September 29, 2003
WC Competes at St. Mary's Open
And Laser Qualifier South

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- Members of the second-ranked Washington College sailing team competed in two regattas this weekend. Senior All-American Mike Buckley (Sandwich, MA/Tabor Academy) and junior Colin Robertson (Annapolis, MD/St. Mary's) sailed at the Laser Qualifier South, hosted by Navy, while a contingent of WC sailors participated in the St. Mary's (MD) Open.

Robertson finished fifth of 20 at the Laser South, while Buckley was sixth. The top three sailors qualified for the MAISA Singlehanded Championships. The races were conducted over two days of light, heavy, and shifty conditions. Saturday's races were held outside Annapolis Harbor, while Sunday's took place on the Severn River.

Washington finished seventh of 18 at the St. Mary's (MD) Open. Sophomore skipper Carl Horrocks (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) and freshman crew BJ Leong (Washington, DC) finished third in A Division, while junior skipper Chad Hillyer (Summit, NJ/Morristown-Beard) and freshman crew Margaret Gotsch (Huntington Station, NY) finished eighth in B Division. Fifth-ranked Hobart/William Smith won the regatta. Saturday's winds were southerly and built from five to 13 knots throughout the day. Sunday's racing started in a solid northerly that turned tricky by the end of the day with wind speeds varying between one and 12 knots.

Next weekend, the WC sailors are scheduled to compete at the Danmark Trophy, hosted by Coast Guard, and the Tom Curtis Memorial, hosted by Georgetown.