Orcas sailors took first place in the Sail Sand Point Spring Open on March 12, with a low score of 87. The division A team had 15 points, and the division B team had 72 points. Division A and B Bellingham teams placed second with 99 points. Official race results will be available soon at the NWISA Web site.

Contributed by Burke Thomas

It was a very wet day for 139 high school sailors from 15 northwest schools. Sailors arriving at Sail Sand Point in Seattle were greeted by steady rain and light south winds. Twenty-three Flying Juniors crossed the starting line off the Sand Point Pier on Lake Washington for the first race at 10:50 a.m. The first two races in A division were sailed in a three-to-five knot south breeze that clocked hard to the west during Race 1A and back hard to the east during race 2A.

Mother Nature finally cooperated with the race committee for the start of the first B division race, settling from the south at about five knots. Sailors tacked and gybed their way around four-leg windward/leeward courses with a downwind finish. Six races in each division were completed by 4 p.m., and then the course was shortened to squeeze in one more three-leg windward/leeward course in each division for a total of 14 races, 7 each in A and B. The rain stopped falling around 2 p.m. after

dumping over half an inch, and the sun even made a brief appearance, bringing with it a bit stronger winds with puffs just over 10 knots for the final races.

The event wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Sail Sand Point’s fleet of 12 FJ’s, facilities, and powerboats. Many more sailors were able to get on the water thanks to the UW, Bainbridge Island, Orcas Island and Central Kitsap and North Kitsap teaming up to provide another 11 FJ’s.

Sail Sand Point’s Morgan Collins, Andi Pistay, Kim Iorio, and Kathy Wade fed about 200 hungry sailors, coaches, and parents with a BBQ lunch. And races were run by University of Washington sailors Glen Stellmacher, Jake Antles, Jordan Cutter, Molly Utter, Caylin Cordray plus Michelle Stitzer and Alex Jones. On behalf of Sail Sand Point we hope to see you on the water again soon, and congratulations to Orcas Island on their victory.