NEW LONDON, Conn. —
The United States Coast Guard Academy sailing team competed at five events this past weekend, with the dinghy and offshore teams both earning multiple top-five finishes against strong collegiate and professional competition. Highlighting the weekend was a second-place finish at the Jesuit Open; fourth-place finishes at both the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA) Match Race Championship and American Yacht Club Fall Regatta; and a sixth-place finish at the Smith Trophy.
NEISA Match Race Championship / Results
MARBLEHEAD, Mass. — Coast Guard finished fourth at the NEISA Match Race Championship, hosted by the Maine Maritime Academy at Corinthian Yacht Club. Competition opened in a round-robin format featuring the top eight teams in New England, with the Bears advancing into the quarterfinals as the fourth seed.
Coast Guard swept Boston University, 2-0, to advance to the semifinals, where the Bears faced top-seeded Brown University. In a best of three series, Coast Guard won the second race before Brown was able to secure the series and advance to the championship final. In the petit final, the Bears raced Dartmouth College to finish fourth overall.
Sailors: Gavin VanManen (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Tomas Riccio (Rochester, N.Y.), Meara Conley (Hingham, Mass.), and Peter Judge (Severna Park, Md.)
Women's Atlantic Coast Championship, Round 1A / Results
HANOVER, N.H. — Coast Guard competed at Round 1A of the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship, hosted by Dartmouth College, and finished 12th overall after 14 races.
The Bears were led by sophomores Maddie Murphy (Norfolk, Va.), Grace Boudreau (Tequesta, Fla.), and Sydney Zylinski (Lavalette, N.J.) in A Division, where the trio finished third in their fleet and recorded three race wins. Senior Caroline Odell (Burke, Va.), junior Ella Demand (Toms River, N.J.), and freshman Simone Moss (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) rounded out the Bears' lineup.
Racing featured a shifty northwesterly breeze ranging from 5-12 knots on Saturday, which shifted to 6-14 knots from the south on Sunday to provide challenging and competitive conditions throughout the weekend.
Danmark Trophy / Results
NEW LONDON, Conn. — Hosted at home by the Bears, the Danmark Trophy brought together a highly competitive field for 11 races. Coast Guard finished 12th overall.
The Bears faced difficult conditions throughout the weekend, including a 5-12 knot northeasterly breeze on Saturday that faded and shifted throughout the day. Sunday brought a 5-10 knot east-northeasterly breeze that gradually shifted southeast before settling into a lighter easterly breeze. The Thames River provided challenging racing with large shifts, inconsistent pressure, and a changing current throughout the event.
Sailors: Grace Austin (Moorpark, Calif.), Julian Henderson (Camden, Maine), Benjamin Reeser (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Richard Pokorny (Brick Township, N.J.), Isabella Clark (Newport Beach, Calif.)
George Warren Smith Trophy / Results
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Coast Guard finished sixth out of 18 teams at the George Warren Smith Trophy, hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on the Charles River. The Bears put forth a solid performance across both of the events divisions, with junior Joey Richardson (San Diego, Calif.) and freshman Ellis Wisehart (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) finishing 10th in A, while sophomore William Clay (Leonardtown, Md.) and freshman Lusia Foster (San Francisco, Calif.) placed fourth in B.
Jesuit Open / Results
BRONX, N.Y. — Coast Guard highest finish of the weekend was a second-place effort at the Jesuit Open, hosted by Fordham University. The Bears finished just behind the United States Naval Academy after 14 races.
Freshman Liam Marcell (Toms River, N.J.) and junior Gabriella Fields (Juneau, Alas.) finished third in A Division, recording four race wins, while sophomore William Bryant (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and senior Austin White (Tampa, Fla.) also finished third in B Division with two race victories.
Saturday featured a 12-15 knot easterly breeze, while Sunday brought 5-10 knots from the east, allowing the fleet to complete a full schedule of racing.
American Yacht Club Fall Regatta / Results
RYE, N.Y. — The offshore team finished fourth out of ten boats at the American Yacht Club's Fall Regatta aboard Stormy Petrel, competing against a highly competitive fleet that included several professionally owned boats.
Stormy Petrel sailed consistently throughout the weekend and finished ahead of the other collegiate entry, Stevens Institute of Technology. The fourth-place finish was a strong result for the Bears given the varying levels of experience across the crew.
Conditions ranged from 8-14 knots from the northeast on Saturday to 8-22 knots from the east on Sunday, with an ebbing current that shifted throughout both days.
Sailors: Ned Jobson (Madison, Conn.), Audrey Beckman (West Chester, Pa.), Anna Buonocore (Naples, Fla.), Sarah Evans (Stowe, Vt.), Nate Blake (Louisville, Ky.), Gavin Kravchuck (Pitman, N.J.), Trenton Mitchell (Cleveland, Wisc.), Ben Smith (Sykesville, Md.), Kaelen DeMello, and John Donnelley.
Looking Ahead
Coast Guaurd sailing returns to the water next weekend for another busy slate of competition. The Bears will compete at the Open Atlantic Coast Championship hosted by St. Mary's College; the Hewitt Trophy hosted by Bowdoin College; the Sister Esther Trophy hosted by Salve Regina University; and the Long Island Sound Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta.
