ST. PETERSBURG – The Eckerd sailing team opened its season over the weekend, finishing fifth out of six teams at the SAISA South Top Six Invite on Saturday before weather prevented the completion of the SAISA South Tournament on Sunday.
On Saturday, the Tritons competed in the three-division SAISA South Top Six, with all divisions on the water simultaneously. Jordan Vieira and Avery Guck represented Eckerd in A Division, PJ Rodrigues and Will Alvarado competed in B Division, and Nic Dowling and Peyton Seidle sailed in C Division.
The day began with light winds of approximately 4-5 knots before shifting conditions and a strengthening current created challenging conditions throughout the regatta. Nine races were completed.
Vieira and Guck highlighted the day with two first-place finishes. The duo placed fifth in A Division with 64 points and seventh overall. Rodrigues and Alvarado finished first in B Division and eighth overall, while Dowling and Seidle placed sixth in C Division and 18th overall.
The Tritons returned to the water Sunday at USF for the SAISA South Tournament, entering two teams. Vieira and Guck teamed with Rodrigues and Alvarado on Eckerd's first team, while Dowling and Seidle joined Wesley Kaser and Lily Tracey on the second team.
A Division initially took to the water before sailors were sent back to shore due to thunderstorms in the area. Competition resumed around 2 p.m., but only one race was completed before the wind died for the remainder of the day. With an insufficient number of races completed, the regatta was not considered a valid event.
Eckerd returns to action at the SAISA Top 9 on September 19-20. The event will determine qualification for the Atlantic Coast Championship Qualifiers.
