After a weekend in which the team had fairly subpar showing at MIT's Smith Trophy Regatta, placing 17th, it was important to put forth a strong performance in this weekend's races. Team members and coaches knew coming into the regattas that they were capable of success, but that they would have to stay focused throughout the events.
Dartmouth sent sailors to Yale, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Bowdoin and Boston College.
Coast Guard hosted the Hap Moore Trophy Team Race. The weekend did not start smoothly in New London. Racing was delayed due to a thick fog, but the regatta eventually began, and competitors were greeted with much better racing conditions and stiff winds on Sunday.
Dartmouth had a mediocre showing, finishing in a three-way tie with Roger Williams and Kings Point for seventh. St. Mary's College took home first place honors.
Dartmouth's most experienced sailors raced in the Coast Guard regatta. Ben Sampson '08, Luke Hathaway '08, Andrew Geffken '08, Betsy Bryant '08 and Anne Megargel '09 were all in Connecticut for the race.
Boston College played host to the NEISA Men's Singlehanded Championships. Saturday also brought difficult sailing conditions in Boston. A delay due to lack of wind pushed all races back three hours. Sunday was slightly better, with a stronger morning breeze that died down throughout the day.
Dartmouth sent Colin Treseler '09 to the regatta. Treseler did not fare well, finishing 18th out of 25 racers, while Harvard's Kyle Kovacs sailed masterfully and won the championships. In the 12 races of the weekend, Treseler's top finish was a third-place mark.
One of the highlights of the weekend came at the U.S. Naval Academy. Like the other racing locations on the East Coast, Annapolis suffered from an early lack of wind. There was a slight delay on Saturday, but the true difficulties occurred on Sunday when the wind never filled.
Nevertheless, the Dartmouth sailors were able to make the most of the weekend finishing seventh out of 18 teams. In the A division, Becca Dallenbaugh '10 and Sarah Johnston '09 finished seventh, only three points behind sixth-place Old Dominion.
In the B division, Adele Wilhelm '08 and newcomer Courtney Gerwin '11 placed eighth overall. A strong performance in the C division by Dartmouth's Kendall Reiley '09 helped propel the Big Green to its overall finish in Maryland.
"It was a tough weekend," veteran Ben Sampson '08 said. "The wind was light, and so it really came down to mechanics. We are still coming together as a team, so we obviously see room for improvement, but there are also clear successes at this early point in the season."
The Big Green sailing team looks for improvement as it continues through its busy schedule. Next weekend, racers will be sent to Yale and Bowdoin, and will take part in the Captain Hurst Bowl at Dartmouth.
