The Fairhope High School sailing team took first place out of 13 schools at the Wet ‘n Cool Regatta earlier this month.
Earlier this month, the Pirates claimed first place out of 13 schools in the Wet ‘n Cool Regatta at Fairhope Yacht Club, continuing the program’s strong tradition of success. Fairhope junior sailor Pierce Jones says it was a really great experience for him and his team, and it meant more than just a trophy.
“It was fun out there,” Jones said, “We had a great time doing it. We really enjoyed. It was for the fun, not even for the win.” The team competes in Club 420 sailboats, with two sailors working together in each boat. That partnership demands communication, trust and constant awareness on the water. Head coach Chris Dabney said every regatta win is special, not just because of the result, but because of what it means for the team. “We did it,” Dabney said. “You see the kids excited, you’re excited, you’re fist bumping, and they’re fist bumping and hugging each other. It’s always that stuff that gets you going and ends the day, you being happy and everybody else being happy and just celebrating.” Dabney started the Fairhope sailing program 14 years ago after leaving Robertsdale High School for what he called a unique opportunity. “I told my other principal, I’ve got to go,” Dabney said. “This is a chance of a lifetime to be able to share a sport that I love with kids who want to learn that sport.”He said his father had him on a boat when he was very young, and sailing has been passed down through generations of his family. “My dad had me on the boat when I was 18 months old, and my mom was so scared that he was going to drown me,” Dabney said. “In my family, we’ve been sailing for generations, so that trickle-down effect, you know, it’s like a Dabney is supposed to sail.”Dabney said one of the biggest reasons this current group has been so successful is because many of these sailors started early. “This group that’s coming through, a lot of them were in our OPTI programs,” Dabney said. “They start usually around seven years old, and they go through the optimist dinghies till about 12, 13, and during that time, we’re also putting them in the 420s because they’re coming into high school age.” Dabney said that early foundation helps sailors develop both the technical knowledge and confidence needed to compete at a high level later on.“You have to learn from a lot of people to be great,” Dabney said. “And it’s one of those things in sailing, if you say you know everything in sailing, you’re lying to yourself, because I learn every day when I’m on the water.” While Dabney describes sailing as peaceful, he also stresses that it can be dangerous and unpredictable. That is why preparation is such a major emphasis for the Pirates. Storms can roll in. Conditions can shift. And in rare but serious moments, sailors may have to respond quickly to emergencies like a man overboard situation. “There are situations that come up with storms and all this other kind of stuff that you have to know and try to put it in action,” Dabney said. “You may have somebody fall off your boat. So you got to be thinking immediately, how am I going to get the person back on the boat? You have to be thinking, I have throw this off and that off. It’s one of those things you rarely use, but when it comes and you have to use it, then you have to think about the process.” That need for awareness is one reason Dabney does not allow phones out on the boat. He wants his sailors fully focused on the water, their teammates, and the conditions around them.With a first-place finish at home and a pipeline of young talent continuing to rise through the program, the Pirates are not just celebrating one regatta win. They are building something designed to last.Milton woman arrested on felony charges including child pornography, sexual contact with animalFlorida man pulled over by troopers after multiple calls about missiles in his truck bedFairhope High School sailing team wins Wet ‘n Cool RegattaAlabama QB Ty Simpson says he’s ‘absolutely’ a first-round pick after his pro day workout
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