This September, WESS introduced its first sailing team. The team consisted of thirteen 9th and 10th graders. Every Wednesday, the sailing team dedicated their time to train for the Halloween Regatta on the Hudson River. A regatta is a race where boats must go around a buoy and back to the starting line in the fastest amount of time possible.

“The Sailing team was a whole new experience for me. It was a great opportunity to learn boat logistics, as well as teamwork skills. You can’t succeed unless you work with others,” Ketan Sterry said. 

The Sailing Team had two coaches, Spencer and Nick. The coaches were helpful in guiding those who were completely inexperienced. Students were guided in learning new skills in order to build their background on how to sail. Overall, the sailing team had a successful season. They placed 4th out of 10 at the regatta back in October.

This spring, Sailing will pick back up with approximately 24 kids signed up.

“We learned so much over the course of a few months. We also placed really well in the regatta, considering all of the competing schools had a previously developed sailing program. I can’t wait for the spring to learn more and grow as a team,” Jackie Lovci stated. 

Overall, WESS Sailing created a strong team of students who were dedicated and committed. Although the season was short, everyone was able to challenge themselves to succeed.