Harvard Sailing Experiences Revival

They that go down to the Charles in 12 ft. sailing dinghies, went down last week to begin what should be one of their finest seasons in many years. The fact of the matter is that, quietly, sailing at Harvard has undergone a major renascence.

When a small group of sophomores took charge of the dying Yacht Club about a year ago, several former Crimson salts, including US Olympic 5.5 champion George O'Day, '45, told them that if they ever managed to enlist enough interests, something might be done about providing the Crimson with boats and a clubhouse.

Due primarily to the work of Commodore Carter Ford, Mike Lehmann, Mike Horn, and others, the Yacht Club now has a roster of 103. And the alumni are keeping their word: the Crimson will almost definitely have its own boats and floats next fall, and, perhaps, a club house on the Charles lower basin next spring.

For years, Harvard has sailed on sufferance out of the MIT pavillion, borrowing Tech dinghies. Although still freeloading this spring, the Crimson has received permission to practice five afternoons a week instead of three, as previously.

During a regular week, skippers and one-man crews hold practice races over a triangular course determined each day according to wind direction. Riding along as a crew, the beginner gets a chance to take the helm almost every afternoon in special, instructive, "crew's races."

To qualify as a skipper, the novice must pass a relatively simple examination requiring knowledge of knots, elementary rules of the road, and the rudiments of boat-handling. When he has received his "skipper's card," he is then eligible to compete for a place on the varsity, which the officers determine each week on the basis of performances in the practice races.

The club travels as far as Annapolis, New London, or Princeton; and the members of the varsity usually spend one or often two days of a weekend sailing against as many as ten or 15 other schools in a variety of boats. Since many students throw big parties at this time of year, and since there is really no training involved, the night life isn't bad either.

The increase in practice hours will probably mean a rise in the quality of the varsity--from good to almost excellent. Despite adverse weather conditions and bad breaks last fall, the varsity managed to turn in a more than creditable record and capped off the season with the New England Intercollegiate sloop championships.

Already this term, the team has exhibited its prizewinning calibre. Over vacation, eight members of the varsity sailed a 44 ft. yawl to a tie for first with Navy in the historic McMillan Cup regatta. Last weekend in the official esason opener, skippers Ford and Lehmann and drews Horn and Lew Natenshon missed winning the Boston University Trophy by three points (BU 90, Harvard 87, Yale 83).

The Yacht Club has come a long way from the informal group which used to take off for occasional weekends on the water. With thirteen regattas scheduled for this spring, it is fast becoming the most major of minor sports at Harvard.