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Boat 2 takes the lead over Xavier’s Boat 9.
When thinking of high school sports teams that compete in the spring most people think of golf, tennis, baseball and softball. At Branford High School you can add ‘sailing’ to the list.
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Yale Corinthian Yacht Club
Coach Amy Casey and her ‘sailors’ have had a successful season, finishing with 5 wins including a season ending victory recently over Xavier High School at the Yale Corinthian Yacht Club (YCYC) in Short Beach.
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Boat 3 does a ‘roll tack’ to pick up speed.
The BHS team won the first two races of the best of three. “The team loves sailing against Xavier,” said Coach Casey. “They are a nice group of young men”.
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Boats 1-2 & 3 are in first, second and third place.
At the high school level they do team racing with three boats on a team against another set of three boats. To win the race a team should be under 10 points. In the first race Branford boats placed 1, 3 and 5 for a team score of 9. Xavier placed 2, 4 and 6 for a team score of 12.
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Sailing team members include front: Isabelle Gillis, 2nd row L-R Alena Bianchi, Andrew Salerno, co captains Paul Howard-Flanders and Haley Brown, Julia Howard-Flanders and Alisia Gruendel 3rd row L-R Parent Volunteer Mark Howard-Flanders, Cassandra Collins, Paul Rosenberg, Eric McGuire and Kyle Boucher.
Races begin with a three minute start sequence. Sailors hunt other boats, prepare to cover, and get the best position for the start. Sailors sail a triangle course with an upward mark, gybe mark, leeward mark and then an upward finish. Here is the team.
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Paul and Alena lean to make the turn.
The boats have a team of two, the ‘Skipper’ that steers the boat and the ‘Crew’ who trims the sails and scouts out the wind, lay lines.
Branford’s Boat 1 included senior co-captain Haley Brown (skipper) and sophomore Isabelle Gillis.(crew)
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Boat 2 takes the lead.
Branford Boat 2 included two sophomores, Julia Howard-Flanders (skipper) and Alisia Gruendel. (crew)
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Skipper Paul Howard-Flanders shifts his weigh in the turn.
Branford Boat 3 included senior co-captain Paul Howard-Flanders (skipper) and junior Alena Bianchi. (crew)
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Here Boat 3 tacks to take lead over Boat 2.
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Coach Amy Casey stands between co-captains Haley Brown and Paul Howard-Flanders.
“Our team captains Haley and Paul have been amazing this season” said Casey.
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Boat 1 is happy with the team victory.
“We gained some new sailors this year and their transition to the team has been seamless with the help of the captains and other team members. I’m so proud of them all and am honored to be part of such a great team and amazing group of kids”.
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Team members Isabelle Gillis and Andrew Salerno bring a little levity at the end of the day.
Next year looks bright for the Hornets with two juniors and 6 sophomores returning.
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FANTASTIC! Congratulations!!!