School sailing team finishes 7th

The Oak Harbor High School Sailing team finished their season this month.

November 16, 2021 1:30 am
Denise Buys photo Sailing members are, back row, Thomas Buys, Colin Byler, Ben Servatius, Shawn O’Connor, Ryan Metz and Andrew Buys. In the front row are EJ Boilek, Shelby Lang, Anna Servatius and Allison Bailey.
Denise Buys photo Sailing members are, back row, Thomas Buys, Colin Byler, Ben Servatius, Shawn O’Connor, Ryan Metz and Andrew Buys. In the front row are EJ Boilek, Shelby Lang, Anna Servatius and Allison Bailey.

The Oak Harbor High School Sailing team finished their season this month at the 2021 NWISA Fall Championships in Portland. The Wildcats gold fleet boat finished seventh overall, a program-best finish at a fall championships.

Seniors Thomas Buys and EJ Boilek led the way in A division, collecting three top five finishes in ten races. The pair finished race eleven in second place, but the race was thrown out as B division did not start their required race before the time limit.

Senior Ryan Metz and Junior Shelby Lang collected a top five in a solid showing in B division, keeping the Wildcats within striking position in a very competitive fleet.

Gold fleet was contested in C420s, a boat Oak Harbor does not practice in. The team gained confidence in a strong finish in unfamiliar boats, knowing the remainder of official regattas will take place in boats the team sails in every day at practice.

Oak Harbor’s silver fleet also had a strong weekend, finishing fifth of 20 boats. Sophomore Anna Servatius and Junior Allison Bailey kept the team close in A fleet, and Senior Ben Servatius and SWHS Sophomore Colin Byler delivered the knockout blow in B division. The pair split races on the helm, collecting four wins, two seconds, and nine top fives in ten races.