Congratulations to Sam, Ben, Sam and Archive, who competed in their first every college sailing regatta at the Erie Yacht Club this weekend. The sailors had great wind conditions and had the chance to fully immerse themselves in college racing, with competition from some very seasoned competitors out of Syracuse and RIT, as well as nearer clubs like Penn State, Pitt, and Gannon. Already we are talking strategy for our October race at Penn State / Prince Gallitzin.
https://scores.collegesailing.org/f21/battle-lake-erie/
Saturday, September 18:
It was a beautiful day for a regatta at the Erie Yacht Club on Presque Isle Bay on Lake Erie. By the start of racing the wind filled in at NE 8-12 knots and was consistent through most of the day. The RIT Tigers got off to a great start in the early going and sailed strongly through the whole day, holding down the number one slot. Syracuse and Pitt battled for second place, trading leads a couple times, but by the end of the day the Syracuse Orange began to settle into second. At 12:30 we broke for a catered lunch generously provided by the Erie Yacht Club foundation. After lunch the wind built to 12-15 but then started back down to 8-10. We finished 14 races, the last two in dying air. The race committee, comprised of many Erie Yacht Club volunteers, kept the course square through the day. All races were W2s because the wind is expected to be light tomorrow, and we wanted to get through as much of the rotation as possible today. Racing will reconvene at 10AM tomorrow with four more races to complete the rotation.
Sunday, September 19:
Another beautiful day on Presque Isle Bay on Lake Erie. Racing started at 10:00 AM with four more races to go to finish the rotations. The first race went off in 5-10 kts from the NE, and a couple holes scattered through the course. By the second race the breeze was up to 8-12 and pretty much a repeat of yesterday. We finished two B Fleet races and then each fleet finished off the day with a W4. Even though there were only four races today there were a couple close rivalries to watch. The battle for first place tightened and went down to the last race with the RIT Tigers holding onto first place by one point over the Syracuse Orange. In another rivalry, the Penn State Nittany Lions did their best to catch the Rochester Yellowjackets, but Rochester was able to hold them off. Of course, the day wouldn’t be complete without a capsize, which happened in the very last race of the regatta. All the teams were on the road home by 1:00 PM. Thanks to all the teams for their sportsmanship, and a big thanks to all the volunteers from the Erie Yacht Club who were on the water in every capacity both days. Thanks also to all the team members from the host schools — Gannon University, Mercyhurst University and Penn State Behrend — for their contributions to prepping the boats and keeping the regatta running smoothly.
