New Fleet at Greenwich High School
By Sarah Barnaby As newspaper columnist George Matthew Adams once said, “Sailing a boat calls for quick action, a blending of feeling with the wind and water as well as with the very heart and soul of the boat itself. Sailing teaches alertness and courage, and gives in return a joyousness and peace that but few sports afford.” High school sailing, with nearly 500 programs nationwide, is the fastest growing segment of the sport. Governed by the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA), high school sailing is divided into seven districts, much like college sailing. As with college sailing it’s a co-ed sport, with most racing in doublehanded dinghies. A ‘grassroots’ program, the ISSA receives support from US Sailing as well as the active participation of many volunteers and benefactors who see this opportunity for young sailors as a natural partner to junior and youth sailing, as well as excellent preparation for the large number of scholastic sailors who go on to college sailing and beyond. The ISSA has its roots in the preparatory schools in the Northeast. The Mallory Trophy, the oldest trophy in high school sailing, was donated by Clifford D. Mallory in 1930 when he was Commodore of Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT, which hosted the first high school national championship in Atlantic Class sloops. Today, the ISSA is a national organization with teams at public and private schools. The Greenwich High School Varsity Sailing team strikes a pose with the truck that delivered their new fleet of Zim C420s. © John Schinto
Many hands make light work as everyone pitches in to unload the new fleet. © John Schinto
In the past few years, school sailing has developed rapidly, and it continues to do so. Few schools have boats, however, so high school sailing is very grateful for the support it receives from colleges and universities, community sailing programs and yacht clubs throughout the country. Community Boating in Boston, MA, for example, hosts 19 Boston-area high schools. The sport of sailing, although infinitely valuable, is undoubtedly expensive. So much so, in fact, that most public high schools lack the means to support such a costly endeavor. However, Greenwich High School has been a proud supporter of its competitive and accomplished Varsity Sailing Team. Unfortunately, support of the financial variety has not always been as extensive as necessary because of a limited budget. For years, this resulted in a set of overused and out-of-shape 420s, hindering the potential of a team of 25 dedicated sailors. Today, I am pleased to announce, this is no longer the case. On February 1, the Greenwich Varsity Sailing Team received a shipment of 12 brand new Zim C420s from Zim Sailing in Warren, RI. This was made possible by the donations from parents of current and past team members. However, this assistance extended far beyond financial donation. Patrice Anibal led the effort for new boats while two of her daughters were on the team, and upon the family’s last year David Ornstein, who coached the team in 1990 and whose son Pierce is a sophomore, took over to finally get it done. Needless to say, this would not have been possible without their efforts and all the
48 March 2016 WindCheck Magazine
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