March 17, 2008
ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. - The No. 2 Bulldogs continued their string of strong performances to open the spring season with a second-place finish at the St. Mary's Women's Intersectional held on March 15th and 16th at St. Mary's College of Maryland. The Bulldogs were led by their first-place finish in B Division while A Division finished in sixth place. In the end, the team missed winning the regatta by only three points over the 14 races in each division.
Both A and B divisions sailed FJ's in the variable winds. On Saturday, the wind was light and continually shifting, leading to difficult conditions to consistently perform well in. On Sunday, the wind was steadier and the conditions were windier, building to 15-18 knots by the end of racing.
The Bulldogs were led by the consistent performance of junior captain Kate Hagemann and freshman Elizabeth Brim. Hagemann and Brim won B division with a score of 60 points over the 14 races. They placed in the top five in 10 of the 14 races, including wins in races three and eight. The Bulldogs only placed outside of the top six boats twice over the two days, an impressive feat considering the continually shifting winds that the Bulldogs faced the first day.
In A Division, junior Jane Macky and sophomore Marla Menninger placed 6th with a total of 97 points. Macky and Menninger were much more consistent in the closing races of the regatta, placing in the top five in three of the final five races. Overall, Macky and Menninger placed in the top five in five races, including a win in race six.
Overall, it was a successful regatta for the Bulldogs, who lost by only 3 points to No. 1 St. Mary's College, who had the benefit of sailing on its home waters. The Bulldogs led the regatta through the first day and up until the second-to-last race of the regatta.
The team will next compete in intersectional competition at the Brad Dellenbaugh Trophy on March 29th and 30th at Brown University.
Report filed by Caleb Dorfman '09, Yale Sports Publicity