The co-ed and women’s sailing teams competed in their final event of the fall season this past weekend at the Atlantic Coast Championship, held for the co-ed team at Coast Guard and for the women at MIT. Competing against teams from up and down the east coast, the women’s team finished 12th out of 18 teams, while the co-ed team finished seventh out of 18.
This was the first time the Tufts women’s team competed in the Atlantic Coast Championship, and, according to sophomore Julia Fuller, the competition and the conditions were rough. Fuller said that this made it difficult to compete at the highest level.
Fuller crewed for junior Kate Shaner in the Tufts A boat, and sophomore MaryClaire Kiernan crewed for senior Caitlin Durand in the A division as well.
According to senior tri-captain Emily Lynn, this year's team has seen significant improvement and has been better prepared for competition. Fuller added that the team managed to meet all of its goals for the fall season, including qualifying for the ACCs.
The women’s team looks to maintain the enthusiasm it carried into the Atlantic Coast Championship and build off of the success of the team's fall season as it prepares for the spring.
“Get[ting] more consistent with starts and boat handling," Fuller said of the team's goals for the spring season.
“I want to see [the team] qualify for championship regattas in the spring,” Lynn added. “[It's] an attainable goal.”
Lynn explained that members of the team will workout together in the offseason, and will sail on their own, whether in frostbitten New England or competing in various regattas in Florida.
According to Lynn, the women's team went through a rebuilding stage last year and is now improving with a load of young talent.
“The women’s team is still going to be in a good place after the seniors graduate,” she said.
Co-ed team senior tri-captain Sam Madden commended the women's team on its recent success.
“[The] women’s team fluctuated, but rose to the occasion when it counted,” Madden said. “[It was] huge when [the women’s team] got to the ACCs.”
The co-ed team, on the other hand, underperformed at the competition, according to Madden, taking seventh place at the regatta, ahead of Georgetown but behind Old Dominion.
“The A division didn’t sail as well as expected,” he said.
The Tufts co-ed A division boat was skippered by senior Alec Ruiz-Ramon and crewed by Madden. Sophomore Scott Barbano skippered the other A division boat, and sophomore Caroline Atwood crewed for him. Senior tri-captain Dan Nickerson skippered the boat competing in the B division, while senior Jaime Maffeo served as crew.
“[This was] one of the better fall seasons in recent history,” Madden said of the team, which was ranked fifth in the country for six straight weeks. "The B boat performed really well at the [Atlantic Coast Championship]."
The young, promising talent on the team has impressed the tri-captain.
"There's a lot of talent in the class of 2017,” he said.
Like the women’s team, the co-ed team will also have the opportunity to sail during the offseason, both locally and in more temperate climates in Florida and on the west coast.
Overall, Madden said he is proud of the team chemistry of both the co-ed and women’s teams this fall, and he is excited to see the teams compete again in the spring.
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