2009 ICSA Spring National Championships

2010-08-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

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St. Mary's Wins 2009 ICSA/Gill National Championship

2009-06-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy GTSphotos.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jan Harley, Media Pro Int'l, 401-849-0220 for ICSA

San Francisco, Calif. (June 2, 2009) – All the pieces were in place today for an exciting finale to determine the 2009 ICSA/Gill National Championship on San Francisco Bay, from warmer air and sea conditions, to good breeze, to a close contest between the two frontrunners for the title – St. Mary’s College (St. Mary’s, Md.) and Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) – who were separated by just seven points with only eight races left to sail. When all was said and done, after 36 races over three days contested by 123 sailors from the most competitive 18 schools in the nation, the St. Mary’s Seahawks had won the title for the third time in school history.

A-Division was up first and Yale’s junior skipper Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI), alternating crew between sophomore Blair Belling (Newport Beach, Calif.) and junior Marla Menninger (Newport Beach, Calif.), posted finishes of 9-2 to eliminate the seven-point lead St. Mary’s had over Yale when the day started. St. Mary’s junior skipper Jesse Kirkland (Warwick, Bermuda), with crew sophomore Madeline Jackson (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and Megan Magill (San Diego, Calif.), finished 13-5, and while the schools were now tied on points, St. Mary’s had the edge on a tie-break.

The lead then took another swing as St. Mary’s regained ground over Yale after the first set in B-Division put them ahead 157 to 166, before a photo finish in A-Division’s final race of the day, during which Yale and St. Mary’s rounded every mark 1-2, went to Yale and moved the Elis back into the lead 169-172. It was now down to B-Division to settle the score.

With the breeze gusting into the 20s, St. Mary’s sophomore skipper Michael Menninger (Newport Beach, Calif.) and senior crew Jennifer Chamberlain (Alexandria, Va.) posted a 6-1 to the 14-16 of Yale’s freshman skipper Joseph Morris (Annapolis, Md.) with junior crew Michael Hession (Milton, Mass.), earning St. Mary’s the win by 20 points over Yale.

“It was a little too exciting for the coaches,” said St. Mary’s coach Adam Werblow joking that his heart had to be restarted a few times. “Our B-Division team had a rough start in the second-to-last race, but then won the start in the last race had a clear lane and were able to go fast. Yale battled really hard. We thought we could hang with them in A and beat them in B. We were blessed. We brought seven, all seven sailed and they worked really hard, prepared for this venue and did enough right to win.“

Rounding out the top five finishers were Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) in third with 231 points, followed by Old Dominion (Norfolk, Va.) with 262 and Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) with 315. Complete results are available at http://www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring09/coedresults.asp

The Format: In the ICSA/Gill National Championship each school fields a separate A and B division team with, weather permitting, each division sailing 20- to 30-minute fleet races in rotation. A team's final score is determined by the combined results of its sailors in A and B divisions. Stanford University co-hosted the championship with St. Francis Yacht Club, with racing taking place from the club utilizing Stanford’s fleet of FJs.

Catch the Replay: Noted sailing commentator Gary Jobson (Annapolis, Md.) will produce a program on the ICSA/Gill National Championship for ESPNU set to air Saturday, June 20 at 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday, July 1 at 3:00 a.m.

About the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association: ICSA is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. To learn more please visit: http://www.collegesailing.org/. ICSA is sponsored by Gill, Annapolis Performance Sailing, Marlow Ropes, Quantum Sails, LaserPerformance and US SAILING: http://www.gillna.com/, http://www.apsltd.com/, http://www.bainbridgeint.com/, http://www.quantumsails.com/, www.laserperformance.com/main/ and http://www.ussailing.org/

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Race 18B - Top 5

2009-06-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) Georgetown

3) Roger Williams

4) Harvard

5) Charleston

St. Mary's WINS

2009-06-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

After three days of beautiful sailing and 36 races, St. Mary's is the 2009 ICSA/Gill Coed Dinghy National Championship, taking college sailing's most coveted prize after falling short in commendable runs in both the Women's and Team National Championships.

With outstanding execution, St. Mary's nailed their final start to leeward of the fleet. After a short sail on starboard, they tacked and crossed the fleet, and the rest was history. No matter which direction Yale's skipper Joe Morris went, there was no catching up to St. Mary's, who went on to cross the finish line in convincing fashion with a twenty boatlength lead.

What a great regatta its been here at St. Francis Yacht Club. PRO Mike Kalin and his team did an excellent job of running the national championship, and the world class venue left nobody disappointed in the conditions. Thank you to St. Francis YC staff John Craig and Melanie Roberts, who ran the event with professionalism and thoroughness.

As for me, I had fun blogging the news along the way, and I hope if you are still with me this far, that you enjoyed reading. Check www.sailgroove.com for more reports, and look out for ESPNU's hour-long program with Gary Jobson. Cheers!

Race 17B - Top 5

2009-06-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

1) Roger Williams

2) New York Maritime

3) Boston College

4) Navy

5) Stanford

St. Mary's Takes the Lead: One Race to Go

2009-06-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

The Yale B Division boat felt the pressure as they came off the start line in less than ideal position, in uncharacteristic fashion for the Yale Elis this regatta. St. Mary's sailed to a respectable 6th place finish while the Yale Elis recovered a few boats to end the race in 14th. St. Mary's is now ahead by five points, which means it will take not only a Yale win over St. Mary's, but also a few boats in between for Yale to recover the overall lead.

Congratulations to Yale's A Division, skipper Thomas Barrows with crews Blair Belling and Maria Menninger for winning A Divsion by an outstanding 34 point lead. There lowest-point regatta performance of 68 points over 18 gave them an average race of 3.77.

Race 18A - Top 5

2009-06-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

1) Yale

2) St. Mary's

3) Washington College

4) South Florida

5) New York Maritime

Gameface: The 11th hour

2009-06-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

WOW! Race 18A was one for the history books: Yale and St. Mary's both started at the starboard end of the line, worked the right side of the course on the first beat, and rounded every mark of the race in first and second place. On the final downwind run, St. Mary's caught back and at points appeared to overtake Yale for the lead. In a photo finish in which both boats were within a boatlength, Yale took the win to go ahead by just three points overall.

It's all down to the B Division boats for Yale and St. Mary's, who will undoubtedly be match racing for the championship. Sailing for Yale is skipper Joseph Morris with crew Michael Hession. In the St. Mary's boat is skipper Michael Menninger with crew Jennifer Chamberlin. Michael, a sophomore, and Joseph, a freshman, are both underclassmen have no lack of confidence from their teammates.

Race 18A Underway

2009-06-03T14:19:00.001-07:00

Report from the water: St. Mary's boxed Yale out at the start, so Yale had a late start at the boat. Yale was quick to recover by taking to the favored right side. They used their speed to power into the lead and cross the fleet from the right and round the Windward Mark in first. Second-ninth place are very close, St. Mary's appears to be in second...

Race 17A - Top 5

2009-06-03T14:17:00.001-07:00

1) Old Dominion

2) Yale

3) New York Maritime

4) Boston College

5) Hobart & William Smith

A Division Wrapping Up

2009-06-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

Mike Kalin, from the Race Committee said, "Final A set got underway without difficulty, in which the race committee recognized the senior sailors on their final college races. Ben Spiller and Brian Kamilar had congratulatory handshakes from their crews, and I personally felt heartened by the emotions."

Boston University had a tragic flip while running in first place, due to an issue with their port hiking strap in the back of the boat used by the skipper. A quick trip to shore to fix the issue, and the fleet is again underway for their final race of the regatta - and the 2008-09 season. When they are finished, it will be all up to the B Division to determine results in the final two races of the regatta.

So far in this regatta, an excellent group of judging, combining older, well experienced, certified judges with a few younger college coaches who remain extremely close to the college game, provides a solid perspective which allows accurate judging for Rule 42 (Propulsion). So far in this regatta, the two judge boats have imposed seven penalties, all on the downwind legs, for various violations of pumping, ooching, and rocking.

In race 18A, St. Mary's and Yale rounded opposite leeward gate marks within seconds of each other. It appears St. Mary's rounded the more favorable gate, but Yale's lead of a few seconds and excellent display of upwind boatspeed make it an absolute dogfight.

Race 16B - Top 5

2009-06-03T13:19:00.001-07:00

1) Roger Williams

2) Georgetown

3) St. Mary's

4) Navy

5) Boston College

Halftime on Day 3

2009-06-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Both divisions have been out for a set, and now only four races remain to decide this year's national champion. After and outstanding 6,3 set by St. Mary's B Divsion boat, St. Mary's now reassumes the overall lead without needing tiebreakers. Yale, now nine points back in second place, sends out their dominate A Division boat to attempt to close the gap and re-challenge St. Mary's for the lead.

Interestingly, the first two teams aside, the next few positions are well spaced apart, with thirty points separating the next three teams. Often, national championships remain relatively close within the top four or five teams, as was the case with the Women's National last week. In line with the competitive trends usually seen at a national championship, 5th place through 10th place are all separated by a mere 37 points. There is still enough time left for any of these teams to make big jumps - or big falls - within this better-than-midfleet pack.

Ebb tide is reaching its max of 2.1 knots, breeze is still gusting well into the twenties, and a bright sun shines approval for the day on our awesome sport.

Both Yale Head Coach Zach Leonard and St. Mary's College of Maryland Head Coach Adam Werblow remain calm in appearance as they scramble for the right words to urge on their excelling teams. For the last sets, their work is finished, and all they can do is watch like the rest of us. It is all in the hands of their well-coached and able sailors.

Race 15B - Top 5

2009-06-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

1) Georgetown

2) New York Maritime

3) Roger Williams

4) Old Dominion

5) Boston University

Race 16A - Top 5

2009-06-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

1) New York Maritime

2) Yale

3) Harvard

4) Navy

5) St. Mary's

Race 15A - Top 5

2009-06-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

1) Boston College

2) Old Dominion

3) Georgetown

4) South Florida

5) New York Maritime

A Division: Two Down, Two to Go

2009-06-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yale's A Division team, with skipper Thomas Barrows and crews Blair Belling and Marla Menninger, earns a solid 11 point set of 9,2 to maintain a solid lead in the A Division standings. Overall, Yale has gained seven points back against St. Mary's. The two team are now TIED overall for first place, with St. Mary's still in the lead on the current tiebreak. Well back in third place by 47 points, Georgetown sails a consistent start

It doesn't get any more exciting than this, as the St. Mary's and Yale duel will only be decided in the very last few races.

Breeze is on strong, and continues to build. Race Committee start boat just reported puffs up to 24 knots, now averaging in the upper teens, lower twenties.

In the competition for the winner of B Division, second place Georgetown Hoyas, third place Yale, and fourth place Roger Williams threaten leader St. Mary's, with skipper Michael Menninger and crews Kelly Wilbur and Jennifer Chamberlin.

Final Day Underway

2009-06-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

Day three of the ICSA Coed Dinghy Nationals begins on time in a sunny San Francisco Bay where even the late afternoons have provided us with no shortage of breeze. Today is certainly the warmest of the last three days, with temperatures expected to reach well into the sixties by the afternoon. Water temperature is a warmer 57 degrees currently, but the afternoon flood will certainly bring in colder temperatures from the upwelling currents of the deep Pacific Ocean

With only four races in each division, you can expect frontrunners St. Mary’s and Yale, separated by only 7 points, to keep a close eye on each other from the beginning. So far this regatta, each set with rotations has taken approximately an hour. This means the regatta should be over shortly after 1500 hours, unless something unexpected knocks this train off the track.

Today, we will be updating the blog early and often, to bring the latest news in this exciting battle to determine the 2009 National Coed Dinghy Champion.
Breeze for race one is averaging 10 knots and is expected to climb. Tidal currents are expected to slack at 1137, and then ebb for

Picture perfect start: no boats were over, and everyone was on the line. Six boats went left, six boats went solidly left, six boats went solidly right. No team seems to be slacking off despite a grueling three days of racing.

First beat was seven minutes long.

St.Mary's Retains Lead at 2009 ICSA/Gill National Championship

2009-06-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy GTSphotos.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jan Harley, Media Pro Int'l, 401-849-0220 for ICSA

San Francisco, Calif. (June 2, 2009) – While there was only a slight improvement in the air temperature at the 2009 ICSA/Gill National Championship, the competition certainly heated up on day two of racing for this championship title. After eight races were sailed by both A- and B-Division on day one, St. Mary’s College (St. Mary’s, Md.) had ascended to the top of the leader-board with a 27-point cushion over second-placed Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.). Over the course of the six races sailed by each division today, the overall lead made a dizzying swing back and forth between St. Mary’s and Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) before settling back on St. Mary’s.

As both the breeze and current picked up, Yale dominated A-Division under the focus of junior skipper Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI), as he alternated crew between sophomore Blair Belling (Newport Beach, Calif.) and junior Marla Menninger (Newport Beach, Calif.), to take the top spot in that fleet with a total of 54 points after 14 races. St. Mary’s junior skipper Jesse Kirkland (Warwick, Bermuda), posted his first double-digit finish of the series in the second race of the day, and while rotating crew between sophomores Madeline Jackson (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and Megan Magill (San Diego, Calif.) and junior Mike Kuschner (San Francisco, Calif.) kept the pressure on Yale to place St. Mary’s second in A-Division with 69 points.

In B-Division, St. Mary’s sophomore skipper Michael Menninger (Newport Beach, Calif.) and junior crew Kelly Wilbur (Ipswich, Mass.) chipped in two bullets today to stand at the top of that fleet on 61 points. Yale’s B-Division freshman skipper Joseph Morris (Annapolis, Md.) sailed with senior Grace Becton (Deer Isle, Maine) and junior Michael Hession (Milton, Mass.) and stands third in B-Division with 83 points.

“This morning was the first time we were able to use our light air crew,” said Yale coach Bill Healy. “And then it cleared up and got breezy so the heavy crew went in. The sailing was fantastic and both divisions performed really well. The current was really difficult and staying in phase with the adverse current at the end of the day was key.”

In the overall standings, St. Mary’s has 130 points to Yale’s 137. The potential spoiler is Georgetown who are currently third overall with 184 points.

“Yale went on a nice run today, and we were able to finish up strong,” said St. Mary’s coach Adam Werblow. “It was close, tough racing. For two days in a row all seven sailors we brought out here have worked really hard to do the best they can. Our strategy for tomorrow is to sail eight great races (four in each division) and hope to land on top.”

Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.) moved up to fourth in the overall standings, on 204 points, while Roger Williams University (Bristol, R.I.) holds onto fifth with 245. Complete results are available at http://www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring09/coedresults.asp

The Format: In the ICSA/Gill National Championship each school fields a separate A and B division team with, weather permitting, each division sailing 20- to 30-minute fleet races in rotation. A team's final score is determined by the combined results of its sailors in A and B divisions. Stanford University is co-hosting the women’s and coed championships with St. Francis Yacht Club, with racing taking place from the club.

Catch the Replay: Noted sailing commentator Gary Jobson (Annapolis, Md.) will produce a program on the ICSA/Gill National Championship for ESPNU set to air Saturday, June 20 at 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday, July 1 at 3:00 a.m.

About the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association: ICSA is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. To learn more please visit: http://www.collegesailing.org/. ICSA is sponsored by Gill, Annapolis Performance Sailing, Marlow Ropes, Quantum Sails, LaserPerformance and US SAILING: http://www.gillna.com/, http://www.apsltd.com/, http://www.bainbridgeint.com/, http://www.quantumsails.com/, www.laserperformance.com/main/ and http://www.ussailing.org/

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Race 14B - Top 5

2009-06-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) Boston University

3) Harvard

4) Roger Williams

5) Tufts

Race 13B - Top 5

2009-06-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

1) Tufts

2) Georgetown

3) St. Mary's

4) Stanford

5) Harvard

Race 14A - Top 5

2009-06-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

1) Pennsylvania

2) Harvard

3) St. Mary's

4) Georgetown

5 Yale

Race 13A - Top 5

2009-06-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

1) Old Dominion

2) Yale

3) Tufts

4) Boston University

5) Stanford

Race 12B - Top 5

2009-06-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

1) Roger Williams

2) Old Dominion

3) St. Mary's

4) Yale

5) Charleston

Race 11B - Top 5

2009-06-02T14:12:00.001-07:00

1) Old Dominion

2) Yale

3) Georgetown

4) Eckerd

5) St. Mary's

Race 11B - Top 5

2009-06-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

1) Old Dominion

2) Yale

3) Georgetown

4) Eckerd

5) St. Mary's

Halftime on Day 2

2009-06-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Four races finished in A Division, Two races finished in B Division, and now they are on their way out for Race 11B and 12B. Everyone welcomes the warmer weather compliments of the shining sun, and the clear skies finally reveals the entire Golden Gate Bridge as well as views around the bay of Sausalito, Berkeley, Treasure Island, and more.

So far, only one boat has gone upside down today, taking the unfortunate turn of events on the downwind leg approaching the finish. No breakdowns reported so far

Race 12A - Top 5

2009-06-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

1) Yale

2) Old Dominion

3) St. Marys

4) Washington College

5) Georgetown

Race 11A - Top 5

2009-06-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

1) Boston University

2) Yale

3) Charleston

4) Old Dominion

5) St. Mary's

Battle is On: Yale Steps Up to the Plate

2009-06-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

St. Mary's holds on to the overall lead, but with a tough A Division race ten and a following double-digit finish in B Division's first race of the day, they have opened the door of vulnerability to attack from behind. Race 10A saw St. Mary's do penalty turns and re-round the starting mark, causing them to fall behind too much to be able to catch back up to the fleet.

Yale is only eight points back in second place. With scores of 5,1,1,2 for the day, the Yale Elis are winning the day so far while proving that this regatta is far from finished.

The sun is out, breeze is on, approaching 20 knots, and the ebb is approaching its afternoon max at just over two knots, only about half as much current as what was seen during the Women's Nationals a week ago, where a full moon drove much faster current. With blue skies and a few white clouds scattered around, the weatherman's forecast for chances of rain seem misguided at best.

Race 10B - Top 5

2009-06-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) Yale

3) New York Maritime

4) Georgetown

5) Harvard

Race 9B - Top 5

2009-06-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

1) Yale

2) Boston University

3) Tufts

4) Roger Williams

5) Harvard

Race 10A - Top 5

2009-06-02T11:20:00.001-07:00

1) Yale

2) Roger Williams

3) Hobart & William Smith

4) Boston University

5) Tufts

Race 9A - Top 5

2009-06-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

1) Hobart

2) Eckerd

3) Old Dominion

4) St. Mary's

5) Yale

Day 2: Racing Under Way

2009-06-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

It's a cool morning in San Francisco with air temperature at 53 degrees and bay water temperature at 56 degrees. Winds are averaging a light 11.7 knots from the WSW, which brings competitors in the A Division some of the lightest conditions they have seen so far this regatta. Slack tide at the San Francisco City Front was 1030 hours, and the ebb is slowly starting to build, which will favor the right side of the race course upwind as the ebb strengthens.

For the first race, the fleet opened to both sides of the racecourse upwind in conditions rarely seen so far in this regatta where the windshifts were more important than the current. Long downwind legs with a tight fleet brought big opportunities for gains for boats that could remain in the pressure.

While determining a game plan has been fairly easy given the often one-sided windward beats, executing among a fleet of 18 very talented sailors often makes one deviate extraordinarily from the game plan in order to finish at the front half of the fleet. It is only the first few boats with a great start that are able to execute their game plan most closely throughout the race, and these boats often extend to some big leads despite a tight trailing pack.

After one race, the St. Mary's Seahawks remain on top, and continue to build on a solid lead.

St. Mary’s Leads the Race For College Sailing’s Ultimate Title

2009-06-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy GTSphotos.com

San Francisco, Calif. (June 1, 2009) – Not only is getting to the ICSA/Gill National Championship an achievement in itself – most recently the 18 competing schools had to make it through the semi-final round held in May in Boston – the race for the most coveted title in college sailing is the highlight of these sailor’s school year, and, in many cases, their college sailing career. So the fleet jumping the gun and effecting a general recall at the start of racing today could be chalked up to nerves, aggression, or just the excitement of getting the show underway. Under cloudy skies, racers who over-adjusted their strategy for the lighter than expected and shifty conditions earned attention from the judges who doled out penalties for kinetics while three protests resulted in three DSQs (disqualifications) on day one of this three-day championship event.

Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) and St. Mary’s College (St. Mary’s City, Md.) set the bar high in the opening races as Yale junior skipper Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI) with sophomore crew Blair Belling (Newport Beach, Calif.) won the first two races in A-Division as St. Mary’s sophomore skipper Michael Menninger (Newport Beach, Calif.) with junior crew Kelly Wilbur (Ipswich, Mass.) racked up a matching score in B-Division. Menninger and Wilbur then added their third bullet in as many races. With sophomores Madeline Jackson (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and Megan Magill (San Diego, Calif.) and junior Mike Kuschner (San Francisco, Calif.) rotating as crew, St. Mary’s junior skipper Jesse Kirkland (Warwick, Bermuda) consistently finished in the top-five during the course of the day to keep the Seahawks at the head of the pack. Adding in senior crew Jennifer Chamberlain’s (Alexandria, Va.) contributions in B-Division, St. Mary’s closed day one of the competition with 61 points overall and a 27-point lead over second-placed Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.), the current leader in B-Division. Yale sits third overall with 96 points, followed by the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, Md.) with 125, and Roger Williams University (Bristol, R.I.) with 130. Complete results are available at http://www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring09/coedresults.asp

The Format: In the ICSA/Gill National Championship each school fields a separate A and B division team with, weather permitting, each division sailing 20- to 30-minute fleet races in rotation. A team's final score is determined by the combined results of its sailors in A and B divisions. Stanford University is co-hosting the women’s and coed championships with St. Francis Yacht Club, with racing taking place from the club.

Catch the Replay: Noted sailing commentator Gary Jobson (Annapolis, Md.) will produce a program on the ICSA/Gill National Championship for ESPNU which is set to air Saturday, June 20 at 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday, July 1, at 3:00 a.m.

About the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association: ICSA is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. To learn more please visit: www.collegesailing.org. ICSA is sponsored by Gill, Annapolis Performance Sailing, Marlow Ropes, Quantum Sails, LaserPerformance and US SAILING: www.gillna.com, www.apsltd.com, www.bainbridgeint.com, www.quantumsails.com, www.laserperformance.com/main/ and www.ussailing.org

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June 1-3, 2009 - ICSA/Gill National Championship List of Schools Competing:
Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
Boston University (Boston, Mass.)
College of Charleston (Charleston, S.C.)
Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.)
Hobart & William Smith Colleges (Geneva, N.Y.)
Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.)
Roger Williams University (Bristol, R.I.)
St. Mary's College (St. Mary’s City, Md.)
Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.)
SUNY Maritime College (Throggs Neck, N.Y.)
Tufts University (Medford, Mass.)
U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, Md.)
University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Penn.)
University of South Florida (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Washington College (Chestertown, Md.)
Yale University (New Haven, Conn.)

Race 8B - Top 5

2009-06-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) Navy

3) Eckerd

4) Roger Williams

5) Georgetown

Race 7B - Top 5

2009-06-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

1) Georgetown

2) Navy

3) Harvard

4) Yale

5) New York Maritime

Day One: St. Mary's with a Big Lead

2009-06-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

St. Mary's ends the day 27 points ahead of second place Georgetown followed by Yale in third. With most first place finishes highly concentrated in the top few teams, it is no surprise that aggressive starters and fast sailors are winning the day. St. Mary's has only one finish, an 11th, outside the top ten in all sixteen races today. In fact, their average finish of just under 4 points each race (3.8125) is a higher average than for the winners of recent national championships. St. Mary's team effort is proving that individual sailors may win individual races, but it's only the team that can win championships.

In A Division, St. Mary's contingent of skipper Jesse Kirkland, crew Madeline Jackson, and crew Megan Magill are currently in first, anchoring St. Mary's overall position at the front of the fleet.

In B Division, Georgetown skipper Evan Eras and crew Caila Johnson sailed an extremely consistent day, with three bullets and a worst score of a sixth.

The early evening breeze calmed slightly, averaging 12 knots, with a recent range of 11-15 knots. The sun disappeared behind the marine layer, probably for the evening, and the temperature dropped steadily, creating a tiring ending to a long day. Competitors remained sharp even into the end, but they will certainly be exhausted tonight. Throughout the entire day, there was only one capsize, which is a sign of the high level of talent for this fleet as they navigated the days windy conditions and tricky tides.

The regatta schedule is to complete a single round robin of all 18 boats, which means ten races still remain to be sailed over the next two days. The race committee plans to sail six races in each division tomorrow (Tuesday), and finish off the regatta with a lighter schedule of four races in each division on Wednesday.

Tomorrow racing gets underway at 1000 hours PCT. The forecast predicts lighter winds than today, but hopefully there will be no delays for some more great racing. Come back to the 2009 ICSA Spring National Championships blog for updates throughout racing tomorrow and Wednesday.

Race 8A - Top 5

2009-06-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

1) Harvard

2) Yale

3) Boston College

4) St. Mary's

5) Pennsylvania

Race 7A - Top 5

2009-06-01T17:35:00.001-07:00

1) Navy

2) Georgetown

3) Yale

4) New York Maritime

5) St. Mary's

Race 6B - Top 5

2009-06-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

1) Georgetown

2) St. Mary's

3) Boston University

4) Boston College

5) Roger Williams

Flood Tide Running Strong

2009-06-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

After six races completed in both divisions, A Division head back out for their last time today. With breeze shifting slightly to the left as per its usual routine in the early evening, sailors are anticipating slightly shiftier conditions as the breeze is coming more off the shore that limits the port side of the upwind legs.

The flood is making it difficult for sailors to read the line, and although parked boats will quickly find themselves well below the line, this aggressive fleet is pushing the limits, often with a couple boats over the line in each start. As the port side pays off with considerable current relief, the start is even more critical than normal: whoever is able to find a clean air lane off the line benefits greatly from leading the fleet out to the left. Boats left behind are forced to commit to more tacks and more time battling the power of the flood as they vie for whatever they can make of the windshifts.

Despite delays between races 5B and 6B due to a mast step issue, the race committee is running ahead of their initial schedule with a couple of shorter than expected races and smooth beachside rotations. With sets taking an hour each, it looks like the boats will be hitting shore around 7:00 p.m.

Race 5B - Top 5

2009-06-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

1) Tufts

2) Georgetown

3) Roger Williams

4) Boston University

5) Charleston

Race 6A - Top 5

2009-06-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

1) New York Maritime

2) Stanford

3) St. Mary's

4) Eckerd

5) Navy

Race 5A - Top 5

2009-06-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

1) Old Dominion

2) New York Maritime

3) St. Mary's

4) Charleston

5) South Florida

Race 4B - Top 5

2009-06-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

1) Georgetown

2) Old Dominion

3) Boston College

4) Hobart & William Smith

5) Navy

Halftime on Day 1

2009-06-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

No break for racing as we roll right into the second half of today finishing each set of two races in an hour. After eight races in total, St. Mary's College of Maryland is in control with an early lead, sailing consistently in both divisions with all single-digit finishes, only one race outside the top 4, and wins in half of the races already sailed.

Women's Nationals Champion Yale is currently running in second place overall, with Georgetown in third. Team Race Champions Boston College is in ninth with flip-flopping results.

Three protests have been filed so far resulting in three DSQs. Judges have imposed four penalties for kinetics over the eight races, which will hopefully signal the fleet to avoid further penalties in the afternoon.

Breeze is currently out of the west averaging 17 knots, ranging 14 to 20 knots. The flood tide is starting to kick in, which means the strategy on the course will begin to look more like the Women's Nationals just last week.

Race 3B - Top 5

2009-06-01T14:22:00.001-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) South Florida

3) Boston University

4) Roger Williams

5) Yale

Race 4A - Top 5

2009-06-01T13:39:00.003-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) Tufts

3) Yale

4) Washington College

5) South Florida

Results to be posted soon, finishes were close so the video is currently under review, stay tuned!

Race 3A - Top 5

2009-06-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

1) Boston University

2) Pennsylvania

3) Tufts

4) St. Mary's

5) South Florida

First Full Set Wrap-Up

2009-06-01T12:33:00.001-07:00

After two races in A Division and two races in B Division, familiar names already populate the top spots. The A Division "clinic" was put on by the Yale Elis' Skipper Thomas Barrows with crew Blair Belling, whose impressive starts turned into two first place bullets, with the second race being a comfortable lead of about ten boatlengths. The B Division "clinic" was put on by the St. Mary's Seahawks' Michael Menninger with crew Kelly Wilbur, who also succeeded in a perfect first set of 1,1. St. Mary's is now in first overall with Yale and Roger Williams closely behind in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Host Stanford is off to a slow start, currently in 17th overall as they look for some crew changes to light a spark in their effort.

Today may be the longest day on the water, as the Race Committee has pledged to attempt a record sixteen races, more than on any day during the Women's Nationals last week. Endurance and consistent sailing throughout the day will be a premium for teams hoping to contend for the championship on Wednesday.

The weather is still overcast, with the sun only revealing itself briefly throughout the morning. It's another chilly day of racing on San Francisco Bay in June.

Race 2B - Top 5

2009-06-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) New York Maritime

3) Georgetown

4) Roger Williams

5) Eckerd

Race 1B - Top 5

2009-06-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) Georgetown

3) Roger Williams

4) Tufts

5) Hobart & William Smith

Race 2A - Top 5

2009-06-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

1) Yale

2) Roger Williams

3) St. Mary's

4) Old Dominion

5) Eckerd

Race 1A - Top 5

2009-06-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

1) Yale

2) Old Dominion

3) St. Mary's

4) Boston College

5) Harvard

See Eddie's post below for details about the race. Race 2A is currently underway, stay tuned.

Sailors Start Their Engines

2009-06-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

Race 1A is off with winds averaging 12 knots and flat seas despite a building ebb tide that pushes sailors upwind towards the windward mark. An aggressive fleet caused one general recall, and then the fleet started well under the I-Flag (one-minute starting rule) with only one OCS who immediately restarted. After the start, the fleet immediately flopped to port to get into stronger ebb found in the deeper water towards the shipping channel on the right side of the course.

With 2 knots of ebb being the deciding factor in strategy this morning, it is becoming clear that slow downwind legs allow for lots of opportunities to make gains. Sailors have to contend with shifty conditions in lighter than expected conditions for typical San Francisco Bay June weather in addition to navigating the ebb tide.

H&WS receives the first kinetics penalty from the judges on the downwind.

In the second year of its utilization, the separate semi-final and final format is proving that it serves college sailing well by bringing the best college teams from around the country to compete for the national championship. Sailors and coaches alike find that competition is certainly deeper than with old format, with every team having earned their spot through at least two qualifying regattas. Racing is expected to continue to 7:30 p.m. here on the west coast, so check in here for the latest commentary on the results that are posted as each race finishes.

Yale University Wins 2009 ICSA Women's National Championship

2009-05-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

Photo of Yale's Jane Macky and Marla Menninger courtesy GTSphotos.com

San Francisco, Calif. (May 27, 2009) – Yale University has won the 2009 Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Women’s Championship for the second time in school history, repeating a feat the Elis first accomplished in 2004. Coming into the final day of the championship Yale led the overall standings by just six points over Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.). However, by the second race of the morning, it was apparent that senior skipper Jane Macky (Auckland, New Zealand) and junior crew Marla Menninger (Newport Beach, Calif.) were doing their utmost to keep the title within their grasp. Putting together a 4-1-1-7-2-2-1-1 scoreline today, they moved from third to first in A-Division, while their teammates, senior Kate Hagemann (Marion, Mass./Naples, Fla.) and junior Sarah Lihan (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), with sophomore Liz Brim (New York, N.Y.) and juniors Grace Becton (Deer Isle, Maine) and Rebecca Jackson (Newton, Mass.), struggled in B-Division and dropped from second to seventh.

“It was down to the last race,” said Head Coach Zach Leonard. “Conditions were very windy and challenging and we didn’t have a heavy air crew for A-Division so Jane and Marla sailed every race. They worked so hard. To come through right at the end when they were exhausted and to see them handle the pressure and win is just great.”

In the end, Yale’s combined score of 148 points was nine points better than College of Charleston (Charleston, S.C.) who had moved from fifth to second overall as a three-way battle that included ODU went back and forth over the course of the racing. ODU was second for much of the day, but double-digit finishes in the final two races in A-Division paved the way for both Charleston and Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) to sneak by. After hammering the competition in B-Division, BC finished third overall with 165 points -- just one point ahead of ODU with 166. Brown University rounds out the top-five with 197 points. Complete scores are available at: http://www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring09/womensresults.asp

Conditions on the race course were chilly, to say the least. Air temps of 53 degrees and water temps of 55 degrees and the threat of stronger breeze for the day led many of the teams to go with their heavy air crew as a lighter downwind flood meant more wind across the sails from the start of racing.

Stanford University and St. Francis Yacht Club are co-hosts of the championship, with sponsor support from Luminaria Medispa. Each school fields a separate A and B division team and, weather permitting, each division sails 20- to 30-minute fleet races in rotation. A team's final score is determined by the combined results of its sailors in A and B divisions.

About the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association: ICSA is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. To learn more please visit: http://www.collegesailing.org/. ICSA is sponsored by Gill, Annapolis Performance Sailing, Marlow Ropes, Quantum Sails, LaserPerformance and US SAILING: http://www.gillna.com/, http://www.apsltd.com/, http://www.bainbridgeint.com/, http://www.quantumsails.com/, www.laserperformance.com/main/ and http://www.ussailing.org/

-end-

CONTACT:
Jan Harley, Media Pro Int'l, 401-849-0220 for ICSA

Top 3 in Race 14A

2009-05-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

1) Yale

2) Brown

3) Boston College

Top 3 in Race 13A

2009-05-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

1) Yale

2) St. Mary's

3) Brown

YALE WINS!

2009-05-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

Race 14 A Recap - With Yale starting at the pin to leeward of the fleet, and ODU and Charleston near the boat, all three teams were off with a good start and racing fast towards the windward mark. The left showed promise, and Yale rounded in second place, controlling the race between the three teams, with Charleston and then ODU just a few boats behind in mid-fleet. At the leeward mark, ODU forced a close rounding among a pack of boats, resulting in required penalty turns, which pushed them back to 18th.

At the finish, it was Yale that came through with the win for the race and the win for the 2009 Women's National Championships. Charleston ended the regatta second overall, sneaking past ODU, who ended up third overall. Congratulations to these three teams for some outstanding sailing.

Top 3 in Race 14B

2009-05-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

1) Boston College

2) Old Dominion

3) St. Mary's

Top 3 in Race 13B

2009-05-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

1) Charleston

2) Old Dominion

3) St. Mary's

13 A - Yale, BC, Charleston Final Round Contenders

2009-05-27T16:09:00.001-07:00

Often, you'll hear a college coach tell their team, "Our goal should be to be in contention for the championship by the last set of the regatta." Well, the coach's of the women's teams of Yale, ODU, and Charleston must be extremely happy: they are all three in contention for this year's national champion going into the very final race. If you have thought sailboat racing wasn't exciting before today, then now is your chance to change your mind. Nothing is sweeter than a breezy finish to a windy regatta where the overall winner remains undecided.

After 13 A Yale is again on top, with ODU two points behind, and Charleston six points back from the leader. Further down the leader board, fifth place through eighth place are separated by a mere ten points. St. Mary's tries to hold on to its top-5 overall position, as Brown, Dartmouth, and Georgetown all sit within striking distance. With fleet separation at the finish just over three minutes, racing is extremely tight, and one small mistake - resulting in a capsize - can send any boat and her crew from the front to the back in seconds.

14 B

2009-05-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

A few more capsizes, but the vast majority of boats are able to make it around the challenging course upright and with roaring speed. The final race of the regatta for B Division brought on some of the most challenging conditions for the entire regatta. ODU finished second, Yale finished ninth, which means ODU adds puts a few more points on Yale heading into the final two races of the regatta.

Preliminary final results for B Division are in! Congratulations to Boston College for winning B Division by an astonishing 25 points. In fourteen races, the Boston College B Division boat showed impressive consistency, finishing outside of the top-5 only three times, with the worst race and sole double-digit finish being a twelfth. With 56 points, BC averaged a fourth place. Rounding out the top-5 for B Division overall is Georgetown in second, ODU in third, Brown in fourth, and St. Mary's in fifth.

13 B - ODU takes the lead

2009-05-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Gusts to twenty-seven knots saw the FJ boats being pushed to their limits as race 13 B saw at least five capsized boats during the race. Most notably, Yale, who was charging forward in fifth place, did a downwind "death roll." They swiftly recovered, pushing forward in 15th place, and ended the race in 13th. ODU finished second, which means they now take the lead by eight points.

Breeze has steadied out to 20-25 knots, with fewer puffs above 25. After debating moving the course into the calmer venue between the breakwater and Fort Mason, racing shall continue on the City Front. The spectators would not want to have it any other way. Next post immediately after race 14 B.

Top 3 in Race 12A

2009-05-27T14:51:00.001-07:00

1) Old Dominion

2) Yale

3) Georgetown

Afternoon Breeze On

2009-05-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Beginning just before noon, the breeze began a steady climb that continues straight from the west at 18-23 knots. As the flood begins to slacken, the seastate has built into narrow, choppy waves that will only be made steeper by the early ebb which develops inshore. As the breeze continues to climb, the conditions will only become more and more challenging right into the conclusion of the regatta.

After twelve races, Yale and ODU battle for first, as Yale holds on to yesterday's lead by three points. 19 points back from the lead, Charleston climbs into third with a strong performance in A Division. Hold on to your hats, folks, it's going to be an exciting finish in this breezy afternoon finale to the 2009 Women's National Championship.

Top 3 in Race 11A

2009-05-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

1) Dartmouth

2) Yale

3) Charleston

Top 3 in Race 12B

2009-05-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

1) Georgetown

2) Boston College

3) Brown

Top 3 in Race 11B

2009-05-27T13:32:00.001-07:00

1) Brown

2) Charleston

3) Old Dominion

Top 3 in Race 10A

2009-05-27T12:59:00.001-07:00

1) Charleston

2) Hobart & William Smith

3) Dartmouth

Top 3 in Race 9A

2009-05-27T12:30:00.001-07:00

1) Yale

2) Boston College

3) St. Mary's

Top 3 in Race 10B

2009-05-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

1) Boston College

2) Georgetown

3) Old Dominion

Four Races Finished

2009-05-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

Some of the puffiest conditions of the week brings breezes ranging from 7 - 18 knots. As the flood continues to strengthen, breeze across the racecourse lightens and the venue shows flatter conditions.

For the first two races of the day in A Division, a lighter flood meant that wind shifts ruled the morning. This was made visible by the greater lateral separation of the fleet on the upwind beats, and the greater courage of more boats to venture onto the right side of the race course. In general, the left side is favored more often than not as it allows boats to escape the stronger current of the deeper waters out towards the shipping channels.

B Division saw more of the same, as the flood pounds away and the marine layer hiding the Golden Gate bridge fails to budge. At least the sun has started to show itself on St. Francis Yacht Club and the rest of the venue. After eight A Division races and ten B Division races, the battle is still fierce. Georgetown and and URI each moved up two spots, to fifth and 13th respectively. Yale continues to stand tall at the front of the fleet, but ODU and BC bring on the heat, with both teams within 10 points of striking distance.

The Race Committee hopes to match yesterday's achievements by completing 14 races (8 A, 6 B) before the cutoff time of 5:00 p.m. Check back for more updates as it they happen. For other realtime information, head to www.sailgroove.com where Pat (onshore) and Chris (on the water) are broadcasting live for all the races today.

Top 3 in Race 9B

2009-05-27T11:42:00.002-07:00

1) Connecticut College

2) Yale

3) Old Dominion

Top 3 in Race 8A

2009-05-27T11:42:00.001-07:00

1) Yale

2) Charleston

3) Stanford

Top 3 in Race 7A

2009-05-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

1) Brown

2) Yale

3) Boston College

Final Day: Racing Under Way

2009-05-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

Racing begins on time and with a clean start with winds from the west at 10-15 knots. A-Division starts the day with two races before rotating with B-Division. In a change of the pace for the last two days, many teams went with their heavy air crews from the start, as a lighter downwind flood meant more wind across the sails from the outset.

A much thicker marine layer threatens stronger breezes as the day progresses. Air temperature is 53 degrees, water temperature is 55 degrees, and combined with big winds, it is certainly another chilly day of racing in San Francisco Bay. Stay updated throughout the day with the Women's Nationals right here at 2009icsa.blogspost.com.

Perfect Day Two at 2009 ICSA Women's Nationals

2009-05-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy GTSphotos.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jan Harley, Media Pro Int'l, 401-849-0220 for ICSA

Yale Current Series Leader

San Francisco, Calif. (May 26, 2009) – The conditions were “perfect” on day two of racing at the 2009 Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Women’s Championship as the ladies racing for the title were kept on the City Front course just outside the breakwater at the St. Francis Yacht Club. “We couldn’t have had better sailing,” said ICSA President Mitch Brindley who noted that a large crowd of spectators were on hand to see all the action. The breeze, which peaked in the mid 20s, allowed six races to be completed in A-Division, and eight in B-Division. The most challenging set of the day was the last one – races seven and eight in B Division – which was sailed in ebb current.

Under the new format for this championship, the nine teams that had a bye during yesterday’s semi-final round by virtue of their conference performance – College of Charleston (Charleston, S.C.), Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.), St. Mary’s College (St. Mary’s City, Md.), Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.), Texas A&M Galveston (Galveston, Texas), University of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisc.), Western Washington University (Bellingham, Wash.), William Smith College (Geneva, N.Y.) and Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) – today had their first shot at the nine teams who qualified from the semis. Of the top-nine from the semis – Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.), Dartmouth College (Hanover, N.H.), Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.), Boston University (Boston, Mass.), Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.), University of Rhode Island (Kingston, R.I.), Connecticut College (New London, Conn.), Brown University (Providence, R.I.) and Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, Fla.) – BU, Brown, Dartmouth and Georgetown benefitted the most from the new format as none of those four would be competing under the old system.

It must be déjà vu for the ladies from Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) – not only are the same pair sailing together in each division, as they did in 2008 they hold the lead heading into the final day of racing for the title, although with just a slim six-point lead over second-placed Old Dominion at 79 points. Senior Jane Macky (Auckland, New Zealand), with junior Marla Menninger (Newport Beach, Calif.), is third overall in A-Division, while the B-Division duo of senior Kate Hagemann (Marion, Mass./Naples, Fla.) and sophomore Liz Brim (New York, N.Y.) are second in B-Division. They will have to work hard to stave off ODU’s junior skipper Katrina Williams (Pembroke, Bermuda) sailing with senior Alissa Ayres (Trenton, N.J.) and junior Ashley Brusso (Portsmouth, Va.), who are the current leaders in A-Division. ODU’s sophomore skipper Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wisc.), with freshman Arianna Baker (East Moriches, N.Y.), are eighth in B-Division. Boston College, the defending champions, leads the B-Division and stands third overall with 88 points. For complete scores: www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring09/womensresults.asp

Racing, which resumes with race seven in A-Division, will determine the champion at the conclusion of the event tomorrow. Stanford is co-hosting the championship with St. Francis Yacht Club, with sponsor support from Luminaria Medispa. Each school fields a separate A and B division team and, weather permitting, each division sails 20- to 30-minute fleet races in rotation. A team's final score is determined by the combined results of its sailors in A and B divisions.

About the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association: ICSA is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. To learn more please visit: http://www.collegesailing.org/. ICSA is sponsored by Gill, Annapolis Performance Sailing, Marlow Ropes, Quantum Sails, LaserPerformance and US SAILING: http://www.gillna.com/, http://www.apsltd.com/, http://www.bainbridgeint.com/, http://www.quantumsails.com/, www.laserperformance.com/main/ and http://www.ussailing.org/

-end-

Racing done for the day

2009-05-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

Great day of racing, sunny skies and good breeze. We had 8-12 knots for the morning racing, picking up to 15-18 this afternoon with gusts up to 22 knots. 8 races were completed in B Division and 6 were completed in A Division today. The regatta banquet is tonight at the St. Francis Yacht Club. Racing will resume tomorrow, with A Division's 7th race.

Top 3 in Race 8B

2009-05-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) Dartmouth

3) Brown

Top 3 in Race 7B

2009-05-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) Dartmouth

3) Brown

Top 3 in Race 6A

2009-05-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

1) Yale

2) Charleston

3) Hobart & William Smith

Top 3 in Race 5A

2009-05-26T16:00:00.001-07:00

1) St. Mary's

2) Old Dominion

3) Stanford

Top 3 in Race 6B

2009-05-26T15:36:00.001-07:00

1) Georgetown

2) Boston College

3) Old Dominion

Top 3 in Race 5B

2009-05-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

1) Boston College

2) Georgetown

3) Old Dominion

Top 3 in Race 4A

2009-05-26T14:25:00.001-07:00

1) Georgetown

2) Old Dominion

3) Dartmouth

Top 3 in Race 3A

2009-05-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

1) Old Dominion

2) Dartmouth

3) Yale

Top 3 in Race 4B

2009-05-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

1) Stanford

2) Yale

3) Old Dominion

Top 3 in Race 3B

2009-05-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

1) University of Rhone Island

2) Georgetown

3) St. Mary's

Top 3 in Race 2A

2009-05-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

1) Yale

2) Old Dominion

3) Western Washington

Top 3 in Race 1A

2009-05-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

1) Charleston

2) Old Dominion

3) Dartmouth

Top 3 in Race 2B

2009-05-26T11:30:00.001-07:00

1) Charleston
2) Dartmouth

3) Yale

Top 3 in Race 1B

2009-05-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

1) Charleston

2) Boston University

3) Boston College

Tuesday's Racing Underway!

2009-05-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

The breeze is filling in, it's 10-15 knots and first race for B Division has started. The start was clean and the racing has been close. Charleston is currently leading with Georgetown and Boston University following. Stay tuned for results when the race finishes up.

College Nationals Day One - Press Release

2009-05-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jan Harley, Media Pro Int'l, 401-849-0220 for ICSA

Windy Day One At the
2009 ICSA WOMEN’ NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

San Francisco, Calif. (May 25, 2009) – As if by design, the infamous San Francisco fog retreated to reveal blue skies this morning just as the competitors at the 2009 Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Women’s Championship got down to the business of racing for the title. The breeze was cranking between 18-26 knots over the course of the day, reaching its peak during the fourth race in A-Division where a glance at the scoreline with three DNFs (Did Not Finish) and one DNS (Did Not Sail) are indicative of the numerous capsizes on the course when things really got challenging. The Lady Rams from the University of Rhode Island (Kingston, R.I.) had led for the early part of the day until their DNS in race four opened the door for Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) who put together back-to-back wins in races five and six, in both A and B Divisions.

At press time, with two races left to sail by A Division to complete a series of seven for each division, BC was leading the semi-finals with 61 points, followed by Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.) with 63, Dartmouth College (Hanover, N.H.) with 68, Connecticut College (New London, Conn.) with 75, and Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) with 77. URI was in sixth place with 78 points. Only the top nine finishers at the end of day one will move on to race against the nine teams that had a bye for this round: College of Charleston (Charleston, S.C.), Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.), St. Mary’s College (St. Mary’s City, Md.), Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.), Texas A&M Galveston (Galveston, Texas), University of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisc.), Western Washington University (Bellingham, Wash.), William Smith College (Geneva, N.Y.) and Yale University (New Haven, Conn.). Complete results are online at: http://www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring09/womenssemisresults.asp

Stanford is co-hosting the championship with St. Francis Yacht Club, with sponsor support from Luminaria Medispa, and the sailors are racing from the club which has access for spectators along its seawall. Racing in the final round of the ICSA Women's National Championship will take place May 25-27 to determine the winner.

About the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association: ICSA is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada. To learn more please visit: www.collegesailing.org. ICSA is sponsored by Gill, Annapolis Performance Sailing, Marlow Ropes, Quantum Sails, LaserPerformance and US SAILING: www.gillna.com, www.apsltd.com, www.bainbridgeint.com, www.quantumsails.com, www.laserperformance.com/main/ and www.ussailing.org

-end-

May 25-27, 2009 - ICSA Women’s National Championship Competitors:
Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
Boston University (Boston, Mass.)
Brown University (Providence, R.I.)
College of Charleston (Charleston, S.C.)
Connecticut College (New London, Conn.)
Dartmouth College (Hanover, N.H.)
Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.)
Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.)
St. Mary's College (St. Mary’s City, Md.)
Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Texas A & M Galveston (Galveston, Texas)
University of California – Irvine (Irvine, Calif.)
University of Hawaii (Honolulu, Hawaii)
University of Oklahoma (Norman, Ok.)
University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Penn.)
University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.)
University of South Florida (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
University of Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.)
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
University of Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.)
University of Rhode Island (Kingston, R.I.)
U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, Md.)
William Smith College (Geneva, N.Y.)
Western Washington University (Bellingham, Wash.)
Yale University (New Haven, Conn.)

2009-05-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

Top 3 in Race 7A:

1) Dartmouth College

2) University of Rhode Island

3) Brown University

Race 6A

2009-05-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

Top 3 in Race 6A:

1) Old Dominion University

2) Georgetown University

3) Boston University

Final Nine Determined for Finals

2009-05-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

With approaching grey skies and colder weather, race seven for B Division was started with eight minutes to spare before the cutoff time. It came down to the wire for the final ninth spot, but Eckered was able to hold on to their ninth place spot. Preliminary results are in: congratultions to ODU, Dartmouth, Georgetown, BU, BC, URI, Conn College, Brown, and Eckerd for qualifying to the Women's Finals. Two requests for redress were heard resulting in one redress granted. No protests were filed.

Tired competitors look forward to warm showers and saunas, and some yummy appetizers provided by our gracious host, St. Francis Yacht Club. Day one is in the books, and two more days of action set to follow, with a forecast of even bigger afternoon breezes. Stay updated with the latest news throughout both the Women's and Coed Dinghy Nationals right here at the 2009 ICSA Spring National Championships Blog.