Strong winds and currents could not deter the Dartmouth sailing team from a strong performance at the New England Invitational regatta last weekend at the Coast Guard Academy. The Big Green sent up four different boats, all of which worked together to finish in first and second place.
Despite a field of fifteen teams, Dartmouth's toughest competition proved to be itself, as the Big Green had two different boats sailing in each of the two divisions.
"It served as great practice for us," coach John Storck said. "You can't ask for better practice time, especially if it's so near to the venue of the NEISA Championships."
Sam Williams '12, Sarah Freihofer '10 and Peter Hughes '11 sailed one boat while Matthew Cohen '10 and Ali Hiller '11 manned another boat in the in A Division.
Bernie Roesler '12, Rocky Merchant '12, Bo McClatchy '13 and Jenna Musco '11 sailed the two different boats in the B Division.
"We were pretty lucky to have two teams sail at the same regatta," Storck said.
Dartmouth hoped other competitive teams competing in next weekend's championships would send boats to the Invitational, Storck added, but this did not prove to be the case.
"We expected a lot of teams from our conference to be there, so naturally the level of competition wasn't as high," Storck said. "I guess some teams chose to stay home and do what they thought was best for their team."
Williams agreed with his coach and said that the practice was valuable.
"We will be sailing in the same river for the championships, so getting a feel for it definitely helps," Williams said. "It was definitely easier competition, but we're not going to read much into the results. It's just good to refresh and get used to the Connecticut River, which is very shifty and has many currents."
Roesler said sailing with the same teammate that he will sail with at the championships will pay dividends next weekend.
"We've been sailing together since the Fall, so knowing each other's mechanics, especially on that river, will surely help us," Roesler said. "It's good to be on the same page."
The coed team will compete in the NEISA Dinghy Championship which also serves as a qualifier for Nationals this weekend at Connecticut College.
"This upcoming weekend will be really competitive," Storck said. "We sail in the toughest league in the nation, so we expect everyone to show up prepared and ready to go."
Williams said the team will continue the same routine and "take it one practice, one day at a time."
"For us as a team, we're trying not to psych ourselves out," he said. "Mental preparation is as important as physical preparation."
When asked what results Storck expects at the NEISA Championship, he said he doesn't believe in assuming any successes or failures will happen.
"We're not having any expectations," he said. "Ideally, we come away knowing we sailed our best and did the best we could do. Hopefully, we qualify, but the most important thing is knowing you gave it your all."
The women's team ranked 10th in the nation will sail at the Wick and Shrew Trophies this Saturday at the Coast Guard Academy.
"This is their last big intersectional," Storck said. "They've had a great season and a great year overall. They're looking to peak at this regatta and shake out any kinks before their championships the following week."
