Above are members of the Southwestern sailing team. From the left are Aiden Dearman, Nolan Lefler, Philipp Meyer, Annika Hedin and Mat Lefler. Submitted photo

BUFFALO — The Southwestern High School sailing competed in the two-day MASSA Silver Fall Fleet Championship last weekend.

Sailing for Division A was Philipp Meyer as skipper with Mat Lefler as crew. Sailing Division B was Nolan Lefler skippering with Aiden Dearman and Annika Hedin as crew.

On a gusty, partly sunny fall day on the Buffalo waterfront, the race committee pulled off 16 races. The races varied from three to five legs, depending on the rotations, and in length, from 15 to 35 minutes, depending on the conditions.

The spectator vibe was warm, with excellent stadium sailing. The course was set parallel to the shore, maximizing the entertainment of the spectators. Rotations were challenging due to the wind conditions, wind direction, and location of the rotation dock, but the racers did an excellent job being patient and rotating efficiently. Racing continued until sunset in expectation that the next day’s weather would prevent further racing.

Day two of the MASSA Silver Fleet Championship started off drizzly with a shore breeze. The course was set with a majority of the course being strongly affected by the Niagara River current, which played a role in competitor’s tactical decisions. The wind conditions were shifty and puffy due to the shore breeze and varied between 8 to 15 knots. After completing 14 races in each division, sailors headed to the dock for the day at around 1:30 p.m.

Southwestern managed to secure two fourth-place finishes in Division A, with two sixth-place finishes in Division B, earning 11th place overall. Southwestern placed second among the area teams. First place overall went to Christchurch, a team from Virginia.