The CCHS Sailing team traveled up to Santa Barbara on May 3rd through the 4th for their last regatta of the year, the Pacific Coast Championships (PCCs). For this event, the team brings in its 5 best sailors from throughout the season. Let’s hear from them about how their final regatta went!
“Carlin and I ended up at a solid 9th place in the Gold A fleet,” Owen Fretwell ‘26, my brother and sailing partner, said. There are 2 people per boat, and at these events, the fleets are split into 4. There are Gold A and B, and Silver A and B. Being in the gold fleet is the highest rank you can be in for high school sailing, so the team has already made a huge accomplishment just by getting to this regatta.
“The conditions were very difficult both days, with very little wind that shifted very often,” Owen explained. Not only did the lack of wind make it hard, but also the “choppy water with lots of current.” After a rough day 1, Owen and I came back on Sunday and sailed better adjusted to the conditions, getting more finishes consistently in the top 10. “It took a lot of tactics and patience, but we ended up in a position we were happy with.”
Lauren Howe, class of 2027, and Sean Kaseburg, class of 2028, sailed together in the Gold B fleet at this event. They also performed especially well, ending up in 9th place in their fleet. “I had a lot of fun, I think everyone wanted to get the most out of this event because it was our last one of the year,” Lauren said. “I’m overall really happy with how we ended up, and am already looking forward to better results next year!”
“Overall, the weekend was very difficult racing,” Sean said. “The wind often died off in the middle of the day, leaving us waiting for it to fill back in.” Despite being a freshman, Sean has started Varsity Gold B in almost every regatta this year. Sean and Lauren, as a team, have improved so much throughout the whole year. Sean says the biggest takeaway from this event was that “starts are the most crucial point in a race.”
With the combined scores from Gold A and B fleet, the Dons ended up in 8th place overall out of all 69 schools in the district! The team had an incredible season, traveling from as close as Newport to San Francisco. With the end of the school year right around the corner, they share that they are so excited to sail all through the summer, and then give it their all in the season next school year!
