Wildcat Sailing finished tied for seventh out of 20 teams at the Gold Fleet Regatta in Seattle Saturday, March 12.

The Wildcats qualified for the Gold competition by placing in the top half at the North Regional Regatta the previous weekend.

The teams that finished in the second half at the regional meets squared off in the Silver Fleet Regatta, including one Oak Harbor boat which placed fifth out of 40.

In the Gold Fleet, six races were held and the Wildcats collected four top-10 finishes.

Skipper Max Van Dam and crew Austin Hauter picked up a seventh and a ninth, while skipper Jordan Wood-Pina and crew Jared Hunt earned a seventh and a 10th.

Only two races were held in the Silver Fleet, and skipper Hauter and crew Piper Fisher took fifth twice.

“I am really proud of how the team has improved,” coach Erik Mann said. “Three years ago when we started this team, we were struggling to keep up with the fleet, and now they are very competitive and at times leading the fleet. It is really exciting to see all their hard work paying off.”

The Wildcats travel to Olympia Saturday, March 19, for the first ever regatta held there.

(In boat 44, Max Van Dam and Matt Dixon slip between two competitors. Photo by Jim Skeel.)