Bermudians: New England Scholastic Sailing
Bermuda was well represented at this past weekend’s New England Schools Sailing Association’s (NESSA) Fleet racing Championships for the O’Day Trophy. Four Bermudian sailors prepared to battle each other on Sippican Harbor near the Beverley Yacht Club sailing Club 420’s provided by host Tabor Academy. Kelsey Durham and Ryan Powell raced for Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH) while Mackenzie Cooper and Alastair Hutchings sailed for Tabor Academy (Marion, Ma) and Milton Academy (Milton, Ma) respectively. 16 schools had qualified to attend Sunday’s championship at separate qualifying regattas across the region the day before. All four sailors were accomplished BODA Optimist sailors prior to leaving the island for their high school education In scholastic and collegiate fleet racing, each school provides an “A” boat and a “B” boat which race in separate divisions. The results for both the “A” boat and “B” boat teams are combined for each school and the team with the lowest total points after 10 races is the winner.
Early Sunday morning it did not appear that it would be a good day of racing due to the high winds on Sippican Harbor. Luckily the breeze shifted to the SW and the conditions eventually calmed down. By the time of the sailor’s pre-race meeting the sun had come out. Racing began at 10:00 am with 15 knots of breeze and it gradually built to 18 – 20kts with puffs and shifts throughout the day.
The sailors from the Hotchkiss School were the eventual New England Champions, beating Tabor by a single point after appealing to officials for average points following a mechanical breakdown. Both teams qualified to attend the ISSA Fleet Race Championships for the Mallory Trophy in Austin Texas May 7th & 8th.
Mackenzie Cooper claimed the overall “B” division title for Tabor with results of 1, 1, 2, 1 in races one through four and finished 1, 1, 1, 10, 5 in the last five races. He sat out races five and six when his teammate Chris Aitken substituted as helmsman. The Tabor “A” boat was second overall in that division and was skippered by Tabor co-captain Nick Johnstone.
Kelsey Durham helmed the “A” boat for all ten races for Brewster Academy finishing 6th overall in the “A” division with finishes of 14, 9, 2, 5, 14, 8 ,8, 9, 3, 8. Ryan Powell drove the “B” boat and was 4th in that division with finishes of 2, 2, 1, 3, 2, 7, 14, 4, 14, 3. Brewster ended up 5th overall for the regatta with the combined score.
Alastair Hutchings skippered the Milton Academy “B” boat for four races scoring 16, 11, 6, and 12. He also crewed for the Milton “B” boat in two other races. Milton was 12th overall.
