Water Dragons In the spring, with great weather and strong winds, GFA’s co-ed sailing team sailed its way to the top of the Fairfield County League. The season highlight was winning the Connecticut State Championships held at the Coast Guard Academy. The team, only in its fourth year, trained at Southport’s Pequot Yacht Club in three new 420’s purchased in 2009 by GFA, and enjoyed great parent support led by Judy Proctor ’70. Made up of mostly seniors, the Water Dragons excelled at team racing (three boats from one team against three boats from another), and called on the extensive experience of the sailors. GFA ended 2nd overall in the Fairfield County League, with an impressive 8 - 3 record, ahead of Greenwich HS, Brunswick, Greenwich Academy, Staples HS, Fairfield Prep, Fairfield Warde, Fairfield Ludlowe and behind Darien. They ranked 15th overall in the New England Scholastic Sailing Association out of seventy public and independent schools. Coach Ginny Worcester ’75 said, “It was exciting to be near the top in a group of large New England schools and to travel outside our home waters. Our team executed good boat handling skills and aggressive maneuvers, and they made good tactical decisions on the racecourse. They showed leadership, responsibility and sportsmanship, representing GFA well.” Among other honors, the team won the coveted Gold Cup in the Fairfield County Sailing League Team Racing Championships, beating Darien, Greenwich and Fairfield High Schools. GFA has benefited from the sailing families in its midst, not the least of which is the Perrys from Southport. Coach Ginny (Perry) Worcester grew up sailing at Pequot Yacht Club and went on to represent the United States in the Womens’ Singlehanded Division in the Worlds. Her brother, Dave Perry (former GFA Athletic Director), has led hundreds of sailing instructional seminars, authored best-selling books on the rules of racing and is currently coaching Olympic teams. Ginny confesses to consulting her brother from time to time on the rules and strategies of racing. It’s been a winning relationship for GFA.
College-Bound
Team members: Seniors Charlie Proctor (Captain), Christiana Whitcomb, IG Schottlaender, Sam Fitzgerald, Amy Kubie, Wyatt Gordon, Chris Buonanno; sophomores, Emily Petno, Sarah MacDonell and freshman Liz McDermott.
College-Bound Athletes
Class of 2010
Francis Herman:
Christiana Whitcomb:
Baseball, Trinity College Tommy Ross: Cross Country, Trinity College Emily Blum: Volleyball, Whitman College Matt Steinschneider: Fencing, Vassar College Kathleen Soriano-Taylor: Crew, Georgetown University Nick Newhouse: Tennis, Brown University
Squash, Bowdoin College Galen Haas: Golf, Wellesley College Charlie Proctor: Sailing, Tufts University Sam Fitzgerald: Sailing, Washington College (MD) Amy Kubie: Sailing, College of Charleston IG Schottlaender: Sailing, Connecticut College | 15