This weekend, our Salve sailors split across three states to compete at three different regattas: the Vietor Trophy Fleet Race at Connecticut College, the BU Trophy at Boston University, and the Salve Invite at Roger Williams University.
The BU Trophy roster included:
Conditions:
The Roger William's roster included:
Conditions:
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Medium-to-high breeze with intense shifts in velocity, which resulted in many capsizes.
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Extremely challenging conditions, such as current and cat-paws
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The Seahawks braved them as some of the lightest skipper-crew pairs on Salve's team.
The Vietor Trophy:
Roster
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On Saturday, March 29th, I drove the group of sailors competing at Connecticut College. Even with the long morning commute, the team's overall energy was focused. Following the skipper's meeting, the Seahawks focused on the conditions. Wind direction, current, and breeze velocity were noted prior to the races.
As the day continued, the sky darkened overhead and brought an increased breeze velocity with it. Our sailors adjusted their controls and body-weight movements with the increased pressure.
Towards the half-way point of the day, the breeze shifted and the racing strategy changed more drastically; one of the most notable factors that impacted how well people sailed was how familiar they were with the venue's channel depth and the ebbing tide. In order to maximize speed, the key is to sail in the shallower end of the channel on the upwind and in the deeper end of the channel on the downwind.
By incorporating this strategy into our racing decisions, the sailors prevented their boats from fighting the current and making little progress up the race course. The Seahawks were able to obtain a good ranking and relatively consistent scores throughout the day.
After Saturday, the Seahawks were placed 7th at the Vietor Trophy and 11th at the BU Trophy.
At the single-day event at Roger Williams, the Salve sailors placed 11 out of 15 at the Invite.
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On Sunday, March 30, our Salve sailors finished up their competitions at Connecticut College and Boston University. I drove and competed with the BU team on the Charles River, where medium breeze and shifting conditions made reading the wind increasingly difficult.
At the BU regatta, the key to sailing well was getting to the pressure as soon as possible and staying in the pressure for as long as possible. By getting to the pressure before your competition, you are able to increase your boat's speed and significantly increase your lead.
Success on the course depended on getting to and staying in the pressure early, which gave a clear speed advantage. Staying alert for shifts and puffs was key to gaining or holding positions.
Overall, it was a challenging but productive weekend. The team's performance reflected concepts from recent classroom sessions and debriefs, and we continue progressing through focused, intentional practice.
The team held their spot in 7th overall at the Vietor Trophy at Connecticut College and tied with Mass Maritime Academy at the BU Trophy for 13th place, but landed 14 out of 16. At the BU Trophy regatta on Sunday, the roster was changed with skipper Sean Morrison '27 sailing with crew Kate Johnson '25.
