Yale sailing squads delivered strong performances across four regattas despite brutal cold, heavy winds, and even snowfall along the East Coast. The Bulldogs competed at venues from St. Mary’s College of Maryland to Kings Point, testing their mettle in some of the toughest conditions of the season.
The women’s team earned a hard-fought third place at the Women’s Atlantic Coast Championship, hosted at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Saturday brought strong northerly breezes with gusts reaching into the high 20s, accompanied by rain, while Sunday offered more moderate conditions ranging from 8-12 knots with puffs into the high teens. Racing was fiercely competitive among the leading boats, with Yale finishing just nine points behind first and only two points off second place. Skipper Dorothy Mendelblatt, with crew Genevieve Schmidt, delivered a commanding performance and won A Division by 19 points. Skipper Carly Kieding, with crews Maren Bradley and Annabel Woodworth, placed fourth in B Division.
At Dartmouth, the coed team competed in the 35th Captain Hurst Bowl under breezy, cold, and even snowy conditions. Saturday saw gusts as high as the mid-40s, with sustained northeast winds ranging from 14-25 knots. Sunday’s wind shut off completely, preventing any further racing. Skipper Wyatt Kelly and crew Ashley Highland claimed the A Division title, while skipper Thomas O’Grady, with crews Ryan Tonkovich and Margaret Ratzan, placed 10th in B Division. The team finished fourth overall.
Another coed squad raced at Kings Point in the Nevins Trophy. Saturday again brought frigid and windy conditions from the north, while Sunday saw lighter and diminishing winds, starting at 7-12 knots in the morning and dropping to 4-6 knots by the afternoon. Skipper Mathias Reimer, with crew Puiyee Kong, placed second in A Division. Skipper Eli Shainker, with crews Tom Commander and Matilda Twigg, placed 15th in B Division. The team finished 10th overall.
At the Dave Perry Trophy, hosted at Yale, four Bulldog boats took to the water on Sunday. Brown, Coast Guard, and Yale each had multiple boats representing their teams. Skipper Patrick Wahlig and crew Katie May placed highest among the Yale entries, finishing in seventh place.
Next weekend, the Bulldogs will compete in the Open Atlantic Coast Championships at Brown, the Yale Women’s Regatta at YCYC, and the Coast Guard Invite.
