October 14, 2007
#12 WC Finishes 3rd in Washington College Open
Washington Also 15th at Navy Fall Intersectional

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- The 12th-ranked Washington College sailing team finished third of 10 schools in the Washington College Open, held on the Chester River, and 15th of 20 schools at the Navy Fall Intersectional this weekend.

At the Washington College Open, junior skipper Derek Packard (Excelsior, MN/Breck) and sophomore crew Genevieve Smith (Hampstead, MD/North Carroll) finished second in A Division, while while freshman skipper Jonathan Barrows (Marblehead, MA/Marblehead) and freshman crew Tom Stattel (Calvert County, MD/Patuxent) were fourth in B Division.

Eight races were competed in each division on Saturday in the Washington College Open. Saturday's racing began in a breeze from the west-northwest at six miles per hour which built to 12 miles per hour from the west in the afternoon and died to six miles per hour. The final two races in each division were sailed on Sunday. A breeze from the west at four miles per hour built to eight miles per hour and shifted to the west-northwest. Third-ranked St. Mary's won the regatta, while Princeton was second.

At the Navy Fall Intersectional, senior skipper Alex Hood (Newport, RI/Portsmouth Abbey) and senior crew Shrijana Puri (Bethesda, MD/Bethesda-Chevy Chase) were 11th in A Division. Sophomore skipper Conner Blouin (Tampa, FL/Jesuit) sailed with and sophomore crew Krista Hankins (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) and freshman crew James Shepherd (Chicago, IL/Lincoln Park) to finish ninth in B Division. Senior Chase Hillyer (Summit, NJ/Morristown-Beard) was 18th in C Division, while sophomore Patrick Clancy (Scituate, MA/Boston College HS) placed 12th D Division.

Second-ranked Yale won the Navy Fall Intersectional, followed by third-ranked St. Mary's in second and sixth-ranked Brown in third. Saturday's races started with winds blowing from the northwest at 8-12 knots and fluctuating often later in the day. Sunday's winds were shifty from the northwest at 5-12 knots.

Next weekend, the Washington College sailing team will compete at the MAISA Sloops and the MAISA Open, both hosted by Navy.