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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, April 1, 2003

ILH drifts into uncharted water

By Leila Wai
Special to the Advertiser

By day's end the Interscholastic League of Honolulu will officially have put Hawai'i on the map for doing what no other state can claim: running a high school league-sanctioned sailing competition.

The varsity opens its season today in a regatta that takes place off Magic Island. Twelve schools, nine of which have varsity teams, will participate in the inaugural season.

"Many students have been competing with the sailing clubs in Hawai'i for the past 10 years," said Tom Holden, ILH sailing coordinator.

"By sanctioning sailing officially as an ILH sport it allows students to now officially compete on their high school team and be given recognition for their efforts."

The varsity will compete on the sleek, more difficult double-handed 420 boats which have a main sail and jib. Junior varsity competitors will compete on double-handed Topper boats, which have only a main sail and are more stable.

"Sailing provides student-athletes with a perfect balance of the mental and physical rigors of racing," said Scott Melander, the junior sailing director of the Hawai'i Yacht Club.

"Sailors have to think about their moves well in advance and plan out tactics and strategy. It is also physically demanding; sailors in the Olympics are among some of the most fit athletes."

Last May, ILH principals and athletics directors voted 17-0 to start the sport after receiving support from students and parents. With help from the Kane'ohe Yacht Club, Waikiki Yacht Club and Hawai'i Yacht Club — which donated boats and lessons — students began practicing in early March.

"It is going to be very reasonable for us to do this, compared to other sports," Holden said about the costs to run the league. "Currently we don't pay for the boats or coaches. It doesn't cost schools too much, which makes it a draw for smaller schools."

Holden said each school pays a small fee per sailor.

The boats donated by the yacht clubs will be designated to each school by a drawing held each week to make the regattas "as fair and equitable as possible once they are out on the ocean," according to Holden. He also pointed out that the league didn't allow schools to bring in their own boats or coaches to maintain fairness.

Each regatta will include four to six races with the top two boats from each school receiving points that count toward the ILH championship. Similar to track and field, each crew (made up of two members) will score points toward a team total, but will also earn individual recognition.

Teams can be made up of two males or females, or one of each.

"It is the only sport I know of where men and women can compete as equals," said Guy Fleming of the Waikiki Yacht Club.

Holden added that sailing is a non-gender specific sport where students of all ages, sizes and abilities can compete.

"In a state surrounded by water it seems appropriate that we now have a cycle of water sports including kayaking (fall), canoe paddling (winter) and sailing (spring)," he said.

ILH Varsity Regatta Schedule

Today—Hawai'i Yacht Club/Waikiki Yacht Club Regatta, 4:30 p.m. April 3—Hawai'i Yacht Club/Waikiki Yacht Club Regatta, 4:30 p.m. April 8—Hawai'i Yacht Club/Waikiki Yacht Club Regatta, 4:30 p.m. April 10—Hawai'i Yacht Club/Waikiki Yacht Club Regatta, 4:30 p.m. April 17—Hawai'i Yacht Club/Waikiki Yacht Club Regatta, 4:30 p.m. April 21—ILH Championships, 4:30 p.m.

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Correction: Scott Melander is the junior sailing director for Hawai'i Yacht Club. Another club affiliation was mentioned in an earlier version of this story.