Behind depth, experience and team cohesiveness, Punahou wrapped up another successful sailing season with an Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship.

The Buffanblu finished the season with a team-low 64 points at the end of yesterday afternoon's ILH championship regatta in waters off Magic Island. Since sailing's inception as a coed sport in 2003, the Buffanblu have won all the team titles.

"They work very hard to keep up the camaraderie, to keep it fun, enjoyable and people take positive criticisms," Punahou coach Tom Pochereva said.

Mid-Pacific finished second with 140 points and 'Iolani was third with 142. Maryknoll finished fourth with 180 points, followed by Sacred Hearts (216) and Le Jardin (240).

The two-day championship regatta made up 70 percent of each team's final score. The remaining 30 percent were points from regular-season competition.

St. Andrew's Priory won the ILH Division II title on Wednesday with the team of Elizabeth Skardon (skipper) and Cragan Smith (crew).

Punahou won the junior varsity title on Wednesday.

The ILH is the only league in the state and nation that sponsors sailing as an interscholastic sport, though there are schools on the Mainland that sponsor sailing as either a varsity or club sport.

Under dark gray skies and competing in light winds, four races were held in the ocean off Magic Island, with teams sailing between marks in the water. Each team has two boats, each with two members — a skipper and a crew — that may rotate between races. For deep squads like Punahou, the Buffanblu have been able to pair sailors depending on the weather condition.

Varsity squads compete on a double-handed 420 boat, which is 14 feet long and 6 feet wide and has a main sail and jib.

Maryknoll won the first race and Punahou won the last three to conclude the season.

It was the final regatta for Stephanie Boxold, one of Punahou's two seniors.

"I realized that sailing can be intense, it's harder than people may think," Boxold said of her two years of sailing.

Pochereva said his sailors grew more observant of their strengths and weaknesses during the season and encouraged each other to excel.

"It was really fun, the team bonded great," Boxold said.

Junior Brock Wooldridge said the Buffanblu benefit from sailing throughout the year, from ILH sailing in the spring, to training and competitions through the local yacht clubs.

Pochereva credited local yacht clubs for their ongoing assistance with the sport, from providing boats to instruction. He also credited Punahou athletic director Tom Holden, who along with yacht club directors, first approached the ILH about sponsoring sailing as a high school sport. Holden will retire at the end of this school year.

Since its inception, the sport has grown in numbers, from 75 competitors at a handful of schools, to more than 170 at a dozen schools. Nearly all the schools have their own sailing coach now, whereas in the beginning, faculty members or other adults oversaw the teams.

"Each school has great coaches that want to stay and encourage sailors along," Pochereva said.