Sailing is among the oldest sports originating on large wooden vessels to see who could get their cargo to a destination the fastest. The oldest running competition is The America’s Cup, it began 45 years before the modern Olympics.

The America’s cup is a regatta of the best of the best sailors and boats. Countries design the fastest boat they can produce and fill it with top of the line sailors.  Now the boats can go 3 times faster than the speed of the wind while only having 2 sq meters of the boat touching water.

Dialing it down a notch or two, this spring 5 LHS students put together our schools first sailing team.  The group of sailors have been helping each other out teaching what they have learned.

The team doesn’t receive any funding from the school for it is only a club sport, it is all personally paid for.  The team has a full-time coach that runs practices twice a week at Edgewater Marina.  No sailing experience is required, but it is suggested, anyone is welcome to join.

The sailing team is hoping to eventually receive a varsity status, but until then, they are having a great time out on the water.  The school’s athletic director Sean Jackson has expressed interest in coming to watch a regatta. Our sailors can’t wait to show him what sailing is all about.

Right now Lake Erie’s water temperature is 45 degrees Fahrenheit, most pools are around 82 degrees. Needless to say it’s a little chilly when they fall in water or the boat flips over.  For this reason everyone has to wear thermal gear to prevent hypothermia.

The team also just bought uniforms to look official at the regattas.  They race against Rocky River, Avon, Hawken and schools from Michigan and Columbus area.