Ursuline regatta drew sailors from across U.S.

Pictured above: Ursuline Academy junior Lauren Galligan, assuming the crew’s position aboard her two-person vessel, was among the teenage sailors who converged on Lake Pontchartrain earlier this month to compete in Ursuline’s second annual Girls’ Catholic Schools Invitational Regatta on Lake Pontchartrain. (Photos by Kevin Gunn, Ursuline Academy; additional photos are on the Clarion Herald's Facebook page)

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

Whenever she’s out on Lake Pontchartrain with her high school’s sailing team, Ursuline Academy senior Evangeline Barras leaves her onshore problems behind and experiences a kind of peace she can find only on the water.

But make no mistake: sailing – especially competitive sailing – is hard work that requires constant decision-making, such as how to maneuver your craft to avoid the inevitable wake of “dirty air” coming off your competitors’ sails.

“People think we just sit in the boat,” chuckled Barras, who sailed for the first time as an eighth grader and currently is one of four captains of Ursuline’s robust sailing team of 43 students.

“You have to decide when to tack, what course to follow,” Barras said. “There are marks (designating the course), but you’ve got to pick where you want to sail within that. Everyone can sail in different directions, but the goal is to get to the same (finish line) first.”
From Feb. 2-4, Ursuline’s sailing program put teens’ maritime mettle to the test when the New Orleans high school welcomed sailors from nine Catholic high schools from across the country to its second annual “Girls’ Catholic Schools Invitational Regatta” on Lake Pontchartrain.

Although it was a competition, the regatta’s main purpose was to provide opportunities for Ursuline’s student-athletes to bond with their fellow female sailors who attend Catholic schools outside their own geographical area. Last year’s inaugural event included just four teams but grew considerably this year, said Kevin Gunn, Ursuline’s head sailing coach.

“I was able to include photos from last year’s regatta showing all the fun we had, so I think that helped (increase interest),” said Gunn, whose team is open to students in grades 8-12.

Fifteen “420” dinghies provided by the non-profit New Orleans Community Sailing facilitated the regatta. Each boat is designed to hold two sailors with differing onboard roles: the skipper, who “drives” the boat; and the “crew,” the individual who helps the skipper navigate.

“The skipper is in charge of steering and also controls the mainsail, which is the bigger of the two sails,” Gunn explained. “The crew controls the smaller sail in the front, called the jib, and also makes sure the boat stays balanced. With every gust of wind or lull in the wind, the boat is going to change its heel, and so the crew’s job is to make sure that the boat stays flat by moving her weight around.”
In short, “the skipper wants to make sure the boat goes fast, and the crew is calling the tactics, telling the skipper, ‘There’s more wind over here, there’s less wind over there,’’ Gunn said.

Leg workout

The long weekend kicked off with a Friday-night seafood gumbo dinner prepared by Ursuline dads at the home of assistant sailing coach Joe Dimitri, followed by the Krewe of Excalibur parade. Two days of racing followed from the Municipal Yacht Harbor, the temporary home of the regatta’s co-sponsor Community Sailing New Orleans, a non-profit dedicated to making sailing accessible to all.
Inclement weather – flooding rains and high winds – reduced the number of scheduled races, but the sailors were able to complete eight over the course of the weekend.

The physical exertion required to maneuver a two-person sailboat falls “mostly on your legs,” Gunn said, noting that cycling is an excellent cross-training option for athletes preparing for small-craft racing.

“When it’s windy, you have to hold your weight out over the side of the boat,” Gunn explained. “There’s a strap that you put your feet under, and when you lean your body weight out it really works your thighs. It does, also, take some upper-body strength to pull in the sails, and if they fall out of the boat, it takes a good bit of upper-body strength to get back in. That happens regularly.”

Regatta competitor Lilyana Moody, a sophomore at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, Texas, said growing up surrounded by water – in Beaufort, South Carolina – drew her into sailing six years ago. When her family relocated to Texas, Moody was relieved that her high school had a sailing team that trained on a reservoir northwest of Fort Worth.

“Sailing is really good for (handling) high-stress situations because you have to figure out what to do and when you need to do it and how to make last-minute decisions,” Moody said, offering her main tip for long hours on the water: “Make sure you’re completely hydrated.”

Claire Rowland, a sophomore at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson, Maryland, said her regatta weekend highlights included seeing the Clydesdales in the parade and getting to experience New Orleans’ unique architecture with her mother.

Rowland said she stuck with sailing even after getting hit in the head by a boom  – the swinging horizontal pole at the bottom of a boat’s sails – as an 8-year-old taking her very first sailing lesson. She is also on her school’s rowing team.

“I’ve never really had an interest in soccer, basketball or lacrosse; I just really like the water,” Rowland said.

“Different bodies of water are definitely different,” she added, describing the fewer wind shifts and weaker currents in her home waters of Chesapeake Bay. “There are supposed to be some pretty good winds today, but I’m excited for that because I like sailing fast!”

Seasoned sailors

Other regatta activities included beignets at Cafe du Monde, dinner on Ursuline’s campus and games led by the host team.

On the final day of racing, the sailors gathered on the lakefront for Sunday Mass celebrated by Jesuit Father Penn Dawson. The sailors assisted as altar servers, readers and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion.

“I love our team so much, and I love the girls that I’ve met – I love seeing their different perspectives on sailing and the differences between where we live,” said Ursuline’s Barras. “With sailing, you have to trust yourself, especially if you’re leaning out the boat. Mentally, if it’s not a windy day, patience is also a big thing. Staying calm and not overthinking is really difficult!”

Awards were given to the top-three finishers: Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, Florida (first place); Team 1 from Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, Washington (second place); and Maryvale Preparatory School in Lutherville, Maryland (third place).
In addition to the top-placing schools and Ursuline, the seven other regatta participants were Aquinas High School, Augusta, Georgia; Archbishop Riordan High School, San Francisco, California; Marin Catholic, Kentfield, California; Nolan Catholic High School, Fort Worth, Texas; Notre Dame Preparatory School, Towson, Maryland; and Peninsula Catholic High School, Newport News, Virginia.

For more information on the mission of Community Sailing New Orleans and its services to school-based sailing teams, visit nolacommunitysailing.org.

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