How High Noon Became a Winning Team
Article by Carina Becker in WindCheck Magazine here
Experience is often seen as won of the keys to a successful sailor, one who knows the venue best or has sailed the boat the longest. The Young American Junior Big Boat Team had all odds stacked against them, little experience, no boat and teenagers balancing school and other sports. Carina Becker who did bow on the Young American Junior Big Boat Team chronicles the lead up to an inspiring performance at the 2016 Newport to Bermuda race, from an unlikely group of sailors.
Carina along with six juniors, her father, Peter Becker, and two other adults began planning their campaign for the Newport Bermuda race months in advance. Carina’s article details the arduous effort of preparing a team and their boat High Noon, while balancing school, work and other necessary commitments. Sailing against professionals and seasoned veterans was large feet for this group, sometimes seeming impossible.
After months of planning and practicing, with both success and failure in their back pocket, the team approached the starting line in Newport. With weather forecasts precipitating teams to drop out of the race completely, High Noon would not be stopped. The team sailed an incredible event and finished 2nd in line honors behind Comanche, which on July 28th just obliterated the monohull transatlantic record. But what was the secret to this teams’ success? Carina says it was their lack of experience, the adrenaline felt throughout the journey caused the seven juniors to work their hearts out, as the raced neared a close, none of the kids took their sleep shifts. Everyone was on deck, the excitement about being out in the ocean with heavy wind and a spinnaker flying gave these juniors such excitement that nothing could stop them. Maybe experience isn’t the only thing that makes a great team, perhaps drive is what gave high noon the extra few miles on their competition when they reached Bermuda.
To read Carina’s full article click here
