by Christine Brown
Bainbridge High School sailors took strong finishes at the competitive Combined Division Regatta over the weekend at Sail Sand Point in Lake Washington.
The two-day regatta attracted 170 sailors from 24 Northwest high schools. The first event of the NWISA Spring season had teams split into two fleets, Gold and Silver, based on North and South regional qualifiers held the previous weekend. BHS qualified four teams for the Gold Division and added one boat in the Silver Division.
Stasi Burzycki and Sophia Kasper
The Spartans placed 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th out of 19 teams in the Gold Division and 18th in the Silver Division. Taking 3rd place were Jackson McCoy, Nicole Sanford, and Sophie Crandell paired with Olivia Mitchell and Karl Anderson. The 4th place sailors were Blake Bentzen, Kat Smith, and Quinn Ring paired with Caelan Juckniess and Josh Rentz. Stasi Burzycki, Harry Saliba, and Sophia Kasper were paired with Will Brown and Nick Dresel and placed 5th. The 8th place finish went to Lucas Burzycki and Francine Brownell paired with Hannah Harrison and Elizabeth Rolfes.
Caelan Juckniess and Josh Rentz
In division-wide results, Spartans Jackson McCoy with Nicole Sanford and Sophie Crandell took 2nd place, narrowly missing 1st place in a tie-breaker. Christophe Webber with Zach Mellin and Quinn Ring finished 18th in the Silver Division.
Saturday began with winds in the mid-teens, with frequent higher puffs that made for some exciting racing and a few capsizes, particularly in the first Gold Division set. The wind moderated a bit by the time the Silver Division came out to a 10-14 knot southerly. The wind held up all day with plenty of shifts and puffs to keep everyone challenged. By the end of the day Saturday, six races averaging 21 minutes each were completed in each 38-boat division.
Racing continued on Sunday but was postponed until noon due to a lack of wind. A light southeast breeze finally arrived and allowed for four more Gold Division races and two more Silver Division races.
Related Stories
- Spartans Host Regatta in Eagle Harbor, Qualify for Gold Fleet at Districts
- BHS Sailing Team at Nationals, Still Battling for Bronze
- Bainbridge Sailors Finish Strong at Cascadia Cup Regatta
- Bainbridge Sailors Place 11th Nationally
- Spartans Win Regionals & Set Sail to Nationals
- Spartans Take Swift Second in Port Angeles, Dodge Crab Pots Around Lopez Island
- Spartan Sailors Breeze Through Lake Washington Regatta
- Spartan and Northwest Singlehanded Champion Competes in National Regatta
- Spartan Sailors Win District, Head to National Championship in Florida
- Spartan Varsity and JV Take First Place at Portland Regatta (w/ Photo Gallery)
- Despite Hail, Gusts & Capsizing BHS Sails Past Competition in Silverdale Regatta
- Spartans Sail Away from Seattle Regatta with Top Finishes
Photos courtesy of Christine Brown. Lead photo features Blake Bentzen and Kat Smith.