Sailing Wins on the Charles

After an intense spring training regimen at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., the Harvard sailing team returned to championship form and won its home opener. The Crimson took first place at the 2001 Boston Dinghy Cup on the Charles River over the weekend.

The competition was a four-division regatta, and the Crimson finished with 275 points, 74 points ahead of the second-place team, Dartmouth.

Harvard was led by junior Sean Doyle and sophomore Michelle Yu’s first place finish in the A division. The sophomore duo of Clay Bischoff and Lema Kikuchi blew away the field in the C division by 26 points. Juniors Margaret Gill and Susan Bonney were third in the B division, and sophomores Cardwell Potts and Laura Knoll won the D.

The weather on the Charles was cold and breezy, giving the chance to display its ability to cope with the elements. The win will go a long way in helping the team make its way back to the top of the Sailing World College Rankings, where it had been displaced by the College of Charleston in the Mar. 20 poll. Charleston finished fifth on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the women’s team finished ninth of 13 teams Joe Duplin Trophy race, hosted by Tufts University. The women are currently ranked tenth in the nation.