The sailing team navigated its way to third place overall in a group of nine J105s this weekend in the Storm Trysail Club Intercollegiate Regatta (STCIR) hosted by the Larchmont Yacht Club.
The J105 is a type of racing boat; in this regatta, all of the same types of boats compete against each other, a racing method commonly referred to as "one-design."
The team, consisting of 18 sailors, seven men and 11 women, participated in the regatta along with 25 other universities. The schools broke into four categories and participated in five races collectively in those brackets.
American came in third overall in the J105 category, a breeze behind Bowdoin in second with 18 points and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in first with 8 points. The Eagles had a final tally of 20 points, taking hold of second place in two out of the five total races.
The STCIR is the largest intercollegiate regatta in the U.S. It's a big deal for boat owners and college sailors alike; it allows boat owners to donate their boats for a day to young sailors and allows young sailors to hone their big-boat sailing skills.
"The group of boats we get are not just any group of boats; these are the most competitive group of boats in their fleets," said Adam Loory, chairman of the STCIR in a press release for the AU sailing team.
The sailing team was "honored to be able to participate in this regatta," said Aaron Zankel, commodore of the AU sailing club in a press release for the AU sailing team.
Since starting the club a little over two years ago, the team has grown to over 20 sailors and has competed in several regattas.
The team's goal is to eventually purchase and maintain its own boats within the near future. Until then, it will continue to practice four days a week with the highly ranked Georgetown sailing team.
If you are interested in the sailing team, you can log on to its Web site at www.ausailing.org.
