Hello, Seahawks and welcome back! This is your captain Kate Johnson speaking.
This past week, I was able to interview Head Sailing Coach, Brittney Manning, about the team's experience at the New England Dinghy Tournament at Maine Maritime Academy.
The New England Dinghy Tournament Roster included:
Conditions:
Kathleen Johnson: This weekend our team traveled up to Castine, Maine to compete at the New England Dinghy Tournament. Overall, how do you feel the regatta went?
Coach Brittney Manning: Honestly, the regatta delivered more of a struggle than the athletes and I anticipated. After easy victories at the Fall Tournament and Loder trophy, which featured similar competition, I expected a similar result. However, I'm still pleased with the way our athletes sailed last weekend.
KJ: It's good to hear that our athletes were holding their own. Across the board, what kind of decision processes were our athletes making out on the water? Do our athletes look prepared as they are entering the increasingly competitive part of the season?
BM: They raced conservatively and didn't take unnecessary risks, which a coach is usually happy to see. This is especially encouraging as we plan to spend the next two weekends racing against more competitive fleets, where mistakes are costly and harder to recover from.
KJ: Were there any noticeable challenges that our sailors experienced this weekend?
BM: One challenge that I believe contributed to Fairfield's narrow victory was experience in the boats we sailed, the 420. As is the case with most collegiate teams, our primary fleet is the FJ. Though many teams have both FJs and 420s, and our time in 420s is limited. While similar at first glance, the two boats handle very differently, which is always an adjustment.
KJ: Yes, it definitely was a close call between Salve and Fairfield with their 12-point lead and I would agree that the difference in boat-handling could present some challenges for our athletes. Is there any potential for them to practice more in 420s?
BM: I'm glad to say that we have some more time planned in these boats this week. Thanks to Sail Newport, we'll get some practice hours in. We'll also have a chance to race in them at the Oberg Trophy this weekend (April 12-13).
KJ: It's encouraging to hear they'll be getting more practice time to build their confidence. After a week of practice, how do you think the Seahawks will fare against the competition?
BM: The Oberg will likely feature a larger and more competitive fleet, which will be an invaluable opportunity to identify weaknesses before our final training block of the season. I expect we'll wrap the weekend with an idea of what we need to work on before attempting to finish in the top 14 at the New England Fleet Race Championship on April 19-20 at Brown.
KJ: Do you believe that this is a realistic goal for the team?
BM: As NEISA is the most dense conference when it comes to talent in college sailing, this goal will be challenging to meet. However, I believe that if we remain focused, this group is fully capable of executing the necessary elements to achieve it.
KJ: How did the Seahawks place overall last weekend?
BM: The team earned qualification for the New England Fleet Race Championship by finishing in second place overall at the New England Dinghy Tournament.
KJ: Congrats to you and your team on the achievement this weekend and best of luck at the Oberg and the Central 4 Fleet Races next weekend.
