They’ve been on the water since they were kids, and their dedication is paying off.

“The seniors on the team have committed to working hard since their freshman year and most of them since the eighth grade,” said high school sailing coach Burke Thomas. “These guys have worked very hard. They’ve gone to regattas on their own or with me during the summers.”

At the end of April, the sailing team won the 2011 NWISA Team Race District Championships at Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island.

“We have never won team racing before,” Thomas said. “For the school year 2010/2011, we have won all three NWISA disciplines: in fall 2010 we won singlehands and in spring 2011 we won doublehands and team racing.”

Ten schools and more than 140 sailors came to Bainbridge Island to compete in the championships  held April 30 to May 1. Saturday began with light rain and cloudy skies but by 9 a.m. the clouds had cleared and the rain had stopped. The breeze filled in from the east, allowing the varsity fleet to complete 23 races and the JV fleet to finish 41. Winds ranged from three to 10 knots.

“These are not always our favorite conditions, but we were able to master them,” Thomas said.

At the end of racing on Saturday, the Bainbridge team had opened up a one-point lead over Orcas. Sunday brought sunny skies and the warmest temperatures to hit the Northwest in months. While Puget Sound had no wind to speak of, a thermal developed inside the harbor. Both varsity and JV completed a second round robin in four to eight knots. After a tight race, the eight Orcas sailors won their varsity course. Thomas credits seniors Jake White and Annalies Schuh as being among the best youth sailors in the Northwest.

“We have never won this discipline before,” Thomas said. “It was very competitive.”

The varsity team traveled to Texas over the weekend for double-handed nationals. Thomas said their goal was to be 15th out of 20.

“This competition is very high caliber,” he said. “It’s great for our team to see that.”