DBMS Hosts Youth Sailor Alumni

The Duxbury Bay Maritime School Junior Sailing Committee hosted the 1st Annual DBMS Alumni Holiday Party. Since it was founded in 1997, the Duxbury Bay Maritime School has developed youth sailors that have gone on to compete throughout New England, on a national level, and even internationally. In fact, there are at presently over 35 DBMS graduates that are sailing at a college level at some of the top schools and sailing programs in the US, including MIT, Boston College, College of Charleston, St. Mary’s, and Georgetown. Many of these former students still work at DBMS in the summers as sailing instructors for the school’s next generation of elite sailors.

The new DBMS facility was the site for the Holiday Party. The event was well attended, with over 35 former students and instructors in attendance, as well as present members of the DBMS Junior 420 Race Team. Members of the Junior Sailing Committee and DBMS staff volunteered to provide appetizers and deserts for the event. “It is really impressive how many of our former junior sailors have gone on to find success in college and beyond,” noted Terry Watson, chairman of the DBMS Junior Sailing Committee and father of College of Charleston sailor Kip Watson. “The evening provided a great opportunity for these former team mates to reconnect with each other.”

In addition to reuniting the DBMS alumni, five college sailors held a College Sailing Question and Answer session for current high school sailing families. The sailors, Kathryn Metcher and Cori Decollibus (College of Charleston), Zach Runci (Old Dominion), Adeline Smith (St. Mary’s), Matt Smith (Rollins College) led the discussion which covered topics including finding the right college, the admissions process, balancing sailing and academics in college, and fielded questions from parents and students for an hour prior to the Holiday Party. As one former student stated, “The skills I developed through my summers sailing at DBMS have helped me be successful at a college level. The friendships I developed will last a lifetime.” For those families unable to attend, copies of the handouts are still available by contacting DBMS.

DBMS Policies. Photos by David Grossman and site design & development by Mark Lewis.