Left to right: Arden Carleton, Henry Lennignton, Matthew Scanlon and Alya MacManaway sailed in the national regatta and championship. Courtesy | Hillsdale Sailing Club

The Hillsdale sailing club competed in the Midwestern Collegiate Sailing Association Open Fall Championship Nov. 4 to 5 after qualifying for it in the club’s first regional regatta. 

The team placed fourth in the regional regatta Oct. 14 to 15. Four Hillsdale sophomores competed: regatta chair Arden Carleton, captain Alya MacManaway, commodore Matthew Scanlon, and treasurer Henry Lennignton. They composed two teams: Carleton and MacManaway on the A team, and Lennington and Scanlon on the B team. 

Hillsdale competed against 12 other colleges including the University of Wisconsin, Michigan Technological University, and Ohio State University. The qualifying race took place at Macatawa Bay Yacht Club, an inlet of Lake Michigan, at Hope College. 

“Arden really carried our team all the way through the qualifying regatta,” Scanlon said. “Alya, too — she’s been sailing on Lake Champlain in Vermont a lot.” 

The team placed 13th out of 15 teams in the championship.

“It was a great experience just to be there and to get to know teams from other schools. We definitely developed camaraderie with Ohio State,” MacManaway said. “It’s great because we get to develop friendships with the teams we see at regattas.”

In a regatta, the fastest team will receive the fewest points, and the team with the fewest total points will win the regatta. The regatta consisted of multiple sailing races. Scanlon said the teams of two raced upwind toward a buoy.

“You have a second boat that goes out in a race that your first one does not go out — so it’s really a team effort,” Carleton said. 

Carleton and MacManaway’s team placed second overall, while Lennington and Scanlon’s team placed tenth overall. 

“We were definitely pleasantly surprised,” MacManaway said. 

Lennington said the qualifying regatta was an excellent learning experience, especially as a beginner sailor. 

“The regatta was a great experience, with lots of competition,” Lennington said. “I learned that a dry suit is not recommended but should be mandatory, seeing as I fell in without one.” 

Scanlon said the sailing club board decided to sign up for qualifying regattas this year. 

The board consists of Carleton, Hamilton, Lennington, and MacManaway. Carleton said the club plans to attend six regattas this academic year.

MacManaway said she and Carleton usually spend practice skippering or driving a boat with less experienced team members on Baw Beese Lake. 

“It’s pretty remarkable how well we come together as a team at our regattas,” MacManaway said. “We usually don’t practice together, but we make a good team.”