The Cal Sailing Team started the year off with a bang by jumping on a plane and heading for the East Coast. Breaking away from the norm, we felt inspired to take on the challenges of an interconference regatta right off the bat! After battling serious complications with our flights and very groggy sailors in the airport, five intrepid Cal Sailors managed to defy the odds and give it their all on the coast of Maine. 

To our knowledge, the team has never competed in the Hewitt Trophy, hosted by Bowdoin college in Brunswick, Maine. Chosen for the familiarity several of our sailors have with the area and the fortuitous timing of a concurrently held (and much more competitive) regatta on other shores, the Hewitt Trophy proved to be a huge success for our team. Both on and off the water, the team played hard and had a good time. The coastal bays of Downeast Maine afforded our sailors light breezes and decent tides.

Over the course of two days, we tacked on puffs and overshot our lay lines. Or at least, we tried. In B fleet, a certain crew could not manage to properly predict the effects of current as we approached the mark. That certain crew may have been me, and my skipper Nate Ingebritson ’25 swiftly discharged me from that duty. Not to worry though, because our double tacks only made Nate and I stronger. After nine races, we managed to snag some pretty impressive finishes, including a second, third, and several fifths. We walked off with a sixth place overall under our belt, and our faith in our sailing abilities restored. Things in A fleet went in a slightly different direction. After a tough start against even more difficult competition, skipper Will Cornell ’25 took a breather and subbed our alternate skipper Wilton Lawton ’26 in for a rotation. The time to think was just what he needed. After hitting the water again with crew Emerson Marquez ’27, they pulled off a fourth and an eight. 

Competing against East Coast teams was both a privilege and an important reminder of what we have to work for as a team. Competitive as we feel we are, it’s critical to remember the depth and dedication of our counterparts in the East. As we move on with our season, we won’t soon forget the lessons we learned in Maine. We’ll see you next year, Bowdoin.