The sun shines down on members of the school’s Sailing Club as they glide along the waters of the San Diego Bay. The wind expands the boat’s sails, and students work in tandem to steer, creating a smooth ride.

The club provides members with the opportunity to learn a new sport while having fun and bonding with teammates. Sailing is not recognized as a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) sport, meaning students cannot have a school team. The club brings sailing to the student body.

“Just like any other club, [it] brings people together,” club member Faith Howe (11) said. “[sailing] brings together everyone who enjoys other water sports too, like swimming, fishing or surfing, and so it just brings people together that love being outdoors.”

The sailing club is structured for inclusivity.

“No one needs any experience whatsoever, they [don’t have to] know anything about sailing, and they can join and they can immediately get out on a boat,” Captain Gavin Wendt (12) said. “We are always welcoming, and we obviously have more experienced people and less experienced people, but if you join, you’re always getting practice every time you come.”

The club also participates in regattas — sailing competitions that normally last two days. These competitions are an opportunity to fine-tune sailing skills, meet new people and get recognized by college recruiters.

“That’s where you actually gain experience because that’s where you do like real races, and you’re ranked,” Howe said. “Competitions are where I learn the most and have the most fun … [even with limited experience] you’re still gonna get put in [races] even if you’re at a lower level.”

Regattas are what members of the team “look forward to every year,”according to Howe, with students being especially excited for the competition in March.

“[In March], we go up to Santa Barbara to this huge event with high schools from all across California, and it’s the best thing ever,” club member Doruk Hoke (11) said.

At some competitions, including the one in Santa Barbara, students can “sail at the same time as college athletes.” Although they do not compete in the same division, students can interact with coaches or athletes they look up to.

Volunteer parent liaison Michelle Wendt noted how sailing provides students with opportunities.

“It also opens doors very much for colleges,” Michelle said. “I don’t think there’s actual scholarships, but it does help the kids get into college a little bit easier.”

The club is associated with and practices with the Southwestern Yacht Club. Additionally, it is part of two verified organizations including PCISA (Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association).

The club meets on Saturdays, with practice starting at 12 p.m. Students spend the first 30 minutes getting the sails on the boat, then have a 20 to 30 minute team meeting discussing goals and exercises for the day. After exercises on the water, they return at 4 p.m. to take the boats in, roll the sails and put the sails back. To wrap up, the club holds a meeting to discuss future regattas and possible improvements. The club also hosts hour-long calls on Wednesdays where they discuss sailing strategy and tactics.

“Derigging is really fun, because we’re all winding down together after every practice, and that’s when we have the most quality time [together],” Gavin said. “We all have lots of fun getting popcorn from the clubhouse … we all unwind and just have a great time talking, you just get to relax and hang out.”

In the club, parent liaisons organize everything, including funding through volunteer donations, as the club does not receive money from the foundation.

“The families pull together and they basically fund it and work together to keep everything flowing along,” Michelle said.

This funding allows students to attend competitions and make lasting memories with team members.

“The atmosphere is uplifting and happy, supportive, [with] lots of love,” Howe said. “We collaborate and we teach each other things and we help each other set up each other’s boats sometimes.”

Gavin also described the community as “welcoming and supportive” and looking for new members.

“We all know each other and it’s like a really dynamic and fun community,” Gavin said.

Beyond the community, sailing allows students to enjoy the coastal environment.

“You get to enjoy Point Loma, which is where I grew up … so I don’t know, maybe it’s just a very special place to me,” Howe said. “And, you just get to be in the ocean, which is very fun.”

While sailing, students push themselves physically and intellectually.

“I just think the kids enjoy being on the water and learning each day a little bit more about themselves,” Michelle said. “You know, it’s constant learning.”

According to Howe, the level of physicality that sailing involves depends on the wind.

“I’d say it’s more mental than a physical sport,” Howe said. “If it’s really light wind, it’s not very physical. But if it’s windy, it’s very physical.”

Intellectually, students acquire knowledge that remains useful both in and out of the boats.

“The biggest life skill is learning a bunch of knots, it’s something you will use your whole life,” Hoke said. “And I genuinely use those skills every single day.”

For Howe, geography skills come in handy.

“There’s so many different things that you can look at … if there’s a piece of land sticking out the side that can change the wind [direction],” Howe said. “There’s so much geographical knowledge you learn, [including] the direction of the tide.”

Still, sailing has its risks.

“Just not wearing shoes in the boat yard, you can easily break your foot,” Howe said. “Some other teams that we sail with, their coach makes them wear a helmet, because when we change directions the sail swings over [a] metal piece, and if you don’t duck [it can hit] you and you [can pass out].”

Just as the club has experienced success, it has also experienced difficulties. The club went through a mid-year coach switch; “more experienced seniors” graduating, leaving the club with a deficit of experienced members; and a lack of platform on campus.

“I know they compete with a lot of different sports and activities, and don’t get much visibility,” Michelle said. “We had our longtime coach take the rest of this season off, and I think she’ll be back next year, but we had to, you know, scramble to get some new coaches.”

Members of the club still share one common goal, to “just get better at sailing.”

“It’s something that gives other student athletes an opportunity to do a different sport and try something out,” Michelle said. “There might be other kids that aren’t [in a sport] that’s super time consuming, [and sailing] would allow an opportunity to do another sport where they’re not deeply committed time wise … so it opens a new friend group, [and is] just a new opportunity to try something different.”

The sailing club plans to host an event called “Learning to Sail” on Jan. 31, where students can learn about sailing. Students may reach out to [email protected] to secure a spot.