The women’s sailing team had all hands on deck for its victory at the Kings Point Women’s Regatta on Saturday.
After a delay due to uncooperative wind, racing got underway around 11:30 a.m. Wind continued to be an issue for hours, finally stabilizing around 3:30 p.m.
Cornell’s B Division coasted into first place for both the division and overall, winning four of ten races, followed by Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Penn for second and third place, respectively.
Cornell’s A Division finished 5th overall and third in the division, winning five races.
“The team has worked hard these past few weeks,” first year Sophia Fogarty, a member of the B division crew, said. “I felt confident going into racing on Saturday that we had the ability to perform well.”
Coaches and officials agreed to conclude the event that day. Ten full races were completed, which is the normal amount for a collegiate regatta.
Junior Gabbi DelBello explained the additional rationale behind the decision.
“The [Intercollegiate Sailing Association] as well as every school involved, has not yet decided what COVID restrictions should be in place and which shouldn’t,” DelBello said. “Due to this, our coach made the decision which allowed less traveling and exposure for all athletes involved.”
While seemingly settling in like an upperclassman, competing for Cornell is still new for Fogarty as this past weekend marked her first college regatta.
Fogarty is not exactly a stranger to the sport, however. She founded her high school sailing team and qualified for the World Championships for three straight years.
Similar to other Cornell sports teams, has not competed for over a year due to the Ivy League’s pause on sports but competing at home helped the team return to the water.
“I think the fact that it was a home regatta helped ease my nerves,” she said. “There is only so much you can do on our team to replicate the competitive atmosphere of a collegiate regatta.”
DelBello recalls the pandemic as a time when the team’s bond became stronger than ever, even if not on the water together.
“The break in my sophomore year, while unfortunate, made me embrace the other aspects of being on a team,” she said. “It was more important than ever to be present for my teammates and strengthen the friendships we have.”
Now sailing is back and DelBello could not be happier.
“I am psyched and have never been so excited to compete for Cornell,” she said.
Also winning over the weekend was Cornell’s coed sailing team, who took first in the Jack Boehringer ‘52 Memorial Regatta winning nine of ten races and finishing only one race out of the top three.
The sailing teams will hope to carry over their momentum into this weekend, when they will compete at the Fay Bennett Laser Radial and the Cayuga Invite.