May 3, 2009
WC Advances to National Finals for First Time Ever
#17 Washington Places 8th at ICSA Co-Ed Dinghy National Semis

BOSTON, MA -- The 17th-ranked Washington College sailing team finished eighth of 18 teams in one of the two ICSA Co-Ed Dinghy National Semifinals this weekend in Boston, MA. With the top-nine finish, Washington advances to the ICSA Co-Ed Dinghy National Championships for the first time in team history.

Junior skipper Conner Blouin (Tampa, FL/Jesuit) and senior crew Seth Olson (Branford, CT/Branford) finished seventh in A Division for Washington. Blouin and Olson turned in a consistent performance in the eight A Division races, finishing sixth, seventh, seventh, sixth, eighth, 11th, seventh, and sixth, respectively.

Senior skipper Derek Packard (Excelsior, MN/Breck) and junior crew John MacLellan (Catonsville, MD/Catonsville) were eighth in B Division. Packard and MacLellan were ninth, 11th, fourth, eighth, 11th, 12th, fourth, and seventh in the eight B Division races.

Four races sailed in each division on Saturday and another four in each division on Sunday. Fifth-ranked Yale finished first in the regatta, followed by top-ranked Boston College in second, fourth-ranked Charleston in third, 18th-ranked South Florida in fourth, 11th-ranked Hobart/William Smith in fifth, ninth-ranked New York Maritime in sixth, eighth-ranked Harvard in seventh, WC in eighth, and Pennsylvania in ninth.

The top nine finishers in Washington's semifinal regatta will be joined by the top nine finishers in this weekend's other semifinal regatta at the ICSA Co-Ed Dinghy National Championships. The top nine fishers in the other semifinal were, in order, second-ranked Georgetown, 12th-ranked Tufts, sixth-ranked St. Mary's, 19th-ranked Eckerd, third-ranked Roger Williams, 13th-ranked Stanford, seventh-ranked Navy, 13th-ranked Boston University, and 20th-ranked Old Dominion.

The ICSA Co-Ed Dinghy National Championships will be held June 1st-3rd at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, CA.