SILVERDALE – The Bainbridge High varsity sailing team has, for the 12th year in a row, secured the right to compete in the Interscholastic Sailing Association National High School Championship after qualifying at the regional team racing championship regatta in Silverdale last weekend.

Bainbridge’s championship division skippers were Stasi Burzycki, Jackson McCoy, and Connor Juckniess, with crew Carissa Block, Geoff Brelsford, Will Brown, Nels Challinor and Hannah Harrison.

The BHS sailors prevailed in tough weather conditions. Strong, steady wind on Saturday built overnight to borderline conditions on Sunday, with winds in the high teens causing significant chop and whitecaps. Constant precipitation, from drizzle to torrential downpours, added to the challenge.

The Spartans’ three-boat championship division team sailed 15 races Saturday out of a total of 45 races in three round-robins among six high schools.

BHS led Saturday with a 14-1 record. Several close finishes showed the strength of their competition from Sehome High School (Bellingham) and Lincoln High School (Portland). Saturday’s races identified the four top teams to compete against each other on Sunday.

With challenging conditions causing capsizes even among these top four teams, BHS won three of six races Sunday. Combined with Saturday’s results, BHS held on to first place overall, with Sehome second and Lincoln third.

This year’s ISSA Baker Trophy High School Team Race National Championships will be May 24-25 in Seabrook, Texas.