Stanford varsity, four Cal Alumni squads win 16th edition of The Big Sail

At the docks of St. Francis Yacht Club, four members of the Stanford University varsity sailing team pose prior to their victory at the 16th annual Big Sail regatta. From left: Jack Parkin, Wiley Rogers, Jacob Rosenberg, Victoria Thompson © Chris Ray / St. Francis Yacht Club

At St. Francis Yacht Club, the Stanford varsity captured The Big Sail title for the 15th consecutive year, while crews representing Cal won the other four fleets. With the two schools' marching bands and cheer teams duking it out on the Race Deck, the Bay cooperated with conditions beckoning the best from these highly experienced sailors.

Stanford's winning varsity squad consisted of Jack Parkin, Wiley Rogers, Jacob Rosenberg and Victoria Thompson. For the Cardinal, this Big Sail victory capped off a notable November that included a ICSA Match Race National Championship at Marblehead and a second-place finish at the Fall Pacific Coast Championship in Santa Barbara.

All five slalom fleets competed in a best-of-three format, and remarkably, not a single one of the fleets reached a third race. The Cardinal incumbents and the four winning Bear squads all prevailed two races to none, meaning everyone got to enjoy lunch a little early.

In the Young Alumni fleet for athletes under 40, three-time Berkeley graduate Lance Kim led a crew of Vincent Todosiev, Nicolai Sponholtz and Alexandre Mutricy. Melinda Erkelens skippered Cal alums Vicki Sodaro, Stephanie Wondolleck and Manon Baze to victory in the Women fleet.

Cal's winning foursome in the Masters division (40 and up) featured skipper Jon Perkins, Seadon Wijsen and Bryan McDonald. And in the Grand Masters competition for sailors 60 and up, Tad Lacey headed up the victorious Bear squad with crew Craig Healy, Mickey Caldwell and Eric Gray.

Of the 39 competitors listed on the Big Sail program, 19 are StFYC members, including Sponholtz, Mutricy, Baze, Perkins, Wijsen, Lacey, Healy and Gray.