GW Sailing set out on its first team race regatta this weekend, trekking to Toms River, New Jersey, home of the MTV hit series Jersey Shore and the Ocean County College Team Race Regatta. Expecting to see Snooki, the young team was more than excited for their adventure. GW Sailing has been working all semester to compete in their first ever team race regatta. Ocean County College was the host for this 2-on-2 racing event. This meant that in every race, each school would have two boats on the start line, working together to get the best finish possible. The weekend proved to be as thrilling as an episode of Jersey Shore, with intense competition on the water, the team was GTL (geared, tan, and left-turning [unlike the rest of NJ]). 

    Saturday proved to be a beautiful day on the shore with temperatures in the low 60s. With bright sunshine and a steady breeze around 8 knots, the day was perfect for racing. The course was set to maximize the number of races sailed, while providing a variety of beats to test sailors’ strengths and weaknesses. GW’s team racing ensemble of Ian Conners ’13 with crew Becca Engel ’13 and Nick Koeniger ’14 with crew Skye Kussmann ’13 set out for the challenge. The quartet started off the morning rusty with a close loss to the host team OCC. After regrouping, the team discussed the errors made and tactics to avoid them in the future. The group communication proved to be one of our strongest advantages over the weekend.

    After a debriefing on communication and formulation of a game plan, the troupe was on a roll. With clean starts, superb roll tacks, and excellent sail trim, GW was in position to use team racing tactics for the win (FTW). The morning rotation ended with GW’s record of 4-2, with both losses to OCC in the final upwind stretch, placing GW in the championship bracket. Over lunch the team discussed strategies and codes to ensure the wins continued. With codes such as “applesauce” and “red-7”, the other teams didn’t know what hit them in the afternoon championship sail-off. The afternoon continued with a steady breeze, allowing GW to quickly take 3 victories in their 3 races, pushing them into first place. The group spent the rest of the day exploring the Shore’s many hidden gems. We discovered fried Oreos, some of New Jersey’s best pizza, and a Snooki doppelganger. 

Sunday morning, the team arrived early to Toms River Yacht Club, ready to seal their first place finish in the remaining 3 races. Unfortunately, a wind-delay dampened our hopes that we would be able to sail. The breeze filled in from the east around 10 am, allowing for the racing to be completed before the Sunday racing series set out. First, GW flew past Monmouth University with clean starts in the light breeze, allowing for a 1-2 finish. In the next race, Drexel put up tough competition with a mark-trap at the windward mark. A “situation” at the leeward mark caused confusion and stress among the teams, as the race was close. However, GW’s roll tacks and speed on the upwind finish secured their victory. The last race of the day came with very little breeze, and clean starts have never been as important as we took on our strongest competitors from Ocean County. The light breeze made our roll tacks and minimal movements the keys to our success. Special thanks to Sarah McCormack ’14 for helping out with race committee and supporting the rest of her team. The GW team won all 3 races on Sunday, resulting in a final record of 10-2, the best at the regatta. In doing so, GW secured 1st place at it’s first-ever team race regatta!

-Skye Kussman ’13 and Becca Engel ’13