South Points #6 Results
Yale Women's Intersectional Results
Captain Hurst Bowl Results
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Eckerd College sailing program clinched the SAISA South Points series for the fall by winning the sixth and final event on Saturday while also competing in New Hampshire and Connecticut spanning the weekend.
The Tritons defended their waters against the rest of the field and edged out the University of South Florida for top honors in the team's first home event as a sport in the Eckerd athletics department.
The EC women took 12th of 20 at the Yale Intersectional and coed also placed 22nd of 22 programs in attendance at the Captain Hurst Bowl in Hannover, respectively, over a triple-booked weekend.
“The home event in St. Petersburg was a great success and I had a lot of support from the team,” EC Head Coach
Kevin Reali said. “We were able to use our boats and sail both divisions on the water at the same time. That, combined with good wind, allowed us to complete a full rotation before 3 p.m.”
Reali implemented Eckerd's picturesque South Beach as part of the rotation for the regatta, a strategic move that protects the boats and allows for better spectator viewing on the pavilion.
The Tritons' A and B divisions featuring junior
Erik Brydges and freshman Linsey Kromer with freshmen
Tim Siemers and
Brianna Green combined for low point totals of 18 and 17.
Eckerd's second team consisted of senior
Michael Hemberger and freshman
Heidi Carlson in the A division with freshman J.P. Bird and sophomore
Morgan Engle manning the “B” division. They worked together to finish in the top half of the field at fifth overall.
“We put two teams on the water and both sailed well,” Reali continued. “It is important to do well and win at home.”
The Captain Hurst Bowl at Dartmouth College was shortened due to weather and Reali could take solace that conditions allowed competitors just one day on the water.
The women competed at another Ivy League institution, Yale University, and just missed finishing in the top half of another strong field.
Eckerd made a strong push to break into the next edition of the
Sailing World College Rankings sponsored by Sperry Top-Sider.
The Tritons received 11 votes on the coed side and eight votes in the women's category for the Oct. 10 rankings.
The women's program will travel up to Cambridge, Mass., to compete in the Stu Nelson event this coming weekend while the coed program is slated to compete at the SAISA Match Race Championships.
