Racing season might be over, but Dartmouth High’s sailing team isn’t ready to return to shore just yet.

The team wrapped up its regular season with a win against Providence Country Day School on May 18. The win leaves Dartmouth tied in third place with Nantucket in the 13-member Cape and Island League with an 8-2 record, and a 12-10 record overall. In the league, the team was bested only by Barnstable High School and Bishop Stang High School.

“We sail against some very good teams,” said Coach Peter van Colen, who took over at the beginning of the year. He added that sailors face competition from elite schools like Tabor Academy and St. George’s School.

Practices haven’t slowed down, however. They began in February, and often included days with adverse and challenging winter weather conditions on Apponagansett Bay, where practices are held every day of the week.

"We’ve even been out there in hail, but we make sure everyone dresses in cold weather gear,” van Colen said.

With sunny weather and the end of the school year looming, focus is shifting to the younger squad of new teammates. The 24-member team is, for the most part, balanced in terms of grade levels, but skill levels differ.

The sport is open to everyone, not just students who come from sailing background, so there is a mixture of lifelong sailors and those brand new to the sport.

“I’d say about one fourth haven’t been on a boat before this,” van Colen said.

To accommodate different skill levels, new members spend time in the classroom learning the rules of the sport, basic in’s and out’s of boating, and other important skills. Once on the water, they’re paired with a coach or someone with more experience.

“We team up the experienced sailors with the less experienced sailors,” van Colen explained. “This is a unique sport in that freshmen end up teamed up with seniors.”

That’s how sophomore Sadie Thomas entered the program. Although her family has a background in boating, she was never exposed to racing until entering high school and took up sailing as a freshman.

Partnered with a more experienced teammate on her first few practices, she got through her first days with their help. That let her focus on her biggest challenge of learning the rules of the sport.

“It’s tough learning all the rules,” Thomas said. “It’s all very complicated.”

Others, like Tony Root, are no strangers to the sailing world. He's been involved in the sport for 12 years, and climbed to the rank of skipper at the high school. His experience helps him excel in the challenging role, which he also uses to teach new teammates.

The program has a rich history, van Colen said. In the past 20 years, 75 of about 400 students have gone on to attend college on a scholarship. It also gives Dartmouth High students access to a unique sport.

“Most of the people on this team wouldn’t normally have this kind of access to the water,” van Colen said.