U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Patrick Green. Midshipmen perform their duties aboard a Yard Patrol craft during the YP Color Company Competition April 27. The mids are graded on their performance as they operate the YPs in the Severn River.

The competition is made up of a series of events, with midshipmen competing to demonstrate their knowledge both in theory and in practice aboard the YP craft. The written tests cover basic ‘‘rules of the road” knowledge as well as general navigation and shipboard procedures.

The practical portion of the competition requires a team of eight or nine midshipmen working together as a cohesive unit to operate the YPs under the close supervision of a senior enlisted and officer.

The mids are each assigned a shipboard role, representing a realistic role found on board a larger ship in the fleet. These include positions such as the commanding officer, navigator, communications, helm and lookout.

The role of the commanding officer is held by a first class midshipman, the most senior mid on board.

‘‘As a first class, you’re essentially in charge,” said Midshipman 1st Class Sara Artime, who led the winning team. ‘‘The experience is a good thing for all first classes, but it’s especially good for those going SWO (surface warfare officer).”

An officer representative grades the team on technical knowledge as well as the group’s performance during the practical exercise.

This year’s tournament consisted of the performance of divisional tactics, or multiple ships performing a series of precision maneuvers, leaving little room for error. The exercise is held as a simple tournament bracket, with semifinals and finals deciding the victor.

To add to the difficulty of the exercise, the wind speeds reached up to 20 knots during the finals.

‘‘As we got closer to the finals, we met with each other so we could talk and prepare for each day,” said Artime.

Even with the preparation, their performance didn’t go without a few bumps.

Artime described a situation that arose when their YP transited amidst a group of buoys in the water, and lauded her team when they came together, calling out corrections and keeping calm, not once faltering or making any errors, resolving the mistake.

‘‘Professionalism on the bridge is what got us through it,” said Artime.

At the end of the exercise, the scores are tallied. Even though the exercise is a competition, the YP Color Competition as a whole is a way for the mids to hone their skills and prepare them for the Fleet.

‘‘The competition makes it more intense,” said Artime. ‘‘It forces us to play a role we will play in the future.”

From her experience, Artime says that the groups should stay focused on the goal, stay prepared, and have fun with the team.