Sailing Coeds Qualify for National Semifinals

In the grand scheme of things, Rhode Island and Connecticut aren’t that far away from the Charles River, but the big breezes of the open water seemed worlds away from the protected Charles to which Harvard’s sailors have grown accustomed.

But a change in the winds couldn’t slow down the Crimson coeds, who managed to qualify for the national semifinals in California. The coeds’ finish was the highlight of a weekend of strong performances by Harvard’s two sailing teams.

NEW ENGLAND COED DINGHY CHAMPIONSHIP

All the Crimson coeds had to do to qualify for the ICSA Eastern Dinghy Championship Semifinals at Long Beach, Calif. was place eighth. Instead, Harvard far exceeded its goal with a fourth-place finish in the Port Judith Refuge.

“Overall we’re very pleased,” senior Teddy Himler said. “We really showed a lot of heart, a lot of effort...Each member of the team put the team on their back.”

Senior John Stokes sailed in the first two B Division races, before Himler took over for the remaining nine. Sophomores Jason Michas and Alma Lafler and senior Meghan Wareham crewed in the division, with Lafler racing with Himler for the final seven races. The five sailors combined for a first-place finish, a second-place finish, four third-place finishes, and two fifth-place finishes.

“In those conditions when people are flipping, we were able to stay disciplined and make fewer mistakes,” Himler said.

Just as impressive was the performance of its A Division sailors: senior skipper Alan Palmer and sophomore crew Ryan Byrne.

Palmer and Byrne raced together for 11 of the 12 races. The Crimson placed fifth in the division after recording a first-place finish and three second-place finishes in the individual races.

“They worked really hard,” Himler said. “Alan was a total beast, trimming in the main, hiking. Ryan is a really strong guy, put all his muscle into it.”

“We had some really good finishes,” Palmer added. “We had a few other ones where we had some major screw-ups...In general, I think we were pretty fast, especially in big winds and big waves which we don’t practice in.”

While the Crimson still needs to finish in the top-eight in Long Beach in two weeks to earn the right to head to Portland, Ore., for the national championships, the results gave the coeds confidence in their chances to excel on the biggest stage.

“Should we do well in California, these conditions—big waves, big wind, cold water, should prepare us well for nationals,” Himler said.

WOMEN’S  EMILY WICK/SLOOP SHREW

While it did not obtain the same success as the coed team, the women’s sailors still managed to post several strong finishes en route to a 10th-place overall finish on the Thames at a regatta hosted by the Coast Guard Academy.

Junior Emily Lambert and freshman Caitlin Watson, who teamed up to take seventh in the A Division, were responsible for many of these top finishes. Lambert and Watson recorded three third-place finishes before winning the final race of the regatta.

“It was cool to see [Lambert] sail because she is very talented,” Watson said. “Emily was really consistent. We were able to keep the boat upright. She’s definitely experienced in wind, so that definitely helps.”

Meanwhile freshmen Morgan Russom and Isabel Ruane placed 14th in the B Division.

“I thought that we definitely improved as the races progressed,” Russom said. “I think we learned a lot at this weekend’s races.”

SAVIN HILL INVITATIONAL

The Crimson contingent that travelled to Dorchester Bay was a model of consistency. All of its sailors placed fourth in their respective divisions to give Harvard a fourth-place finish overall.

Sophomores Nick Waldo and Jinyan Zang gave the Crimson three top-five finishes in the A Division. The Crimson’s B Division sailors, freshmen Luke O’Connor, Diana Powell, and Sarah Pierson, didn’t post as high finishes as their A Division counterparts, but their consistency was enough to place Harvard above its more erratic opponents in the division.

OBERG TROPHY

A seventh-place finish in the A Division paced the Crimson to its 11th overall finish in the Charles River basin. Senior Colin Santangelo and junior William White, who is also a Crimson news editor, earned two top-five finishes and four sixth-place finishes in the effort. Freshmen Ben Lamont and Alice Kenney placed 12th in the B Division.

—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@fas.harvard.edu.