Redwood High School (RHS) sailors Mark Xu, Akira Bratti, Rhett Krawitt, Henry Vare, and Morgan Headington finished sixth in a fleet of eighteen national high school teams competing in the recent 7th Annual Phebe Corckran King National Memorial Championship invitational regatta. Hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club and the Severn Sailing Association, the Stony Brook Bears representing The Stony Brook School (NY) took first place.
After a short postponement on Saturday, June 1st, the A Division sailed in FJs, followed by the B Division in C420s. Winds in the morning were light and variable, ranging from 2.5 knots to 4 knots when racing started. Later in the afternoon, winds increased from 6 to 12 knots, and plenty of daylight allowed for twelve races for each division on Saturday. Short races made the starts crucial to stay competitive.
Sunday’s races were on C420s and started early in the morning with Southwest winds of 6-10 knots. Weather was cooler in the low 70s, cloudy with high humidity. After the first set of races the wind took a 90 degree turn to the south bringing a steady breeze of 12 to 15 knots. The sailors finally got a chance to hike and sail fast, having a great time on the Chesapeake Bay. The conditions/venue were tough to stay in a good rhythm.
RHS Sailing Team Coach Dan Brandt traveled with the team to Annapolis and coached from the shore for two days of racing in front of the US Naval Academy. “There were a lot of unknowns and new variables we had to manage, and the team did well with that,” he said. “We had more great moments than not great moments.”
While in Annapolis, the team met with local sailors originally from the Bay Area and also got the chance to tour the Maryland State House and the US Naval Academy. With blue skies and temperatures in the mid-70s, graduating Senior and Team Captain Morgan Headington competed in his final High School Regatta. His teammates will return next year to defend their place in the Nor Cal Championships and hopefully earn another chance for a podium spot at Nationals.
The regatta marked the first time that RHS had competed at the Phebe Corckran King event after winning a spot to compete when they took the NorCal Divisional Championship earlier in the spring. RHS also become the first name on the new Northern League Championship Trophy that was presented at this year’s NorCal Divisional Championship.
Headington’s mom Kerry, is an avid supporter of the Redwood High School sailing team, and junior sailing. She said, “As an educator, I think a key take home from this event is how important it is for the Bay Area high schools and yacht clubs to support high school sailing — both for the kids and for the Bay Area sailing reputation. I am a big supporter of High School Sailing because it builds camaraderie and school spirit for kids, and it is one of the ways to increase diversity in our sport.”
Thanks to Kimball Livingston, St. Francis Sailing Foundation, the Belvedere Cove Foundation, Encinal Sailing Foundation, Richmond Yacht Club Foundation, and the Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation for their support. – Source: Kerry Headington/Carl Krawitt