September 24, 2006
Washington Wins MAISA Clinic Regatta
WC Also Competes at Laser Qualifier South, Senator's Cup

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- The Washington College sailing team finished first of 18 schools at the MAISA Clinic Regatta, hosted by Navy, and 10th of 16 teams at the Senator's Cup, hosted by St. Mary's, this weekend. Washington also had two sailors race in the Laser Qualifier South, hosted by Navy.

At the MAISA Clinic Regatta, freshman skipper Patrick Clancy (Scituate, MA/Boston College HS) and sophomore crew Kirsten Harbom (Clarksville, MD/Reservoir) were first in A Division, while sophomore skipper Seth Olson (Branford, CT/Branford) and freshman crew Genevieve Smith (Hampstead, MD/North Carroll), who was sailing in her first-ever regatta, were first in B Division. Clancy and Harbom finished second, first, first, and second in the four A Division races, while Olson and Smith finished second, first, first and sixth in the four B Division races.

Princeton finished second at the MAISA Clinic Regatta, while New York Maritime was third. Four races in each division were sailed in 5-8 knot winds from the southwest.

At the Senator's Cup, freshman skipper Conner Blouin (Tampa, FL/Jesuit) and freshman crew Krista Hankins (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) finished 11th in A Division, while sophomore skipper Nick Larmore (Wilmette, IL/New Trier) and junior crew Meredith Bluefeld (King of Prussia, PA/Upper Merion) were sixth in B Division. Hankins was sailing in her first collegiate regatta.

Sixth-ranked Georgetown won the Senator's Cup, while Hampton was second and fifth-ranked St. Mary's was third. Fifteen races were sailed in southerly breezes up to 18-20 knots.

At the Laser Qualifer South, WC junior Parker Mitchell (Malibu, CA/Malibu) finished sixth of 14 sailors, while junior Chase Hillyer (Summit, NJ/Moorestown-Beard) finished 11th.

Frederick Vranizan of St. Mary's won the Laser Qualifier South. A full rotation of 14 races were sailed at the regatta, all but four of them on Saturday. Winds were 8-15 knots from the southwest on Saturday and 5-10 knots from the Southwest on Sunday.

Next weekend, the WC sailors will compete at the Hobart/William Smith Fall Open and the Faye Bennet Trophy, the MAISA Women's Single-Handed Championships, hosted by Navy.