W. Sailing Sidelined Due to Bad Weather

One week removed from a performance that landed three sailors in the next round of single-handed elimination competition, the wind was quite literally taken out of the Harvard women’s sailing team’s sails at the Boston University 35th Women’s President’s Trophy Regatta on Saturday.

Lack of wind complemented by a light drizzle postponed the start of the first race for hours, but a determined race crew decided to attempt a late start rather than scrapping the event altogether.

Crimson senior skipper Clemmie Everett paired with freshman Christina Dahman to earn a second-place finish under the difficult conditions in the first race. The duo captured an early lead off the start in the following race, but a shift in the light winds ruined the course layout, causing the race committee to scrap the remaining races.

Since the three-race minimum had not yet been met, the results were set aside and the regatta was cancelled.

“Although we didn’t get a real regatta in this weekend, I thought the racing was a good experience,” Everett said. “It was Christina’s first regatta and it was a challenge mentally to stay focused throughout the postponement and a challenge physically to handle the boat well in extreme light air...She did a fantastic job with that.”

The co-ed sailing team returned to earth as well, finishing fourth at the US Coast Guard’s Danmark Trophy Regatta in New London, Connecticut.

Sailing under miserable conditions similar to those thwarting the women, sophomore Vince Porter managed to safely navigate his way to expected results.

But captain Cardwell Potts was not nearly so fortunate.

“God was out to get me,” Potts said.