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The last day of racing at the Columbia River Gorge for the women’s collegiate sailors brought a long wind delay, but a sweet victory in the end for the University of Rhode Island.

Cascade Locks, OR (May26, 2011) – In the final day of racing at the Sperry Top-Sider/ICSA Women’s National Championship for the Gerald C. Miller Memorial Trophy, the women arrived and waited for wind until around 2 p.m. The delay on shore caused everyone to question whether any more races would be sailed today. It was cool and cloudy with rain on and off, but finally some breeze began to come down the river at about 2-7 knots from a westerly direction. A-division was able to fit in two races before the 5 p.m. racing cut off, but B-division only sailed one race, therefore only one race in each division counted today on Windward/Leeward courses.

A-division’s seventh race of the event and first race of the day was sailed in just enough breeze to get around the course and fight the current. The women were able to hug the shore a bit on the downwind to find current relief in the shallow water. Brown University, Yale University and College of Charleston led the race around the first windward mark and as the fleet spread downwind Yale was able to take the lead at the leeward mark and went on to win the first race. The breeze started to fill in with gusts, cold air and periods of rain. At this point, the University of Rhode Island managed to hold on to their lead closely followed by a number of schools: St. Mary’s College, Old Dominion, Yale, Georgetown and Connecticut College.

The 29er clinic hosted by Jen Morgan Glass was able to get out on the water and follow the racing. The girls got a great feel for the boats in the changing conditions. By the time B-division made it on the water for their seventh and last race of the event the breeze was up and the teams were all very close in points leaving B-division with close racing on the line. The start went off and St. Mary’s was first around the first windward mark rounding followed by Hobart and URI in hot pursuit. By the second windward mark URI had taken the lead. Around the last leeward mark rounding URI began to extend away from the fleet and easily won the race. It is an exciting day for URI as it is the first time they have ever made a presence at the Women’s National Championship. They won the event by ten points with four teams right on their tail. The winning URI team is: Amy Hawkins, Caroline Hall, Chanel Miller, Danielle Fougere and Katie Coupland. Miller is a freshman on the team and their B-division skipper, “I cannot even believe this as a freshman—to have this happen, it’s amazing.” Hawkins explains, “we had a lot of New England teams come and practice with us in Rhode Island to prepare for this event and they kept telling us the current was going to be this strong, but we did not believe them…now we do.” They certainly caught on to the conditions well.

 

It was a difficult event due to all of the postponements and stopping and starting, not to mention the challenging conditions that the Gorge presented; rain, its strong currents and unpredictable winds. The top five teams were very close and were swapping positions in the standings constantly. It was a great event with fair sailing and the Columbia Gorge Racing Association and Northwest Intercollegiate Sailing Association were excellent hosts along with all of their volunteer helpers. All of the collegiate teams raced hard and offered great competitive sailing. Up next is the APS/ICSA Team Race National Championships, the racing begins tomorrow at 10 a.m. Follow the event live online and for full results and information about this event and others visit the regatta website. Congratulations to all of the teams competing in the Sperry Top-Sider/ICSA Women’s National Championship.

Top Ten Teams:

1. University of Rhode Island

2. Connecticut College

3. St. Mary’s College of Maryland

4. Brown University

5. Yale University

6. Old Dominion University

7. Harvard University

8. U.S. Coast Guard Academy

9. Georgetown University

10. Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Nationals Website: 2011nationals.collegesailing.info 

Video coverage of the racing and interviews with sailors are available on Sailgroove. 

View photos of the event at GTS Photos: www.gtsphotos.com 

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. Visit www.collegesailing.org to learn more. The ICSA National Championships are sponsored by Sperry Top-Sider (www.sperrytopsider.com), Annapolis Performance Sailing (www.apsltd.com), Gill North America (www.gillna.com),

The third day of Women’s Nationals brought light winds to start but ended with close racing.

Cascade Locks, OR – Today was the third day of the Sperry Top-Sider/ICSA Women’s National Championship hosted by the Columbia Gorge Racing Association and the Northwest Intercollegiate Sailing Association. The sailors arrived at the Columbia River venue this morning to very little wind and a postponed for almost four hours. It gave Jen Morgan Glass the opportunity to begin her clinic and educate the women’s sailors who did not advance beyond the First Round qualifier for Nationals, about skiff sailing in 29ers. It was a cloudy day with temperatures in the mid to low 50s. Once the women were able to start racing both divisions completed four races.

Once A-division hit the water for their third race of the event and the racing sequence got started the breeze picked up to around 5-10 knots from the southerly direction. The Windward/Leeward course was set closer to the Oregon shore today, which meant that side of the course was desirable on the downwind legs because there is less current in the shallower water for the sailors to contend with, and it was less desirable upwind when the sailors want the current to push them up the course. The women appeared ready for the current today, as their first start was clean with no recalls.

It was close racing in the A-division set with the leaders in the race switching positions around each mark. College of Charleston fought back from mid-fleet to win the first race of the day. In race 2A, as with most of the racing thus far, the leader of the race changes frequently and when it looked like University of Rhode Island and the University of South Florida were going to lead the race, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Yale and Boston College finished the top three spots.

When B-division came out for their first set of the day they had about 7-11 knots winds, but their first start was a general recall. By the time the race got started again the breeze had died to around 4-6 knots—barely enough to fight the 6 knot current, so once they rounded the first windward mark there was not enough wind to complete the race and the fleet was sent in for a postponement. The sailors waited two hours when some rain came and brought enough breezes to get back in their boats. In the meantime the 29er clinic coached by Jen Morgan Glass, was able to get in the boats a bit and mess around in the light air.

  

Puffs of 15 knots started to roll down the river encouraging the B-fleet to get out to the starting line. The breeze continued to gust between 9-20 knots as race 3B progressed. The half of the fleet that did not compete in the First Round event seemed to be more comfortable in the conditions as teams like Stanford University and Hobart and William Smith Colleges were leading around marks. Harvard University, Yale and Connecticut College finished as the top three. The top of the fleet overall are very close in points at this point with a 12 point spread between first and fifth places. The wind started to get steady in race 4B around 8 knots, just enough to sail in the current. There was another general recall in 4B; it seems to be a common issue in the conditions on the Columbia River Gorge. St. Mary’s, Yale and Georgetown took the top three in this race.

In the last set for A-division, URI won race 5A. St. Mary’s College moved up to second place after winning races 5A and 6A—with an exciting finish in 6A overtaking Old Dominion at the finish. Megan Magill ’11 and Meredith Powlison ’11 picked up where their B-division Mimi Roller ’12 and Katie Gluskin ’13 left off, who won the previous 4B race. It seems as though the women had found their groove. St. Mary’s B-division also won a protest against URI from race 3B.

The breeze stayed steady at 5-12 knots for the B-division set. ODU took the lead overall after race 5B and URI relinquished their lead dropping to third place, but they were still within three points of each other. URI came back to win race 6B the last race of the day that ended around 8 p.m. Katie Gluskin from St. Mary’s explains, “it was hard to stay in it (racing mode) when you have postponements for so many hours…yesterday we thought we knew what we were getting into, but we really didn’t. Today we felt more comfortable and tomorrow will be even better because we will be even more prepared.” St. Mary’s had a strong showing in both divisions today, “You hope to be a team who can come to one of these events and win it on the last day, and we are a team who can,” says St. Mary’s head coach, Adam Werblow.

It still feels like it’s anyone’s regatta to win, the scores are very close and there is more racing to come. Tomorrow the exciting racing on the Gorge will continue. The fourth and final day of racing for the Women’s National Championship is tomorrow. Racing is scheduled to commence at 9 a.m. and the day will finish off with an awards banquet starting at 6 p.m. The Women’s All-America Team will be announced as well as the Quantum Women’s Sailor of The Year. On Friday, May 27 the APS/ICSA Team Race National Championship will begin and last until Sunday, May 29. Follow the racing online on the event website and watch videos on Sailgroove.

Nationals Website: 2011nationals.collegesailing.info 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 24, 2011

Contact: Jennifer Vandemoer Mitchell

763-234-8286

media@collegesailing.org

The First Round of Women’s racing finished with Yale University on top and the Final National Championship has begun.

Cascade Locks, OR (May 24, 2011) – Today’s racing began with the final races for the First Round Women’s teams, who were competing to make it in the top nine to move on to race in the Final Round of the Sperry Top-Sider / ICSA Women’s National Championships. The conditions this morning were more pleasant than yesterday with lighter winds ranging between 14-17 mph and more sun shine with temperatures in the low to mid 60s. It was a westerly breeze and although the wind was more manageable, it made the current more challenging, the women had to work harder to fight its strength on the downwind legs. The women sailed Windward/Leeward four or five courses and were able to complete the event with both A-division and B-division finishing two races making the required event total of eight races.

The first race of the day (7A) began with a general recall as the sailors were adjusting to dealing with the current in the lighter winds that was pushing them over the line. The University of Rhode Island won the first race of the day. They finished up yesterday in third overall and despite the first day leader, Yale University, finishing in 11^th place in the first race, Yale was able to hold on to their overall lead. In the B-division set the wind lightened up a little more to 11 mph and had a general recall in the first race. The second start was good and they had a clean start in the last race, 8B as well. URI won the last race of the First Round and Yale University hung on to their lead winning the qualifying round. The qualifying teams (in order) moving onto the Finals are: Yale, Brown, URI, Coast Guard, ODU, Harvard, University of South Florida, Eckerd and Georgetown. Find final results at the event website: 2011nationals.collegesailing.info

After a break for lunch, racing for the Women’s National Championships began. The sun still shining, the women sailed out to the course in 4-8 mph westerly winds. The racing moved along slowly in the afternoon as the sailors have to battle the current out to the starting line and the unusually light winds were only adding to the difficulty. ODU had a strong first race in A-division, showing that their last day and a half of racing in the difficult conditions paid off. In race 2A a few boats were over early, but not enough for a general recall and Georgetown University took the victory in that race. B-division’s first race had a slight delay due to lack of wind and once they got started they experienced slow racing for their first set due to the winds not being strong enough to fight the current. Once B-division made it in for A-division to switch in there was a postponement on shore. After an hour postponement the race committee called the racing for the day because the wind did not fill in strongly enough.

The University of Rhode Island sailors, in A- division Amy Hawkins ’12 with Caroline Hall ’12 and in B-division Chanel Miller ’14 with Danielle Sougere ’12, finished the day first overall. “What helped us a lot was having sailed in the First Round yesterday and today. We knew what to do on the downwind, it was familiar racing,” says URI’s head coach Clinton Hayes. It certainly shows in the current scores that the teams who have already been sailing for a day are at a slight advantage with some practice under their belts. The top six teams are all teams who competed in the First Round.

With only one set in each division completed the regatta is certainly still wide open for competition. The racing will begin tomorrow at 9 a.m., hopefully with enough breezes to keep the racing going. Visit the event website for results, live coverage and more information: 2011nationals.collegesailing.info

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. Visit www.collegesailing.org to learn more. The ICSA National Championships are sponsored by Sperry Top-Sider (www.sperrytopsider.com), Annapolis Performance Sailing (www.apsltd.com), Gill North America (www.gillna.com),

DAY ONE OF WOMEN’S FIRST ROUND NATIONALS COMPETITION

Eighteen collegiate women’s teams vie for a spot in the final Nationals competition.

Cascade Locks, OR (May 23, 2011) – Today was the first day of racing for the final berths to the Sperry Top-Sider/ICSA Women’s National Championships. Eighteen teams competed today for a spot in the top nine that will allow them to advance to the final round of competition for the Gerald C. Miller Memorial Trophy. The top none from this round will be added to the nine already qualified teams in the Final Round of Nationals. The Finals are scheduled to begin tomorrow afternoon.

There was a slight delay to the start of racing this morning with a committee boat breakdown, but once the sailing got started it was a good day on the Columbia River Gorge. The sun was in and out with an occasional shower and temperatures hovered in the low to mid 50s. The air seemed chilly especially with the westerly breeze blowing down the river at 15-18 mph with gusts to 25 mph in the afternoon. The current was ripping in the river making for challenging conditions for the competitors. The courses run today were Windward/Leeward’s either four or five times around. Both A-division and B-division were able to complete six races.

The most challenging aspect of the day was getting used to the strong currents that would carry the sailors over the starting line early, therefore, making sure to time starts accurately became an essential part of the day. The upwind legs were very quick moving as the boats were sailing with the current, but once they reached the windward mark to turn downwind the racing would halt, “the current compressed the fleet on the runs changing the pace of the race because once you rounded the mark everything slowed tremendously,” says Mitch Brindley, president of the ICSA.

It was a good day for New England sailors, the top four teams are from the New England district and leading the event all day were Yale University (New Haven, CT) sailors Claire Dennis ’13 with Heather May ’13 in A-division and in B-division Emily Billing ’13 with Amanda Salvesen ’14. “Being patient on the downwind is what set us apart in the racing today, people would cross in the middle of the run too early. It was about staying consistent and not making big mistakes,” says Salvesen. In preparation for the event the Yale sailors spent a lot of time discussing the conditions that they were going to face in the Gorge and they were ready for the windy conditions.

Behind Yale is Brown University (Providence, RI), whose sailors also enjoyed sailing in the big breeze, but John Mollicone, head coach of the Brown Team says, “tomorrow we will be better on the starting line.” Sailors Elizabeth Barry ’11 and Jessica Claflin ’13 in A-division and Emily Dellenbaugh ’12 with Cecilia Strombeck ’11 suffered being over early in their second B-division race, but will certainly have learned about the conditions today to prevent it tomorrow. There were a couple general recalls today, but not as many as one would expect with the boats travelling at almost six knots in the current.

There is a 60-point spread between first and ninth places with 5^th – 9^th place only a few points apart. It was a day of close competition and the conditions mean that anything can happen on the racecourse. The prediction for tomorrow is for lighter breeze, which will help to keep the races moving and hopefully keep the sailors from capsizing and having to chase down their boats in the strong current. “Today we saw standard spring Gorge weather, with puffy winds and some light rains, but we are on target for tomorrow to get our minimum of 8 races off in each division,” explains Kyle Eaton, the regatta chairman.

Racing will begin again tomorrow at 9 a.m. for the First Round women’s. If all of the required races are completed in the morning, racing is set to begin for the Women’s Final National Championships Round at 1 p.m. Find full results and follow the racing and scores live on the event website: 2011nationals.collegesailing.info

Top Nine Teams

1. Yale University

2. Brown University

3. University of Rhode Island

4. U.S. Coast Guard Academy

5. Old Dominion University

6. Georgetown University

7. Eckerd College

8. Harvard University

9. University of South Florida

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. Visit www.collegesailing.org to learn more. The ICSA National Championships are sponsored by Sperry Top-Sider (www.sperrytopsid
er.com), Annapolis Performance Sailing (www.apsltd.com), Gill North America (www.gillna.com),