SEATTLE – For the second time in less than a week, the Bainbridge High varsity sailing team won a district championship and claimed for themselves a shot at the national championship.

The team had previously won the NWISA Fleet District championship, team officials reported, but declined to participate in the Mallory National Championship, giving second place Woodinville the berth.

By NWISA policy, a NWISA school may attend only one ISSA double-handed national championship per season, and BHS had set their sights on winning the NWISA Team Racing District Championship, which was held this past weekend at Sail Sand Point on Lake Washington and is the qualifier for the ISSA Baker National Team Racing Championship.

Team racing involved three sailboats from one school racing against three sailboats from another school.

Boat speed and handling, strategy and tactics come in to play, as each team tries to get their group of three boats to finish in the top positions while impeding the other team.

Seven Northwest high schools participated in the varsity fleet.

The BHS sailors in the varsity fleet ended with a record of 20 wins and one loss, dropping only one race late in the second day of racing to the second place team — Woodinville High — which ended with a record of 14 wins, seven losses.

BHS sailors in the varsity fleet were Captains Will Brown and Joshua Rentz, Stasi Burzycki, Jackson McCoy, Hannah Harrison, Nick Dresel, Blake Bentzen and Nicole Sanford. These team members will represent the NWISA in the Baker Trophy ISSA Team Race Championship to be held at the Chicago Yacht Club later this month.

The BHS sailing team hosted a JV regatta at the same location as the district championship, which allowed for extra sailors to have the opportunity to compete in team racing.

This bracket included a second and third team from BHS, a second team from Orcas and varsity teams from seven other Northwest high schools.

The BHS Blue team remained undefeated through 18 races.

The BHS Gold team placed third overall with a 14-4 record, just one point behind Wilson High.

The Bainbridge blue team sailors were Lucas Burzycki, Caelan Juckniess, Olivia Mitchell, Kat Smith, Sophia Kasper, Sophie Crandell and Harry Saliba, who sailed for second-place Wilson on Saturday and BHS Gold on Sunday.

The Bainbridge gold team members were Karl Anderson, Elizabeth Rolfes, Zach Mellin, Cole Garthewaite, Francine Brownell, Christoph Webber, Maddie Ekin and Liam Sherry.

The BHS team was also one of the select nominees for the elite Sportsmanship Award.