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NEISA College Sailing is Deep: A look at the NE Dinghy Tournament

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By Middlebury Head Coach Thomas Tucker
Of the 41 registered teams in NEISA, the top 16 are given automatic berths to the New England Championships at the end of each April. The two remaining championship berths are contested in early April in the Spring NE Dinghy Tournament. The dinghy tournament is the most important regatta for teams outside the top third of the conference, similar to baseball’s wild-card. The 12 tournament spots are selected via draft order. This is an annual event for teams regularly on the fringe of the high-teens such as Mass Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime, UNH, Middlebury, Bentley, Bates, Wentworth, etc. The Spring Tournament is the premier spring event for mid-sized teams occupying the middle of the NEISA rankings, and is often overlooked.

April 6-7 saw Mass Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime, Middlebury, Olin, UNH, UConn, Wellesley, UMass Dartmouth, and Williams vying for the contested championship berths. Notably absent were the mid-conference contenders of Bates, Bentley, Wentworth and UMass Amherst. All of which are usually fairly competitive and consistently ranked in the upper-teens and low-twenties.

The regatta was raced on Herring Pond, hosted by Mass Maritime, moved from the original venue at Middlebury due to lingering ice on Lake Champlain. Saturday saw sunny skies with a lack of wind. Despite the best efforts of the race committee only two races were completed for A fleet with nothing decided.

Sunday was again warm and sunny with sailable wind building throughout the day. What started as light and variable grew to a shifty and gusty 10-12 by early afternoon and the race committee was efficient in taking advantage of the conditions.

Williams failed to return for day two, UMass Dartmouth withdrew before the last rotation, and UConn missed a rotation due to injury. The last races saw only 6 schools. Although the nine schools were competing for two spots, the real competition was between three schools for second place. Mass Maritime took a dominant lead and locked down first place early, earning thirteen bullets in sixteen races, and impressive accomplishment in any fleet.

With first place on lock, the contest was for the second available spot and continued throughout the day in tight competition. There was little point spread between Maine Maritime, Middlebury and Olin who sailed the real contest and claimed second, third and fourth respectively, separated by only 10 points, with 30 between fourth and fifth. Middlebury took a small early lead over Maine, with Olin close behind. By halfway through Sunday, Maine had moved into second place with an 8 point lead. Middlebury had a late-day rally and closed the point deficit to only 3, and Olin rallied from a 15 point deficit to 10, with all three taking bullets and providing an exciting afternoon of close racing.

Ultimately Massachusetts Maritime was dominant with only 20 points in 16 races and certainly earned their spot in the NE Championship. They were followed by Maine Maritime (45), Middlebury (48), and Olin (55). Full scores and details can be found here:

https://scores.collegesailing.org/s19/new-england-dinghy-tournament/

Reflections & Lessons from a Summer Sailing Instructor

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By Airwaves Writer Sarah Hendrickson 

Sailing for Success

The interviewer across the table told me he had one more question before we wrapped up. “I’ve been dying to ask this whole time – can you tell me more about your sailing experience? You have your Coast Guard Captain’s License??”

I smiled and began answering the question that I have been asked in one form or another in scores of interviews and conversations since graduating from UVA in 2016. I started out sailing in an Optimist Dinghy when I was 12 years old and I could not have imagined  then the  opportunities that my hobby would afford me later down the road. Looking back It is easy to think about my experiences in terms of my involvement with the racing community – but more importantly, I realize that while racing played a significant role in my story, my instructing experiences over the summers are what truly molded me and created significant opportunities for me in college and beyond into my young professional life.

I now sit behind a desk at my 9 – 5 job and reflect. While my peers flipped burgers or waited tables during their summers at home I was outside teaching sailing. I have now taught up and down the east coast – everywhere from the eastern shore of Maryland on the Chesapeake all the way to the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. I would like to impart some of the knowledge I absorbed along the way in the hopes of encouraging young sailors to embrace their love of the sport and to maximize the amazing doors it can open up in your life. If you let it, the travel opportunities are endless, the connections you make will last you many years into the future, and you will walk away with invaluable life experiences that many never get the chance to have.

Start out Small

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is experience. My first job instructing sailing was at a small yacht club in Seaford, VA. The program was completely new and very small. I stayed with Seaford for three summers and I grew my reputation within that community of sailors while adding to my experience. It was not glamorous – we would haul Johnson 15s on a wheelbarrow in a shed every morning to an inflatable dinghy and blow up the dinghy from scratch. I hated inflating that dinghy. It felt exhausting and redundant at the time but it taught me the hard work ethic required to run a successful program that would aid me in the years to come. I also received mentorship from the senior instructor there where he spent a significant amount of time and energy on emphasizing the importance of preparation and detailed attention to his craft.

Get Your US Sailing Level 1 Certification – if you can.

Obtaining my US Sailing Level 1 Certification was instrumental in my instructing experience. In any industry in life, credibility is key and oftentimes that credibility does come in the form of a sheet of paper. While you do not 100% have to have certification like this everywhere I have found that the money and the time investment has been more than worth it. It does set you apart from other people and it also opens up other opportunities that may not be in your geographical area (Summer in Maine, anyone?) That Certification will also ensure any prospective Yacht Clubs or Employers that you are willing to put in the time and the effort no matter how fleshed out your sailing resume may be.

Find your Niche

The beauty of the sailing world is that there are countless ways to become involved in the sport. I grew up primarily racing C420s with some Laser Radial racing thrown in on occasion. When it came to instructing, although I had a love for racing and an extensive knowledge, I found that my natural disposition lended very well to teaching beginners with some intermittent private coaching built in as the years went on. For others in my age group, this meant instructing the C420 classes and bringing the youth to regattas up and down the east coast. You may not begin in your niche but make sure you decide what it is that you enjoy the most about the sport – this leveraging of your strengths will make you successful in an already very niched industry/sport.

Leverage Your Network

This advice may seem old but I joined UVA’s Club Sailing Team in 2012 and I received a newsletter on a listserv for a few years. One year there was an advertised position for a instructing opportunity for a Private Charter Company in NYC. On a whim, I applied. If you are currently in school I would highly recommend getting involved in any kind of sailing communities – whether with your school or even outside your school. Listservs will oftentimes contain information that may not feel relevant to you at the time – but occasionally there will be job opportunities. Use this to your advantage and skim to the job opportunity section.

Go Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Sailing is a sport that has brought me outside of my comfort zone time and time again. There is nothing quite like a 40 knot gust of wind (really) on a 40 degree day in a C420 to push that zone to the  limit. Ironically, what is even  harder is to admit that sometimes taking the opportunities is not always the easiest thing – moving to New York City for a summer between my junior and senior year of college – it was a place where I did not know anyone. It was a huge and unfamiliar city. It was also one of the busiest waterways in the world that I was not familiar with.  It was one of the more difficult decisions I had to make. But it was one of the most worthwhile experiences I have undertook not just for the sailing experience – but more importantly for the life experiences I gained as a result from navigating that discomfort. If it feels uncomfortable, chances are, you are probably doing something right.

Flashing back to the scene,  I sit across from my interviewer – they are dressed head to toe in a black suit – and I can’t help but smile because all of the experiences flash through my brain like a quick reel movie highlight scene. “That’s a long story” I say “But to answer your question it all started when I was 12 years old and I stepped onto a tiny little boat….”

If you have any questions about sailing instructing please feel free to reach out to me.

Sailing Club Profile: Brendan Sailing (& they’re hiring too!!)

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For much of Brendan Sailing’s 34-year history, the Annapolis waterfront has been our primary home. Since 1985 we have been operating out of Annapolis Sailing School on Bembe Beach where we have an outstanding partnership with the sailing school and the community. In 2005, we expanded our programs St. Mary’s College of Maryland in St. Mary’s City, MD. Through partnership with the college, we introduced the program’s overnight camp session, where participants get the opportunity to gain a sense of independence by staying on campus in the SMCM resident halls. Recently in 2018, our organization has added a new after school program in Washington DC. Operating in the Fall and Spring months.

Brendan Sailing seeks sailing Instructors to teach beginning and intermediate lessons for youth. Brendan Sailing needs fun and energetic sailing instructors for 7 week program. We sail off the Bemebe Beach in Annapolis and at St. Mary’s College. Mid June to July 26th. Housing available. We will pay or reimburse for US Sailing certifications. For more information and to apply, CLICK HERE!

Jim Muldoon is the founder of the Brendan Sailing Program. In 1985 he was inspired to start Brendan Sailing by his son with dyslexia, Jim Muldoon Jr, who at a young age became a successful sailor on his father’s racing yacht DONNYBROOK. “One day I noticed that this young boy, who was having trouble telling his right hand from his left hand, knew port from starboard and that he was telling my crew, these big burly sailors, how to run the boat…and they were listening to him” Muldoon said. “That’s what this program does, it builds a foundation for self-confidence, allowing the kids to be more confident and surer of themselves, and not just in sailing but in other pursuits as well.”

Since the program’s inception, more than 600 young people, ages 11 to 18, have been introduced to the joys of sailing, and, in the process, improved relationships with their peers and built self-esteem, confidence, and maturity.

Annapolis, MD – April 1, 2019 – The Brendan Sailing Program has been generously awarded $25,000 in new grant funding from two local Annapolis area organizations: The Kathryn and Jerry Wood Foundation and The Brick Companies Foundation.

The grants will allow the Brendan Sailing Program to continue its mission to build pathways for self-confidence and personal growth in children with learning differences through individually tailored experiential instruction in sailing. Brendan Sailing will use the funds to award additional scholarships for Brendan Sailing Program’s three base-programs in Annapolis, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and Washington DC. “We are thrilled to have received these awards from foundations who see value in our efforts to build self-confidence and teach life skills to youth with learning differences through sailing.  We pride ourselves on never turning away a student for financial reasons.  Thanks to the generosity of these two supporters we can provide scholarships this season for youth throughout the region” said Executive Director Charlie Arms.

Registration is now open for Brendan Sailing’s summer programs. The after-school program hosted at DC Sail will run on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4:00pm-6:00pm starting on April 23 and ending on June 6.  The Annapolis Day Camp sessions take place at Annapolis Sailing School on June 17-28 and July 1-12. Fun camp activities include: sailing, beach exploration, swimming, friendships, watershed & US Sailing’s STEM program are all part of the Annapolis camp that runs Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:00pm

The program at St. Mary’s College of Maryland offers both Day and Overnight Camps July 17-26. Overnight students sleep in the residence halls on campus, take meals in the student dining center, and learn to sail at the James P. Muldoon River Center on the banks of the St. Mary’s River.In addition to sailing, campers experience other water activities such as swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, and canoeing. Through Brendan Sailing’s partnership with Spirit of America, students also have the option to learn powerboating and obtain their Maryland Safe Boating Certificate.

New Kid on the Block: Taking a Peek at the RS21

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23 November 2018, New Orleans, LA — Frantically making sure all is set, dodging 200+ other dollied-Optis doing the same thing, just what does a parent do after their Opti-sailing child pushes off the dock at a USODA regatta? Those morning minutes of frenzied, nervous preparation are always followed by a sudden stillness, and often a long period of quiet waiting… the calm after the storm.

Well, on this Friday at the 2018 USODA Optimist Midwinter Championship, hosted by Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, Louisiana, this dad had the opportunity to gear up and go sailing himself. What a treat!
Thanks to KO Sailing, Zim Sailing, and Sail22, I had a chance to go out and sail the RS21 for a few hours on Lake Ponchartrain. Jamie Gilman of KO Sailing rigged up the boat and graciously allowed me to drive, crew, and get a feel for the RS21, a new lifting-keel sprit boat. Coming along with us was 8th grader Ethan Polsen, a former Opti sailing star and an up-and-coming 420 sailor. This would be his first ride on a keelboat.

Why another 20-22 foot Asymmetrical-kite sport boat, you ask? Good question.
The answer is that while this boat looks like a sport boat, that’s not what it is; the RS folks had a clear, unique vision in mind when designing the RS21. The mission for this boat was to provide a stable, open, simple, fun, and durable keelboat that sailing and yacht clubs can use, ideally in small fleets, that is exciting but not overwhelming to attract their members, and new members, back out on the water and into sailing and sailboat racing. The boat comes standard without a spinnaker but an asymmetrical can be added for One Design racing, and she’s ready made to use a symmetrical spinnaker and pole, so it could be a great match racing boat as well. Class rules require foot-in hiking (no sitting with legs overboard) and the class strictly limits professionals on board. This boat is really meant for club members, and with the retractable keel, can be easily stored and trailered.

 

Waiting to go sailing at the Southern Yacht Club

From their website:
The RS21 responds to the need for a progressive, simple and affordable solution for keelboat clubs that increasingly see the opportunity for fleet ownership, league competition and training. Pay-as-you-go. Team up and do it together. The RS21 is specifically designed for fleet purchase, with attributes that will appeal to individual buyers as well. It puts close racing over ultimate performance. Convenient ownership over complexity. It maximizes low maintenance, value and pure sailing enjoyment. This is the boat to bring wider availability and popularity back to keelboat racing. Realistic costs allow appealing club charter fees – or affordable investment by syndicates of sailing friends. The RS21 is a safe purchase and assured of success.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
We headed out in a 5-13 knot easterly, with the usual Lake chop. It took me a little time to get the feel of the boat upwind; I’ve not been sailing a whole lot lately. It did seem very civilized, easy going, and very well-mannered. Given the goals of the boat, that’s good news. It definitely has a groove upwind, and with time and attention to detail, crews that practice in this boat can find a little more speed, but it’s also really easy to jump in and go well. The RS21 is fairly stiff, and offers its crew time to react to puffs; this is a great for less experienced crews.
While on our sail, I couldn’t resist hanging out for a few minutes at the Optimist race course leeward gate to watch some mark roundings. We luffed around, and slowed down to a crawl as I predictably searched for my son’s sail number in the sea of sails racing downwind. What I learned while doing this is that the boat has admirable upwind acceleration and feel while down-speed, and surprising feel while stopping and starting, etc. This is not always the case with high aspect bulb keel sport boats. Immediately I thought: hello team racing! The RS21 really could be a FUN adult team race boat, where these qualities are key.

Downwind, the boat seemed to come alive, and clearly had even more dinghy helm response, excellent acceleration, and a stable enough feeling for new sailors. The steering input was excellent, and allowed time and opportunity for the helmsman to bear off and avoid a broach. In fact, our 8th grader Ethan found himself driving the boat downwind in the breeziest part of our sail, and for a first-timer he sailed the boat with confidence and ease as we ate up distance downwind, our speed approaching 7-9 knots in about 12 knots of wind. The very large rudder certainly helps keep things calm downwind. Good choice, and well thought out. Easy, fun, and simple.

DETAILS
Selden is the rig supplier for the RS21, and the boat sports a carbon rig (very similar if not the exact same section as the J/70), aluminum boom, carbon sprit. It’s certainly nice to have a mast that weighs a grand total of 40 pounds. The rig and sail controls are really quite simple, with most rig tuning controls in places where they can be reached easily. The mainsheet blocks are supported on a 3 ft center post, and led to two independent blocks with cleats, fore and aft of the post. This nice touch allows trim from the continuous mainsheet from two location options with ease and ergonomic flexibility; so skipper can trim with the aft block, or a mainsheet trimmer can do so using the forward block. I am a fan of mainsheet travelers on keelboats for sure, and lack of a traveler definitely limits sail trim options. The good news is that the mainsheet block post offers something to grab onto in a pinch, a nice post-race backrest to lean on, and it certainly makes the sailing simpler with one less control to worry about.

The backstay adjuster is set in the middle of the boat; I’d like to see it led to each side for more adjustment, but having it led to one spot makes sense for a boat that prioritizes simplicity.

The spinnaker control systems are well designed and easily found. Nothing fancy here, and that’s a good thing. The three of us were able to set, gybe, and take down the kite with ease.

This boat came equipped with the optional, really cool, lifting Torqeedo electric motor. When deployed, the motor can run for as much as an hour, and while sailing it retracts flush to the hull, with the motor shaft positioned smartly guarded by the mainsheet post. This neat, easy system will provide a nice return-to-dock insurance policy for those days when the wind leaves you stranded.

THE FUTURE
Overall, this is a modern-looking 20-foot keel boat with a clear mission to target and attract sailing and yacht clubs. Think 21st Century Sonar. With a simple layout, open, ergonomic cockpit and hull designed for a forgiving, stable ride, the RS21 presents a compelling option for institutions and clubs that seek a nice blend of speed & modern performance with ease of use. The RS21 can attract the top club sailors who seek a fun, responsive, speedy, and moderately tune-able boat. Be careful if you buy six; you will have your club members team racing in this boat in no time, and they may not want to stop! More importantly, given its stability and simplicity, it can also attract and introduce new sailors, safely, to the sport.

Sounds like a turn-key fleet of RS21’s will be available for charter at all the NOOD Regattas, Charleston Race Week, and other events to be announced in 2019; this would be a great opportunity to get to know the boat, and have some fun racing at the same time. Stay tuned for a press release for more details and visit www.rssailing.com/rs21na for updated North American news.

West Coast Sailing Company Profile

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West Coast Sailing has served the small sailboat community with unrivaled expertise and unwavering commitment for helping their customers sail smarter and faster for over a decade. As the leading source for small sailboats, parts, apparel and accessories, they stock the highest performing products from the world’s top manufacturers. West Coast Sailing proudly stands behind everything they sell and can expertly guide customers towards the best products to meet your unique needs. So whether you’re in it for racing or recreation, they’re confident in their ability to help you sail better than ever before. Performance drives everything they do. Here is a closer look into who they are.

 

How did the President and founder, George Yioulos, find himself starting West Coast Sailing?

George started West Coast Sailing the day after graduating from the University of Oregon. Before this, he was in school. He admittedly wasn’t great at school, so he was mostly sailing. George ran the U of O sailing team for three years and had a blast traveling around, racing, fundraising, leading and learning. He received the Jim Rousmaniere Student Leadership Award his senior year and was and elected to the College Sailing Hall of Fame.

 

Why did George decide to start West Coast Sailing?

To put it simply, George had always wanted to run his own company. In the decision between running West Coast Sailing and getting a ‘real’ job after school, he figured the worst that could happen is that he goes broke and learns a lot. So, he went for it. There was not a gaping hole in the marketplace, there was not a lot of market research. He did think that customers would want to buy more stuff online (it was 2004, by the way) and had a passion for sailing. That was it.

 

“I am so impressed with your prompt service, thanks again.” – Joe R.

 

What were the biggest hurdles the company faced in its first few years?

George admits the number one hurdle facing the company in the first few years was himself. As he puts it, “I had no idea what I was doing. A business degree, it turns out, doesn’t really prepare you for the realities of running a business. I mean, it’s hand to hand combat, day to day, cash flow management while working 7 days a week, 80+ hours or more to get the job done. Those are the parts they skip over in business school, the complexity, the decisions, etc.” The company almost went bankrupt in 2009 by trying to get into foiling with Bladerider Moths. However, George just stumbled forward until there was enough money to hire the right people to help grow the company. Once that happened, life got better. But those early days will always have a certain charm. In George’s words, “I slept at work in the early days on this old futon in the showroom.  Wake up, and get to work. It was wild – whatever it took to help people and grow our business. Looking back, we did it.”

 

What separates West Coast Sailing from its competitors?

Our commitment to doing the right thing and putting the customer first is what has always driven us to work hard, and this is what separates West Coast Sailing from competitors. We always strive to view problems and opportunities from the point of view of the sailor, asking questions like, “will this replacement part get there in time for the regatta?” and “will this new piece of gear help sailors perform their best on the water?” We want to make it as easy as possible to find the right gear you need for whatever type of sailing you are doing, have it in stock, make it easy to order, and get it to you quickly. In our ideal world, the less time someone needs to spend buying gear the more time they can spend on the water. We stock thousands of items and often have over a hundred boats in stock at any one time. Our warehouse is something to see! We are also committed to reinvesting in our business, our staff, and in the sailing community of which we are a part. We’re all in this together!

 

West Coast sailing gives a lot back to the sailing and kayaking communities, what are the key ways you do this?

Our support for the sailing and kayaking communities has come in many forms over the years. In the early days, that meant giving of our free time to volunteer at and run regattas. A bunch of our staff members are former coaches for local Pacific NW teams. We are a long time sponsor for the Columbia Gorge Racing Association (which hosts regattas in the Gorge at Cascade Locks) and have great relationships with a number of organizations including,

  • Seattle Laser Fleet
  • San Juan Island Sailing Foundation
  • Park City Sailing Association
  • San Francisco Yacht Club Youth Sailing
  • Northwest Intercollegiate Sailing Association
  • University of Oregon Sailing Team
  • Encinal Yacht Club Youth Sailing
  • St. Francis Sailing Foundation
  • Sail Sand Point
  • CYC Portland
  • Hobie Fleet 72
  • Willamette Sailing Club Youth Sailing
  • Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association
  • Oregon Youth Sailing Foundation
  • Portland Area High School Sailing
  • Oregon Women’s Sailing Association

We’ve sponsored dozens of youth and Olympic track sailors over the past 10 years and supported hundreds of events including,

  • Northwest Youth Racing Circuit
  • Kitten Cup Regatta
  • Sea to Ski Regatta
  • Vancouver Lake Youth Regatta
  • WIND Regatta
  • Port Townsend Junior Regatta
  • Opti Gorge Regatta
  • NW Junior Olympics
  • JAM Youth Regatta
  • Octoberfest at Sail Sand Point
  • CYC Opti Clinic
  • Oregon Offshore Race
  • Cultus Lake Regatta
  • British Columbia Laser Masters Championship
  • O’Pen Bic UnRegatta
  • Dale Jepsen One Design
  • Laser No Coast Championship
  • Annual CISA clinic
  • Laser Midwinters West

And more! The list is massive!

 

What are some of the best parts of working for West Coast Sailing as an employee?

As a relatively small company, working at West Coast Sailing gives all employees the ability to make a difference every day. Everyone from customer support and sales, to marketing, and fulfillment have a vital role in continuing our success, serving our customers, and working towards the future. Creative solutions for complex problems can come from anyone in the office and that helps keep everyone on their toes. Most importantly, working here is a great way to translate a passion for sailing and getting out on the water into a meaningful job. Getting to use company boats is a great perk too!

 

Have current employees been with the company for many years?

We currently have 15 full time and part time staff members. There are a core group of three employees that have been with the company for 8+ years, and another three to four that have been with the company for more than 3 years. We’re lucky to have found great staff who are passionate about sailing and have turned working at West Coast Sailing from a job into a career.

“I bought my first laser from West Coast Sailing over six years ago. I still remember how George, the owner, literally spent hours with me going over the boat and teaching me how to set everything up the best way. I have bought another three boats and tons of other laser gear from the West Coast Sailing team since then and have never had a bad experience. They are committed to providing the best customer service and are passionate about getting people sailing. I fully recommend West Coast Sailing for any small boat sailors, or future small boat sailors!” – Fillah K.

 

What trends have you seen taking off in the sailing market in recent years?

The sailing market can be complicated and has a true global feel. The shift away from going down to your local dinghy sailing store and general consolidation has typically helped us continue to grow and reach sailors well beyond our home base in Portland, Oregon, but we’re also keenly aware of the importance of local organizations in supporting local sailing activity. This is why we try to support as many of these organizations as possible. The rise in popularity of the boats from RS Sailing has also been tremendous for us, as we were one of the first North American dealers for RS and are very fond of their boats. What’s popular or not popular in sailing gear is constantly evolving as well, but we try to be on top of it and continue to modify and improve our product catalog to offer great gear that we know will work well on the water.

“You’ve been more than helpful, and in this day and age, it’s nice to work with someone who goes the extra mile even when they don’t have to… Legend!”- Evan B.

 

What are some of the things West Coast Sailing is doing to expand its horizon for the future?

Without giving too much away, West Coast Sailing remains committed to maintaining the same work ethic and commitment to happy customers to got us here to help guide us into the future. Our company is certainly larger than it was 10 years ago and has more moving pieces, but we believe if we are constantly listening to our customers and finding solutions to their needs, we’ll be in the right place to continue to support the growth of sailing and on water lifestyles into the future. We’re continuing to invest in our staff, in the systems we use to run our business, and in the sailing community. Simply put, we’re ready for the challenges and opportunities to come and look forward to helping sailors around the world continue to get out on the water.

 

A special thanks to West Coast Sailing’s Director of Marketing and Ecommerce, Philip Krug, and everyone else at West Coast Sailing for making this piece possible.

Head to West Coast Sailing’s website for all your sailing needs! https://westcoastsailing.net/

ICSA Team Race Rankings Update & Weekly News, April 3 2019

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April  4, 2019, Written by Chris Klevan

photo by Ken Legler

Finally, after an exciting 2 weeks of sailing, culminating with the Marchiando, which shook up the rankings a bit (and temporarily broke our ranking system 😉 ) the S1D ICSA Team Race Rankings Update is HERE!!
The Harvard University Crimson won the 38th Lynne Marchiando Trophy, hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Harvard finished with a 16-6 record after 2 full days of challenging racing. The conditions were beyond dynamic as some of the best teams in the nation struggled to keep all three boats upright let alone team race at an elite level. After 176 races sailed, uncertainty as to who is bound for nationals in New England is only heightened with conference championships only a week away.

“Champagne conditions for team racing on the Charles River today,” said Principal Race Officer and MIT Sailing Master, Franny Charles in his regatta report. “An east wind at 5-8 gave way to a smoking southerly at 12-18 during the afternoon. The color coordinated Fireflies and FJs made for spectacular spectating for the abundant crowd at the pavilion and along the Cambridge seawall.”

If the Graham Hall at Navy attempts to emulate the Laser Performance Team Race National Championship, then the Marchiando is college sailing’s version of the Wilson Trophy of West Kirby, UK. Whether it was the extreme conditions or the team race sailing, spectators taking a break from their runs down Memorial Drive, Boston College fans and teams enjoying their offsets were frequently cheering for plays attempted (and failed) at mark 3 and 4, positioned a few boatlengths from the docks at MIT, and capsizes, of which there were many.

One witnessing Sophia Reineke interacting with fans from her sail boat between races couldn’t help but to think of the grandstand at West Kirby. If only Ken Legler had commentated. The spirit of the College Sailing suggested by the aging photographs and news clipping in MIT’s Walter C. Wood Sailing Pavilion- the namesake of the trophy awarded to the winner at the Laser Performance Team Race Championship, was palpable at this event.

“The team race honors a distinguished member of the MIT Class of 1985 who sailed A Division for 3 of her 4 years on the sailing team,” continued Franny Charles.

photo by Ken Legler

Mr. Charles was able to get off 176 races over the course of regatta even with a delayed start on Sunday due to two re-sailed races. Rolling two minute starts left teams racing from the rotation dock to make their start.

S1D ICSA Team Race Rankings Update, click HERE!!

Harvard won the day on Saturday, only dropping two races to MIT and Roger Williams throughout the first full round robin. Yale and Connecticut College were in second after day one with 4 losses. Dartmouth, Boston College and Hobart and William Smith had 5 in the loss column. While Saturday’s racing was exciting, Sunday’s forced storm jibs in the FJs and reefed mainsails on the Fireflies.

“We team raced well but we were also quite fast upwind,” said Harvard Coach Bern Noack.

Harvard would need the lead they developed as Boston College and Dartmouth made late runs at the regatta win, both sailing towards 5-2 records on Sunday.

“I think we just made some mistakes related to racing in heavy wind and also were working hard on how we sailed the boats but not as good at sailing them as in the light air,” continued Coach Noack. Noack went on to say the following:

“It was really tricky to pick the correct crews because the wind was so shifty and up and down. Our smaller crews are more experienced and perhaps better at moving in the boat and downwind but at times were too small. Our bigger crews were clearly faster upwind when the breeze was on. We sailed a lot of crews and they were great team players. It was great to get the bigger crews more experience and they are working hard and improving rapidly.”

Harvard sailed Eli Burnes ‘21, Henry Burnes ‘21 and Nicholas Karnovsky ‘19 at skipper and Lena Episalla ‘19, Eric Hansen ‘22, Jonas Nelle ‘21, Catherine Tang ‘19 and Jessica Williams ‘20 at crew.

Boston College finished 2nd at 15-7, winning the tie-breaker over Dartmouth, who finished 3rd, due to a 2-0 head to head record in favor of the Eagles.

Connecticut College, a team that received no votes from the panel in the most recent Sail1Design Team Race rankings, finished 4th overall (Harvard is unranked in the Sail1Design Rankings) with a 14-8 record behind Junior standout Carter Pemberton and Cecilia Moreira ‘20. Pemberton and his classmates, Moreira, Katie Rodger and Paige Dunlevy have managed to pull two freshmen, CJ Mckenna and Thomas

photo by Ken Legler

Whittemore within two wins of the premier event in NEISA’s regular season schedule.

With next week’s Championship at Conn, this Camel team is most certainly a threat. Especially with #1 ranked Yale apparently very beatable in breeze, finishing 7th at the Marchiando.

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Yale won the Dellenbaugh Women’s Trophy by 67 points over second place Brown. The Bulldogs won both division in full on conditions at Brown University as gusts reached 30 knots on Sunday. Yale showed their ability to handle the breeze better than anyone on the race course.

“We had really good upwind boat speed,” said Yale’s coach Bill Healy. “All of those races were sailed in classic YCYC conditions. There aren’t many other home courts with those conditions.”

Louisa Nordstrom ‘20, a strong Quantum Women’s College Sailor of the Year candidate, won A-DIvision for Yale sailing with Helena Ware ‘22 on Saturday for races one through 10. However, for Sunday’s racing, Kathryn Clulo got the call as the breeze piped up and A-Division switched to z420s.

Nordstrom and Ware started the regatta slow, totaling 26 points in the first 3 races sailed. However, the tandem found their stride as, over the remaining 7 races sailed Saturday, Nordstrom and Ware only added 16 points to take the division lead after race 7. Nordstrom would not look back.

Yale seemed to push the right buttons bringing in Clulo as Nordstrom picked up right where she left off Saturday, winning 2 of 4 races sailed on Sunday and winning the division by 5 points over Maia Agerup ‘20, Emily Croteau ‘19 and Erica Brown ‘21 of Boston University.

Those proficient at math must now realize that Nordstrom, Ware and Clulo’s performance, while extremely impressive, does not, in itself, account for Yale’s 67 point victory.

It was Yale’s effort in B-Division behind the sailing of Christine Klingler ‘20 and Kira Woods ‘19 that eventually led to such a dominant margin of victory. Klingler and Woods were on fire as they failed to score outside the top-6 in all of the first 13 races sailed, including 9 top-3 finishes. Yale’s success thus far this season cannot be attributed to any one sailor. When the breeze is up, as it tends to be in May in Newport, not many can hang with this Bulldog team.

“There was also some luck on our side,” continued Coach Healy “Chrissy and Kira were over one race and restarted deep. As the bulk of the fleet arrived at the weather mark in adverse current, the fleet all jammed up together allowing our pair to catch right up finishing in sixth. But speed was king. It was also fully hiking and powered up conditions on Saturday for us while many teams were a little smaller and were tiring quickly. Sunday was survival in the A set and we had the correct combo in. B never saw that but still had good speed and starts.”

We probably shouldn’t hand Yale the trophy quite yet. Brown finished second with 181 points. However, Ragna Agerup ‘20, Hannah Steadman ‘20, Emily Ito ‘19 and Maxine De Havenon ‘19, typical starters for the Bears’ women’s team were at the Marchiando, holding it down on the team race circuit. It is incredibly impressive that, without most of the group that won the Women’s Showcase Finals last fall, Brown is still able to secure a top-2 finish at a major women’s interconference regatta.

Such depth is an asset. The success of Sophie Hibben ‘19 and Megha Malpani ‘19 in A-Division and Rachel Foster ‘20 and Abigayle Konys in B-Division (Annabelle Hutchinson ‘21 and Emma Montgomery ‘22 sailed both A and B) should lead to a more daunting Brown team once all women are back on the fleet race circuit.

“We are very lucky to have a strong group of women’s skippers at this time, approximately 8 of them at practice every day pushing each other,” said Brown Head Coach John Mollicone. “Some of them have also stepped up into major crewing roles and skipper at times as well. We have been fortunate that a lot of strong women’s sailors have been coming to Brown and have a strong work ethic and desire to learn and improve.”

“We emphasize that we are one team and do not have a women’s team, just women’s regattas,” continued Coach Mollicone. “Women have such an amazing opportunity in college sailing and can sail in everything, so there is a regatta every weekend for all of them. We also have a lot of overall team depth right now, with approximately 15 good boats at practice each day pushing each other. Currently two of our females are starting skippers on the interconference coed team race circuit, which has given our other female skippers incredible opportunities on the women’s circuit. All of the high level team racing and fleet racing opportunities will help them all develop further as we get into the National qualifying events and Nationals.”

Harvard finished 3rd with 196 points, George Washington finished fourth with 199 points and Boston University finished 5th with 200 points.

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