Sailing 6/5/2012 9:56:00 AM

Sailing finishes in fifth at Team Race Nationals

AUSTIN, Texas – The Roger Williams University Sailing had its bid for second straight team race national championship halted as the Hawks finished one spot shy of the Final Four in the ICSA/APS Team Race National Championships and placing fifth.

Racing began today around 10 a.m. with the Silver single round robin, which determines who is awarded places 9-14. Winds were from the southeast 4-6 knots and the temperature was about 80 degrees under cloudy skies. The water was flatter today, since it is a weekday and there was less motorboat chop. Forty-three races total were completed between the Silver and Gold fleets.

The Gold fleet second round began around 1 p.m. in 10 knots of breeze out of the south-southeast. The air was warm around 84 degrees. As the first flights of races got started the wind began to die on the racecourse and around 2 p.m. the wind gave out and racing was postponed.

The wind kicked up to 10-12 knots around 3 p.m. out of the south-southeast and the races got started again. It was a long hot day for the competitors due to the heat, fairly light winds and loads of sailing to be done. There was barely time for breaks in between races as the teams had to rotate and head right back out on the water.

The Hawks fared better in the second day of the Gold Round Robin, pulling out four wins over Charleston, Stanford, Brown, and Boston College for a 4-2 record and improving to 7-7 overall in the round. The race that would ultimately prove to be the crucial point for RWU was the team's third race of the day against Hobart.

In the race, the Hawks' three boats would take first, fourth, and sixth for 11 points. However, Hobart came away with a 2,3,5 finish, earning ten points and claiming the win. Hobart, who came into the day with a 3-4 record and one spot above RWU, would go on to finish 5-2 in the second Gold Round Robin for an 8-6 overall record, bumping the Hawks out of the Final Four by one win.

Competing for the Hawks over the course of the regatta were Alec Anderson (Tortola, BVI), Sophie Bellacosa (Winchester, Mass.), Sean Bouchard (Bermuda), Kelly Stannard (Salem, Conn.), Tyler Macdonald (Newport Beach, Calif.), Tyler Wilson (Hopkinton, Mass.), Jake Bartlein (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Dylan Vogel (Jamestown, R.I.), and Alexander Rudkin (Middletown, R.I.).

Roger Williams will look to shake off the loss and come back on Wednesday to compete in the ICSA/Gill Coed Dinghy National Championship.

Gold Round 2 Results

1. College of Charleston

2. St. Mary's College of Maryland

3. Boston College

4. Hobart and William Smith

5. Roger Williams University

6. Brown University

7. Georgetown University

8. Stanford University

- Additional Information courtesy of Jennifer Vandemoer Mitchell of Toile à Voile, LLC

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Players Mentioned

Alec Anderson: S; 5' 1"; Junior

Sean Bouchard: S; 5' 8"; Senior

Alexander Rudkin: S; 5' 10"; Sophomore

Kelly Stannard: C; 4' 11"; Senior

Tyler Wilson: C; 5' 7"; Senior

Tyler Macdonald: S; 5' 10"; Freshman

Jake Bartlein: C; 6' 1"; Freshman

Dylan Vogel: S; 5' 8"; Freshman

Sophie Bellacosa: C; 5' 6"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Alec Anderson
: 5' 1"; Junior
: S

Sean Bouchard
: 5' 8"; Senior
: S

Alexander Rudkin
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: S

Kelly Stannard
: 4' 11"; Senior
: C

Tyler Wilson
: 5' 7"; Senior
: C

Tyler Macdonald
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: S

Jake Bartlein
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: C

Dylan Vogel
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: S

Sophie Bellacosa
: 5' 6"; Junior
: C