The last weekend the top high school sailors from 28 high schools from California and Hawaii descended on Santa Barbara for the Gaucho Regatta. The event was hosted by the UCSB Sailing Team and by The Santa Barbara Yacht Club. The Principle Race Officer (PRO) was Dana Jones, the racing director and head coach for the Santa Barbara Yacht Club and Santa Barbara Sailing Youth Foundation. The Gaucho is the 5th in a series, and the one with a reputation for providing lots of wind and challenging seas. This year’s event did not disappoint. Saturday (3/21) started slowly but finished with steady 6-8 knot winds. Sunday (3/22) arrived on the heels of an overnight front which blasted through, leaving following winds of 20-25 knots with gusts over 30.

High School sailing is conducted in a two-handed boat called a Club Flying Junior (CFJ). Two sailors manage the trim of a main and jib sail. Sunday, crews also had to be adept at bailing as the high winds wiped up high seas. Races were conducted just east of Stearns Wharf, providing a great vantage point for watching the races in relative comfort. Approximately 60 boats started the event, with at least 4 sailors per team, per rotation in either Gold or Silver fleet. One rotation is comprised of two races sailed by the “A” team; switching boats off the beach, and two more races by the “B” team. A total of 16 races were completed by the Gold Fleet over the two-day event by most boats and teams. The Silver Fleet completed 8 races on Saturday but was kept on the beach Sunday due to the extreme weather. Break downs and capsizes were frequent in the last few races, leaving the most seasoned and determined on the course.

Santa Barbara High School finished in 6th with two first place finishes by the team of Oliver Toole and Paul Heffernan. Several top ten finishes were posted by the entire team including Travis Benton, Kyle Heffernan, Kieron Kavanagh, Michael Papa, and Garrett Tesman. Dos Pueblos High School finished in 10th with ten top-10 finishes, mostly in the highest winds. Team DP included Sky Adams, Hanna Vincent, Spencer Branch, Newt Cutcliffe, Hunter Yegendorf, and Nick Perez. These results were more than sufficient to elevate both teams to compete in the Pacific Coast Championships, April 18-19 in Mission Bay (San Diego, CA). Laguna Blanca High School finished in 11th place in the Silver Fleet with Carly Shevitz, Nikki Byrne, Cassidy Shevitz, and Jake Bartlein.

Gold Fleet Results
Silver Fleet Results
Photos

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