In their final New York regional event on Saturday May 6th, high school sailors from Southwestern Central and Maple Grove defeated the competition from Buffalo and Rochester at the Rochester Invitational.

Wind ranged from 5 to 15 knots coming out of the south, with a strong current and shifty conditions on the water. Cameron Turner skippered, with Abigale Kreinheder as crew in A Division, and Patrick Kelly skippered, with Madeline Wight (Maple Grove HS) as crew in B Division. Both A and B Division teams dominated the course, winning nine out of 12 races held throughout the day, securing first overall for the event.

“We are extremely proud of our sailors and their efforts out on the water in taking first, and look forward to their continued hard work and success at our next regatta,” Farris said.

Following are the final results:

From the left are Madeline Wight of Maple Grove, Abigale Kreinheder, Patrick Kelly and Cameron Turner. Submitted photo

1. Southwestern/Maple Grove, 18 points; 2. Mercy McQuaid, 43; 3. Pittsford, 45; 4. Harley Allendale Columbia, 43; 5. Webster, 51; and 6. St Joseph’s, 53 pts.

Two weeks prior, Southwestern also came out on top at the annual Ice Breaker Regatta in Lakewood. For three years, The Chautauqua Lake Community Sailing Foundation (CLCSF) hosted the Ice Breaker Regatta for high school sailing late in April. Local teams from Southwestern and Maple Grove competed against sailors from the New York area, including Buffalo and Rochester at the Lakewood waterfront off Richard O. Hartley Park.

Conditions on Chautauqua Lake at the April 22 event proved challenging due to sufficient, but shifty winds. Sailors completed six races in each division, for a total of 12 races.

Out of the seven teams racing, four teams represented their respective schools, while three at-large teams were comprised of individual sailors from different high schools. As is often the case, there aren’t always enough sailors from one school to create full teams for every event. They can pair up with other sailors from a different location to create an at-large team to participate.

Southwestern Team 1, comprised of Cameron Turner, skipper, and AJ Smith, crew in A Division, with Patrick Kelly, skipper, and Matt Conder, crew in B Division, placed first. Both divisions sailed strongly, finishing in the top two boats for 11 out of 12 races, and never finishing lower than third.

An at-large team from Buffalo Seminary, Nichols and Olcott High Schools presented tough competition for Southwestern, taking second place with only a one-point difference.

The local at-large team from Maple Grove and Southwestern finished in sixth place. Abby Kreinheder skippered in A Division, with Maddi Wight as crew. This was Abby’s first regatta of the season skippering. Sailing in B Division were John Kelly, skipper, with Jake Vavala as crew.

Following are the final results from the Ice Beaker Regatta:

1. Southwestern 1; 2 – Buffalo Seminary/Nichols/Olcott; 3. Buffalo Seminary; 4. Pittsford; 5.

Fairport/Webster; 6. Southwestern 2; and 7. St. Joseph’s Academy.

The Southwestern High School sailing team is supported by the Chautauqua Lake Community Sailing Foundation, a 501c-3 non-profit organization, promoting community sailing on Chautauqua Lake. The members and sponsors of the CLCSF are very proud of their sailors and are looking forward continued success.

The Southwestern High School team will next attend The Foundry Regatta in Cleveland, Ohio on May 20-21.

For information on high school sailing, or community sailing programs, contact Farris at 720-1550 or email him at SailCLCSF@gmail.com. Information may also be found at SailCLCSF.org.