Sailing on our Harbor

Annapolis is the sailing capital of the East Coast. St. Mary’s High School is located in downtown Annapolis on Spa Creek. The Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) Junior Sailing Facility is located directly across the Spa Creek Bridge from St. Mary’s School. “This makes it very convenient for St. Mary’s students to attend practices,” says former Junior Varsity (JV) sailor Windy Vorwick.
St. Mary’s has had a Varsity and JV sailing team for many years. Recently, many of the sailors graduated so St. Mary’s is now struggling to have enough sailors to sustain a full team. “Without a Varsity team St. Mary’s cannot participate in several regattas, the JV had to combine with other high schools to race last year,” says Mattie Farrar the 420 Program Manager and High School coach.
The sailors use a 420 which is a two person sailboat that measures 13 feet and 9 inches in length and weighs 230 pounds. There are 2 sails on the boat, a main and a jib. There is a skipper that steers the boat and controls the main sail and a crew that controls the weight in the boat and moves the jib from side to side.
The team practices 3 times a week with coaches who are typically college sailors. “Coaching is like other sports, there are drills and practice races like scrimmages,” Windy says.
Practices are held after school from 3:30 until around 6:30 pm. These high schools practice at AYC, Severna Park, Indian Creek, Annapolis, South River, St. Mary’s, and independent sailors. “The JV team is designed for high school students with less racing experience who want to increase their racing knowledge and ability,” says Mattie Farrar, “The Varsity team is designed for our high school sailors that have the most racing experience.”
Instead of games, the schools sail against each other in regattas on the weekend. The regattas are held all over the Chesapeake Bay. “Racing is fun and a lot different from regular sports,” says Windy Vorwick. “Instead of one game you have as many short races as possible during the day.” Regattas are generally from 9 am to 3 pm with lunch breaks. Each team is separated into A and B divisions. 4 people from each team are divided into the 2 divisions. The A group races either one or 2 races then they switch and the B team sails some races. This way you get time to talk to your coaches. When you are divided into JV and Varsity, it is by skill level. The A group contains sailors that are more experienced in that level.
Sailing equipment includes a lifejacket and different clothing for the fall and spring. The water is warmer in the fall (September – November), so you normally only need spray gear that protects your body from the water spray and wind. In the spring (March – May), the water is colder because of winter temperatures, so you often need a full dry suit or wet suit. You can get seriously injured sailing, so closed toe shoes are required.
“The St. Mary’s team won the JV regatta at the National Maritime Heritage Foundation on April 18th, 2009,” stated in the AYC Junior Sailing Newsletter, Bay Compass. “St. Mary’s High School has done well in regattas in the past, but they need to rebuild a team”, says Mattie Farrar.
Check out the Annapolis Yacht Club website (http://www.annapolisyc.com) to find out more information about high school sailing program and join in the spring. You will learn how to sail, enjoy being out on the water around Annapolis and meet other high school students from around the county.