From the shore, sailing looks effortless. Handsome boats glide across the water. Milton sailors, however, testify to the mental and physical challenges.
“I describe sailing as trying to do sit-ups while going through little hills and playing chess—all with one arm tied behind your back,” says Peter Baron ’17.
Sailing team coach Patrick Broome says, “Sailing is intellectual. On the water, you need to figure out where the wind is coming from, what the tide is doing, where your team is, what the other team is doing, and where you need to be. As for the physical demands, a non-athlete in the boat is noticeable. You need good coordination to move around effectively in the boat.”
Milton sailors must have mastered these demands last spring when they had a notably successful season (19-3-1). Off the coast of Charleston, at the ISSA High School Doublehanded Championship for the Mallory Trophy, Milton’s A Division fleet racing boat, skippered by Henry Burnes ’17 with Peter as crew, placed fourth out of 20 boats—the best result for a Milton fleet racing boat in team history. Milton’s Division B boat was skippered by Eli Burnes ’17 and crewed by Charlie Hibben ’18. The two teams earned Mallory spots after qualifying in a New England regional event.
During the regular season, Milton’s sailing program focuses on “team racing,” in which three boats from one school compete against three boats of an opponent team. In this scenario, last season’s teams were Henry and Peter; Eli and team captain Emily Grace ’16; and Charlie and Ginny Alex ’17. Milton has a fleet of eight 420s and two Whalers at a marina in Quincy, where they practice under Coach Broome’s guidance.
“One of our primary goals last season was to qualify for the Baker Trophy, which is like the Mallory Trophy, but for team racing,” says Coach Broome. “About 100 schools in New England have sailing programs, and only six to eight schools have realistic hopes of going to the Baker nationals every year. We are fortunate at Milton—the Baker is a realistic goal for us.” Milton placed fourth in the New England qualifier for the Baker, but only the top-two teams moved forward to nationals.
Milton sailors spend the offseason racing individually with club teams or together in national and international events. During the summer of 2015, five members of Milton’s sailing team-—Eli, Henry, Ginny, Peter and Charlie—competed in the International Sailing Federation’s 2015 team racing world championships in Rutland, England. They won the gold medal in their division and took the final gold honors in youth racing—a huge achievement in an event considered to be the pinnacle of international, dinghy team racing.
Christina Sakellaris ’17 did not sail with the team during the spring , but last fall she represented Milton in the single-handled fleet racing New England qualifier for the national event. She came in first place, qualifying for nationals, where she placed 11th. Christina says she came late to sailing, and she didn’t start racing competitively until she was about 14. She must be a fast learner, because Christina excels at the sport. Last winter she traveled back and forth to Florida on the weekends so she could continue sailing with a club team. Now she is focused on sailing with her home club team based in Newport, Rhode Island. She started training under a coach who is a former Olympic gold medalist.
“Because I started at a later age, I’m still developing as a sailor. There’s a lot of experience that comes over time,” says Christina. “My coach encourages me to take a more professional approach and strive for perfection in everything I can control in the boat.”
Christina hopes to race for Milton during the upcoming spring season because she says she really enjoys being on the team. All the sailors are hopeful for an even stronger season next year.
“We had a really successful season and it was actually a building year for our team,” says Ginny. “We learned more about our strengths and weaknesses, and we’ve figured out ways to get better and work out all the kinks.”
Rowers Thrive on Rigorous Training and Teamwork
In the absence of a Milton-based crew team, a number of interested students are rowing for clubs in the Boston area. Pete DiGiovanni ’17, Nick Potter ’17 and Jack Robinson ’18 all row for Community Rowing Inc. on the Charles River in Boston. Pete rows in a lightweight 8+ boat, Nick rows in a heavy 4+ boat, and Jack is the coxswain in Nick’s boat. Practices are daily, either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Before a big event, practices can ramp up to twice a day.
Pete says he tried rowing because his father rowed. He discovered that he enjoyed it despite the rigors. “It’s not an easy sport. A lot of people quit because of the physical and mental strain. My teammates keep me going; I love the people I’ve met. I’ve also learned a lot about myself.”
Jack says he loves being a coxswain. “A coxswain ties up all the loose ends. They steer the boat, run the practices. The coaches tell rowers what to do but the coxswain runs the drills. We execute the race plan and provide the motivation. It’s like juggling a bunch of balls and keeping them in the air.”
Last May, the three competed in the U.S. Rowing Northeast Youth Championships on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts. This is a qualifying event for the national championships, and boats must be in the top three of the final races to move on. Pete’s boat placed first in his division final, and Nick and Jack’s boat placed third in their final race.
All three rowers were excited to compete in nationals, which took place on Lake Mercer in New Jersey in June. Although Nick and Jack’s boat did not make it to the A Final, they did win the C Final. Pete’s boat made it to the A Finals and it was an exciting finish.
“In the sprint of the race, we overtook the third-place boat to take bronze in the Men’s Lightweight 8+ event,” says Pete. “It was a humbling experience that I will not forget anytime soon, and it certainly wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates and coaches.”
by Liz Matson