April 2, 2006
Washington Wins Ocean County Open
WC Also 7th at Kings Point Spring Open

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- The Washington College sailing team finished first of 18 teams at the Ocean County Spring Open held Saturday and Sunday. Washington finished the regatta with 119 total points, outdistancing second-place Christopher Newport by 50 points. The WC sailors also finished seventh of 20 teams at the Kings Point Spring Open over the weekend.

Senior skipper Carl Horrocks (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) and sophomore crew Shri Puri (Bethesda, MD/Bethesda-Chevy Chase) took first place in A Division at the Ocean County Spring Open in dominating fashion, winning 13 of the division's 18 races to win the division by 58 points. Sophomore skipper Meredith Dodd (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) and sophomore crew Tonie Domino (Crownsville, MD/Old Mill) were second in B Division, finishing in the top five in 11 of the division's 18 races.

Christopher Newport was second overall at Ocean County, while Loyola was third. The regatta was sailed in strong southwest breezes of 10-20 knots on Saturday and in shifty northwest winds of 10-15 knots on Sunday.

At the Kings Point Spring Open, sophomore skipper Alex Hood (Newport, RI/Portsmouth Abbey) sailed to a fourth-place finish in A Division with sophomore crew Alexandria Starks (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) and and freshman crew Derek Packard (Excelsior, MN/Breck). Starks and Packard also shared crew duties in B Division as freshman Nick Larmore (Wilmette, IL/New Trier) skippered Washington to a ninth-place finish in that Division.

Pennsylvania won the Kings Point Spring Open, followed by New York Maritime in second and Columbia in third. Saturday's races began in a 10 mile per hour breeze from the south which escalated to a 45 miles per hour due to a cold front from the west and then died to a 0-8 mph zephyr from the north. Sunday's races were sailed under clear sunny skies, with temperatures in the 70s and a 4-12 mph breeze from the north.

Washington will host the Washington College Women's Open and compete at the Captain Prosser Trophy, the MAISA Team Race Championships hosted by Navy, next weekend.