Sailing has opened its fall season with a strong stretch on Lake Pontchartrain, earning top finishes in the New Orleans Fall Friday Night Series while senior captain Arthur Meade secured a spot at the High School Sailing Singlehanded National Championships.

The Jays began the season with a one-two finish in the opening night of the New Orleans Fall Friday Night Series. Sophomores Jack Meade and Harrison Teske combined to skipper Blue Jay 1 with Liam Moore crewing, finishing first after winning a tiebreaker over Blue Jay 2. Sophomore Parker Lilly skippered Blue Jay 2 with pre-fresheman Conner Blouin as crew. Light to moderate winds and significant shifts throughout the evening gave the sailors an early test of both boat handling and decision-making.

The Blue Jays returned to the water the following week and once again claimed the top two spots among a field of 15 boats. Blue Jay 1, skippered by J. Meade with Teske as crew, battled throughout the evening with Blue Jay 2, skippered by Lilly with Moore as crew. The two boats traded first and second-place finishes across four races before A. Meade and Teske secured the overall victory with five points. The Jays three entries finished first, second, and eighth.

The pattern continued in the third event of the series as Blue Jay 1 again took first, finishing three points ahead of Blue Jay 2. Mount Carmel placed third, while Blue Jay 3 finished ninth after a racing incident in the fourth race. The evening also gave more members of the sailing team an opportunity to contribute. Pre-freshman Jacob Norton crewed for Lilly aboard Blue Jay 2, while freshman Nolan White made his first start of the season, crewing for sophomore Pierre Worms aboard Blue Jay 3 in the first three races before sophomore Reed Gibbs took over for the fourth.

Meade Earns National Berth

The team then carried that early success into the SEISA District Singlehanded Championships.

A. Meade captured first place in the ILCA 7 Open division to earn the Southeastern District’s berth at the High School Sailing Singlehanded National Championships for the Cressy Trophy. He finished the district qualifier with three points, six ahead of the second-place finisher. The national championship is scheduled for October 30 through November 1 at American Yacht Club in Rye, New York.

Five more Blue Jays competed in the ILCA 6 division against sailors from across the district. J. Meade finished second and sophomore Gibbs placed third after 12 races over the two-day competition. Moore finished sixth, Lilly seventh, and sophomore Worms ninth.

The Jays are scheduled to return to the water Friday, October 9, for the fourth event in the series, followed by the final night on October 23. Supporters are encouraged to watch the Blue Jays compete on Lake Pontchartrain. The best viewing areas are from the point in front of Southern Yacht Club or along the seawall on Lakeshore Drive near the New Canal Lighthouse.