MHS Sailing Team Race in First Regatta

This past weekend, the Marblehead High School sailing team, the Fishwagons, faced off against Mount Desert Island High School (MDI) and the George Stevens Academy (GSA) during the annual team race regatta held at the Boston Yacht Club. This annual invitational event brings the two Maine teams to Marblehead for a fun weekend filled with great sailing and racing. 

Team racing is an event in sailing where two teams, compromised usually of three boats each, race each other and use tactics, maneuvering and strategic finishes to beat the other team. To win a team race, a team has to score ten points or less, scoring is based on finishes (1st place is one point, 2nd place is two points...) For this past weekend each team raced in sets of races that were scored as best two out of three. Each school got the chance to race against one another during each day with two schools facing each other during a set to start with one school then rotating out and getting replaced by the next school until all three schools had raced each other. It took a total of three sets before each school had raced against the other schools. 

The weekend was fantastic for all teams with nice weather and wind both days. GSA is believed to have won the event (results were not available at time of writing), winning every set they were in except for one against Marblehead. But the goal of the weekend is not to win the regatta, instead the coaches would prefer it if by the end of the weekend every sailor knew how to race better and had learned something.  The camaraderie between everyone on all three teams was incredible with all of the sailors becoming acquainted with one another, even creating a few new friendships.

The Fishwagons will travel to Maine in mid-May for the Downeast regatta where they will race against MDI, GSA and a few other Maine teams. Until then, the Fishwagons will be practicing in Marblehead Harbor this afternoon and will go to Sharon on Saturday for the Sharon Invitational Regatta and then on Sunday they will travel to Manchester for a Manchester Team Race against Barnstable, Wellesley, and Manchester. So grab your shades this afternoon and come watch the Fishwagons from any spot in the harbor!