Harvard Battles Well On Difficult Waters

The Harvard sailing team competed in two regattas last weekend. Despite trying water conditions, the Crimson made its presence known with strong performances against top-flight teams.

The women’s team sailed in the Women’s Navy Fall Intersectional at the Naval Academy, while the top male skippers headed to the New England Men’s Singlehanded Championships. Four Harvard sailors competed in the race in order to qualify for a spot at nationals.


WOMEN’S NAVY FALL INTERSECTIONAL


The women’s squad competed against a tough field Saturday at the Naval Academy. Bad weather on both Saturday and Sunday allowed only five races in each division.

“We faced really challenging conditions and choppy water,” freshman Emily Lambert said. “We never practice in conditions like those on the Charles, so it served as a good practice run for competing in bad weather.”

The Crimson still managed to prevail over the challenging conditions to take seventh overall in an 18-team field and place first in one of three divisions.

The A-division boat of Lambert and sophomore Meghan Wareham came out of the gate aggressively, placing first overall in their division.

Despite missing the start, Lambert and Wareham dominated their competition with a score of 19, the third-best score of the entire regatta.

“We actually missed the start because we were checking the wind, but we were able to catch up pretty fast to win the race,” Lambert said.

The B-division boat of freshman Annie DeAngelo and sophomore Grace Charles placed ninth with a total of 49 points.

Senior Meghan Watson represented Harvard in the C-division placing 11th with a total of 51 points.


NEW ENGLAND MEN’S SINGLEHANDED CHAMPIONSHIPS


The Crimson sent four skippers to New Haven, Conn. this weekend to compete in the Men’s Singlehanded Championships.

The race featured 33 of the best skippers in the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association, each competing to represent NEISA in the ICSA Singlehanded National Championship at Cornell University later in the month.

“Everyone is out there vying for the four qualifier spots so it gets really aggressive,” sophomore Teddy Himler said. “People train so hard just for this one regatta.”

Steady, yet rough weather conditions allowed for 11 races, keeping the events close and competitive.

“Overall the conditions were very rough,” Himler said. ”It was unexpected and really light and choppy on the water.” Himler led the Crimson, placing fifth with a total of 89 points.

“I’m kind of bummed that I placed just outside the qualifying slot for the second year in a row, but overall it was a good regatta,” Himler said.

Freshman skipper Jerry Tullo wasn’t far behind, placing 10th with a score of 138. Junior Drew Robb and sophomore Colin Santangelo placed 17th and 30th, respectively.

“Our team is pretty young this year,” Himler said. “It’s basically a senior, a junior, a couple sophomores and a bunch of freshman. But we are learning fast and practicing really hard. We improve with every race, even though our record may not reflect it.”