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Volume CXXXII, Number 20 |
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Skippers navigate turbulent waters
MELANIE KEENE
STAFF WRITER
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| Two teams of Bowdoin sailors work to prepare the boats in less-than-ideal spring conditions. (Courtesy of Ryan Boutin '05) |
Due to stormy conditions in New England last Saturday, the Bowdoin Sailing Team did not race in every regatta on its schedule. Because the boats were iced over at M.I.T., the women's regatta was canceled. The sailors at the Metro Series toughed it out but only sailed four races before the event was called. The sole complete regatta took place in Boston on the Charles River.
Pieter Sheerlink '05 sailed with Sabrina Hall-Little '06 in the A-division, while Caitlin Moore '06 sailed with Kendall Brown '06 in the B-division. Moore did a stellar job skippering her first regatta and even finished mid fleet after a rocky start when she capsized during her first race. However, she soon picked up the pace and contended well with the competition.
Down at the Coast Guard Academy, Bowdoin sailors competed in their second sloop event of the season. Ryan Cauley '03 skippered while Tyler Dunphy '03 handled the jibe and spinnaker, and Eddie Briganti '05 did the foredeck. Because all three crewmembers are officially skippers in dingy boats, they were able to work well together by combining tactics.
Dunphy was able to keep his head out of the boat and make wise decisions so Cauley could concentrate on perfecting his "crisp" boat-handling.
Looking back on the day, Dunphy said, "We were at or near the top three in most of the last races. The current was ripping so that made life interesting at the windward marks. However, in our final race of the day we ended up in second place so that was an accomplishment for us!"
The boys ended the day happy with a fourth place finish overall and look forward to attending more sloop regattas.
Sunday proved to be the first sunny and clear conditions in which the sailors were able to compete all season.
Down at Roger Williams, the coed team engaged in its first team race regatta of the season. Dunphy skippered with Melanie Keene '03, while Cauley sailed with Gia Upchurch '05, and Eddie Briganti sailed with Whitney Rauschenbach '06. Although they had a tough day, they managed one stellar win.
The Cauley/Upchurch team gained valuable racing experience during the regatta. Generally, they were caught in the middle and had two of their opponents' boats right on top of them. The Dunphy/Keene team received some good practice for this coming weekend. The duo managed to speed around the marks ahead of its opponents who were more concerned team-racing Cauley.
Finally, the first years sailed at Brown University on Sunday. While it was a beautiful day, the race committee was fearful of heavy winds and cut the regatta short. However, Emily Bruns '06 and Ellen Grenley '06 in the A-division and Frank Pizzo '06 and Sophie Wiss '06 in the B-division did have successful races.
Both boats were pumped up from their spring practice in Galveston, Texas and were ready to show off their 420 experience. However, because of the shortened regatta, they only had three races in which to display their skills.
The Bruns/Grenley team geared up throughout the day and took third place in their second race. As Bruns recalled, "It was extremely important to hike as hard as possible to go fast upwind; then we flew downwind and were able to catch several boats."
The Pizzo/Wiss team also sailed a solid regatta and took third place. They would have finished near the top of their fleet had they not capsized at the start of the second race.
This weekend brings another two days packed with action-filled regattas. The women's team will sail at an intersectional at Brown, as they practice for the championship next week. The coed team will compete at the fifty-second annual B.U. trophy on the Charles River.
The first years will be at Tufts, and a sloop team will be sent down to the Coast Guard Academy. Additionally, for those of you interested in watching some hot sailing in cold waters, travel down to the University of Southern Maine on Saturday, and watch Bowdoin sailors compete in an Eastern Series event.
After all, if you stay at Bowdoin, you won't be able to see the hottest sailing team in New England.
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