Sailing Takes 13th at Dartmouth, 3rd at Lark

It was a weekend of mixed results for Harvard sailing.

With a third-place finish at the Lark Invitational, the Harvard sailing team overcame tough weather conditions and unfamiliar equipment to produce a strong result this past weekend.

In addition to the Lark Invitational, the Crimson co-eds also competed in Dartmouth’s Captain Hurst Bowl, where the squad placed 13th out of a competitive field of 22 teams. The Harvard women’s team was scheduled to compete in the Yale Women’s Intersectional, but no races were completed due to strong winds.

CAPTAIN HURST BOWL

Breezy, puffy shifts between 30 and 45 degrees on Sunday added an additional challenge for the sailors at the Captain Hurst Bowl, named in honor of the late Dartmouth coach, at Mascoma Lake. Although there were strong breezes on Saturday, those winds diminished for Sunday’s races, allowing for the two-day regatta to continue.

“This regatta was particularly challenging because the conditions were [rougher] than the ones we usually practice in, which is something we do not have control over,” freshman Ansel Duff said.

Harvard finished in 13th place with a total of 347 points. Captain Alexandra Jumper and senior Emily Lambert competed for the A-division, and the duo had six top-10 finishes on the weekend, earning 160 points overall and placing tenth in their division.

The Crimson went with its younger members to compete for the B-division. Freshman Michael Drumm skippered, with Duff and sophomore Sarah Pierson splitting the time at crew. Duff would fill in for Pierson to level the boat during heavy breezes.

“The Captain Hurst Bowl was cold and windy but it was a lot of fun,” Duff said. “We sent good sailors that placed really well in a few races. Overall, it was a great learning experience for me.”

In both the Captain Hurst Bowl and the Moody Trophy the previous weekend, the younger members of the team received key opportunities to gain competition experience.

“There were really good sailors at the regatta from all over,” Duff said. “The way I learn is by competing against people that are better than me. You can learn subtle things by watching the other sailors in competition that you cannot learn in practice alone.”

Roger Williams University claimed first place overall at the regatta, followed by the Big Green and the Boston University.

LARK INVITATIONAL

At the Lark Invitational, hosted by nearby Tufts University, the Crimson competed against 13 other schools. The host Jumbos took first place in the regatta, while BU came in second place, narrowly defeating third-place Harvard by two points.

“We tend to sail better when it’s windy,” sophomore Alice Kenney said. “We were making sure to keep the boat up, because a lot of boats were tipping. The conditions were challenging, but we were happy about it.”

Kenney and fellow classmate Ames Lyman competed in the A-division, placing third and accumulating 18 points. The pair had three second-place finishes in their five races.

“We were able to keep our boat flat more easily than the other boats could,” Kenney said. “The conditions allowed us to sail faster. The main thing we were focused on was staying in phase and making sure our boat was working well with the wind.”

The B-division team consisted of sophomore Luke O’Connor and junior Nicholas Gordon, who competed as skipper and crew, respectively. The duo earned 20 points and emerged fourth in their division, and they ended the weekend with a first-place finish in their last race of the regatta.

The Crimson does not typically practice in Larks and only sails this type of dinghy at Tufts invitationals, but the squad overcame the additional challenge of sailing less familiar equipment to end its weekend with an overall third-place finish in the regatta.

YALE WOMEN’S INTERSECTIONAL

The Yale Women’s Intersectional was cancelled due to inclement weather.  On Saturday, a strong western front with gusts above 30 knots prevented the teams from taking the water. The following day, the high winds continued and caused large waves, once again forcing racing to be canceled.

Eighteen schools from across the country had planned to participate in the regatta.