Cornell sailing took part in two regattas over the long weekend, competing in both Annapolis, Md. and Geneva, N.Y.
In Annapolis, the Red sailed in the Jen Harris Women’s Showcase; in Geneva, the team competed for the David Lee Arnoff Trophy. The regattas consisted of fields of 18 and 13, respectively.
Even with the bounty of competition, the Red managed to hold its own on the water. Some of the competitors in the regattas were top teams that the Red will see again in the spring tournament season.
The team finished fourth at the Jen Harris Women’s Showcase, following with third and eighth places at the David Lee Arnoff Trophy. The results this weekend make for 19 top-10 finishes this fall — the team has had at least one boat finish in the top-10 in each of its 14 events.
The Jen Harris, in which the team finished fourth, was a preview of the showcase finals, suggesting the team’s ability for future success in that ultimate regatta of the season.
“The team definitely had the best performance, [the regatta being] a high level one,” said assistant coach Daniel Thompson. “Although the beginning of the weekend was quite challenging due to the conditions constantly changing, the team eventually figured out the venue by the end of the day.”
The weather, indeed, presented a challenge for the Red, but the team rose to the occasion.
“[We] look forward to continue to improve to [our] highest levels and to adjust to changing conditions,” Thompson said.
The Red started off slowly in the Jen Harris, but ended with strong results, with four top-three finishes, three runner-up placements, and placing in the top-10 seven times.
In the Arnoff Trophy, the Red finished with two boats having five top-three efforts, with one of the divisions winning the fifth team race of the day.
“I was proud of the top-five result against the best programs in the country,” said senior captain Alex Fowkes. “[The] conditions of the weather could have been better.”
“[We need to] focus on consistency with good finishes and limiting bad results in order to get the top results,” Fowkes added.
The Red will compete at the Yale Women’s Regatta in New Haven, Conn. and the Coed Showcase No. 2 at Salve Regina in Newport, R.I., both over the weekend of October 19-20.