This past weekend, the Georgetown Coed Sailing Team suffered a tough defeat at the America Trophy Competition at King’s Point. The Hoyas, previously the first-ranked sailing team in the nation, were suddenly and unexpectedly turned away from so much as a qualifying rank for an automatic bid in the Fleet Racing Nationals.
The Hoyas placed fifth with 90 points, 20 points away from third place, the spot needed to give them an automatic bid. The United States Merchant Marine Academy won the regatta with 66 points, and Old Dominion and St. Mary’s also qualified for nationals with 67 and 70 points respectively.
In the first seven races, conditions proved formidable for the Hoya sailors, with choppy waves and 30 mph winds giving Georgetown a rough time.
“It is more of a contest for who can survive the longest rather than a test of skill and endurance,” Coach Mike Callahan said regarding the conditions. The Hoyas were not accustomed to racing in such rough conditions, as the winds around the Potomac River usually do not reach such speeds.
The Hoyas suffered some misfortune Saturday as one of Georgetown’s boats was disqualified in the second race of the A division in a protest call. The Hoyas attempted to recover when the breeze slowed later in the day and the Georgetown boats began to gain ground. However, the second blow to the Hoya momentum came when the regatta committee called off racing for the rest of the day because of light winds.
Sunday, Georgetown had shifted gears and was ready to make up the difference necessary to secure an automatic bid in the nationals. The Hoyas won the first races in both the A and B divisions by a large margin, and appeared charged for a competitive day of racing. But again, the racing committee called the boats into the dock to wait for proper racing conditions until finally the regatta was called off at 3:30 p.m.
“We were obviously disappointed in the way things went and can’t help but be disappointed in the number of races that were sailed,” Callahan said. Senior Ryan Costello, freshman Tyler Haskell and senior Dana Scalere finished in sixth place in the A division with 55 points, while the team of junior Ken Ward, junior Brian Bissell, junior Leah Williams and senior Baye Emery turned in a strong performance to secure 2nd place in the B division with 35 points.
Though the Hoyas did not qualify for an automatic bid within their district, they still have a shot at one of the two at-large berths to be determined within the next few weeks. Callahan said he is hopeful Georgetown’s impressive resume and standing at No. 1 in the World College Sailing Polls will be enough for the selection committee to grant the Hoya sailors an at-large berth. Regardless of whether the Hoyas are granted such a bid, the Hoyas will race next at the Team Race Nations at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard June 3rd through 5th.
Related Links
Sailing Team Page
Coed Sailing Schedule
Women’s Sailing Schedule