CdM Sailing SoCal #3

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Tara Afshar, Journalist

It was a busy weekend of regattas for the CDM sailing team, as the third SoCal high school regatta took place at Southwestern Yacht Club in San Diego on Saturday December 14, 2019.
The team’s scheduled arrival time was 8:45 am, but by 8:15, the anxious sailors started unloading the boats off the trailer. The sailors worked together to rig the boats and launch them in the bay. Next, head coach Adrienne Patterson had her team meeting, and strategized with the sailors their race day game plan, wind and water conditions. The wind at 5 knots, was coming from a Southwest direction, and gradually increased throughout the day. The currents were also ripping and the tide was going outward. At the skippers meeting, the teams were informed about the rules, regulations, and things to be watchful for during the course of the races.
The team sailed off to San Diego Bay, off of Shelter Island to test out their angles, and double check their rigging before the start of the races. Starting teams for the CDM sailing team were Gordon Winthrow and Annabella Rivera (Gold fleet), Connor Chung and Lorelei Duarte, Tara Afshar and Ashley Highland, and Avery Oldacowski and Kyle Davis as alternates.
Midway through the races, the wind direction suddenly shifted right, coming from a westerly direction, causing the race course to be moved to accommodate the weather conditions. The gold fleet ended their final race around 3:30 pm, and the silver fleet finished shortly after. The team quickly derigged their boats and once again loaded them on the trailer for the ride home. Junior Annabella Rivera mentioned that “SoCals are a great way to experience sailing in a different area and better your sailing skills. This is my second year on the team and I’m so appreciative of the coach, Adrienne Patterson and all the work she puts in to help our team grow.” The awards ceremony took place and in the gold fleet Gordon Winthrow and Annabella Rivera placed 13th, Tara Afshar and Ashley Highland placed 1st, Connor Chung and Lorelei Duarte placed 2. As with any team, it’s always a collaborative effort, a collection of races, scores, and alternates, that continue to place the CDM sailing team at a competitive level.