Rose Bowl Regatta wrap-up

by Rich Roberts on 10 Jan 2011 Rose Bowl Regatta top-ranked Boston College won the Collegiate division and Point Loma dominated the high school finish line---no surprises, but it wasn't as easy as that.

Sailing their two-person CFJ dinghies outside off Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier instead of inside Alamitos Bay for the first time, the nation's largest combined competition tested 30 of the best college teams and the class of 54 of California's high school sailors before the best came to the top Sunday afternoon.

BC's Eagles, though ranked No. 1 nationally, were winless for the weekend and trailed the Seahawks by 13 points entering the eighth and last round. Then skippers Tyler Sinks and Katy Nastro scored their first wins, but even that wouldn't have been enough if the Seahawks' B boat hadn't stumbled to 15th place---its only double-digit finish---in the weekend finale, leaving the Seahawks the winners of an 87-89 squeaker.

Defending champion Georgetown of Washington D.C. recovered from an overnight seventh place climb back to third.

The event, hosted by the University of Southern California Sailing Team, organized by the US Sailing Center of Long Beach and based at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, also left Point Loma breathing a sigh of relief.

The San Diego team's Varsity boats, sailed by skippers Jake La Dow in its A boat and Jake Reynolds in the B boat, were cruising comfortably---especially Reynolds with five firsts, two seconds and a third.

The wind was moderate and shifty.

'It was tough sailing, but I like it,' Reynolds said. 'You have to think out there. I like that ... it makes you feel smarter.'

Coach Steve Hunt was away in a personal competitive commitment, so Mikee Anderson-Mitterling, a former USC all-American, took over with this smart advice for the sailors, according to La Dow: 'He told us to just be conservative and don't get into trouble.'

La Dow and his crew, Will Herrin, succeeded until the start of the last race when they got into a collision at the pin end of the line with Cathedral Catholic's varsity boat skippered by Nevin Snow.

'Nevin was behind, but he rolled up with the leeward boat and hit us,' La Dow said.

La Dow went on to finish second. Snow protested but lost.

'We won [the event] in the protest room,' La Dow said.

But ... no hard feelings.

'That's what happens out there,' La Dow said. 'We've sailed each other for a long time. We shook hands. We're still friends.'

Loyola of Marina del Rey won he high school Silver competition sailed in Alamitos Bay, underscoring Cathedral Catholic, 87-108.

www.uscsailing.org