Conestoga High School is home to the top-ranked high school sailing team in Pennsylvania, as the Conestoga sailing team recently completed its most successful season (the 2022-23 school year) since its founding more than a decade ago.
As a member of the Main Line Scholastic Sailing Association (MLSSA), the only independent sailing league in Pennsylvania, Conestoga captured its fourth consecutive MLSSA Bell Cup Championship this past spring. By winning the Bell Cup, Conestoga became the top-ranked high school sailing team in Pennsylvania.
Conestoga also placed fifth in the New Jersey State Championship, and for the first time in school history qualified for the national Interscholastic Sailing Association’s Mid-Atlantic Championship.
In addition, the Conestoga girls qualified for the first time in history for the Girls Mid-Atlantic Scholastic Sailing Association Championship and competed in in Virginia.
Leading the way for Conestoga was senior captain Connor Demming, who received the MLSSA Top Gun Award for the second consecutive year for having most first place finishes of any other sailor. Demming also was named to New Jersey’s all-state high school sailing team.
“Winning the Top Gun award meant a lot to me,” said Demming, who signed with College of Charleston to continue his sailing career this fall. “The hours I put in everyday to make myself better really helped me achieve this goal. And the highlight of the season, for me, was winning the MLSSA Bell Cup Championship for the fourth year in a row, because everyone on the team worked so hard to get to this moment.”
The Conestoga sailors do strength and agility training on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Berwyn Sports Club, practice Tuesdays and Thursdays, and compete in interscholastic sailing competitions on Sundays in the fall and spring. The current MLSSA has 50 sailors, and 16 schools participating. Long standing teams include Conestoga, Malvern Prep, Academy of Notre Dame, Sanford School (Del.), Penn Charter, Penncrest and Episcopal Academy.
The MLSSA high school sailing fall season starts around Labor Day and runs until early November. In the spring, the MLSSA sailing season starts again in the late March and runs until early June. The Corinthian Yacht Club in Essington provides the boats and the coaching for the MLSSA clubs.
Art Bell of Paoli, who was one of the parent coordinators of the Conestoga sailing team a dozen years ago, points out that it’s a co-ed team.
“It has presented a tremendous opportunity for students to compete, learn about teamwork, train athletically,” said Bell. “It has also put Conestoga on the map as a nationally recognized sailing program, and has provided collegiate recruitment opportunities for its athletes.”
Demming, whose website (connordemming.com) includes his sailing accomplishments, said, “I chose the College of Charleston because it has a very competitive varsity sailing team and a strong academic program and business school. I had two recruitment visits and I really enjoyed meeting with the coaches, the team, and seeing the workout program and the sailing center. I believe I was recruited for my strong performance in FJs (Flying Juniors) in high school regattas and in Lasers nationally.”
Briana Hummel, who was a senior captain for Conestoga this past school year (Demming, senior Maggie Dirkes and junior Bella Cremer were the other three team captains), will compete for the University of Miami’s sailing team. Other former Conestoga sailors who have competed for Division 1 programs include Lizzie Bell (sailed for Loyola Maryland), Emma Purinton (William and Mary) and Charlie McKenzie (College of Charleston).
Malvern Prep also has enjoyed a strong program in the MLSSA, and former Malvern sailors who have competed for Division I sailing programs include Kieran Cullen (Merchant Marine Academy) and Louis Margay (Navy).
Malvern Prep sailor and rising senior Luca Webb said, “I have been sailing since I was 7 years old. When I began Malvern Prep in the 7th grade, I wanted to immediately get involved with the sailing team. I was able to join the team in the fall of my 8th grade year where I was warmly welcomed by the older students on our team.”
There were six sailors on the Malvern Prep squad during Webb’s 8th grade year, and he was a team captain as a freshman.
“My goal (as captain) was to continue the program at Malvern, and since then, our team has had lots of success, with many newcomers try sailing for the first time,” said Webb. “My personal goal, and the Malvern Prep goal with the sailing program, is to spread the sport that I love and give people opportunities to find a new and unique sport.”
Another former MLSSA standout was Trevor Long of Sanford School, who went on to sail at MIT and was a skipper on their 2017-2018 national championship team.
The MLSSA sailors represent all high school age levels and genders – in fact, sailing teams are considered to be the only interscholastic sport where males and females compete in a co-ed field.
Many of the MLSSA sailors are experienced, as a result of attending the many summer camps that offer sailing programs, or from spending their summers at the many shore communities that offer sailing lessons through their local yacht club.
Webb said, “The MLSSA high school program at the Corinthian Yacht Club has given us the tools to make that happen. It’s also nice to see my fellow competitors continue with the sport and see some of them at the national level.”
The Corinthian Yacht Club dates back to 1892, and is on the Delaware River in Essington. It’s among the oldest yacht clubs in the nation.
The Conestoga sailing team was first formed approximately a dozen years ago by Nancy Dougherty of Strafford, whose son Field attended Conestoga. Field Dougherty began sailing at the age of 7 in the town of Bay Head, N.J., where he and his parents spend most of the summer.
After a few years in the “single-handed” Optimist, Field graduated to the “double-handed” Club 420. The Club 420 is an international “one-design” boat used by many yacht clubs, high schools and colleges. It gets its name from being 4.2 meters long.
Sailing every weekday during the summer might be enough for many youths, but Field Dougherty wanted more. During his eighth-grade year at Valley Forge Middle School, he said to his parents, “I really want to sail in high school.”
Field Dougherty and his parents then began the process of establishing a new club team at Conestoga High School. After many months of meetings, phone calls and e-mails with the Conestoga athletic director and other regional officials, the team was established, and Nancy Dougherty became one of the parent coordinators, along with Art Bell.
Currently, the head of the MLSSA program is Andres Lage, 2020 Tokyo Olympic Sailor for Venezuela.
The Bell Cup, which has been awarded to the winner of the MLSSA since its second year of operation, was named after the late Pauline Bell (mother of Art Bell), who donated the trophy to the league.
Demming said, “It has been a terrific experience competing on the Conestoga sailing team and racing against some of the best high schools in the country. On top of our championships, we built strong connections with many other sailing athletes. I’m excited to sail in college and would like to thank Conestoga, our coaches, MLSSA, and my teammates for the opportunity to compete with them.”
Hummel added, “I really enjoyed my time as a member of the Conestoga sailing team. Not only did I make great friends and memories over the past four years, but the competition was intense especially as we traveled to regattas in New Jersey and Virginia this year and I feel it prepared me well for college sailing.”
