Southern Sailing: Rams Taking to the Water for the Spring Season

As winter winds down, spring sports start to gear up for the upcoming season; including the Southern Regional Sailing team. Sailing unlike most sports has both a fall and spring season. 

The fall sailing season is focused more on fleet racing, every boat for themselves. While the spring season is centered around team-racing, 3 boats v. 3 boats. In the past Southern Sailing has not taken part in these team-racing regattas but this season the Rams are hoping to. Senior Turner Ryon is looking forward to the Rams shot at team-racing saying, “Our team works well with each other, we have a lot of experience sailing with one another”. 

Each sailing season features a series of championship regattas, with both the fall and spring seasons hosting regional championships. The Rams compete in the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes teams from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. To advance to the season’s final regatta, teams must place in the top four at the Mid-Atlantic Championship. For the fall, the final event is the Atlantic Coast Championship, while the spring culminates in the High School Sailing National Championship.  Last year the Rams qualified for Nationals in Charleston, South Carolina. Coming home with 9th place, the Rams hope to qualify for Nationals again this year. Commenting on his last high school sailing season, senior Noah Tallman says, “I’m looking forward to this season, we have another shot at Nationals which is in Connecticut this year.” 

NJISA spring sailing schedule starts mid-March beginning with the Icebreaker Regatta at Toms River Yacht Club. The rest of the schedule has yet to be published, however the championship regatta dates are set. May 16th-18th is the ISSA Baker Team Race National Championship held in San Diego, California. While the ISSA Fleet Racing Championship, May 31st-June 1st, is at Connecticut College. The Rams are looking forward to another successful season.