Duxbury Sailors Finish 11th at Nationals

The Duxbury High School Sailing Team qualified for Fleet Race Nationals and headed down to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland on Thursday morning. Friday was a practice day, while Saturday and Sunday were race days. The top twenty teams from around the country attended the event. This event limits the amount of sailors who can participate to 8. The 8 sailors who participated were Andrew Sommer, Zach Runci, Julia Leonard, Addy White, Katie Gluskin, Alyssa Seifert, Chelsea Maguire, and Leo Connolly.

The event was run as a 2-division regatta; an A-division and a B-division. The two fleets were sail simultaneously in two different classes of boats: Club 420 and a collegiate FJ.

Andrew Sommer sailed in A-division with Addy White on Saturday and with Leo Connolly switching in for Addy when the breeze picked up on Sunday. They combined to finished 10th in A-division.

Zack Runci sailed in B-division with Katie Gluskin on Saturday and with Alyssa Seifert switching for Katie in the heavy wind on Sunday. Combined they finished 7th in B division.

Each division sailed 12 races on Saturday, the first day of event, with shifty winds ranging from 4 - 12 knots. While on Sunday, the second and last day of the event each division sailed 8 races with a light morning breeze that picked up to over 18 knots in the afternoon.

Andrew Sommer and his respective crews of Addy White and Leo Connolly’s best race of the weekend was a 1st place, and Zach Runci and his respective crews of Katie Gluskin and Alyssa Seifert’s best race was a 2nd.

At the end of day 1 with 12 races sailed in each division Duxbury was in 10th place. Starting the 2nd day of the event the Dragons climbed themselves up to 7th place with a good shot of taking over 6th going into the final two races of the regatta. Unfortunately the last two races (race 19 and 20) proved difficult and the Dragon sailor’s ended up taking 11th in country for Fleet Racing. Out of the 4 schools from New England, Duxbury finished 2nd behind St. George’s and ahead of Milton Academy and Hotchkiss School.

“With such a young team, next year looks promising” says Coach Hans Jensen.

“I was very pleased with the Duxbury Sailors level of composer at this National event” says Coach Rob Knecht

In the end The Duxbury High School Sailors prove they are 11th best high school team in the United States of America.

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