ILS Varsity Sailing team traveled to the College of Charleston’s Invitational Regatta in Charleston, South Carolina over the weekend, where it competed against 18 other sailing teams from all around the east coast including the Caribbean. ILS dominated the event and took first overall, with 103 overall points and a 45-point lead over the second place team.

Sophomore Mitchell Callahan skippered the A boat while his brother Justin Callahan, also a sophomore, skippered the B boat. Both brothers accumulated the lowest point totals thereby winning each of their divisions for the second time this year.

Team members Antonio Miranda (senior), Chiara Kusmierek (senior), Brianna Ross (sophomore), and Danny Riano (freshman) crewed for both the A and B boats showing the team’s depth and flexibility.

Justin Callahan won an impressive 12 of the 18 races, with just 35 total points over the 18 races for an average score per race of 1.9, which is an incredible feat. Mitchell Callahan had the lowest overall point total for the A division and won three races, with four second place finishes and four third place finishes for an average score per race of 3.8. 

Over the two day event, the regatta organizers completed all 18 races constituting a full rotation of the 18 teams under a variety of conditions. The A division began Saturday’s racing in the Z420 while the B division began Saturday’s racing in the FJ. The shifty northeasterly wind at 8-14 knots required the competitors to rely on excellent boat handling and tactical skills to respond quickly to the wind shifts and puffs.

The divisions switched boats (Z420 and FJ) after 9 races on Saturday and concluded the day with 14 total races. Facing a dying northerly breeze on Sunday morning, the organizers moved the race course east to capture the best conditions and managed to complete the remaining four races to conclude the event. 

The team will continue training hard and will next travel to Sarasota, FL, for its next district event on December 7.