On Friday night, June 7th, the Corona del Mar sailing team had their end of the year banquet. This banquet signified the end of the year-long sailing season, which in turn means no more practice for the rest of the school year.

The formal event was hosted at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club (NHYC), which is ironic, considering that NHYC happens to also be the practice facility of Corona del Mar High School’s main rival school, Newport Harbor High School.

The dress code was coat and tie, meaning the team had to finally retire their salty spray gear in favor of their finery. Everyone first met at 6:00 pm at the yacht club. Sailors were invited to bring all of their close friends and family to help them celebrate their year. While waiting for everyone else to arrive, sailors spent their time taking pictures in front of the pretty view of the harbor.

Once all the guests arrived, everyone went inside and sat down in the reserved cabin. There was an elaborate buffet laid out for guests. As everyone began eating, the program started with a few speeches from the board members, in which sponsors and various organizations were thanked for their support. When everyone finished eating, all attention was directed towards the front of the room as a few students went up to the stage to give their short speeches. Each of the four seniors each gave a speech about their time on the team and what they enjoyed about their experiences. Marbella Marlo, a junior who has been on the team for three years, went up to introduce their sailing coach of two years, Adrienne Patterson. Marlo gave a heartwarming speech about how she has really been inspired by Patterson and how Patterson has really helped her gain confidence as one of the few female skippers in this sport.

After this emotional introduction, Patterson came up to the podium and talked about each and every sailor on the team. Then, awards were handed out. Finally, the banquet concluded with a memory-filled photo slideshow. Great season and hope to see everyone next year, Sea Kings!