NWISA Silverdale Team Race Varsity

120 sailors from NW high schools came to Silverdale for the first team racing event of the season. Varsity and JV races were sailed together on a single digital N course, with 8 schools fielding 11 teams for varsity and a number of conglomerate teams were put together for 7 JV teams.

Beautiful conditions greeted the sailors upon their arrival in Silverdale, with the weekend promising sunshine, warm temperatures, and a solid northeasterly breeze. The NE wind direction on Dyes Inlet means we get flat water, mostly consistent direction, and the ability to rotate on the outside of the long main pier. The racers encountered a midday decrease in the velocity, but it soon returned to the six to 10 knot range for the rest of the afternoon. Racing finished at 1830 after completing 60 races for day 1.

Calm conditions resulted in postponement at the dock for our 9:30 start time. However, the race committee was ready to go when the fan turned on an hour later. Sunday's racing continued in the same fabulous conditions we had from Saturday, with all races completed prior to the 1500 deadline.

The varsity racers completed a round with the top 6 and the bottom 5. The JV completed two full rounds. Congratulations to the Lincoln Cardinals for their undefeated top 5 finish. Also finishing well were the Sehome Mariners (4-1), and the Bainbridge Spartans (3-2) who also take home the backup regatta Nationals team selection as the highest placing eligible varsity team. Congratulations to the Wilson Trojans for their convincing win in the JV racing.

Thanks go to all the teams who made the trip to Silverdale. We can't make these events happen without the extra efforts to get boats and personnel to the sites, and this regatta drew V15s from Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, Port Angeles, and Whidbey Island. Safety boats and drivers from Bainbridge Island, Port Townsend, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo, and the Sailing Foundation were critical.

A huge thanks to Andrew Nelson, PRO, who kept the racing moving along, Jaqi Schaeffer who handled the finishes, and Scott Wilson who set up the rotations and handled the scoring online.