March 24, 2003
WC Sailors Take Third at Team Race
Win Over Harvard Clinches Third Spot

NEW LONDON, CT -- The 15th-ranked Washington College sailing team placed third in a field of 12 teams this weekend at the Southern New England Team Race hosted by Connecticut College. The finish was Washington's best ever at a major team race.

WC clinched third place with a win over top-ranked Harvard in the final race. Harvard's 14-2 race record took first place at the regatta. Fourth-ranked Tufts finished second also with a 14-2 record. WC finished with a 10-6 record. Sixteenth-ranked Yale was fourth, 11th-ranked Brown was fifth, and 10th-ranked Dartmouth was sixth.

On Saturday, all 12 teams competed in a single round robin. On Sunday, the top six teams from Saturday competed in a single round robin in the "Gold Fleet," while the other six teams competed in a elimination format in the "Silver Fleet."

Sailing for Washington College at the event were junior Mike Buckley (Sandwich, MA/Tabor Academy), sophomore Colin Robertson (Annapolis, MD/St. Mary's), sophomore Nathan St. Onge (Hyannis, MA/Barnstable), freshman Carl Horrocks (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) sophomore Halle Ricker (Traceys Landing, MD/St. Mary's), freshman Beth Hendee (Stone Harbor, NJ/Middle Township), and sophomore Max Von Roth (Weston, VT/Long Trail).

Saturday's races were held in great wind conditions from the Northwest at 6-11 knots, shifting to a West-Northwest breeze. Sunday saw another desirable wind of 8-15 knots from the Northwest.

Next weekend WC will compete at King's Point Spring Open.