September 21-22, 2013
It was a breezy weekend all over New England and our sailors experienced heavy winds at their regattas in Vermont, New Hampshire, on the Boston Harbor and Charles River.
In Vermont eight sailors competed in the Lake Champlain Open and The Stuart Walker Open. The Univeristy of Vermont held a competitive regatta on Lake Champlain, but only 2 races were able to be completed on Saturday due to high winds. The breeze increased to 20-30 kts during the first A Division set and race committee was forced to postpone after numerous capsizes. Although there were only two races, Maarten Eenkema van Dijk and Janelle Veary did extremely well, giving them an advantage on the competition for Sunday. The next day our sailors arrived to 5-15 kts, and completed 7 races overall in each division. Conor Lodge and Estelle Beguin sailed strongly in B division as well, and the team came in 4th place overall. Congratulations Huskies!
At Middlebury on Saturday our sailors faced similar conditions, but with less wind at the Stuart Waker Open. Becker Awqatty and Linnea Goldstein competed in Divison A, and Tasha Greenwood and Emily Browning in Division B. Race committee got out 10 races on Saturday with combined divisions and did not race the next day due to a poor forecast. Conditions were shifty on Lake Dunmore but the Huskies did very well and came in 2nd place overall!
Our Women's Team went to Dartmouth this weekend to compete in the Mrs. Hurst Bowl. Elise Gehling and Kristen Kuzil sailed division A, with Tori McGruer and Liz Sczerzenie in B division. On Saturday Mrs. Christina Hurst was on hand to watch some of the racing, and got to watch two divisions on the water at the same time for the first time in Mascoma racing's history! The sailing was phenomenal in a shifty 10-18 knot Southerly with some west in it, and some puffs into the 20s. Racing was also in the Dartmouth FJ fleet and in the new Laser Performance Z420, which performed well for the sailors. Sunday was lighter, but still shifty and the Huskies took 8th place in A Division and 16th place overall.
On the Boston Harbor, Scott Goodrich, Taylor Williams, Jesse Thomas, Laura Tschiegg and Margo Blagden competed at the BC Central Series. On Saturday the wind was from the South at 8-14kt, picking up throughout the day, and race comittee sailed 6 races in A division and 4 in B division. On Sunday 8 more races sailed in a shifty WNW breeze. The Huskies took 10th place in A division, 7th place in B division, and 9th overall!
At the BU Invite on the Charles River the Huskies came in 3rd place overall with Matteo Alampi, Eleanor Grams, Luke Orchardo and Alexandra Zhmakina. on Saturday sailors got in 9 races in a very shifty Southerly that kept the fleet on its toes.
On Sunday at the BU FJ Invitational the team sent some of it's newest members Camille Matile, Liz Duquette, Peter Christensen and Lindsay Martinez to compete against 7 other schools. The Huskies sailed very well and look forward to their first season of college sailing!
Maarten and Janelle after heavy winds on Saturday
Elise and Kristen leading a pack to the outside downwind
Becker and Linnea rounding the mark ahead of the fleet