Boats descend on Appletree Cove in Kingston for NWISA South Regional regatta

Newly-formed Kingston Krakens set sail in home port

By Mark Krulish • March 7, 2018 1:30 am

KINGSTON — Sailing conditions were perfect at Appletree Cove on Saturday, March 3 as Sail Kingston Cove and Port of Kingston hosted its first-ever Regatta, featuring Kingston’s own brand new high school team.

A sunny, 50-degree day, with clear blue skies giving the Olympic Mountains a perfect view of the action, and winds blowing at seven to 12 knots provided the backdrop for the NWISA South Regionals Regatta. And the Kingston Krakens, a newly-organized team mostly made up of high-school aged students, were eager to sail under the name of their hometown.

The racing team has arisen from humble beginnings. Sail Kingston Cove is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that teaches sailing to kids throughout the summer. The organization was formed after a Poulsbo Parks and Recreation program was moved from Kingston to Liberty Bay in Poulsbo. Sail Kingston Cove was, consequently, built from scratch.

While Sail Kingston Cove has steadily procured boats over time for instruction and racing, the organization was also gifted two racing boats by Gig Harbor last year, said Bruce Chandler, the head coach of the Kingston Krakens, helping to give birth to the new team.

The inaugural team of sailors included Morgan Chandler, Ian McConkey, Annelise Pardee, Noah Pluska, Santiago Portillo, Trenton Rodriguez and Victor Taylor. The regatta consisted of several races and the sailors took turns guiding their boats around the course during the day-long event.

”It’s two sailors per boat, we run rotations off the dock out here,” Chandler said. “Two races per team of sailors, and we do that until the wind dies.”

And many of the students have been exposed to sailing from a relatively early age. Morgan Chandler, Bruce’s son, said his father’s own passion for sailing was a big influence on him, and he is currently on the path to being an instructor. Others cited the fact that they had the opportunity to take classes in the Kitsap County area as youngsters as what helped draw them in to competing.

“It’s definitely a big part of the culture up here, the water is at your backdoor,” Morgan Chandler said.

The ideal conditions drew a huge crowd to take in the races. Local sailing lovers lined the guest dock and the surrounding area to watch the action.

The two Kingston Kraken squads ended up taking seventh and tenth out of the 11 teams. The North Kitsap Dogfish’s No. 1 team took home the top prize, but it was a day to celebrate for Kingston nevertheless as the town played host to its first regatta. Rita Osborn, the Program Director for Sail Kingston Cove, called the event “a great success.”

Final results: 1. North Kitsap Dogfish 1, 42; 2. Central Kitsap Cougars 1, 48; 3. Charles Wright Tarriers, 65; 4. Gig Harbor Tides, 77; 5. Port Townsend Red Hawks 1, 86; 6. North Kitsap Dogfish 2, 89; 7. Kingston Krakens 2, 120; 8. Olympic Trojans, 122; 9. Port Townsend Red Hawks 2, 125; 10. Kingston Krakens 1, 135; 11. Central Kitsap Cougars 2, 147.