The Dublin School sailing team competed in and hosted its first regatta of the fall season on the Saturday of Parents' Weekend. This race marked the 2nd annual duel held between Dublin and Northfield Mount Hermon. Set on Dublin Lake under partly cloudy skies, and aggressive wind conditions, Dublin and NMH fielded four boats each, making a total of eight hulls on the water and creating quite a sight for spectators on shore. The race course consisted of a basic port-triangle: three marks to round and a finish line.

Right away, it was clear that the Dublin sailors had the upper hand: they were comfortable with the strong winds, and were more accustomed to the heavy gusts that frequently tore down the length of the course. Northfield, however, was not to be counted out, as they demonstrated they were far more prepared than the previous year's regatta, being more apt to handle to the harsh conditions.

To make things more challenging, at the start of the first race, there was a dramatic wind-shift, which completely threw off the alignment of the course by 90 degrees. All boats adapted to this change well, and were able to complete the course. Crossing the line first were Dublin's Tucker Wheeler (skipper) and Leah Star (crew), followed by another Dublin boat consisting of Jeffrey Brathwaite (skipper) and Marc Krumbein (crew). Following them were three NMH boats, and then the combination of Eli Ingendahl (skipper) and Adam Bloom (crew), both of who had an excellent recovery, making up much distance on the other boats after having capsized immediately before the starting signal. The last NMH boat passed the finish line shortly after. The fourth Dublin boat, consisting of Anna Sigel (skipper) and Erin Tourgee (crew), were unable to race due to complications before the start of the race and had to return to the dock.

A second race was begun shortly after the conclusion of the first, and by this time the wind had increased in strength, and the gusts were becoming more frequent and unmanageable. The Dublin sailors, being far more used to these conditions, had a much stronger showing with our boats taking the top three spots. First across the line were Tucker Wheeler (skipper) and Leah Star (crew), once again followed by Jeffrey Brathwaite (skipper) and Marc Krumbein (crew), and then by Eli Ingendahl (skipper) and Adam Bloom (crew).

By the end of the second race, the wind gusts were proving to be a safety-hazard, so it was decided to conclude the racing for the day and return to shore. While Dublin had a great showing, it was a good learning experience for both teams.

NMH will host Dublin for a rematch on Spofford Lake on October 29th.