The NEISA Championships presented difficult conditions, as it was cold and windy with driving precipitation throughout the day. Dartmouth failed to qualify for Nationals, finishing 10th overall. The third through seventh teams at the event advanced to a semi-final qualifying competition for Nationals, while the top two teams automatically received National bids.
Boston College, which has been performing at a high level all season, took home first place, followed by Connecticut College and Brown University.
Chandler Salisbury '13 and Madi Gamble '13 skippered and crewed, respectively, in the A-Divison and finished in 11th place, while Kelsey Wheeler '14 and Molly Wilson '13 placed sixth in the B-Division.
"The competition was great and all teams had their best women sailors," Wilson said in an email to The Dartmouth. "The weather was also trying as there wasn't enough wind to race on the second day."
The Priddy Trophy was similarly plagued by bad weather, with the sailors facing rain and snow throughout Saturday's competition. By the time racing commenced, close to two inches of snowy slush had accumulated, making the boat decks slippery.
The teams completed a double rotation on Sunday before several gusts of more than 15 knots hit the course, resulting in two capsizes. After three protests, Dartmouth was disqualified for not giving room, and skipper Chris Price '14 and crew Victor Hollenberg '14 finished in last in seventh place.
Dartmouth finished in 12th overall at the Admiral's Cup, with Ed Jude '11 and Carissa Crawford '14 placing 12th in the A-Division and Matt Wefer '14 and Ali Hiller '11 finishing eighth in the B-Division. Bo McClatchy '13 won a head-to-head tiebreaker against United States Naval Academy sophomore George Prieto to place 13th in the C-Division.
"It was a good, competitive regatta with teams from all over," Jude said. "We got in a lot of racing all day and the breeze cooperated, which made for a competitive day despite the pouring rain and fog."
Sailors also faced heavy rain at the Thompson Trophy, though the wind dissipated to a steady breeze of 0-5 knots by the afternoon. John Renehan '13 and Avery Plough '14 finished in an exciting first place in the B-Division, while Dartmouth finished seventh overall. Sam Williams '12 and Matt Habig '13 competed in the A-Division for the Big Green, finishing ninth.
"Avery and I made the most out of our limited practice time this spring to hone our teamwork so we could put it together at regattas like the Thompson," Renehan said. "We had good speed all weekend, which made decision-making on the water a lot easier."
Dartmouth will compete in several events next weekend, including the Intercollegiate Sailing Association semifinals in Long Beach, Calif.