Beneath clear skies and steady wind off Santa Barbara Harbor, San Marcos High School sailors circled tightly packed race boats across open water, running practice drills just days before departing for national competition.
For the Royals, the routine has become part of a historic season.
The San Marcos High School sailing team recently qualified for both the Baker Team Race National Championship and the Mallory Fleet Race National Championship, marking only the second time a high school team from Santa Barbara County has earned berths in both spring national championships.
San Marcos High School secured its place at the Baker Trophy after finishing second overall at the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association Team Race Pacific Coast Championships in Mission Bay, posting a 12-5 record across three round robins.
Just weeks later, the team followed with a third-place finish at the PCISA Fleet Race Pacific Coast Championship in Long Beach to qualify for the Mallory Trophy.
The Baker Team Race National Championship is scheduled for this weekend near Norfolk, Virginia, while the Mallory Fleet Race National Championship will take place May 30-31 on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans.
For Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation Program Director and head coach Nick Kaschak, the accomplishment reflects years of development within a comparatively small local sailing community.
“Santa Barbara’s a relatively small town in terms of the sailing world,” Kaschak said. “We are the only junior sailing program in Santa Barbara.”
The Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation coaches and supports sailors from San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara High School, Dos Pueblos High School and Laguna Blanca School, with all four teams practicing together twice weekly out of Santa Barbara Harbor.
Kaschak said the region’s limited roster depth makes the accomplishment especially significant. While powerhouse programs such as Point Loma High School in San Diego can field rosters of more than 45 sailors for a single team, Santa Barbara’s entire high school sailing program across four schools totals roughly 26 sailors.
San Marcos High School’s active roster includes approximately 16 sailors.
Unlike traditional fleet racing, where boats compete individually for finishing position, team racing emphasizes coordinated tactics and communication between teammates. Kaschak described it as one of sailing’s most strategic disciplines.
“Sometimes you’re actively slowing your boat down to maybe slow an opponent’s boat down and improve your teammate’s position,” he said.
Practices often combine on-the-water drills with tactical review sessions, video analysis and race strategy discussions.
The team trains Tuesdays and Thursdays from August through June, with formal practice time totaling roughly eight hours per week.
Kaschak said many sailors spend additional time at regattas, in tactical review sessions and conditioning outside scheduled practices, bringing the commitment for some to about 12 to 15 hours per week.
Senior sailor Sam Wells said the sport’s constantly changing conditions are part of what drew him to competitive sailing.
“It’s different every day,” Wells said. “It’s not like going to the same soccer field every day. The water changes, the wind changes. You go to different places, and those unpredictable patterns are what make it a beautiful sport.”
Wells, who began sailing after encouragement from his mother, said the sport has taught him discipline and persistence.
“It’s taught me how much repetition and practice can improve you, not just in sailing, but in life,” he said.
One of Wells’ favorite moments this season came during a regatta in Long Beach, when difficult wind and wave conditions pushed the team to perform at its highest level.
“I went over to my teammate Dylan, and I said, ‘Dude, we can win this,’” Wells recalled. “And we proceeded to win it.”
Junior Taylor Escola has spent much of her life around the harbor, beginning sailing lessons at age 5 through the Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation. In addition to competing, she now coaches younger sailors in the same program where she learned the sport.
“I’ve just learned everything here,” Escola said.
Kaschak said the current San Marcos High School team has embraced an underdog mentality throughout the season.
“It’s a really good group of sailors who are very, very dedicated,” he said. “A lot of times they view themselves sort of as an underdog, and it’s something they’ve really worked toward.”
Several San Marcos High School sailors are also preparing to continue the sport collegiately, including Dylan Seawards, who will attend Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, and Brynn Behrens, who is headed to Tulane University in New Orleans.
As the Royals prepare to represent Santa Barbara on a national stage this month, Kaschak said the team’s success reflects years of commitment both on and off the water, along with a passion for a sport that often becomes a lifelong pursuit.
“It’s an awesome sport,” he said. “You meet a lot of great people, get to travel and go to a lot of great places, and you learn a skill that you can do forever.”
