Volume CXXXIII, Number 3 September 21, 2001 f

Sailing team notches early successes
ARWYN CARROLL
Staff Writer

The sailing team is powering ahead after a mixed showing in three regattas. (Bowdoin Orient)

There seems to be quite a bit happening on the water these days. With three regattas already under its belt, the Bowdoin Sailing Team is looking forward to an intense and rewarding season. Despite varied finishes over the first three weekends of competition, the team hopes for a season of consistently good sailing.

Last weekend, the Bowdoin sailors enjoyed a solid eighth place finish in the Hatch Brown Regatta (hosted by Boston University), gained a victory at the University of Southern Maine Invite, and sailed smoothly into third place at Bowdoin's own Casco Bay Open.

The team isn't too focused on the standings, however. "We're sailing faster than we ever have before," said captain Simon Gerson '02. "The results might not reflect that because of the intense competition."

And, the competition would have a difficult time increasing its intensity level, as the Bowdoin team already sails in the country's most competitive league.
Aside from the tough opponents ahead, our friends on the water had other important things to think about last weekend. The Bears got to show off their new fleet of 18 new Rondar Larks. These new boats are something of a big deal. "We're the first college team in the country to get these boats," junior Laura Windecker said. "This weekend was pivotal."

Why so? These new Larks are built and rigged slightly differently from the boats used in the past. They're made to be faster, and this weekend was Bowdoin's chance to show them off and prove their worth.

The Casco Bay Open also marked the Bears' first hosted regatta of the season; a chance to sail on their home waters in competition. "The weekend was an overall success for Bowdoin," Windecker said. "There was a really strong showing by both [Bowdoin] teams."

The team members have a positive outlook for the upcoming season and the years ahead. The women's team-unranked as of last fall-is now ranked fifteenth in the country. According to Gerson, the team did well last season, but not as well as it had hoped.

This year, however, with modest goals for a growing program, a young team, new boats, and a great deal of enthusiasm, the Bowdoin Sailing Team is looking forward to a successful season.