The Duxbury High School sailing team is having a stellar season after having qualified for the New England High School Fleet race, also known as the O’Day Trophy. The qualifier took place on the very challenging Lake Massapoag in Sharon where the Dragons were in good rhythm and their scores improved as the day went along. Duxbury finished the event strong with top-five finishes in the final six races, good enough for second and just one point out of the top spot. “Lake sailing is always tough. It tests patience and there are many more uncertainties with variable breeze and shifting conditions,” said Coach Chris Lash.

Sailing well for Duxbury was Ian Ikeda, Meg Mackinnon, Hanno Kite-Powell, Sydney Connor, Alec Stewart, Alex Palfey, and Aaron Klein.

That very same group of sailors competed in the HS Sailing New England Championship on April 22 and had strong finishes throughout the day, finishing the event in sixth-place overall. The Dragons were the top public high school at the event.

The top four teams at New Englands qualify to attend the HS Sailing National Championships in Seattle, WA, meaning the Dragons fell just a few points short of a Nationals bid. However, the following day Coach Lash received an email from the president of New England HS Sailing that any coach would enjoy reading.

“There’s a spot at Nationals for Duxbury,” the email read. With two private schools in the top four forfeiting their spots to Nationals, the Duxbury sailing team would get the opportunity they have been waiting for: a shot at a national title. On May 11, 12 and 13 the Duxbury sailing team will be in Seattle for the HS Sailing National Championships. The Dragons will compete with 19 other teams from all over the country to figure out where they stand among the nation’s best.

In the mean time, the team is trying to finish up its regular season head-to-head meets before focusing on preparations for the National Championships. Currently, the Dragons’ win/loss record is 15-3 with one regular season meet left against BB&N on Wednesday. The most recent New England sailing rankings had the team ranked fourth among all public and private schools in New England.