All year long, the Dartmouth women sailors have set their eyes on one goal -- the national championships.
The ICYRA Boatscapes National Dinghy Championships at St. Mary's of Maryland has loomed large in the eyes of the team, who knew they would be facing the other top teams in the nation, with a chance to prove Dartmouth's dominance once and for all.
Well, they are there now, and things are looking good for the Big Green. After one day of races, the Dartmouth women are leading the way with 21 points.
The day of racing saw four races in the A-Division and two in the B-Division. The top boat of Erin Maxwell '01 and captain Leslie Sandberg '01 had a second place finish, a fourth place finish, and two sixth place finishes to power the Big Green. Dartmouth's depth as a team showed, as the second boat of Jen Morgan '02 and Erin Myers '00 pulled off first and second place finishes.
In all, there are 18 schools competing at St. Mary's. Tufts University is in second place with 25 points, while the University of Southern California placed third at the end of the day.
Racing will continue today and tomorrow, and Dartmouth will attempt to solidify its lead over the teams nipping at its heels.
The Big Green are without an integral member of the team, Esther Freeman '02, who would normally be sailing with the second boat. Unfortunately, she is home with family, mourning the passing of her father. Her absence, and the sadness that comes with the death of someone close to the team, will certainly provide extra inspiration for the squad to capture the Regatta.
