Sailing Team Upsets M.I.T., B.U., Wins New England Dinghy Crown

In a stunning upset, the Crimson sailing team won the nine-school New England Dinghy Championships last Sunday at the Coast Guard Academy and qualified for the national finals to be held June 15-17 at Brown.

The victory sends the sailing team to the nationals for the first time in several years, and came as a complete surprise. To win the championships, the varsity defeated heavily-favored teams from M.I.T. and B.U. in an exciting battle that was not decided until the last race of the two-day regatta.

After the first six races on Saturday, the Crimson stood in second place, nine points behind M.I.T. In Sunday's first contest, Hanson Robbins skippered his boat to a second-place finish in division A, while Bill Saltonstall came in first in the B division. M.I.T., meanwhile, could do no better than a third and a ninth and fell into a tie with the varsity.

Robbins and Saltonstall both took thirds in the eighth race, and M.I.T. stayed even with a win in the A division and a fifth in division B. As the teams lined up for the final race of the regatta, M.I.T., B.U., and the varsity all had a chance for the title.

Robbins skillfully guided his boat home in front, and Saltonstall took fourth. The M.I.T. squad cracked completely, with a seventh and a ninth, and B.U. was unable to threaten seriously.

The Crimson's final margin was 10 points over B.U., as the Engineers' poor finishes pushed them into third position and out of the nationals. B.U. will also compete at Brown, since the top two teams become eligible.