Sophomore Evan Heffernan placed third in his division, helping the Santa Barbara High sailing team to a sixth-place finish at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s Sea Otter Regatta in Monterey.
The competition drew 60 varsity and club teams from all over the state. Local club teams included Santa Barbara, Dos Pueblos and Laguna Blanca. Their sailors got in 14 races over the weekend.
“Our team has put in a lot of hard work this season,” Heffernan said. “We’re stronger and better at boat handling than last year, and it feels good to make a statement like this at the first event of the year.”
This season will include six events organized by the PCISA. The top 5 teams on the west coast qualify for the National Championship in May.
Dos Pueblos qualified last year and finished 11th in the country. Dos Pueblos is returning four of the five sailors who traveled to Chicago for the National Championship.
