Eckerd College’s sailing team completed the Nevins Trophy regatta over the weekend, finishing 13th overall with 253 points after navigating a dramatic shift in conditions across two days of racing.
Saturday brought punishing weather for the Tritons, with winds ranging from 20 to 33 knots and gusts reaching 38 knots. PJ Rodrigues and Will Alvarado represented Eckerd in the A Division, competing in FJs, while Jordan Vieira and Avery Guck sailed in 420s in the B Division. Strong winds, cold temperatures, and building waves made for difficult racing conditions throughout the day. The A Division had to sit out a set before returning to competition for the final set. Racing concluded after eight races, with Eckerd sitting in 12th place with 173 points.
Conditions improved markedly on Sunday, with sunshine, calmer waves, and winds ranging from 8 to 10 knots, with gusts reaching 18 knots. The divisions switched boats for the second day of competition, but diminishing winds prevented the completion of all 14 scheduled races. In a bright finish to the weekend, Eckerd’s B Division closed the regatta with a first-place finish in its final race.
The Tritons finished 13th overall with 253 points. Rodrigues and Alvarado placed 12th in the A Division with 129 points and six top-half finishes, while Vieira and Guck finished 13th in the B Division with 124 points and four top-half finishes.
Eckerd returns to action at the Atlantic Coast Tournament on October 24, looking to build on the momentum of that closing race victory.
