Gill Wins Event, Co-Ed Sailing Takes Second

The Harvard sailing teams were clearly not rusty this weekend, even after Hurricane Floyd kept them off the water last week. The Crimson posted another set of impressive results this weekend in two different regattas, setting the tone for another successful fall season.

The co-ed team finished second to MIT by only six points in a field of 18 in the two-day, 12-race Hoyt Trophy Regatta, which was held at the MIT course.

Meanwhile, the women's team raced in the New England Singlehanded Championships at the U.S. Coast Guard course. Freshman Clemmie Everett finished eighth overall in the two-day event, and sophomore ace Margaret Gill won the competition, qualifying for the singlehanded nationals in the process.

On Saturday at the Hoyt, the co-ed team entered four sailors, grouped into two divisions. In Division A, co-captain Christian Taubman skippered and co-captain Sarah Levin was at the crew position. In Division B, sophomore Sean Doyle skippered and walk-on freshman Michelle Yu was crew.

The sailors completed six of the twelve races on Saturday, in wind that was regrettably light and rather unpredictable.

"The conditions made racing frustrating, but they were worse yesterday, when the wind was even lighter," Levin said.

Indeed, the fickle wind hampered Division A's performance, and in the latter six races, MIT crept up in the standings. Its A team finished fifth in division, and its B team was third. Their combined scores were good for a second place overall finish.

With this result, the Crimson again is establishing a consistent level of top finishes. Last year, the co-ed team, led by two time All-American Pete Strothman, also consistently excelled in the fall regattas.

It seems that a promising freshman class has stepped in to fill the vacant shoes of Strothman and his departed classmates. Two recruited freshman, Clay Bischoff and Clemmie Everett, are the names to watch, and they are also joined by a host of walk-ons, such as Yu.

"We are a young team, but the sailors are experienced, and so we know that we can compete," Levin said.

In the women's team regatta, which finished yesterday as well, Gill and Everett represented Harvard in the single-handed qualifiers. Everett's eighth place finish is quite remarkable for a freshman in such a competitive field. Gill's first-place finish qualifies her and the other top-five finishers for the singlehanded nationals, which will be held at Newport, R.I., at the end of the fall. Gill won last year, so now she has ensured a chance to defend her national title.

While Gill looks forward to the singlehanded Nationals, the climax of the fall season for the co-ed team will be the Atlantic Coast Championships, to be held at the MIT course on November 13. The qualifier for this event will take place next weekend at the three-division Danmark Trophy Cup, also at the Coast Guard venue.

"Both the co-ed and women's teams are showing promise, and the next weeks of racing should be exciting," Levin said.

Clearly, the Harvard is primed to carry over the winning tradition from the regattas of last fall.