“It may not be obvious to late afternoon ferry commuters who glance at the fleet of tiny sailboats tacking back and forth in Eagle Harbor. But the Bainbridge sailing team is actually practicing tactical maneuvers that make even the most complicated NFL scheme look like kids drawing plays in the dirt with their fingertips.That’s because one of the two types of races they enter – team racing – isn’t necessarily to the swift or the strong but to the clever. Both of the two schools enter three boats, each with a skipper and crew member. The winning boat in each race scores one point, second place two, and so forth. With 21 points possible, 10 becomes the magic number (low score wins) and the positioning of all three boats is critical. Teams may employ tactics to ensure that their slowest boat will actually cross the line first, while faster boats use the rules of the road to force the other team’s boats to tack away or insert themselves between the wind and other boats to gain a few seconds’ advantage.Of course the other team is doing the same thing, so each race – typically there are half a dozen or more – becomes a series of split-second decisions.The race isn’t over until everyone comes across the line, says coach John DeMeyer. Sometimes everything can change when boats are within 30 feet of finishing.The other type of race is double-handed, in which each school enters a single boat – also with skipper and crew – in each of several fleets in a regatta-style format.Or this type may also be employed in dual meets, in which both teams enter four boats and all eight compete as individuals.Both types of racing have national championships in May, and Bainbridge has recently qualified about once every other year in team racing for the single berth allocated to the Northwest district, which comprises about 13 teams. Qualifying consists of a single-elimination tournament, and can consist of more than 40 races during a two-day period.Bainbridge is fortunate to have at least six good skippers, since practicing the various moves is so important. These include Kellen Bailey, Emily Bruns, Kelly Norton, Daniel Roche, Pat Taylor and Matt Upton. All except Bruns, a junior, are seniors, and nearly all have been with the program for four years. Upton has a good reason for missing his sophomore year – he sailed around the world with his family.Many, if not most, crew members can also serve as skippers, such as Brittain Mason, a junior who has competed in nationals. Mason also illustrates another consideration in sailing: In light winds, lightweight crew members like her become especially important. When the winds are strong, skippers may opt for a heavier crew member.Other team members include seniors Nolan Donahue and John Merkel, junior David Grace, sophomores Ernest Bizzell and Katie Upton, and freshmen Josh Johnson, Makai Magnuson and Stuart Stringer. The sailing team won’t be affected by the move to Metro, as no Metro schools have sailing teams and therefore Spartan sailors will continue to face the same competitors as they have in previous years.This year, DeMeyer expects the main competition to come from North Kitsap.They’re deep and they have a very good sailor in Brenden Fahey, he says.Strong startThe sailing team blew past Port Angeles on Friday, winning three of four eight-boat regatta-style races and concluding with a 1-2-4 placing in a six-boat team race.Racing in two-person Laser IIs in light winds, Dan Roche/Kelly Norton and Brittain Mason/Matt Upton placed 1-2 in the opening race.Pat Taylor/David Grace, Norton/Roche and Kellen Bailey/Stuart Stringer dominated the second race with a 1-2-3 finish.In the third race, Kate Upton/Grace, Mason/Nolan Donahue and Matt Upton/Bruns repeated the 1-2-3 finish.Bruns/Matt Upton were second in the fourth race as Port Angeles turned the tables to place 1-3-4.In the team racing, the Spartans scored seven points to Port Angeles’ 14 as Norton/Taylor and Bruns/Mason placed 1-2 with Ernest Bizzell/Grace in fourth.The team travels to Anacortes tomorrow. “