Race Report: Greater NY Dinghy Regatta 04/04/2011
Last weekend, seven Colonial sailors competed at the Greater New York Dinghy Regatta, co-hosted by Fordham and Columbia Universities. One of the oldest regattas in college sailing, the GNYDR actually predates the MAISA conference itself. This year, major changes were in store, as both host schools recently purchased new and enlarged fleets of 420s. This effectively doubled the size of the regatta from 10 to 20 schools, and turned it into an intersectional event, where NEISA and MAISA schools go head to head. Both Saturday and Sunday were somewhat hazy Spring days, but were missing one key ingredient: Wind! This felt strange to the GW sailors in attendance, who seemingly have been hiking out in strong breezes at almost every regatta and practice all Spring long. Our squad split into two groups: Seniors Meredith Carroll and Will Ricketson would alternate skippering duties in A-division, with Kaitlin Denney ’14 crewing for both. In B-Division, the skippers would be Mike Shea ’11 and Hussain Patel ’13, with Lynnie Strother ’14 and Erin McCormack ’14 crewing. This allowed the maximum number of GW sailors to compete, and ensured we are all tuned up for our crucial late season regattas and practices in the coming weeks. The highlights in A-Division were a 2nd place finish for GW in race 3A, and in B-Division, a 7th place finish in race 8B. We were fortunate to receive an unprecedented amount of support during this event from parents, friends and alumni. On Sunday, the sailing team, in collaboration with the GW Alumni Office, hosted a brunch in the main dining room of the Morris Yacht and Beach Club, the regatta venue. It drew over 30 regional supporters of our team, and hopefully we succeeded in spreading the word even further about our organization and it’s impressive accomplishments. Special thanks go out to the Carroll family for hosting us all weekend. For the past four years, there have been few families who have been as enthusiastic and generous in their support of our team. In addition to housing us, they kept us well fed all weekend, and even collected supplies to support our alumni event. We owe them a big debt of gratitude! Thanks to everyone who followed along on Twitter. Also, special congratulations go our to our other regatta team, who won GW’s first-ever team race regatta down in New Jersey! Keep following our progress as we race in two major championships during the next two weeks! -Will Ricketson ’11 Full scores: http://scores.collegesailing.info/s11/greater-new-york-dinghy/ Add Comment GW Wins MAISA/SAISA Intersectional Regatta 03/30/2011
GW Sailing made history this weekend by winning the team’s first intersectional regatta! The Hampton Regatta team departed Washington DC on Friday evening eager to race and anxious for the weather. Former GW captain Jack Bell ’09 was a delightful host for the regatta team over the weekend, and his hospitality was greatly appreciated. On Saturday, the weather proved to be as cold as promised with temperatures in the mid-30s. There was a steady breeze from the N-NE around 5 to 10 Knots, which allowed for 8 races to be sailed in each division. The day started by racing modified “Gold Cup” courses. Then, as the weather for the next day seemed less and less desirable; we switched to classic W-4s and W-3 courses. Both proved to be suitable matches for GW’s racing skills. In A-Division, Ian Conners ’13 and Richard Sant ’13 started off the day strong. Hampton is the first regatta for team Conners and Sant, whose partnership was about to be put to the test. They proved capable by sailing to two 2nd place finishes in both races of their first set. Conners and Sant began every race with a strong start, crossing the line with speed. Their spectacular roll-tacks and ability to stay in phase led to placement at the front of the pack. Our A-Division boat consistently sailed in the front of the pack, with highlights in race A-6 and A-7, where they finished in 3rd place. After 8 races, the day was called to an end, with GW securing 3rd place in A-Division. In B-Division, Kyle Dattola-Harris ’11 and Skye Kussmann ’13 sailed strong throughout the day. Dattola-Harris and Kussmann are a long-time team, and were ready to be tested. B-Division started their day slow, with a few imperfect starts. However, as the day progressed, their racing improved. By staying in the breeze and catching the shifts, GW’s B-Division boat secured their first bullet (1st place finish) of the day. Dattola-Harris and Kussmann’s tacks and starts only improved as the day continued. B-Division finished the last set of the day with two more bullets, that secured the team with a first place overall. Sunday proved to be weather unsuitable for those without drysuits. With temperatures below 30 degrees, snow, cold rain, and fog, accompanied by wind gusting to 21-26 knots, the race committee decided to cancel races for the day. The eight races from the previous day remained valid, resulting in GW’s capture of 1st place overall. The Colonials took 1st place in B division and 3rd place in A division. With an overall score of 59 points, GW won the regatta in convincing fashion. Special thanks to Hussain Patel, who planned on sailing A-Division on Sunday but was unable to due to the cancellation of racing. He maintained a positive attitude throughout the cold weekend, and helped motivate the team! Also, thank you to those who continue to follow us on Twitter! -Skye Kussmann ’13 Race Report: The 82nd Boston Dinghy Cup 03/29/2011
GW Sailing was on holy waters this weekend as we competed in the nation’s oldest intercollegiate regatta, co-hosted by Harvard and MIT. The mere presence of our team at such an historic and nationally prominent regatta would have been unthinkable just four years ago, and is yet another sign of our rapid ascension through the ranks. The team departed campus Friday morning in anticipation of a long and grueling trip up I-95, and those fears proved well founded. Twelve hours, later, after a brief but excellent stop for dinner at the Hilton family’s house in Rhode Island, we made it to Winchester, Massachusetts. We were lucky enough to be hosted by the Koeniger Family all weekend, who provided us with copious amounts of food, beds, blankets and cheers from the dock. Saturday dawned sunny, clear, cold, and windy. With temperatures hovering in the mid-thirties, and the breeze varying between 12 and 28 mph, this was not a regatta for the faint of heart. After zipping into drysuits and donning every scrap of thermal gear they owned, the Colonials left the dock to face some of the best teams in the nation. The Charles River is legendary in the sailing community for its unpredictable wind shifts, as the racecourse is located among the many buildings and hills in Boston and Cambridge. We knew right away this was going to be a tough fight. In C-Division, GW was represented by team captain Sonya Ropek ’14, and skippers Nick Koeniger ’14 and Katie Hilton ’12. Nick and Katie alternated all weekend depending on wind conditions, and both had some great races in the unforgiving conditions. Sonya, in an inspiring show of toughness, sailed for a good portion of the weekend with a dislocated shoulder, suffered while racing in the big breeze. Our B-division boat was manned by veterans Meredith Carroll ’11 and Anne Laterra ’11. Using all of their considerable experience, Meredith and Anne had competitive results despite being one of the lightest boats at the very windy regatta. Even in gusts over 28mph on Sunday afternoon, they remained unfazed. In a testament to their tenacity, their best results came at the end of the regatta, when the both wind and muscle fatigue were at their strongest. The highlight was a 4th place finish in the final race of the weekend,18B. In A-Division, GW was represented by outgoing team president Will Ricketson ’11 and current captain Kaitlin Denney ’14. Kaitlin was making her triumphant return to her home state of Massachusetts after a successful varsity sailing career at Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth. Will and Kaitlin put up a good fight in their division, consistently threatening the top ten teams, and showing great speed upwind. The highlight was a 6th place finish in race 5A. While the Colonials did not finish high in the overall standings, our team achieved its goal for the weekend: compete at a high level against some of the best varsity teams in the nation. While many other developing club teams chose to attend more local regattas, our decision to enter such a big event indicates the direction we feel our program is heading. Thanks to all those who followed us on Twitter and Techscore! The next few weeks will offer some high drama, as GW attempts to defy the odds and gain entry into both the co-ed and women’s national championship regattas. Stay tuned! -Will Ricketson ’11 Full results: http://scores.collegesailing.info/s11/boston-dinghy-cup/ GW Starts the Season Strong at ODU 03/06/2011
After spending most of the previous month practicing on the frigid Potomac River against Georgetown, the GW Sailing team was eager to travel to fairer climates, and get some real racing in. Southern Virginia beckoned, with its warmer temperatures, consistent sunshine, and steady sea breezes. Or so we thought. Instead, we ended up battling our MAISA conference rivals in shifty, gusting wind, driving rain, and scarcely a speck of sunlight. As it turns out, however, none of that mattered. The 2011 ODU Spring Open, in which GW finished 7th overall, was a success for our team both on and off the water. Hosted by former GW captain Jack Bell ’09, the Colonials enjoyed world-famous southern hospitality in addition to the type of physically and tactically challenging racing which is the hallmark of college sailing. The breeze was from the south all weekend, flowing off a nearby golf course into the sailing basin. This created unpredictable conditions that tested even the most experienced athletes in both divisions. Wind shifts were sudden, and identifying them was key. Despite these challenges, the Colonials came ready to play. In A-Division, the team of Kaitlin Denney ’14 and Will Ricketson ’11 was back in action. Now fully acclimated to FJ’s, Kaitlin seems primed for a long and successful college sailing career. Luckily, senior Will Ricketson gets another semester of her as his crew before they put him out to the proverbial pasture. Showing good consistency despite unstable conditions, their average finish position was 6th place all weekend. The highlight came in race 4A. During the previous race (3A), they noticed favorable conditions out on the far righthand side of the course, and used them to mount a comeback from a bad start. While the leaders had consistently gone left all day, Will and Kaitlin decided to take a gamble. After the start of 4A, the entire fleet went way, way left. GW went way, way right. The distance separation was unusually large for a college race, and caused some anxiety onshore at the GW camp. Luckily, fortune smiled on the Colonials, and the result was a 10 boatlength lead at the windward mark. Will and Kaitlin both defended and extended their advantage, and held for the bullet. The only misfortune during the weekend was that the heavy conditions prevented team newcomer and light-air specialist Becca Engel ’13 from seeing race action in A-Division. However, she provided valuable support to her teammates onshore, and hopefully enjoyed her first college regatta (with many more soon to come!) In the end, GW tied for 5th place in A-Division. In B-Division, Meredith Carroll, Skye Kussmann and Brielle Seitelman acquitted themselves equally well. On Saturday they opened the regatta with an excellent 3,6 set of finishes, and averaged a 5th place for the remainder of the day. Brie and Skye switched with each other depending on wind conditions, ensuring that GW had the ideal crew/skipper combination. Not to be outdone by Will and Kaitlin’s race win earlier in the day, the all-captain lineup of Meredith and Skye responded with a tough come-from-behind victory in race 6B. Rounding the first mark in front of the fleet after a brilliantly executed windward leg, GW was closely pursued by Navy and St. Mary’s. The trailing boats, which had a speed advantage due to their wind shadows, overtook GW at the leeward mark and rounded just in front. Not about to settle for third, Meredith and Skye put all their hours of practice to good use and won the subsequent tacking duel on the final windward leg. At the finish, it was GW by a well-deserved foot, followed by Navy, SMC and the other thirteen teams. GW finished the regatta in 6th place in B-Division. Full regatta scores can here found here: http://scores.collegesailing.info/s11/old-dominion-open/ In addition to Jack, special thanks go out to the impressive number of Denney family members who came down from New England to watch us. They provided critical support in the form of cheers (which can’t be undervalued, especially in bad weather!) and food (it seems clear that all of the pizza consumed on Saturday night turned into our secret weapon in the 20 knots of wind on Sunday). We hope to see them again this season! Lastly, we had a great response to our first foray into Twitter. Our team’s page was followed by many throughout the weekend, and we hope to keep sending regatta updates out all season long. Stay tuned! -Will Ricketson ’11 The GW Women’s Sailing Team achieved a great milestone this weekend as they competed in the ICSA Atlantic Coast Women’s Championship in St. Petersburg, Florida. Never before in school history had GW made it to this nationally prominent event, and our presence stood as further evidence of our steady ascent in the world of intercollegiate sailing. Each year, ACC’s features the best teams from the three east coast conferences, NEISA (New England), MAISA (Mid Atlantic), and SAISA (South Atlantic). Finishing seventeenth overall and second out of only three club teams who earned a berth, GW gained a great deal of experience to build on for a run at nationals this Spring. Co-hosted this year by Eckerd College and USF, the regatta was held in warm and sparking gulf coast weather, and the Colonials traded in their drysuits for fresh bottles of sunblock. Our team was a blend of experienced veterans and fresh talent. Manning A-Division were seniors Meredith Carroll and Anne Laterra, with Skye Kussman ’13 in reserve. B- Division consisted of freshmen Julia Gardner, Kaitlin Denney and Sonya Ropek. Fulfilling the unfamiliar role of coach, rather than sailor, was senior Will Ricketson, who somehow finagled his way down to Florida for a weekend of cheering on his teammates. There are roughly 115 college sailing teams on the east coast, and only a minority of these teams can field a competitive all-women’s team. Even rarer are club teams that can do so, as evidenced by the overwhelming number of varsity teams at ACC’s (15 of 18 schools). GW, by qualifying for this event, can now count itself as a member of an elite group. Our competition was certainly formidable. One example of this was Yale’s Claire Dennis, who a week before had won the ICSA National Singlehanded Championship. Racing in A-Division, Dennis finished in 7th place, a testament to the depth of the field. Seniors Meredith Carroll and Anne Laterra, longtime leaders of both our co-ed and women’s teams, drew the tough assignment of competing in a stacked A-Division featuring several 2009 All-Americans. These two never seem to blink in the face of adversity, and this weekend was no exception. Staring down varsity teams intent on pushing around the upstart Colonials, Meredith and Anne calmly got down to business and earned top-six finishes in an amazing 40% of their races. The assembled varsity coaches, not used to such a reshuffling of the status quo, were quick to take notice during one four-race stretch when GW finished 2,2,3,3. In doing so, Meredith and Anne struck a blow not only for our school, but seemingly for underdog club teams everywhere. It was inspiring to watch, and the direct result of three and a half years of hard effort by these two women. GW’s effort in B-Division was a true tale of courage starring two freshmen. Kaitlin Denney had spent most of the Fall as Will’s crew on the co-ed team, racing in our most important qualifiers and the War Memorial MAISA Championship. However, while she already has a racing resume that most college freshmen would envy, it only constituted two months of experience in this brand of short-course, high-intensity sailing. Julia Gardner, her skipper, was sailing in just the second college regatta of her life, following a great performance at MAISA Club Champs the week before. These two sailors stood up to the toughest teams on the east coast, and did so at the very beginning of their college sailing careers. It took a tremendous amount of guts, and ACC’s will no doubt prove to be a valuable experience for both of them going forward. At such an important regatta, it is an absolute necessity to bring heavy-air specialists along in case the breeze builds. Personnel versatility can be a difference-maker in dinghy sailing, and so having Sonya and Skye along gave us a great deal of confidence. The racing all weekend took place in sunny, hot, and very light conditions. While they, along with dozens of other alternate crews, were forced to sit on the sidelines all weekend, our whole team is grateful that they came down to Florida with us. Sonya and Skye were a huge part of our qualifying effort at ODU, when the breeze was in the 15-20 knot category all weekend. Thus, while they did not sail at ACC’s, we never would have been there in the first place if it wasn't for their energy, sacrifice, and skill. There is no question that getting to ACC’s was a fantastic accomplishment for our young team, but it is only the beginning of what The GW Sailing Team can achieve if we keep trying. This Spring, we will try to get back in to the America Trophy Regatta (MAISA Champs & Nationals Qualifier) on the co-ed team, and Women’s Semifinals and Nationals on the women’s team. There is a lot of exciting racing left to be done, and as always, we will keep charging hard. Congratulations once again to our women’s team, who have already written a new chapter in the history of GW sports. -Will Ricketson ’11 Full Results: http://regatta.mit.edu/f10/women-accs/ This past weekend, the George Washington’s Women’s Sailing Team travelled to Old Dominion University to compete in the 2010 MAISA Women’s Fall Championship. Women’s regattas are a new focus for the GW sailing team, yet a longtime staple of college sailing. The ICSA has worked hard to promote this aspect of the sport through regional and national qualifier and championship events. The MAISA Women’s Championship, held this year at ODU, provided a chance for the top eight teams to advance to the Women’s Atlantic Coast Championships at Eckerd College. This tremendous opportunity was on the mind of GW sailors all weekend long. Saturday started off with temperatures in the low 50s, and occasional sun. The Elizabeth River provided competitors with high swells and a NW-N breeze at 10-18 knots. ODU sailors graciously helped competitors launch the fleet of FJs in the high tide. The strong breeze and swells called for our two heavy-air specialists to join their skippers. Starting off the day, Co-Captain Meredith Carroll ’11 and her crew, Co-Captain Skye Kussmann ’13, set out for the first start in A-Division. Meredith and Skye had three strong sets on Saturday, never finishing below 8th place, setting up the team to score one of the top eight spots. A-Division stayed consistently in the top eight by sailing upwind on the left side of the course in the strong breeze and by using the tide to their advantage. The new experience of heavy swells taught the team much about the importance of “ooching”, (using your body weight to increase acceleration down the waves) particularly in the downwind legs. The highlight came in race 6A, when Meredith and Skye scored a 3rd place finish. As the wind slowed down towards the end of the day, Anne Laterra ’11, the longtime crew for Meredith, stepped in. Meredith and Anne consistently scored above 8th place, further securing our position in the top eight. By the end of the day, GW’s A-Division team was in a solid 7th place finish. In B-Division, Katie Hilton ’12 and Sonya Ropek ’14 held their own against the competitive fleet. Katie and Sonya used their experience to make the best connections between the puffs, allowing them to move up the course with speed. Their downwind legs proved to be their most effective, consistently picking off one or two boats with fabulous boat handling. Katie and Sonya’s highlight came in race 4B, when they captured first place! Other highlights include a 3rd place finish in race 6B and a 5th place finish in race 7B. By the end of the day Katie and Sonya had secured an overall 6th place position in B-Division. Sunday came with stronger wind and waves to finish out the remainder of the 11 race rotation. The breeze came from the N-NW at 13-22 knots. The strong wind meant another day of sailing for Skye and Sonya, and harsh conditions for competitors all around. A-Division started the day off strong with a 5th place finish. While the tough conditions brought some challenges, B-Division managed to keep enough of the Elizabeth River out of their boat to sail fast into a final 8th place overall standing. Our fate to travel to Fall 2010 Women’s Atlantic Coast Championships had been sealed! This is a big moment for our team, as never before in school history have we advanced this far on the women’s circuit. A huge thank you to the tireless supporters of the GW Sailing Program, without whom we really would not have made it as far as this! Kaitlin Denney ’14 provided racing advice, encouragement, and an extremely positive attitude all weekend. A special thank you to Betsy Price for providing the team with a wonderful Saturday night meal and coming out to see the GW Team at its finest! Also, the team owes a deal of great appreciation to Jack Bell for his endless hospitality and support of the GW sailing team. -Captain Skye Kussman ’13 Our Team for The MAISA Women’s Championship: A-Division: -Meredith Carroll ’11 -Anne Laterra ’11 -Skye Kussman ’13 A-Division: -Katie Hilton ’12 -Sonya Ropek ’14 -Kaitlin Denney ’14 Full Results: http://regatta.mit.edu/f10/maisa-women-odu/ GW Sailing saw a glimpse of its future this past weekend at the 2010 MAISA Club Championship, as two freshmen skippers, and a freshman crew, rose to the challenge and competed in MAISA’s hardest club event of the season. MAISA Club Champs is noteworthy in the world of college sailing for one particularly infamous reason: The dreaded Tech Dinghy. These awkward and antiquated craft, designed decades ago by well-meaning students at MIT, have provided a unique challenge to visitors of Tom’s River Yacht Club for many years. They are characterized by their tremendous weight, lack of sail area, and the absence of hiking straps or a jib. Ocean County College, the regatta hosts (Who practice out of TRYC) have a brand new fleet of 420’s, but in the interest of maximizing everyone’s time on the water, both A and B Divisions were out on the water simultaneously, one in 420s, the other in Techs. Nick Koeniger ’14 and Caitlin Keliher ’14 were GW’s A-Division team for this event, and thus had the unenviable task of divining the Tech Dinghy’s mysteries on Saturday. In a very light breeze and considerable current, they did an admirable job, highlighted by a 6th place finish in race 4A. It bears mentioning that Nick was wearing his trademark camouflage hat, until it was tragically lost during heated racing on Sunday. (Memorial bouquets can be delivered to Nick’s room in Thurston Hall) In B-Division, Julia Gardner ’14 and Brielle Seitelman ’13, sailing in 420s, were in much more familiar territory. Julia, who happened to call her brother on Saturday morning, discovered to everyone’s amusement that not only was he in the area, but she would be sailing against him all weekend (He was Fordham’s B-Division skipper). This became even more entertaining in race 4B, when Julia finished in an impressive second place... right behind her brother Graham. On Sunday, the light breezes and calmness gave way to strong winds, whitecaps, and general Tech Dinghy mayhem. A-Division switched into the 420s, and it was B-Division’s turn to try their hand in the old boats. Substitute coach/regatta dad Will Ricketson ’11, along for the weekend in a supporting role, noticed before launching on Sunday that the GW tech dinghy’s emergency flotation tanks were full of water, and was able to bail them out. This was to prove fortuitous later on. Replacing Brielle as Julia’s crew was veteran heavy-air specialist Mike Shea ’11. In the first race of the day, Julia and Mike attempted a particularly athletic and aggressive tack, only to realize too late that boats built in the 1970s were not exactly designed for such action. As Brielle and Will watched in horror from on shore, the GW Tech dinghy dipped its port side gunnel below the waterline... and quickly vanished up to its mast. In a matter of seconds, the boat was almost completely sunk, held afloat only by its two small emergency tanks. Julia and Mike were quickly able to recover the boat (With the help of a large bucket) and bounced back nicely in the standings. Colgate suffered a similar fate during the same race, and was last seen drifting helplessly deeper into Barnegat bay. Younger sibling Julia exacted revenge on brother Graham in race 15A on Sunday, which was won by GW while Fordham took 5th. Overall, Julia, Brielle and Mike were remarkably consistent all weekend, finishing in the top ten in 12 out of 18 races. Overall, it was a highly successful and rewarding weekend for the Colonials, who finished 12th out of 18 teams. Valuable experience was gained against tough competition, and great memories were made. the relative youth of our team, combined with our competitiveness, certainly bodes well for GW Sailing’s future prospects. -Will Ricketson ’11 Our Team for MAISA Club Champs: A-Division: - Nick Koeniger ’14 - Caitlin Keliher ’14 B-Division - Julia Garner ’14 - Briell Seitelman ’13 - Mike Shea ’11 Cheering Section: -Will Ricketson ’11 Full results: http://regatta.mit.edu/f10/maisa-club-s/ The Mid-Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Conference (MAISA) rankings are out, ahead of this year’s scheduling process. GW is currently ranked 14th out of 47 schools, an impressive feat for our still-developing team. MAISA is the largest, and arguably the most competitive, (along with New England’s NEISA) conference in college sailing, and so we can reflect on this with some pride. MAISA Rankings Winter 2010:
After making the long but scenic journey from Washington, DC to Geneva, NY last Friday afternoon, the GW Sailing Team engaged in two days of hard (And cold) racing at the 2010 War Memorial Regatta. This event is the MAISA (Mid -Atlantic) Conference Championships and the pinnacle of the Fall racing season. Along with the Schell Trophy (New England Champs) and the Atlantic Coast Champs, the War Memorial is widely regarded as one of the three most competitive Fall events in the country. Each year, the 45 teams in MAISA strive to gain entry, and GW was proud to achieve this feat for the second year in a row. Saturday dawned clear with temperatures in the 40s, a somewhat startling sensation to GW sailors who only days before had been practicing in T-shirts on the Potomac River. The regatta was hosted by Hobart and William Smith Colleges, who together (The schools combine their athletic teams) boast one of the most powerful sailing programs in the country. The boat of choice on windy Seneca Lake is the 420, a different type of dinghy than our usual FJ’s. However, GW had worked hard over the previous two weeks to get some 420 practice in Georgetown’s boats. Being so far inland, Seneca Lake is prone to difficult and shifty conditions, as Will Ricketson ’11 and Kaitlin Denney ’14 quickly discovered during their first set in A-Division. In both races, which were held in a calm but variable early-morning breeze, Will opted for risky but potentially rewarding upwind strategies, which saw GW travel far out to the right side of the course. This proved to be unwise, as they returned to the dock having scored a demoralizing pair of 18’s in both races, and now faced an uphill battle to climb back up in the standings. However, after a quick talk with Georgetown’s ever-supportive coach, Mike Callahan, (Our coach, Jay Sterne, was unable to attend) they decided to shake off what had happened and averaged a respectable 11th place finish per race for the rest of the regatta. The highlight for Will and Kaitlin came in race 5A on Saturday. By this time, the treacherous breezes of earlier in the day had given way to an exhilarating 15 mph of wind, with large waves to match. Steering a path out to the middle-left side of the course in search of more breeze, GW rounded the first mark ahead of the fleet, followed closely by Hobart and Georgetown. GW was barely passed by both boats after a tough downwind battle, but after rounding the opposite gate mark as the two leaders, they were able to get back to the favored left side sooner, and reclaimed first place. This time, GW had built enough of a lead to fend off any further downwind attacks, and crossed the finish line in first, claiming GW’s first War Memorial “bullet”. In B-Division, senior Team Captain Meredith Carroll ’11 was joined by her longtime crew Anne Laterra ’11 and heavy-air specialists Ian Conners ’13 and Co-Captain Skye Kussman ’13. For Meredith and Anne, this would be their second consecutive trip to the War Memorial as a team, and their fourth year sailing together for GW, in what has proven to be our team’s longest-lasting and most successful combination. Their trademark has always been an amazing ability to come back from tough situations, and this was on full display in their first set. After a rough start in race 2B, Meredith and Anne bided their time, stayed in phase, and then made their move on the final leg of the race. Noticing a significant puff coming down the middle of the lake before anyone nearby, they quickly sailed out to the left side of the course after rounding the leeward gate mark. Upon finding the new breeze, they were able to sail on a lifted tack right over two thirds of the fleet into an impressive sixth place finish. Both days started out light, with the breeze building in the afternoon, and we were fortunate to have Ian and Skye along to switch in and out with Anne when the need arose. This versatility proved a be a big asset, and ensured that our B-Division boat was optimally prepared regardless of what conditions the lake might throw at the fleet. In the end, GW finished 15th overall out of 18 schools. While we thought that we could have done a bit better, we had to keep in mind that we were facing the best of the best, and that our very presence at such a high level regatta was reason enough to feel proud of what we had accomplished this Fall. Thirty other teams had tried in vain to represent their schools at the War Memorial, and GW proved to be one of the very few student-run teams who belonged on the big stage. We certainly proved that last year’s qualification was no fluke, and that GW will be a factor in the competitive world of intercollegiate sailing not only this year, but hopefully for many years to come. -Will Ricketson ’11 Full results: http://regatta.mit.edu/f10/war-memorial/ Our Team for the 2010 War Memorial: A-Division: Will Ricketson ’11 Kaitlin Denney ’14 B-Division: Meredith Carroll ’11 Anne Laterra ’11 Ian Conners ’13 Skye Kussman ’13 Race Report: King’s Point Dinghy Open 11/01/2010
GW travelled to New York City on the second-to-last weekend of October to participate in the US Merchant Marine Academy’s annual Fall regatta. Amazing hospitality was provided by the Carroll family, who not only gave us beds to sleep on, but fantastic home-cooked food for our whole team (“A Thanksgiving Dinner test-run”, as Mrs. Carroll described it) . The breeze proved to be elusive all weekend, rarely providing an opportunity for hiking out in the boats, and reading the shifts and the current proved to be the most important factors. In the end, GW placed 10th out of 17 teams, and gained some important racing experience before the following weekend’s championship regatta at Hobart, and the MAISA Women’s qualifier in two weeks time. Full Results: http://regatta.mit.edu/f10/kings-point-dinghy-open/ Our Team for the KP Dinghy Open: A-Division: Meredith Carroll ’11 Will Ricketson ’11 Ian Conners ’13 B-Division: Katie Hilton ’12 Sonya Ropek ’14 Mike Shea ’11 | GW SAILINGThe biggest and best club sports team at George Washington University. ArchivesApril 2012 Categories |
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