This year’s sailing team is twenty members strong and ready to kick some serious butt. Led by captains Will Muirhead and Manning Unger, the AMHS sailing team is practicing weekly and going strong. Their new coach, Reed Baldridge, helps train the College of Charleston Sailing Team, which is one of the best sailing teams in the nation.

Unfortunately this fall’s races, or regattas, have been cancelled due to COVID-19, but the team is continuing to practice anyway. When asked about how the team is handling these tough times, Manning Unger said, “our loud breakdowns after every practice, the way we cheer each other on at regattas, and the intense, but uniquely friendly competition that happens at each practice all create an uplifting spirit that motivates us every day.”

This year’s roster is as follows:

Many of the members are new this year, with the team welcoming freshman, sophomores, and even some juniors.

The team is pretty crew heavy this year, which means some members have to rotate practice schedules. Many members are also able to switch positions if needed.

In sailing, skippers are in charge of steering the boat and trimming the mainsail (the big sail), while crews generally balance the boat and control the jib (the front sail). Both skippers and crews plan race strategies, communicate with other boats, and keep track of things like wind direction and tide. They are also both responsible for righting boats when they capsize. Capsizing is a team favorite when it comes to cooling off, and is sometimes carried out in an organized fashion, much to the dismay of the coach.

The sailing community is active all year, and members are finding other opportunities to race against members of other local teams, including Ashely Hall and Porter Gaud.