Annie Samis '25 and Parker Kumler '23 have been busy down south this winter pushing their sailing skills up another notch. The pair traveled to the Club 420 Mid-Winter National Championship, sailed February 19-21 at Jensen Beach, Florida. With only two days of practice together the girls sailed in the U22 regatta against 150 of the best pairs in the country. After three long days of racing the girls ended up scoring a third in the Bronze fleet. 

"This was Annie's first Club 420 regatta, and the first time Annie and Parker have sailed this boat together. That they finished so well is very impressive. The girls are very competitive", said coach Joe Hanko, "I am looking forward to going to see more from them this spring!"

Club 420 racing is more demanding and complex than high school or college racing. The courses are much longer, with little time to recover between races. The mental and physical demands are higher. Additional spinnaker and trapeze skills make this level of sailing a stepping stone to elite boats and training.