Sailing Teams Struggle ~ Tale of Two Seasons

CHATHAM — (05/17/06) It’s been something of a tale of two seasons for the Chatham sailing team, which after an 0-4 start has righted the ship in a big way, winning six of their last eight races. “We started the season really flat, but since then we got ourselves together and starting winning. The kids are gaining a lot more confidence in their abilities,” said team organizer and 11th year head coach Greg Kelly. Following their early skid, Chatham (6-6) has flourished with victories over Nantucket, Dennis-Yarmouth, Falmouth twice, and Harwich twice, most recently on Tuesday, pulling out a 3-1, come-from-behind win on the waters at Saquatucket Harbor. “We only have 13 kids out this season, so I figured it was going to be a bit of a building year, but my two senior boats improved dramatically from last year,” said Kelly. “They turned that corner of understanding how team racing works, because it’s completely different from fleet racing.” Leading the way is senior co-captain Sims McGrath, a four-year starter who represented the Blue Devils at the Figawi Invitational last spring. McGrath has anchored the team from the skipper position. “I was concerned about who was going to manage us on the water, but Sims has stepped up in terms of his leadership,” Kelly said. “He had big shoes to fill this year, and he’s filled them. I’m extremely pleased with how he’s doing.” Fellow skipper and co-captain Steven Hammond has also made tremendous strides. “He’s matured a lot and has really contributed to our success,” Kelly said. Skippers Alexa King, Jarod Bennett, and Jesse Hoffman-Klaucke have also made a big impact, as have crew members Andrew Davol, Kenny Davol, Jimmy Florio, Susan Delgrade, Audrey Hart, Thomas Bryce, and EJ Corb. “I think our camaraderie and the support the sailors give each other on the water has been our biggest strengths,” Kelly said. “We also have superior boat speed, but when it comes to tactics, some of the other teams seem to be one step ahead of us.” A Cape and Islands regular season championship probably isn’t in the cards, seeing as Chatham already has a half-dozen league losses to schools that feature several veteran sailors. “A lot of the other Cape and Islands League teams have yacht club kids,” Kelly said. “A team like Martha’s Vineyard, for instance, sails in the summer and fall. It’s difficult to be competitive when other teams are that much more experienced than us, but the season is going much better than I thought it would, and I’m hoping we can keep our winning ways going.”

HARWICH — (05/17/06) The Harwich sailing team (0-9) has had a building season, and is in the developmental stages of learning the ins and outs of competitive team racing. “The history of our team is such that we go through cycles, where we either have kids who have a lot of experience or are still learning to sail,” said head coach John Dickson, who noted the same has been true of all teams within the 11-team Cape and Islands League. “There was a time a few years ago we were ranked in New England, but right now we’re in a position where a good percentage of our kids haven’t done organized sailing prior to joining the team, and are still learning the sport.” Getting off to a slow start on the water has been an on-going challenge for the Rough Riders, who’ve been forced to play catch-up in the bulk of their races. But the team has faired particularly well in terms of managing the crafts. “Our boatmanship has been excellent,” Dickson said. “One strength is that we’re very good at handling the boats in all conditions, especially in heavier air. It’s never easy sailing in mid March when the water is 35 degrees and the wind is blowing, but in the first month we didn’t capsized all that much, in races or meets.” Senior captain Jess Hewitt, a four-year starter, has led by example from both the skipper and crew positions. “She’s one of our top five or six skippers, our best crew, and definitely one of our best and most versatile sailors,” Dickson said. “[Senior] Brian Boyle has also been an excellent skipper. He’s shown the ability to compete with anyone under the hardest conditions. That’s where he thrives,” added Dickson, who also praised the efforts of seniors Mary West, Brenden McVickar, and sophomores Peter Sawyer, Tim Adams, Gillian Smith, Josh Keyes and Glenn Mallory, who’ve all played a big role. Dickson said he figures the Rough Riders will be more competitive in the second half of the season, and is hoping for a respectable finish in the Cape and Islands fleet racing championships in early June. “If we’re able to finish around seventh or eighth, or somewhere in the middle of the pack, that would be a real positive given our win-loss record,” said Dickson, adding the team has come along way, despite the fact they’re still searching for their first victory. “We don’t win very many races, and there are days when we might drop a meet 0-3 to Dartmouth, but the kids still sailed great and in extremely difficult conditions, too. It’s impressive they can get around as well as they do, even if they aren’t doing it by beating a more experienced team.”