Crimson Sailors Qualify For 2 Regional Regattas

Crimson sailors qualified for two regional championships last weekend. Tim Prince led the team in elimination races for both the New England two-man dinghy and single-handed championships.

At Yale on Saturday, Prince in the "A" division, and Dave Gantz and Ned Butler co-skippering in "B", finished third in the Sharpe Trophy Regatta and thus qualified for the dinghy finals to be held on the Charles River Basin May 9 and 10.

Sailing against seven other teams, the Crimson was a close second after four races, but slipped to third as Butler placed fifth. The University of Rhode Island and Brown also qualified for the finals, finishing first and second respectively.

Prince won four out of the six "A" division races and finished only one point behind Mike Medeiros, U.R.I.'s "B" division helmsman, in the high point skipper competition.

Seven Crimson helmsmen entered three different single-handed elimination rounds on Sunday. Only Prince and freshman Jim Lankton placed well enough to qualify.

This competition is part of a national program to select the Finn Monotype squad that will represent the United States at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. In order to make the team, Prince and Lankton will have to place well in four more qualifying regattas against some of the hottest sailors in North America.

Sailing at Tufts in Interclub Dinghies, Prince finished first among nine other skippers, and won three of the seven, races. Butler, who also sailed at Tufts, did well in the early heats but faded badly in the afternoon. The races were marred by one-legged courses and light breezes.

Freshman Flash

Lankton turned in the best performance of his brief college career in the eliminations held at M.I.T. where he finished third. He profited from several disqualifications but sailed consistently well in a light, shifty, southeasterly breeze. His strong showing materially brightens next year's varsity prospects.

This weekend the Crimson will try to defend its Ivy League Championship in a two-day regatta at Cornell. Prince, who has competed every weekend this season, will again sail in "A". The "B" division skipper will be selected on the basis of team practice races later this week.