CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. – With the second day of the Gill/ICSA Dinghy National Championship on the Columbia River Gorge, the Roger Williams University Sailing team improved its standing in the regatta, moving up to eighth place.
The day began with little wind until around noon when the wind came up and B-division headed out to the course first because they finished two races short of A-division yesterday. The wind was a steady 8 knots from a westerly direction with temperatures in the mid to high 50s. Both A-division and B-division completed six races today, however B-division is still one set behind A in the series.
Cy Thompson (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) and Kelly Stannard (Salem, Conn.) took to the water for the Hawks in A Division, putting together a stronger performance compared to Day 1. Despite a disqualification in the second-to-last race of the day, the two did not fall below seventh in their six races, including a win in the opener. Thompson and Stannard now sit in eighth place overall in the division.
Alec Anderson (Tortola, BVI) and Sophie Bellacosa (Winchester, Mass.) represented RWU at B Division, opening the day with two 10th-place finishes before taking fifth and third in their next two races. The duo would then close out the day 12th and 13th to move into eighth in the division as well.
The breeze gradually built throughout the afternoon and there was no room for error on the racecourse as the racing was close and the fleet stayed fairly condensed. Boston College, Harvard University, St. Mary's College, College of Charleston and University of Miami all started the day out strong. Although Hobart and William Smith suffered a disqualification in race 6B for a foul, sending them back in the scores, they managed to bounce back to third overall at the end of the day although only one point ahead of St. Mary's College.
By race 6A the wind had increased to 14-knots gusting higher and the competitors were sailing hard. Harvard turned it on today with consistency in both A and B-divisions. Harvard's A-division sailors Alan Palmer '11 and Quincy Bock '11 were able to close the gap this evening, now only two points behind Michael Menninger and Franny Kupersmith. Boston College finished the day on top of the leader board with a ten-point lead over Harvard.
Roger Williams and the rest of the field will conclude the championship on Wednesday with the final day of racing.
- Additional information courtesy of Jennifer Vandemoer Mitchell
