Jamaica Pond is decorated with sailboats as varsity sailing members strap on their life jackets and helmets, ready to take on the water and another day of competitive sailing. The key to their success? Enthusiasm to learn.
Sailing has returned as a spring sport option this year for the first time since 2020. The team practices from 4-6 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at Jamaica Pond. The varsity team comprises around 20 sailors with different levels of experience. They compete in regattas (competitions) against other division B teams in the Massachusetts Bay League.
Senior and captain Frankie Strassmann grew up sailing and instructing the sport at a summer camp, but this season will be her first time sailing competitively. Strassmann said that competitive sailing can be confusing at times, but it doesn’t detract from the sport.
“Once you get past all of the weird vocab and jargon and all of that stuff, it’s really just such a cool, unique world to get into, and I think you can build such a great community around that,” Strassmann said.
The sailing program halted for a few years due to complications from COVID. Assistant coach Elizabeth Baker said that despite the lost time, the athletes are ready to confront any remaining obstacles.
“There’s a lot of moving parts being that [the sailing program is] new. There’s a lot of kinks to work out,” Baker said. “They’ve just been rolling with the punches, which has been awesome because, as the coaches, we’re still piecing everything together.”
The sailing team includes two kinds of racing: team racing and fleet racing. Fleet racing involves a set course in which boats race for a placement: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. Team racing calls for multiple boats of one team working together to achieve the lowest number of combined points. A first-place boat would receive one point, the second-place boat two points and so on. All boats need to place well to have a winning combination. Strassmann said that team racing requires group communication, a skill she believes the team will achieve with time.
“So there’s just kind of a lack of chemistry and communication that just takes time to build naturally. I’m not saying that we won’t get there. I’m sure we’re going to get there, but, you know, there’s definitely time that we didn’t have to build that,” Strassmann said. “It’s definitely going to be something we’re going to struggle with, just experience-wise, but I think that everyone is kind of up for the challenge, and I don’t think anyone is letting that discourage them.”
Baker said she is excited to see advanced sailors honing in on their potential and for less experienced sailors to take advantage of their time on the water.
“I’m excited that for those that are advanced to just sharpen those skills and for those that don’t have as much experience, get them out on the water having fun, and they’ll learn so fast because they’re so enthusiastic,” Baker said.
Head coach Eli Slater said that the sailing team members with less experience are proving to be hard workers and heading toward great success.
“We have people on the team who have never sailed before, but they’re really enthusiastic,” Slater said. “They’re showing up for every single practice; they are asking good questions and actually doing some good things on the sailboats.”
Although the sailing program is new and the athletes are still working to build a sense of camaraderie, Strassmann said that she sees a great future for the team and the possibility of a close community forming.
“I’ve played sports at Brookline, I’ve played sports outside of Brookline… but I feel like I can see this becoming really great and a really tight-knit community,” Strassmann said.
