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Racing News 2014-2015

 

 

From left to right: Roney ('18), Stump ('18), Singh ('19), and Palmer ('19)

Webb Regatta (11.21.15-11/22/15)

  • Sailors Tricia Stump ('18), Ian Palmer ('19), Alex Singh('19), and Colleen Roney ('18) traveled to CNU for the regatta. Competitors were welcomed to light and shifty conditions on the James River. Races were held in 3-10knts from the North shifting to the Northeast. During the afternoon the breeze shifted south and AP was flown for roughly 45 minutes before a Northeasterly filled back in to complete the races. Five races were held this morning, four this afternoon for a total of nine races in all. All courses were W4 and W3. With the completion of the rotation the regatta was finished as the sailors got to watch a beautiful sunset. 

  • No races were completed on Sunday. After 9 races in each fleet, the Hoos placed 1st overall (1st in A and 2nd in B)! A huge thanks goes out to Virginia Sailing alum, Ellen Hubbard for coaching the team, to CNU for hosting the event and to the Patterson family for housing the sailors! It has been a fantastic season for the Hoos and we are really looking forward to getting back on the water in the spring!

From left to right: Craven, Suvak, Roney, Singh, Stump, and Devanny

MAISA Club Championships (11.7.15-11.8.15)

  • Sailors Colin Suvak ('19), Colleen Roney ('18), Tricia Stump ('18), Alex Singh ('19), Boo Devanny ('17) and Chris Craven (as the coach) ('16) traveled to Philidelphia, PA for the event hosted by the University of Pennsylvania. On Saturday, after a brief delay, racing got underway in a 5knot westerly with the tail end of the flood tide. Racing continued throughout the day in 5-10 knts from the W to the NW. Hoos had Suvak and Roney sailing in A and Singh and Stump in B. The Hoos finished the day in 1st place.

  • Sunday gave the Race Committee very challenging conditions with which to complete the Club Championships Regatta. The wind was from the N at 7 knts but with big and prolonged ossicillations to both directions. Two B and two A races were completed before things got "sporty". Multiple attempts were given to start race 9B which included at least 3 abandonments, before the race was completed. The same teams raced for the Hoos and were able to keep the first place position, giving Virginia Sailing its first ever MAISA Club Championship! Singh won B division and Suvak placed 2nd in A. A huge weekend for the Hoos! Wahoowa!

War Memorial (10.31.15-11.1.15)

  • Sailors Sam Patterson ('16), Callie Hern ('18), Chris Craven ('16), Eliza Schuett ('17), Julia Gowell ('18), Alex Singh ('19), and Colleen Roney ('18) traveled with coach KC Fullmer up to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY for the regatta. Saturday, sailors arrived expecting a difficult day of racing, and challenging conditions for the race committee. Breeze started off out of the SE with more than expected around 8-10mph and the first set was completed without any delays. In B divisions first race the breeze began to soften, the race finished in a light southerly, and subsequently died off. From this point forward the breeze would pulsate in and out.

  • On Sunday, A division came out and sailed races 5 and 6 in a similar breeze direction, but slightly lighter around 8-10mph. At this point in the day things started to shift to the West and become more unstable. Over the weekend Craven skippered A-fleet with Hern, Roney and Singh as crews and Patteson skippered B-fleet with Schuett, Hern, Roney and Gowell as crews.The Hoos finished off in 12th overall, pre-qualifying them for the America's Trophy in the spring and for the Atlantic Coast Tournament in two weeks. Go Hoos! 

From left to right: Fullmer, Craven, Singh, Schuett, Hern, Roney, Gowell, and Patterson

MAISA Women's (10.23.15-10.24.15)

  • Sailors Tricia Stump ('18), Boo Devanny ('17), Colleen Roney ('18), Waverlee Harvey ('18), and Julia Gowell ('18) traveled with Sam Patterson as the coach to St. Mary's for the event. Saturday, tricky racing in NE breeze becoming East and trying, but not succeeding to go Southeast. Ten races were completed using W-3's and 4's exclusively. Three races left in each division for Sunday. Sailing A fleet was Julia Gowell and Tricia Stump and sailing B was Boo Devanny and Colleen Roney.

  • On Sunday, southerly filled in overnight and that made for easy regatta management to knock out the final 3 races in each division. 11a/b was a W-4 and the remaining were W-3's. Sailing A fleet was Gowell, Harvey (crew) and Stump (crew) and the same B fleet team sailed. The Hoos finished off in 10th overall. Go Hoos!

From left to right: Steuer, Reuss, LaBrie, Hennessy, Devanny, Harvey, Cornell, and Roney

Jefferson Cup(10.17.15-10.18.15)

  • Hosted at our very own Lake Anna, the Jefferson Cup could not have been possible without its dedicated volunteers. Running the regatta was JT Lendon, the faculty advisor of the club. Mr. Arthur McKenney once again lent the Team his pontoon boat to act as the start and finish boat. PROs Jordan Cornell and Waverlee Harvey ran the logistics and the volunteers over the weekend. Much thanks goes to the volunteers: Fritz Steuer as Regatta Chairman, Turner LaBrie as Regatta Assistant, Georgia Adam as Regatta Assistant, Rosalie Reuss as the Photographer, Charlotte Hennessey and Casey Russell as Land Director, and Cameron Goss as the scorer. 

  • On Saturday, sailors were greeted with very light winds this morning, resulting in a postponement of races. The wind gradually picked up throughout the day growing from a 7-8 knot NW wind in the morning increasing to a steady 12-13 knot wind in the afternoon, with gusts in the high teens and low 20s. The temperature remained in the 50s throughout the day. The Hoos had Victor Rodriquez ('19), Colleen Roney ('18), Charlotte Hennessy ('19) and Parker Brown ('16) sailing in A and B respectively.

  • Sunday morning started off with colder and higher winds around 20 knots with gusts up to 25. After numerous capsizes in the first set, a wind delay was called after the first. After approximately 45 minutes, the regatta continued still with winds in the upper teens, but very shifty throughout the day. A total of four races in each fleet were completed today, making a total of 10 races per fleet for the entire regatta. The Hoos had the same A fleet sailors and had Boo Devanny ('17) and Turner LaBrie ('18) sailing in B- fleet. The Hoos overall landed in first for the regatta. Wahoowa!

Patterson(skipper) and Schuett (crew)

Henry Luce Trophy(10.17.15-10.18.15)

  • Sailors Chris Craven ('16), Callie Hern ('18), Julia Gowell ('18), Eliza Schuett ('17), Colin Suvak ('19), Alex Singh ('19), and Sam Patterson('16) traveled to Norfolk for the event.Saturday, sailors were greeted to light winds this morning and relaxed through a long postponement. Eventually the breeze filled in at 6-10 knots out of the West around 11:00am. Throughout the afternoon the breeze tapered and shifted in phases ranging from W until finally settling out of the NE at 4-8 knots.

  • On Sunday, temperatures were in the 50's and warmed up throughout the day. Breeze was 13-20 early on, slowly dying to 5-10. During the last 2 races breeze built back up again to make for an interesting ending to the day! W4's were sailed most of the day, except for one B Division set a Gold Cup was raced. The Hoos finished off in 5th overall, qualifying them for the War Memorial. A huge thanks to the Singh family for hosting the Team and to ODU for running the regatta!

St. Mary's Fall Interconference(9.26.15-9.27.15)

  • Solid NE/N breezes from 8-18 knots made for fun racing on Saturday.  Ten races were completed in each division. Sailing in A division was Chris Craven ('16) as the skipper and Alex Singh ('19) as the crew for the first six races and the Boo Devanny ('17) as the crew for the remainder of the weekend. 

  • Parker Brown ('16) skippered B-division for the first 10 races and Alex Singh skippered the rest of the weekend, both with Eliza Schuett ('17) as the crew. Sunday the air was slightly lighter, but otherwise very similar race-day to Saturday. The Hoos finished in 17th place overall. 

Nevin's Trophy(9.19.15-9.20.15)

  • Sailors were greeted to a shifty light southerly. We started the first race around 10:00 and sailed 4 races before a lunch break for A and B. Before lunch the breeze was S to SSW 0-6 knots. C div. was kept out for 6 races then sent them in for lunch. The breeze built through out the day and the last few races were pretty fast and fun! The day was finished with 10 races and sailors were back on shore around 1700. Courses were modified trapezoids all day. Day 2 at the Nevins Trophy saw great breeze and bigger waves. We started race racing at 0947 for A and B.  C div. was left on shore to stagger the fleets for a break later in the day. Sailed trapezoid courses all day with a NNE wind 8-17 knot winds. 18 races were completed in each division.

  • Sailors Julia Gowell('18), Victor Rodriquez('19), Ian Palmer('19), Chris Craven('16), Colleen Roney('18) and Eliza Schuett('17) competed in the regatta. Sailing A-division was Craven as the skipper and Roney and Gowell as the crews respectively. Sailing B-Division was Rodriquez as the skipper and Schuett as the crew. Palmer sailed in the C Division both days. The Hoos finished off strong in 17th place.

Riley Cup(9.12.15-9.13.15)

  • Teams were welcomed to the ODU Sailing Center with a nice off shore breeze, which quickly shifted to a southerly that continued all day at 13-24 knots. There was a minor delay due to isolated thunder storms mid afternoon. Race Committee ran W4's and W3's all day. Two redresses and two breakdowns were awarded. The day was completed just in time for a powerful, yet small thunderstorm. B Division started off Sundays racing. Breeze was 10-16 knots out of the NW shifting to the left for a WNW breeze throughout the day. This made for choppy conditions, but great sailing. Race Committee ran W4's all day. Skies were overcast and by the afternoon the sun was shining!

  • With two teams competing, hosted by ODU the Hoos all finished strong! Competitors included Chris Craven ('16), Callie Hern ('18), Colleen Roney ('18), Julia Gowell ('18), Collin Suvak ('19), Waverlee Harvey ('18), Tricia Stump ('18), Alex Singh ('19), Boo Devanny ('17) and Parker Brown ('16). The teams finished in 8th and 12th overall! A huge thanks to ODU for hosting the event and the Harvey family for housing the Team.

Edward Teach Memorial(9.5.15-9.6.15)

  • The first day of the Hampton University Teach Memorial Regatta saw NE winds in excess of 20 knots sustained. The challenging conditions saw many boats, and crews, sailing to their maximum effort in one of the first regattas of the season.

    Teams sailed 6 races today in combined divisions. The regatta continued on Sunday with less challenging conditions. The winds were a more modest 6-11 knots, coming out of the NE. Teams were able to sail 6 more races, for a total of 12 races completed, with no protests filed.

  • The Hoos placed 2nd overall in the regatta this weekend! Sailing for us was Victor Rodriguez ('19), Colin Suvak ('19), Colleen Roney ('18), Charlotte Hennessey ('19), Boo Devanny ('17), and Ian Palmer ('19). Huge thanks to Hampton University for hosting this event, to the Patterson family for housing our team and to recent graduate Casey Firth for coaching and taking picutes!

America Trophy (5.2.15-5.3.15)

  • Chris Craven('16), Olivia Bicks('17), Julia Gowell('18), Tricia Stump('18), Eliza Schuett('17), and Callie Hern('18) all traveled down to ODU for the weekend. On Saturday, 6 A Races and 5 B races were completed before the breeze died completely.  Craven and Bicks sailed for A-fleet and Brown and Schuett started on B-fleet, before Stump switched in for Schuett. On Sunday, only one race was completed and scored. Races 7A & 8A were sailed but a lack of sufficient breeze meant races 7B and 8B were unable to be completed. Several attempts were made throughout the afternoon with B division spending a significant amount of time on the water waiting. A final attempt at a start came too late and the regatta was officially over as the time limit expired. The teams that finshed on Saturday sailed together on Sunday. The Hoos finished in 13th overall. The top 9 teams advanced on to Nationals in June. 

  • Results

 

Roney and Firth

MAISA Women's Dinghy Championship (4.25.15-4.26.15)

  • Colleen Roney('18), Callie Hern('18), Tricia Stump('18), Julia Gowell('18), Casey Russell('17), Waverlee Harvey('18), and Casey Firth('15) represented the women's team at St. Mary's for the regatta. Saturday was a long, cold tricky day on the St. Mary's River. The RC was very patient in the morning with light NE and East winds that went flat after two good races. After an extra-long lunch break racing got going in what started out as a nice southerly; but went to the west and when the rain came in at the end of the day the breeze faded. Sunday was sunny and delightful, but very trying on the patience of sailors. A really tough day to set courses and make fair racing. Many starts were abandoned and some races too. Breeze went round the dial and back again. The RC made a valiant attempt to start the final race 13b in a new NW direction and came within a minute of doing so; but time ran out. There were a total of 12 races and the Hoos finished in 12th. Both days Firth, Roney, Stump and Gowell sailed switching between A and B fleets.

  • Results

South Spring Qualifier (4.18.15-4.19.15)

  • Chris Craven('16), Olivia Bicks('17), Eliza Schuett('17), Callie Hern('18), Casey Firth('15), Parker Brown('16), and Julia Gowell('18) traveled to William and Mary to compete in the South Spring Qualifier. The top three teams get to advance on to the America Trophy which is where teams can qualify for nationals. On Saturday Wind was light and variable from ESE. The wind was about 3-7 knots in the morning, and died down from 1-3 P.M. There were 8 races completed in A fleet, with 6 being completed in B fleet. Craven and Bicks sailed A-fleet and Brown and Schuett sailed in B-fleet. The Hoos were in the lead throughout the whole day. On Sunday there were 12 races completed for the day, finishing with a total of 13 races in each fleet. Craven and Gowell sailed in A-fleet and Brown and Schuett still sailed in B. A-fleet never got below a 3rd place during the entire weekend and B-fleet never got below 5th place. The Hoos ended up tying for 1st place but lost the tie-breaker so they received 2nd place, still qualifying them for America Trophy! Go Hoos! 

  • Results

CNU Women's (4.3.15-4.4.15)

  • Representing the new and upcoming Women's team this regatta was Casey Firth('15), Colleen Roney('18), Callie Hern('18), Tricia Stump('18), Waverlee Harvey('18) and Casey Russell('17). Saturday's continuous high gusts of over 30 knots caused all races that day to be postponed and then eventually canceled. Sunday proved to be much lighter wind (3-10knots) and a great success for the Hoos. With Firth and Stump sailing in B-fleet and Roney and Hern in A-fleet the Hoos raced 10 total races and ended in 2nd place out of 5 teams overall! A huge thanks to Virginia Sailing alum Gordon Wolcott for coaching the girls this weekend! 

  • Results

William and Mary Spring Open (3.21.15-3.22.15)

  • Fourth year Casey Firth ('15) and first years Julia Gowell ('18), Colleen Roney('18) and Tricia Stump ('18) represented the women's team in the William and Mary Spring Open! With Firth and Stump racing the A-Division and Gowell and Roney in the B-Division the Hoos finished in 5th place after 5 races on Saturday only 4 points behind the fourth place team. The B-Division had the sail 3 races in one set due to their second set being thrown out. Sunday morning, A-Division got an 11th and a 1st and then B-Division followed with a 2nd and a 4th. After 3 races total on Sunday the girls moved up to a 4th place overall out of 12 teams! Go Hoos!

  • Results

 

Hanbury Trophy (3.28.15 - 3.29.15)

  • Representing the Hoos this weekend at CNU was Chris Craven ('16), Callie Hern ('18), Julia Gowell ('18), Casey Firth ('15), Parker Brown ('16), and Eliza Schuett ('17). Competitors were met Saturday morning with a fresh Northwest/Westerly breeze on the James River. Four races were completed in the morning and after lunch another seven. No protests were filed. All courses except for Race #2 were W4, Race #2 was a Gold Cup due to the breeze. The Hoos were in the lead most of the day, but finished in 2nd at the end. Five races were sailed Sunday in a shifty 10-15 knot westerly on the James River to complete the rotation. The Hoos finished the regatta still in 2nd place behind Eckerd College. Vice Commodore Chris Craven won A-Division, a great weekend for Virginia Sailing! 

  • Results

 

 

War Memorial - MAISA Fleet Race Championship (11.1.14-11.2.14)

  • Erick Chiroles ('15), Chris Craven ('16), Sam Patterson ('16), Eliza Schuett ('17) and Olivia Bicks ('17) traveled to New York to represent UVA at the War Memorial, the MAISA Fleet Race Championship, hosted by SUNY Maritime.  UVA finished in 15th. On Saturday, sailors were greeted by a blustery NNE breeze from 10-20kts. After the first day and a first place finish by B fleet in the last race of the day, the Hoos were in 16th place. On Sunday, teams arrived to 30 knots of breeze with gusts up to 40. After a prolonged wind delay, 2 more B races were completed. Although UVA moved up to 15th place, the team unfortunately did not qualify for the Atlantic Coast Championship. We're proud of our sailors for toughing it out in the rough conditions and look forward to returning to Lake Anna to train hard for the spring season.

 

ODU Spring Open (3.7.15-3.8.15)

  • As the first stop on the Spring Break trip, Callie Hern('18), Julia Gowell ('18), Eliza Schuett ('17), Parker Brown ('16), Colleen Roney ('18), Casey Russell ('17), Chris Craven ('16), Jordan Cornell ('17) and Casey Firth ('15) traveled to Norfolk, VA to represent UVA at the ODU Spring Open. UVA had two teams one of which placed 8th and the other 11th. On Saturday, Teams were greeted at the ODU Sailing Center with the sun shining, and chilly temps. The morning consisted of a southerly breeze 4-8 knots, which increased throughout the day and progressively shifted to the right. The Monarchs ran 3 sets of races. Sunday sailors were welcomed with much warmer temperatures. Breeze was up and down throughout the day, gusts reached about 15 knots at times.

  • Results

 

Eckerd's Interconference (3.14.15 - 3.15.15)

  • For the final destination of the Spring Break trip Chris Craven ('16), Julia Gowell ('18), Fritz Steur ('18), Casey Firth ('15), Parker Brown ('16), Callie Hern ('18) and Eliza Schuett ('17) made it all the way down to St. Petersburg, FL for Eckerd's Interconference. On Saturday, the first 3 races were held in a light southeasterly of about 8 knots. As race 3 was ending the breeze began to build. Races 4-9 were held in a building southerly. The breeze peaked at about 14-16 knots and ended up southwest. On Sunday it was cloudy with a light northerly wind. Competitors left the dock at 9:45 to attempt a race. A northerly teased competitors for about 30 minutes but no races were attempted. Competitors headed back to the dock. A light westerly filled in at about 12:45 but the pressure was not quite enough. Racing was called at 1:00 and the Hoos finished in 5th! 

  • Results

Webb Regatta (10.25.14-10.26.14)

  • Casey Firth ('15), Callie Hern ('18), Colleen Roney ('18), and Fritz Steuer ('18) competed in the Webb Regatta at CNU.  Sailors were greeted byglassy conditions on the James River, which forced a 45 minute postponement on shore. A shifty N/NW breeze filled in and clocked to the south and going light. Only one race in each division was completed this morning. After lunch, conditions were relatively the same with more Southerly at 3-5knts and dying completely. After roughly a forty minute postponement around 3PM an Easterly breeze filled in at 3-5knts and racing continued to get in 5 races in A and another 4 in B to make a total of 6 races in A Division and 5 in B for Saturday.  Sunday started out with a solid 8-10knts out of the N and shifting to the NW and lightening to 5 knts. Six more races were completed in A Division and seven in B Division to get in a total of 12 races for each division for the regatta. All courses were W4 with a gate.  The Hoos finished in 6th.  Wahoowa!

  • Results

Luce Regatta (10.18.14-10.19.14)

  • Chris Craven ('16), Sam Patterson ('16), Eliza Schuett ('17), Jordan Cornell ('17), Julia Gowell ('18) and Colleen Roney ('18) represented the team at the Luce Regatta, held at Kings Point.  Day 1 at the Luce Regatta started with a light SW breeze at 5-8 knots. As the day went on the breeze clocked farther right to a solid westerly direction for a better part of the day at about 8-14 knots. Teams went ashore for a lunch break after 6 races in both A and B around 1330. Race 7A started at 1445 and racing was completed after 10 races in each division. The RC intended to push for 12 in each but during the last race the breeze shifted WNW and increased in velocity causing some teams to capsize. It was decided to end the day with 10 each at around 1700.  Courses sailed were W-4s with an offset and a gate. The fleet switch occurred after race 8.  Sunday started with nice North breeze at 11-18 knots. The RC decided to use only the 420 fleet with the forecast calling for a windy conditions. Race 11A began and on the first downwind the conditions became a bit much with winds gusting over 25 and waves 2-5ft. A few boats sailed in on their own and a few others were turtled. The RC decided to call the regatta at 11:30 due to the conditions.  UVA placed 3rd out of 15 teams, and qualified for the War Memorial (MAISA Fleet Race Championship) in 2 weeks by placing in the top 6.  Wahoowa!

  • Results

Jefferson Cup (10.18.14-10.19.14)

  • UVA hosted the 1st Annual Jefferson Cup, formally known as the Virginia Open.  A total of 8 teams competed on Lake Anna in what turned out to be a very breezy weekend, with white caps materializing on both Saturday and Sunday.  A and B fleets sailed individually in FJs.  On Saturday, 9.5 sets were completed.  The puffs made for an interesting day, and every team except for Salisbury experienced either a capsize or man overboard. Due to the windy conditions, there were several mechanical break downs but the patrol boats were able to respond quickly and get everyone back on the water.  On Sunday, the teams arrived expecting 5-10 knots but were greeted by more white caps and gusts in the high teens.  There were gusts up to 27 knots, but eventually the wind settled to about 12 knots and 2.5 sets were completed, making for a total of 12 sets in the regatta.  NC State took home the Jefferson Cup, which was presented by UVA Dean of Students, Allen Groves.  UVA placed 2nd, in front of Salisbury.  Sailing for the Wahoos were Parker Brown ('16), Nate Ray ('17), Tricia Stump ('18), Callie Hern ('18) and Turner LaBrie ('18). Afterwards, the teams were welcomed back to the home of Arthur McKenny for a cookout on the lake.  Thank you to our PRO Erick Chiroles, Regatta Chairman Casey Firth, and faculty advisor JT Lendon for putting on a successful event.  We look forward to next year! 

 

South Fall Qualifier (10.4.14-10.5.14)

  • Chris Craven ('16), Sam Patterson ('16), Eliza Schuett ('17), Olivia Bicks ('17) and Parker Brown ('16) represented the team at the South Fall Qualifier, held by St. Mary's.  The forecast 25kts never materialized on Saturday; but 5-15 kts. shifting between West and North provided excellent racing for the 15 schools trying to qualify for the War Memorial. 12 races were completed per division on the first day.  On Sunday, the final 3 races in each division were completed in a shifty Westerly that ranged between 5-12 kts. A W-4 course was used for all races.  The team placed 6th out of 15 schools and qualified for the Luce Regatta which will be held two weekends from now.

 

MAISA Fall Women's Dinghy (10.4.14-10.5.14)

  • Casey Firth ('15), Casey Russell ('16), Colleen Roney ('18), Julia Gowell ('18), and Tricia Stump ('18) represented the team at the MAISA Fall Women's Dinghy held at the United States Naval Academy.  The first day was a terrific day for sailing in Annapolis. Sailors arrived to overcast skies and NW winds 10-15 knots in the Severn River. A W4 course was set and 4 races were run in each division before a lunch break. The skies cleared up throughout the day and the wind came along with the sunshine, increasing to over 20 knots at times. There were big shifts and velocity changes, that along with the strong winds proved a real challenge for the racers. 10 races were completed per division for the day.  After the cold front came through on Saturday, Sunday truly felt like a fall day with, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 50s. A course was set off Triton Point in a Westerly breeze that started out under 10 knots, with huge shifts and pressure changes. As the morning went on, the wind increased into the mid teens with still the same crazy puffs and shifts. The final four races were completed in each division to end the regatta by lunchtime.  UVA finished 13th.  

  • Results

St. Mary's Fall Inter-Conference (9.27.14-9.28.14)

  • Chris Craven ('16), Sam Patterson ('16), Eliza Schuett ('17), Olivia Bicks ('17) and Colleen Roney ('18) represented the team at the St. Mary's Fall Inter-Conference. Saturday proved to be a beautiful day on the St. Mary's River--just not a lot of wind.  4 races were completed before the lunch break in a dying north/north easterly. The wind died in time for competitors to enjoy the annual family weekend Great Bamboo Boat Race. Following the paddling action the wind filled from the south allowing 2 more races. Racing began on Sunday with an 11:30am harbor start in a light Southerly which held right until the very end of race 12 b.  UVA had a tough weekend, finishing in 16th place.

 

Colony Cup (9.27.14-9.28.14)

  • Casey Firth ('15), Casey Russell ('17), Nathan Ray ('17), Macon Spruill ('17), and Turner LaBrie ('18) traveled to William and Mary for the Colony Cup.  Day 1 began with light and shifty wind ranging from about 0 to 5 knots, but breeze filled in in the afternoon and 4 races were sailed in A and B fleet.  Similiarly on day 2, breeze was light however both A and B were able to sail 2 races.  UVA placed 6th.

 

Nevins Trophy (9.20.14-9.21.14)

  • Chris Craven ('16), Sam Patterson ('16), Eliza Schuett ('17), Casey Firth ('15), Jordan Cornell ('17), and Julia Gowell ('18) traveled to New York for the Nevins Trophy hosted by the United States Merchant Marine Academy.  This was a 3 division event and included FJs, 420s, and lasers.  On day 1, sailors were greeted to a building southerly. Racing began at 0945 and a total of 6 sets were completed before a lunch break, at which point the breeze was S to SSW 7-17 knots.  After an hour break, race 7A began at 1405 and the breeze freshened up to 13-20.0 knots.  The day was completed with a total of 10 races sailed.  Day 2 began with a postponement, which lasted until 1100.  A very faint northerly filled in and the fleet went out.  Race 11A started around 1145 with NNE winds at 5 knots. All three divisions got one race off before the wind died completely. At 1300 the regatta was postponed ashore. At 1345, it was clear there would be no more racing for the day.  UVA placed a respectable 18th among this very competitive fleet.

 

Edward Teach Memorial (9.20.14-9.21.14)

  • Parker Brown ('16), Callie Hern ('18), Colleen Roney ('18) and Fritz Steuer ('18) traveled to Hampton University to compete in the Edward Teach Memorial.  There was a steady breeze of 9-14 knots N-NE all day Saturday, resulting in the completition of 12 races in combined divisions.  On Sunday, breeze was 6-10 knots N-NE and 4 races were completed.  UVA placed 6th.

 

Riley Cup (9.13.14-9.14.14)

  • The Fall season kicked off with the Riley Cup at Old Dominion University.  Chris Craven ('16), Sam Patterson ('16), Olivia Bicks ('17), Eliza Schuett ('17), Parker Brown ('16), Colleen Roney ('18), Dorothy Stump ('18), Callie Hern ('18) and Julia Gowell ('18) represented the team.  The breeze was light throughout the day and after only a few races, the fleet was called off of the water due to threat of lightning.  On Sunday the breeze picked up to 10-18 knots NNE.  Gold Cups were used until the breeze faded to 5-10, at which point W-4s were implemented.  With two teams competing, UVA finished the weekend off in 12th and 15th.  Congratulations to the five rookies who made their debut sailing for the team!  

 

ICSA Dinghy National Championship Semifinals (6.3.14-6.6.14)

  • Racing at the National Championship began on Tuesday with very light breeze. A division and B division in both the Eastern and Western Semifinals were able to complete 2 races, before the breeze died entirely.  The 36 teams then sat on shore in a postponement for the rest of the day, and were unable to complete any more races. At that time, Virginia sat in 10th place. The top 9 teams at the end of the second day in each of the Eastern and Western Semifinals advanced to the National Championship Finals on June 5th and 6th. 

     

    On Wednesday, the team arrived knowing that they had some serious work to do. Unfortunately, the wind did not have UVA's ambitions in mind, and there was no wind whatsoever on the water. The day began with a postponement, which did not lift until around 1 p.m. With a no-sail-after time of 3 p.m., there was not very much time for races. The Eastern Semifinal (in which Virginia was competing) completed 4 more races before the time limit expired,  resulting in a total of 6 races in each division, while the Western Semifinal completed two more races for a total of 4 in each division. Unfortunately, UVA was unable to move into the top 9, instead finishing the regatta in 13th place. 

     

    Regardless of the finish, training and Nationals themselves were an incredible learning experience for the team, and we are very grateful to have been able to go. A huge thank you goes out to all of those who made the trip possible; the CNU Sailing Team, Max Plarr, the Jacksonville University Sailing Team, Jon Faudree, Fishing Bay Yacht Club, the Hubbard Family, the Patterson Family, the Firth Family, the Stessing Family, and all of the alumni and friends of Virginia Sailing who donated to the team. Without our support network, we wouldn't be able to perform at the incredibly high level that we do.

     

Virginia A-Skipper Chris Stessing Awarded LT Robert H. Purrington Trophy

  • Past Commodore Chris Stessing (SEAS '14) was selected as this year's recipient of the LT Robert H. Purrington Trophy. This award recognizes the sailor within MAISA who has made outstanding contributions to our sport.

 

From the MAISA website:

“This award was established in March 2001 in honor of LT Robert H. Purrington. LT Purrington was Commodore of the Princeton University Yacht Club during his Senior year and led the team to a victorious season in 1965-1966. After graduation, he was commissioned and received his wings as a Navy Pilot. He flew 121 combat missions. LT Purrington died of leukemia in 1971. This trophy is awarded annually to the graduating senior from MAISA who has made outstanding contributions to college sailing through his/her efforts, not only by competing, but in the promotion of the sport, by fostering sportsmanship among teams, maintaining quality of competition, and contributing to the overall performance of our district. The recipient is not necessarily the best sailor in MAISA but embodies the selfless spirit of true competition and commitment to excellence in support of college sailing in the MAISA district."

 

  • Stessing is also the MAISA nominee for the ICSA Student Leadership award.  Congratulations Chris, and thank you for all that you have done for both our club and the sport of college sailing!

Nationals Training (5.29.14-6.2.14)

  • Training for Nationals began on May 29th, when the team of Chris Stessing ('14), Chris Craven ('16), Olivia Bicks ('17), Caitlin Grumbling ('16), Ellen Hubbard ('14), Sam Patterson ('16), Eliza Schuett ('17), and coach KC Fullmer arrived in Hampton, Virginia to practice at the Christopher Newport University Sailing Center. The team was able to practice in a variety of conditions, and got to line up against the Jacksonville University sailors, who were also training in the area. After a very productive three days of practice, the team packed up camp and moved the (un)official U.Va. training headquarters to the Fishing Bay Yacht Club in Deltaville, Virginia on the Northern Chesapeake. The club (of which 2013-2014 captain Ellen Hubbard is a member) graciously offered the Virginia team usage of some of their C420's to practice with. The team practiced there for a full 2 days in breeze conditions that would mirror the sailing at St. Mary's for the National Championship. On Monday, June 2nd, the team once again packed up and moved north; this time to St. Mary's City, Maryland for the National  Championship.

     

     

Photo by Larry Kennedy

America Trophy (4.26.14-4.27.14)

  • Chris Stessing ('14), Chris Craven ('16), Ellen Hubbard ('14), Eliza Schuett ('17), Hannah Varden ('15), Sam Patterson ('16), and Caitlin Grumbling ('16) traveled to King's Point, NY to compete in the America Trophy, which is the MAISA Fleet Racing Championship, and a qualifier for the National Championship. Saturday was very light and shifty, with only 6 A races and 4 B races completed. At the end of Day 1, Virginia sat in 10th place. Sunday began with more breeze than Saturday, and the promise of a lot more racing. The breeze built and died throughout the day as several cloud lines rolled through, bringing some afternoon rain. At the end of racing on Sunday, 16 races in each division had been completed. Our Wahoo sailors had collected 270 points, placing them in 7th place. The top 8 finishers at the event move on to the National Championship in early June. This is the second year in a row that we have qualified for Nationals, and only the second time in U.Va. history! A huge congratulations goes out to our racing team for their incredible season, and this amazing accomplishment. Please congratulate them when you see them during these last few days of school. They will be traveling to St. Mary's City, MD on June 3rd for Nationals.

Admiral's Cup (4.19.14-4.20.14)

  • The team of Chris Stessing ('14), Chris Craven ('16), Caitlin Grumbling ('16), Sam Patterson ('16), Eliza Schuett ('17), and Jordan Cornell ('17) went to the US Merchant Marine Academy at King's Point for the annual Admiral's Cup, a 3-division interconference regatta. Stessing and Schuett sailed A Division, while Craven, Grumbling, and Patterson sailed in B Division and Cornell sailed C Division (Lasers). The weekend was breezy and shifty, and served as fantastic practice for next weekend's America Trophy, which will also be held at King's Point.

Photo by Larry Kennedy

South Spring Qualifier (4.12.14-4.13.14)

  • Chris Stessing ('14), Chris Craven ('16), Ellen Hubbard ('14), Olivia Bicks ('17), Hannah Varden ('15), and Sam Patterson ('16) traveled to Hampton, VA to compete in the South Spring Qualifier at Hampton University. Conditions were varied all weekend, and 11 races were completed. The Wahoos finished the event in 1st place, with the top 5 finishers advancing to the America Trophy on April 26-27 at King's Point. Congrats 'Hoos!

Photo by George Tatum

Practice at Old Dominion (3.29.14-3.30.14)

  • Last weekend, part of our racing team spend Saturday and Sunday practicing at Old Dominion with their team and Virginia coach K.C. Fullmer. They spend four hours on the water Saturday morning, practicing team racing with Old Dominion in FJs. After a quick lunch, Virginia hit the water in 420's with K.C. and ODU team member Joe David. The breeze had built, so the team worked on some heavy-air boathandling and did some distance sailing. On Sunday morning, the breeze had built significantly. After launching the coachboat, it was decided that it was too breezy to be safe, and the Wahoos headed home. A huge thanks to Old Dominion for allowing us to use their facility and putting us through our paces on Saturday morning. Furthermore, a special thanks to Joe David (ODU '16) for practicing with us on Saturday afternoon, and being ready to go on Sunday morning.

Photo by George Tatum

MAISA/SAISA Interconference (3.22.14-3.23.14)

  • This weekend, skippers Chris Stessing ('14) and Chris Craven ('16) and crews Sam Patterson ('16), Hannah Varden ('15), and Eliza Schuett ('17) travelled to Hampton University to compete in their first fleet race of the semester, the MAISA/SAISA Interconference. Saturday was breezy but flat, so we went light with Stessing/Varden in A division, and Craven/Schuett in B division. After a long day of puffy conditions, Virginia sat in second place by only a few points. Sunday morning dawned cold with breeze blowing off of Strawberry Banks. Craven and Patterson sailed races 9B and 10B to start the day. The breeze was around 17 knots, with huge puffs (up to 28 knots) and shifts that made conditions very tricky. After a member of the NC State team was hit by the boom and taken to the hospital to get his cheek stitched, racing was called for the day. Virginia finished 3rd behind St. Mary's and Christopher Newport. A huge thanks to Hampton University for hosting; a special thanks to George Tatum, for taking wonderful pictures of the event and sharing them with us. Also, a speedy recovery to the member of the Wolfpack Sailing team that had to get stitches, we hope see you on the water soon!

Georgetown Team Race (3.1.14-3.2.14)

  • Skippers Chris Stessing ('14), Sam Patterson ('16), and Chris Craven ('16) travelled with crews Ellen Hubbard ('14), Eliza Schuett ('17), Olivia Bicks ('17), and Grayson Walker ('17) to attend the Georgetown Team Race in Washington, D.C. After a long, cold Saturday with a breeze that died as the afternoon wore on, 2 of the weekend's three scheduled round-robins were completed. On Sunday morning, sailing was postponed until 11:30; as soon as our Wahoos started the first race against Georgetown, what little breeze there was died and the regatta was called. Thank you to the Georgetown sailors who ran the regatta, they did an excellent job getting races out with the light, shifty breeze. Additionally, a special thanks goes to alums Whit Overstreet, Nate Wapner, and Farley Will for taking the Virginia sailors on a cruise down the Potomac Saturday night aboard Whit's houseboat. Without the continued support of alumni like yourselves, we wouldn't be able to do what we do here at Virginia Sailing.

Pirate Team Race (2.22.14-2.23.14)

  • This weekend, skippers Chris Stessing ('14), Chris Craven ('16), and Ellen Hubbard ('14), along with crews Olivia Bicks ('17), Eliza Schuett ('17), and Jordan Cornell ('17) travelled to Hampton University in Hampton, VA to compete in their first regatta of the year, the Pirate Team Race. Both days had extremely light air, and racing was postponed and abandoned repeatedly. At the end of Sunday, only one of the three round-robins that were scheduled had been completed, and Virginia finished 5th. This was the Wahoos' first chance to get on the water all together this season, and was a great warm-up for our busy season ahead. Virginia Sailing hits the water next at Georgetown on March 1-2, for the Georgetown Team Race.

News 2012-2013 Season

Navy Fall Interconference (10.19.13-10.20.13)

  • While the Virginia Open was being hosted at Lake Anna, our racing team was also competing at the Navy Fall Interconference regatta in Annapolis, MD. This is the first ever four division regatta that Virginia Sailing has competed in. In addition to the typical A and B divisions, there were C (Laser Full Rig) and D (Laser Radial) divisions. Chris Stessing ('14), Olivia Bicks ('17), Sam Patterson ('16), Chris Craven ('16), Alex Brenin ('15), Jordan Cornell ('17), Nick Baez ('17) and Eliza Schuett ('17) were accompanied by coach KC Fullmer and Gordon Wolcott in Annapolis. Stessing and Bicks sailed in A division (with Patterson going in for races 17 & 18), Craven and Brenin sailed B division (Cornell tagging Brenin out for race 18 & 19), Baez sailed C division, and Schuett took on D division. Consistent 12-14 knot breeze and a long trapezoidal course provided for great racing on the Severn. At the end of the weekend, we took 19th place in the most competitive regatta in college sailing of the fall season. Thank you to the Latimers, who host the team when we sail in Annapolis!

From left: Craven, Brenin, Bicks, Schuett, Cornell, Stessing, Patterson, Baez

Virginia Open (10.19.13-10.20.13)

  • This weekend, Virginia hosted our annual regatta at Lake Anna, the Virginia Open. We had 5 other teams (4 MAISA, 1 SAISA) attend, for a total of six teams competing. Sailing for Virginia were Grayson Walker ('17), Casey Russell ('17), Casey Firth ('15), and Alistair Wilson ('16). With the help of alumni Nate Wapner as PRO and faculty advisor JT Lendon as race committee, the 12 scheduled races were completed in very shifty light conditions. A big thank-you goes out to Nate, JT, Racing Secretary Caitlin Grumbling, and all the other Virginia sailors that helped make the weekend a success.

Firth, Walker, Russell, Wilson

South #1 (10.5.13-10.6.13)

  • While the women's team competed at Hobart, the Coed squad was at St. Mary's, attempting to qualify for the MAISA fleet racing championship (the War Memorial) with sailors Chris Stessing ('14), Olivia Bicks ('17), Chris Craven ('16), Alex Brenin ('16), Jordan Cornell ('17), and Grayson Walker ('17) competing with coach KC Fullmer. Stessing and Bicks took on A division, while Craven and Brenin sailed B division. Keeping with the apparent theme for the season, conditions were light and shifty. After a rough day on Saturday, Virginia had a great day on Sunday and moved into 4th place by the end of the day. This qualifies the coed squad for the War memorial, as the top 6 teams qualified. Lets go, Wahoos!

MAISA Women's Fall Championship (10.5.13-10.16.13)

  • Hobart and William Smith Colleges hosted the MAISA Women's Fall Championship in Geneva, NY. Ellen Hubbard ('14), Caitlin Grumbling ('16), Eliza Schuett ('17), and Lara Schecter ('16) travelled to Seneca Lake with Vice Commodore Sam Patterson ('16) as a driver/coach. Shifty, cold, and rainy conditions on the lake made for difficult racing, and the full rotation of 13 races was completed by Sunday arond noon. This was each of these ladies' first women's event, and they did great; Virginia finished the weekend in 12th. 

 

 

 

St. Mary's Fall Interconference (9.28.13-9.29.13)

  • ​This weekend, Virginia Sailing sent Chris Stessing ('14), Caitlin Grumbling ('16), Sam Patterson ('16), Ellen Hubbard ('14), Eliza Schuett ('17) and Jordan Cornell ('17) to the St. Mary's Fall Interconference regatta at St. Mary's College of Maryland with alumni Gordon Wolcott coaching. Stessing skippered A division with Grumbling, while Patterson skippered B division with Ellen Hubbard and Eliza Schuett. After a long weekend of light, very shifty conditions, the Wahoos finished the weekend 17th.​

Grumbling, Patterson, Schecter, Hubbard, and Schuett

National Championship Finals 5/28/13-5/30/13

  • Training: Beginning on May 20th, Gordon Wolcott ('13), Chris Stessing ('14), Sam Patterson ('16), Ellen Hubbard ('14), Hannah Varden ('15), Caitlin Grumbling ('16), Lizzy Michler ('16), and Erick Chiroles ('15) spent a week in Norfolk, VA training with Old Dominion University in preparation for Nationals. The team put in a solid 5 days of practice before driving down to St. Petersburg, FL on Saturday, May 25. A huge thank you goes out to Old Dominion University and Monarch Sailing for helping our racing team get into top form before Nationals.

  • Day 1: After spending a day and a half relaxing in St. Petersburg, Virginia Sailing kicked into gear and began competing in the Gill/ICSA National Championship Finals. Co-hosted by Eckerd College and University of South Florida, the event is being held at the Magnuson Hotel Marina Cove. The 18 competing teams got an hour to practice in the morning before the first warning at 10:45. With decent breeze and a dying forecast, A skipper Gordon Wolcott sailed with Ellen Hubbard, while B skipper Chris Stessing sailed with Caitlin Grumbling. The breeze held true to the forecast and died throughout the day as several storm cells moved through Tampa Bay. Due to these conditions, racing was called for the day after race 5B. Virginia Sailing sits in 16th place at the end of the day, and the racers are looking forward to improving throughout the regatta. An 11-13 knot forecasted breeze from the southeast will provide excellent racing on Wednesday.

  • Day 2: Racing began at 9:45, with a moderately strong easterly breeze blowing across Tampa Bay. Gordon Wolcott and Sam Patterson began in A division for race 6, while Chris Stessing and Lizzy Michler tackled B division. The breeze died slightly, so Ellen Hubbard tagged Sam Patterson out for races 7 and 8. The wind began to build to a consistent 17 knots as afternoon storm cells rolled through the bay, so Sam Patterson went back out with Gordon Wolcott and Chris Stessing sailed with Erick Chiroles. After race 14, sailing was called for the day. Virginia Sailing sits in 17th at the end of the day, with four more races scheduled for Thursday. The forecast is for 14-16 knots of wind from the east, which will provide a good final day of Nationals. Be sure to cheer the team on via Facebook or Twitter!

  • Day 3: Thursday dawned with a steady 16 knots of breeze from the east, and lots of chop. With only four races in each division left, racing began promptly at 9:45. Sailing in A division for Virginia was skipper Gordon Wolcott with crew Sam Patterson, while Chris Stessing and Ellen Hubbard sailed B division. Over the course of the next two hours, the breeze built to 20 knots, still from the east. Virginia Sailing continued to fight through the most competitive collegiate fleet in the country, finishing out the regatta in 17th after 18 races in each division. This moves Virginia up to the rank of 17, the highest achieved yet.

  • A special thanks goes to the Wolcott family, the Hubbard family, the Stessing family, the Patterson family, the Chiroles family, and Rachel Henderson for coming down to St. Petersburg to cheer the team on. The moral support that they provided kept the team going throughout three days of hard sailing. The team would also like to extend an enormous thank you to coach K.C. Fullmer, who has helped guide the team over the past several years to our current level of success. K.C. is an incredible sailor, coach, and role model for the entire team; furthermore, he is a volunteer and coaches the team every weekend on his own time. We look forward to working with him in the future. Lastly, a thank you goes to Virginia's A-skipper, Gordon Wolcott. Over the course of his four years at the University of Virginia, Gordon has worked relentlessly to further Virginia Sailing and promote the team. Under his guidance as captain, Virginia Sailing entered the national arena, made it to first the National Championship Semi-finals, and then Finals while becoming nationally ranked for the first time in school history. Gordon has taught the entire team an incredible amount, and will be missed as a team member. The team looks forward to seeing him on the water around Hampton Roads, and wishes him the best as he ventures into the real world.

A-Fleet on Day 1

The team at the ICSA National Championship Banquet

 

Edward Teach Memorial 9.21.13-9.22.13

Virginia Sailing sent the team of Caitlin Grumbling ('16), Matt Golladay ('17), Grayson Walker ('17), Sarah Hendrickson ('16) and Jordan Cornell ('17) to Hampton University for the Edward Teach Memorial Regatta this weekend. Golladay sailed as the A-Skipper with Grumbling as his Crew, while both Cornell and Walker switched off as B Fleet Skipper with Crew Sarah Hendrickson. This regatta served as an introduction to college-level racing for Golladay, Walker, and Cornell - all of whom are First Years and had never skippered in a regatta of this competition and format. On Saturday, Hampton University was able to finish eight races in W4 format with steady breeze of 8-10 knots coming from the South. On Sunday, the breeze picked up to 10-12 knots from the North/Northeast and showed the new skippers some challenges with unpredictable shifts in the last four races of the regatta. KC Fullmer was able to coach the new skippers both days of racing and there were many valuable lessons taken away from this regatta. Thank you to KC for helping out the new members of the team, and thank you to Hampton University for hosting the regatta!

 

Cornell, Grumbling, Hendrickson, Walker, and Golladay

Schechter and Schuett in Laser Radials

Radial Open/Laser South 9.14.13-9.15.13

This weekend, Sam Patterson ('16), Nick Baez ('17), Eliza Schuett ('17), and Lara Schechter ('16) travelled to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD to compete in Lasers in the Radial Open and Laser South regattas. Patterson and Baez competed in the Laser South in full-rigs, while Schuett and Schechter competed in the Radial Open in Laser Radials. This was Schuett, Baez, and Schechter's first ever college regatta, and Patterson's first Laser event. On Saturday, racing was held in the Severn River next to the Academy, in patchy and lumpy conditions. Breeze ranged from 5 to 15 with large oscillations every few moments. Sunday's racing was delayed until 1 pm due to a lack of velocity, but began when a sea breeze filld in at 14-17 knots. An opposing tide created lots of chop, and six races were completed for a weekend total of 18. The event was a great season opener for the singlehanded team, and an excellent chance to get some time on Lasers.​​

Riley Cup 9.14.13-9.15.13

Virginia sent two teams to the Riley Cup at Old Dominion University this weekend to kick off the 2013-2014 College Sailing Season. The first team consisted of 4th year skipper Chris Stessing sailing A with 1st year Olivia Bicks crewing.  2nd year Chris Craven skippered for 3rd year Alex Brenin.  UVa's second team was primarily made up of brand new sailors.  First years Dylan Campbell and Jordan Cornell sailed A division while Captain and 4th year Ellen Hubbard skippered here first event for 1st year Grayson Walker in B division.

 

The conditions were great on Saturday with the breeze starting around 15 knots and slowly dying throughout the say.  Sundayhad very light breeze and little racing was completed.  In the end, 10 A and B races were completed.  UVA had a great showing with the top team of Chris and Chris placing 5th overall.  New skippers Dylan and Captain Ellen for UVa's second team had a lot of fun in their first event driving and finished 16th.

 

It was a very successful weekend overall for Virginia, and many thanks go out to our host family, the Wolcott's, who were very generous and accommodating as always!  The team is excited to see if they can build off of last year's success, and has a full plate of regattas this semester so stay tuned.

 

Patterson and Wolcott at Semi's

Virginia Sailing Ranked 7th in MAISA 5/15/13

  • On May 15, 2013 Sailing World Magazine released their Conference Rankings for each of the 7 geographic conferences within the ICSA. Virginia Sailing was ranked 7th within the Mid-Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA). The MAISA rankings were, in order: Georgetown, St. Mary's, Old Dominion, Navy, Hobart/Wm. Smith, SUNY Maritime, Virginia, Fordham, and Cornell.

Hubbard and Stessing at Semi's

Virginia Sailing Ranked #18 college sailing team in U.S. 5/1/13

  • In the May 1st, 2013 Sailing World Magazine college sailing rankings, Virginia was placed at #18. This is only the second time that Virginia has made this list, the other being in the April 17, 2013 rankings with a #20 rank.

Stessing, Grumbling, Varden, Hubbard, Brenin, Wolcott, Patterson, and KC Fullmer

A-Division: Hubbard, Varden, Wolcott, and Patterson

B-Division: Hubbard, Stessing, and Grumbling

Virginia Sailing moves on to Gill/ICSA Coed Dinghy National Finals from Semi-Finals 4/26/13-4/28/13

  • Skippers Gordon Wolcott ('13) and Chris Stessing ('14) and crews Ellen Hubbard ('14), Caitlin Grumbling ('16), Hannah Varden ('15), and Sam Patterson ('16) traveled to the ICSA Coed Dinghy Semi-Finals this weekend. The team got an early start on Friday morning and arrived at Norfolk Yacht and Country Club around 1 p.m. to practice with Stanford and the University of Hawaii to warm up before the regatta on Saturday and Sunday. The much-welcome company on the water made for a great practice; thank you Stanford and Hawaii for joining us! On Saturday morning, 35 teams from around the country gathered at Hampton University for Semi-Finals. The schools were split into two fleets, one of which had 18 teams and used Hampton University's FJs, and the other had 17 teams and launched Old Dominion's FJs from Hampton Yacht Club. The top 9 teams from each of the two semifinals moved on to the Gill/ICSA Coed Dinghy Nation Finals in St. Petersburg, Florida (May 28-30). Saturday began with very light wind, so Gordon Wolcott and light-air crew Hannah Varden started in A division, with Chris Stessing and Caitlin Grumbling in B division. The breeze steadily built throughout the day, but stayed light enough that Ellen Hubbard and Sam Patterson stayed on shore waiting for breeze. At the end of Saturday, Virginia sat in the top 9, but the entire fleet was very close in points. Sunday morning dawned with light air again, so Gordon Wolcott sailed with Hannah Varden in A division again, while Chris Stessing and Caitlin Grumbling tackled B division. As the breeze built throughout the day, Sam Patterson stepped into A division as Gordon Wolcott's heavy-air crew, and Ellen Hubbard tagged Caitlin Grumbling out of B division. At this point, Virginia was just ahead of Connecticut College for the 9th place position in the fleet. The breeze then began to die again, so Ellen Hubbard moved into A division as Gordon Wolcott's crew for the final race, and Caitlin Grumbling moved back into B division with Chris Stessing. After a terse last race in each of A and B divisions, Virginia was in 9th place with 226 points, while Connecticut College had 232 points. This means that Virginia Sailing advances to the Gill/ICSA National Championship Finals for the first time in U.Va. history! US Sailing and Chris Love Productions were on the water the entire weekend, filming and commentating on the regatta. Please check out the video from the regatta using the link below, and take a look at the full results using the other link. A special thanks goes out to the Virginia Sailing coach, K.C. Fullmer, for all of the help he has given the team this season and in the seasons leading up to this. Furthermore, a huge thank you goes out to the Wolcott's, the Grumbling's, the Pattersons, Mrs. Hubbard, Rachel Henderson, and Alex Brenin for cheering us on all weekend. The support offered was a huge help to the team. Congratulations to the team, and check back for how you can follow us at Finals!



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Virginia A-Skipper Gordon Wolcott Named to 2nd All-MAISA Team

  • Today, Gordon Wolcott ('13) was named a member of the 2012-2013 2nd All-MAISA Coed Team for being one of the sailors that has best represented MAISA this year. Gordon has spent much of his time at the University working to further Virginia Sailing's racing program, and was a major player in propelling the team to its current #20 rank. Gordon will be graduating this May with a degree in Economics. We wish him the best as he ventures out into the world beyond Charlottesville, and thank him for everything that he has brought to Virginia Sailing, MAISA, and the ICSA.

Gordon with crew Hannah Varden

 

Virginia Sailing teaches UVA NROTC 4/21/13

  • This Sunday, 10 members of Virginia Sailing spent their day at our facility on Lake Anna, instructing more than 20 NROTC students in the basics of sailing. Strong breeze in the morning gave the midshipmen a bit of excitement, and light air in the afternoon allowed them to try their hand at skippering. Both instructors and students had a great time, and we look forward to continuing this program with UVA NROTC.

Chris Stessing and Lizzy Michler

Virginia Sailing Becomes a Nationally Ranked Sailing Team 4/17/13

  • Virginia Sailing was ranked by Sailing World magazine as the #20 team in the nation this week. This is a first for Virginia Sailing, and the race team has worked tirelessly this year at high level regattas to be able to get to this point. Be sure to congratulate the racers on this accomplishment!

Grumbling, Brenin, Patterson, Hubbard, Varden, Wolcott, Stessing, KC Fullmer

Virginia Sailing Qualifies for ICSA National Championship at the America Trophy 4/13/13-4/14/13

  • Skippers Gordon Wolcott ('13) and Chris Stessing ('14) and crews Sam Patterson ('16), Ellen Hubbard ('14), Alexandra Brenin ('15), Hannah Varden ('15), and Caitlin Grumbling ('16) traveled to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis with coach KC Fullmer this weekend to compete in the MAISA Fleet Racing Championship, the America Trophy. Racing was delayed on Saturday morning until 10:00, when a light 6-10 knot breeze filled in. Gordon Wolcott and Hannah Varden raced for Virginia in FJ's in A division, while Chris Stessing and Caitlin Grumbling sailed in 420's in B division. After 9 races, A division and B division switched boats, with some crew changes for Virginia. Ellen Hubbard went into A division with Gordon Wolcott, and Alex Brenin went into B division with Chris Stessing. Racing for the day was stopped at 5:00, after 12 total races had been completed in each division, with Virginia sitting in 6th place overall. Sunday morning saw a healthy 5-12 knot breeze on the Severn River, and racing beginning promptly at 9:30. Gordon Wolcott sailed with Ellen Hubbard, and Chris Stessing sailed with Caitlin Grumbling. The final 6 races of the regatta were completed by noon, with Virginia finishing the regatta in a strong 6th place. The top 8 finishers for the regatta advanced to the 1st Round ICSA National Championship (April 27-28), hosted at Hampton University and Hampton Yacht Club by Hampton University and Old Dominion University. This is the first time that Virginia has reached this level, and we wish the racing team the best of luck as they prepare for the event!

William & Mary 2 on 2 Team Race 4/6/13-4/7/13

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  • Michael Carter, Bliss Baker, Erick Chiroles, and Colin McCool traveled to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA this weekend to compete in a 2 on 2 team race. This format of racing was a new challenge for all who attended, and they quickly climbed a rather steep learning curve. The weekend was a lot of fun for these sailors, and a good way to try out the excitement of team racing. Thank you to William and Mary Sailing for a great weekend!

Michael Carter, Bliss Baker, Erick Chiroles, and Colin McCool

MAISA South Spring Qualifier 3/30/13-3/31/13

  • This weekend, Gordon Wolcott ('13), Chris Stessing ('14), Sam Patterson ('16), Rachel Henderson ('15), and Lizzy Michler ('16) traveled to Hampton University with coach KC Fullmer to qualify for the MAISA Fleet Racing Championship (America Trophy, Apr. 13-14), in their first fleet race of a spring season dominated by team racing. Saturday was extremely light and shifty, with racing delayed until 10:15. Chris Stessing sailed with Lizzy Michler in A division, while Sam Patterson began the day with Rachel Henderson in B division. After 2 races, Gordon Wolcott stepped into B division to skipper and help ensure qualification. Each division sailed 6 races on Saturday, and Virginia sat in 4th place at the end of the day. Sunday morning began with a re-sail of race 5A, after many protests of the Race Committee regarding the finish scoring. Chris Stessing and Lizzy Michler spent a miserable morning in the cold, pouring rain and light air, having to sail out to the race course on Hampton Harbor and sit for an hour while they waited for the minimum amount of wind to fill in. Gordon Wolcott and Rachel Henderson began in B division just as the rain lightened up and the wind filled in. The breeze built throughout the day, and Sam Patterson went in as Gordon Wolcott's heavy-air crew for the last race of the day. In A Division, Chris Stessing and Lizzy Michler placed 5th for the weekend, and Sam Patterson, Gordon Wolcott, and Rachel Henderson placed 1st in B Division. Virginia Sailing placed 4th of 16 overall for the weekend, qualifying for the America Trophy. Wish our racing team luck as they travel to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland for the America Trophy on the weekend of April 13th and 14th!

​Patterson and Henderson tacking

MAISA Team Race Challenge 3/23/13-3/24/13

  • Skippers Gordon Wolcott ('13), Chris Stessing ('14), and Sam Patterson ('16) sailed this weekend with crews Ellen Hubbard ('14), Alex Brenin ('15), Hannah Varden ('15), and Jacob Sztraicher ('14) in the MAISA Team Race Challenge at Washington College to qualify for the MAISA Team Racing Championship (Capt. Prosser Trophy). Breeze on Saturday was very shifty with strong puffs out of the west, and conditions went light on Sunday with breeze from the north, while current was very strong all weekend. After 3 round-robins of racing were completed, the Virginia team placed 4th, missing qualifying for the Prosser by only two places. Virginia will sail in the South Spring Qualifier next weekend (March 30-31) to qualify for the America Trophy (April 13-14), which is the MAISA Fleet Racing Championship and qualifier for First Round Semi-Finals for Fleet Racing Nationals. Good luck to the team as they travel to Hampton University for the South Spring Qualifier next weekend!

John Jackson Team Race 3/9/13-3/10/13

  • Gordon Wolcott ('13), Chris Stessing ('14), and Sam Patterson ('16) skippered this weekend with crews Ellen Hubbard ('14), Alex Brenin ('15), and Sarah Hendrickson ('16) at the John Jackson Memorial Team Race in D.C., hosted by Georgetown University. After only ten matches were completed on Saturday, the breeze died and racing was cancelled for the day. Racing resumed on Sunday around 10 a.m. when a SE breeze filled in, which built all day as it shifted southwest. The first round-robin was completed, and teams were then split into a final four and consolation four. The regatta was excellent practice for the team, and was the last team-racing regatta they will compete in before the Team Race Challenge (March 23-24), which is their qualifier for the MAISA team racing event (the Capt. Prosser Trophy, April 6-7).

CJ's Regatta 3/9/13-3/10/13

  • Casey Firth, Sherie Zhou, and Marvin Chinchilla competed at CNU in "CJ's Regatta" this weekend. They sailed 10 races in each division on Saturday, and were unable to sail on Sunday due to light air. This was both Casey and Marvin's first time skippering in a college regatta; they did an awesome job and are ready to get back on the water! A huge thank you goes to the CNU Captains for lending Virginia a crew for B division skipper Marvin Chinchilla, as well as hosting a very fun event.

Casey Firth, Sherie Zhou, and Marvin Chinchilla

ODU Spring Open 3/2/13-3/3/13

  • Amy Armentrout, Marshall Masterson, Michael Keane, Linda Codega, Rachel Henderson, and Erick Chiroles travelled to Norfolk, VA this weekend for the ODU Spring Open. The regatta was geared towards those who were interested in expanding their racing skills and trying their hand in the world of collegiate-level racing. The team put forth a great effort, and got some some awesome sailing experience. 

Erick Chiroles and Rachel Henderson

Graham Hall Team Race 3/2/13-3/3/13

  • Skippers Gordon Wolcott ('13), Chris Stessing ('14), and Sam Patterson ('16) with crews Ellen Hubbard ('14), Caitlin Grumbling ('16), Hannah Varden ('15) and Sarah Hendrickson ('16) competed in the Graham Hall Team Race at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD this weekend. Conditions were breezy and cold, with a few flurries of snow. The team kept pushing through a long weekend, competing against one of the most competitive fleets in the country. Special thanks go out to the crews for the weekend, who worked tirelessly despite tough, freezing conditions and rapid-fire maneuvering for hours on end. 176 matches were sailed between 16 teams, with each team competing in 22 of those. Thank you to the Naval Academy for hosting!

Hubbard, Wolcott, Hendrickson, Stessing, Varden, Patterson and Grumbling

Co-Captain Ellen Hubbard featured in Fishing Bay Yacht Club newsletter



Tom Noble Team Race 2/23/13-2/24/13

  • Skippers Gordon Wolcott ('13), Chris Stessing ('14), and Sam Patterson ('16) with crews Alex Brenin ('15), Ellen Hubbard ('14), Hannah Varden ('15) and Sarah Hendrickson ('16) traveled with coach KC Fullmer to Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland to compete in the Tom Noble Team Race this weekend. Racing on Saturday was delayed due to lack of wind until a 5-8 knot ENE breeze filled in around 11, at which point 2 round-robins were completed in the rain and fog. Conditions on Sunday started with a northerly 5-8 knots and built to 12-18 knots with a strong cross-current. After completing 2 more round-robins of racing, Virginia Sailing came out with a 4th place finish. The weekend served as a fantastic warm-up for the busy spring season. Thank you to Washington College for putting together a great regatta!
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