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Nikolas Liepins

Pictured to the left is the Twin Cities Sailing Center's boat dock on Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis.

Of the many sports offered, sailing is one of the lesser-known. Yet in recent years, the Sailing Team has gradually been expanding. This year, the team has eight members from St. Paul Academy and Summit School.

The team practices three times a week on Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis. Unlike other SPA sports, sailing is not run through the athletics department but through a local Minneapolis sailing school, called the Minneapolis Sailing Center. Sophomore Will Sedo says the team provides a great way to make connections with non-SPA students.

“We practice with a bunch of other teams like from Southwest, Washburn, and Edina and other high schools throughout the area,” said Sedo.

During sailing competitions or regattas, Sedo says the team “competes with other high schools throughout the Twin Cities Metro Area.”

Sedo, a long-time sailor, first got involved in the team last year.

“I started sailing when I was very young,” Sedo says. “I really enjoyed sailing and wanted to continue learning how to get better with my sailing and I got into racing. So when I came to SPA and learned there was a sailing team I decided it would be a great thing to do, and it’s been a perfect fit.”

Ninth-grader grader Maya Sachs is also a member of the sailing team. She has been sailing for two years, and this was her first year on the SPA team. Like Sedo, she also wanted to take her sailing to a new level by joining the team.

“I wanted to go further with this hobby so I decided to learn to race and join the SPA sailing team,” she said.

Although the team has struggled in the past to keep a full roster, they have more people on the team this year than they have for a long time. Sedo encourages sailors of all abilities to join the team.

“We had two new freshmen join this year and we’re always looking to expand the team. If you’re interested in sailing, you’re welcome to join!” he said. “It doesn’t matter your sailing ability, even though the focus is on racing, there are opportunities for novice sailors and veterans alike to gain experience.”

Sedo says the program as a whole is “a really great environment” in terms of team culture.

Sachs shares a similar perspective with Sedo about the culture of the team.

“I like how fun it is and how everybody at the Minneapolis Sailing Center is encouraging and supportive,” she said.

Sachs also gave her thoughts about the competitive aspect of the team.

“The team is great because I get to sail for fun and learn new tactics without having to do it super competitively,” she said.

The steadily-growing sailing team is always looking for new members to take part in the sport of sailing. Sedo and Sachs both encourage new members to think about joining the team, regardless of sailing experience. Sachs shares a final thought about the team.

“Overall, sailing is a great sport that I’d advise everyone to try, for example, doing a sailing camp over the summer,” she said.