Getting back into peak form is not easy for any athlete after a tough game or match; the mental and physical challenges and expectations are draining. The co−ed sailing team, however, is climbing back after two straight weekends of hardship and a loss of momentum.
The Jumbos this weekend won the IRC 35 handicap division in the Storm Trysail Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta hosted by Larchmont Yacht Club in Larchmont, N.Y. The team sailed a 33−foot Corby sailboat owned by Tufts alum David Kellogg (E '76), capturing the division by two points over Hamilton College.
Senior skipper Jamie Altreuter and his team enjoyed sunny weather and kind breezes that varied from 10 to 20 knots over the course of the two−day regatta.
Altreuter said he and the seven other Tufts sailors did not quite know what to expect entering the regatta. The boats in the Jumbos' division ranged from 32 to 37 feet, and because the speed of the boats was not naturally equal, final times would be adjusted based on the boat's given speed rating to more accurately measure performance.
"Since our boat was rated the fastest, that meant to win a race we had to not only beat our competition over the finish line, but win with a varying amount of time to spare, depending on how long the race was," Altreuter said.
The team had not sailed Kellogg's boat before the race and had to learn the ins and outs of the new yacht while racing it.
The Jumbos ultimately succeeded in this endeavor, as they improved their boat handling and rarely struggled with the variables that were new to them, such as an asymmetrical spinnaker. In the majority of collegiate regattas, spinnakers are not used, so this posed a potential problem. But the Jumbos handled the situation with grace and cruised to victory.
Meanwhile, this weekend at the Moody Trophy hosted by the University of Rhode Island, junior Massimo Soriano, who skippered the A division, and his senior crewmember Margaret Rew raced alongside a B Division boat sailed by freshman skipper Will Haeger and senior crew Sally Levinson. Combined, the Jumbos finished a disappointing 12th among a field of 18 boats, 13 of which are ranked in the top 20 in the nation.
The A boat sailed to 14th place in its division. Rew attributed the subpar results to a handful of mistakes that cost the Jumbos crucial points.
"Massimo and I were sailing fast but failed to capitalize on our gains," Rew said. "We improved a great deal last weekend at Coast Guard, and that came through in our racing, though not as much in our results."
There were still plenty of positives to take from the regatta, though, including Levinson and Haeger's eighth−overall finish in the B Division, just one point behind the boat from Hobart and William Smith.
"I know that [two weekends ago] wasn't representative of what we are capable of as a team, and I wanted our results this weekend to show it," Levinson said.
In addition to the Moody, the Jumbos sent three competitors to the Singlehanded New England Qualifiers hosted by Yale University. The sailors competed in Lasers on a day with strong gusts and choppy waters. Tufts again faced strong competition, with a majority of the sailors from schools in the top tier.
Sophomore Will Hutchings, junior Nicolas Russo−Larsson and sophomore Jake Denney represented the Jumbos in the regatta. Hutchings placed sixth of 20, while Russo−Larsson and Denney placed 17th and 18th, respectively.
The sailors usually practice and compete in double−handed boats such as Larks, FJs and 420s, so the switch to the singlehanded Lasers required adjustment. According to Hutchings, however, the team loves sailing Lasers and can't wait to sail the event again next year.
Hutchings attributed his own success at Yale to aggression and confidence at the starting line.
"I was fast upwind because I had great upper body technique through the waves," Hutchings said. "I trimmed and steered well, and most importantly, I hiked really hard."
He said he is confident that the sailors, with time, will see better results.
The Jumbos will have an opportunity to do so next weekend, as the team travels to the Navy Fall Invitational and the Women's Intersectional at Yale.
