If the sport of sailing is the equivalent of “chess on water”, then Rye Country Day’s team must be the Bobby Fischer of the Northeast league. The Wildcats have won each regatta they’ve entered this season, besting as many as 10 other teams on their way to victory.

The 12-student RCDS squad practices four days a week at Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich under the tutelage of second-year head coach John Bainton. The coach, the Wildcats’ first formal one in the program’s history, is also the sailing director at IHYC. He hoped his team would be good, but didn’t expect dominance from the outset.
The Wildcats are a unique blend of sailors, ranging in age from freshmen to seniors. Teddy Mark and William Gleysteen are the senior captains, and they’re backed by an excellent roster that includes the standout Mollerus brothers, freshman Andrew and sophomore Matthew. Junior Thomas Dunn and sophomores Michael Ince, Charlie Krause and Reid Secondo have also contributed to the stellar sailing. Juniors Ryan Davidson and Charlie Brooks, and freshmen David Yelsey and Julie Kahn round out the team.
“Sailing requires both mental and physical discipline,” said Bainton. “It’s very individual yet we sail at team level. It’s different in the sense that we compete for an entire day with hours of focus far beyond any other team sport. Every second and every point matters.”