the sailors at its facility as the location for sailing team practices, a location that provides easy access to an optimal training and sailing area just off the Town Marina. And, Sachems Head Yacht Club loaned the team a coach boat and a floating dock to store the team’s leased 420s.

"I feel like the stars have all been aligned to make this first season possible and so much fun," Brown said.

For more information, visit www.guilfordsailing.org or follow the team on Instagram at @ghs.sailing.