College Sailing Coed National Championship day 1

by Jennifer Mitchell on 30 May 2013

Co-hosted by the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Eckerd College and the St. Petersburg Yacht Club,the ICSA/Gill Coed National Championship had its opening day today.The top eighteen collegiate sailing teams in the nation reported to the regatta venue on Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla. to compete for the Henry A. Morss Memorial Trophy, awarded to the winning team. The trophy was donated by a group of nationally known yachtsmen as a memorial to Henry A. Morss, a Boston yachtsman and 1907 Bermuda Race winner, as well as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumnus and benefactor.

Racing got underway around 11 a.m. today. There was a steady Northeasterly breeze around eight knots to start the day. Temperatures were warm in the 80s. This morning the competitors had an opportunity to practice in the boats, Club Flying Juniors (CFJs), before racing got underway. They are sailing on a trapezoid course.

Teams were eager to get going today and it showed when the first start of the day was a general recall. The racing got underway after the next start in good dynamic conditions including large, but short puffs and shifty conditions. The puffs made for tricky racing and allowed boats to have big gains or losses on the beats. The left side of the course was also along the shoreline making its own influence on the breeze on the course.

Around lunch time the breeze lighten up to around five-six knots. It started to rain on and off creating a lot of holes on the course where the winds got light and shifty. The race committee was able to get off five races in both divisions, but had to call off the sixth A-division race due to a big wind shift. They postponed the racing on the water, but the winds did not settle down and recover to continue the racing. Racing was called around 3:30 p.m.

The College of Charleston is leading after today’s racing. Three points behind them is Old Dominion University and another two points back in third place is Dartmouth College. The scores are close and the fleet is good.

'It was spectacular sailing today, but for us demanded a conservative approach,' says Greg Fisher, sailing director for College of Charleston. The shifty, puffy conditions required the sailors to be patient and not push it too far to a corner on the race course.

'We are really proud of how consistent and conservative our team sailed,' Fisher says. He says they are looking to be in the top 10 at the first mark in the racing and then play it safe around the course because the competitors are so talented.

Sailing for Charleston is Juan Maegli ’13 and Septima McAdams ’16 in A-division and Ben Spector ’13 and Alicia Blumenthal ’15 in B-division.

'The racing is very competitive,' says Mitch Brindley, head coach of Old Dominion. 'There is still a lot of regatta left and we are going to just focus on the next race and stay in the present,' he says.

The Old Dominion sailors stayed consistent in the racing, which has helped them stay in the top of the fleet. 'Dillon [in A-division] is solid and can fight back in the fleet. Esteban and Julia are quick and picked up on the conditions right away today,' Brindley says of his sailors.

Sailing for Old Dominion is Dillon Paiva ’13 with Cooper Paiva ’16 and Chloe Constants ’14 in A-division and Esteban Forrer ’16 and Julia Wiesner ’14 in B-division.

There are 13 races still to be sailed in each division in the Championship. The competitors will report tomorrow morning at nine a.m. and racing will get underway around 9:45 a.m. The race committee is hoping to get through race 14 in both A and B-division by the end of the day tomorrow.

Results - Race by Race

Team	Div.	1	2	3	4	5	6		TOT
1	Cougars	A	1	4	11	13	2	1		32
	Charleston	B	3	8	5	5	1	6		28
			4	16	32	50	53	60		60
2	Monarchs	A	10	9	5	8	5	8		45
	Old Dominion	B	2	5	8	1	3	4		23
			12	26	39	48	56	68		68
3	Big Green	A	2	2	13	4	8	7		36
	Dartmouth	B	1	4	14	6	4	12		41
			3	9	36	46	58	77		77
4	Seahawks	A	5	7	7	9	3	14		45
	St. Mary's	B	10	7	16	3	10	1		47
			15	29	52	64	77	92		92
5	Bears	A	3	15	14	12	11	3		58
	Brown	B	4	1	15	4	9	3		36
			7	23	52	68	88	94		94
6	Bulldogs	A	17	3	3	5	7	2		37
	Yale	B	7	17	2	8	8	18		60
			24	44	49	62	77	97		97
7	Hoyas	A	7	14	8	2	15	13		59
	Georgetown	B	13	2	1	7	5	11		39
			20	36	45	54	74	98		98
8	Eagles	A	8	5	6	1	6	10		36
	Boston College	B	5	14	9	16	16	7		67
			13	32	47	64	86	103		103
9	Hawks	A	6	11	9	3	12	15		56
	Roger Williams	B	9	9	11	10	6	10		55
			15	35	55	68	86	111		111
10	Privateers	A	12	6	10	7	4	11		50
	NY Maritime	B	18	6	7	9	DSQ	5		64
			30	42	59	75	98	114		114
11	Statesmen	A	9	8	4	10	10	9		50
	Hobart & William Sm	B	11	3	13	11	12	17		67
			20	31	48	69	91	117		117
12	Midshipmen	A	16	1	12	6	1	17		53
	Navy	B	12	11	10	14	11	8		66
			28	40	62	82	94	119		119
13	Engineers	A	11	10	1	11	9	6		48
	MIT	B	6	13	12	12	15	15		73
			17	40	53	76	100	121		121
14	Jumbos	A	15	13	2	15	16	16		77
	Tufts	B	17	16	6	2	2	13		56
			32	61	69	86	104	133		133
15	Cardinal	A	18	RDG	15	16	14	5		84
	Stanford	B	8	12	4	13	13	2		52
			26	54	73	102	129	136		136
16	Bulls	A	4	12	18	14	17	4		69
	South Florida	B	14	18	17	17	7	9		82
			18	48	83	114	138	151		151
17	Wahoos	A	13	17	16	17	13	12		88
	Virginia	B	15	10	3	15	17	16		76
			28	55	74	106	136	164		164
18	Badgers	A	14	16	17	18	18	18		101
	Wisconsin	B	16	15	18	18	14	14		95
			30	61	96	132	164	196		196