Twenty eight high school sailors from around the state converged on Castine Saturday Oct. 22, to compete for the Girls State Sailing Championship.  Maine Maritime Academy hosted the annual event, and a fresh October breeze made for an exhilarating regatta. 

Cape Elizabeth sailors Tess Straw and Nora Shroder turned in an impressive performance on a wind whipped course to be named State Champions, and took home the Becton Cup. 

Smith Cove provided the perfect setting for the races, and a 12-15 knot southwesterly, gusting in the low 20s, kept the young sailors on edge all day. 

The two-person dinghies, called 420s because of their 420 cm length, were rocketing downwind on the reaching legs, eliciting hoots and hollers of delight from the racers. 

Upwind legs were a battle against the wind and spray, with the lead boats trading places often, and less experienced boats at the back of the fleet hanging on for dear life at times. 

At the end of the day the docks were buzzing with excited teenage chatter, sparked by the invigorating day on the water, and well deserved feelings of success for all participants. 

Apprenticeshop sailors competing were Alma Bewsher and crew Erin Betz of  Islesboro/Rockland; Ava Tobias and crew Greer Lafiura, of Camden; and Abby Williams and crew Raya Luehman, of Camden. 

Camden Hills Senior Abby Williams teamed up with First Year Raya Leuman, and earned second place overall with a gritty performance. 

The somewhat undersized pair (for the strong wind) exhibited great skill and determination as they battled at the front of the 14-boat fleet.  In the final race of the exhausting day, Williams and Luehman fought their way back from sixth place to second, edging out 2021 champions Piper Carleton and Kate Mason at the finish. 

The Camden sailors tacked away from second place Lincoln Academy 100 feet from the finish, to sail their own path to the low end of the finish line; an intelligent but risky move, rarely seen at the high school level. 

It was risky because adding an extra tack at the end of a race will only add time if executed poorly, or with too much caution.  Williams and Luehman nailed the tack, and used the last of their strength and enthusiasm to sprint to the finish, edging out the Lincoln Academy boat by one second to claim second overall for the day. 

"A sublime piece of sailing to cap off an awesome performance," said Coach Patrick DiLalla.  

Photo credits - Andrew Bewsher
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