Over the past few weekends, Tufts sailors have had mixed results and relatively disappointing finishes, but it seems that the team is finally gaining momentum.
The co−ed team finished fifth overall out of 18 teams at this weekend's Hoyt Trophy, hosted by Brown University, winning the B Division with 25 points and, with a combined total of 101 points, finishing within 10 points of fourth−place Charleston.
The sailors raced in 420s in conditions that called for a focus on wind shifts rather than tactical movements. The team raced on Saturday due to a forecast of a lack of wind on Sunday.
Junior skipper Massimo Soriano and senior crewmember Margaret Rew competed in the A Division, finishing eighth with 76 points.
Soriano was pleased with his sailing and the way his boat strategically handled the race.
"Margaret and I made a couple mistakes in the first two sets which yielded some less good finishes," Soriano said.
"We were happy to iron out [our early issues] and begin to control our own destiny with consistent starts and a better understanding of the conditions," he continued. "In the last two sets, we got into a groove which felt much better. During those last few races, we made more decisive choices and were patient with the conditions."
For Tufts, currently ranked 14th in the nation, the regatta was highly competitive, with the majority of the teams in the top 20 ranked in the latest national rankings. This, Soriano said, made for tight races across the board.
"The closeness of the racing was definitely characteristic of how competitive the [New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association] is as a district in [the Inter−Collegiate Sailing Association]," Soriano said. "In the last race, for example, 15 of the 18 boats finished within probably 30 seconds of one another. You cannot be thinking about the fact that one small mistake might cost you 5−10 points."
Freshman Will Haeger and his crewmember, senior Sally Levinson, sailed the B boat to a first−place finish. Haeger said his boat tried to avoid deep finishes and to keep scores consistent.
"It was definitely challenging, being relatively new to sailing intersectionals," he said. "Sally's experience definitely was crucial in keeping us focused and sailing well."
"We had to work really hard hiking to keep the boat as flat as possible, but it was a fun challenge," Levinson added. "Will and I did really well last week in lots of breeze, so we knew we could do well again at the Hoyt. On Sunday, we had a wind delay all day long, so we had to be mentally prepared and ready to go if the breeze ever filled in."
The women's team, meanwhile, placed 13th of 18 teams at the Stu Nelson Regatta hosted by Conn. College. Seniors Catherine Swanson and Sarah Carnahan raced the A Division, while sophomore Natalie Salk and junior Kate Booras raced the B boat. They finished 15th and ninth, respectively.
With the fall season wrapping up in the next few weeks, Soriano and the co−ed team hope to continue to ride this past weekend's momentum into future regattas.
This weekend, the Jumbos will compete in the Schell Trophy Regatta hosted by MIT; they need to finish in the top eight to qualify for the Atlantic Coast Championships.
"If we sail the way we did this weekend at the Hoyt, we should be able to qualify to go on to the Atlantic Coast Championships at Navy in two weeks," Soriano said.
