Penn Competes in Atlantic Coast Championship

November 11-13, 2011

This past weekend the Penn Sailing Team traveled to Boston, MS to compete in the 2011 Atlantic Coast Championship.   The team joined Harvard and MIT on Friday for a breezy day of practice on the Charles River in the FJs that would be used in the Championship. On Saturday, the team arrived to chilly temperatures and strong winds.  With two full divisions sailing at once, Junior Mike Russom and Freshman Jack Swikart did their best to compete against the skilled field that included 16 of the top 20 U.S. Sailing ranked teams. 12 of the 18 races were completed with the last race finishing just before sunset.

On Sunday the breeze moderated and the final three sets were sailed.  Kelsi Schoenrock did a wonderful job crewing in the “B” Division and Ali Zablocki and Christina Johns swapped in and out of the “A” Division to match the varying wind conditions.  The team ended up 18^th overall with the Rodger Williams Hawks claiming top honors.

Thanks to 2-time ISAF Team Racing World Champion Pete Levesque and former A-Division skipper Halsey Richartz C’11 for their help throughout the event

Full Results: http://scores.collegesailing.info/f11/atlantic-coast/

With the fall season now complete, the team will use the winter to prep for the coming 2011 spring season.  This coming Wednesday the team will move the Penn FJs off the docks at the Corinthian Yacht Club of Philadelphia and into winter storage.  Thanks to everyone who supported the team this past fall… we will see everyone in the Spring!

Penn Sailing wins 2011 MAISA Club Championship

November 5-6, 2011

This past weekend at Fordham and Columbia’s home venue on City Island, NY, the Penn Sailing team won the 2011 Mid Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association Club Championship.  Junior Mike Russom and crews Ali Zablocki and Christina Johns were 2nd in the “A” division and Freshman Jack Swikart and crews Kelsi Schoenrock and Christina Johns won the “B” division. The combination of their two scores was good enough for a 4 point victory over the Virginia Wahoos.  Stevens Tech finished a close 3rd, 12 points back.  Team Captain Kelsi Schoenrock, and sailors Christina Johns and Ali Zablocki swapped in and out as crews during the two days, maximizing the teams effectiveness in varying wind conditions.

Thanks to former A division skipper Halsey Richartz  C ’11 who came out to coach the team.

Nine races were sailed in each division over two days and the regatta report can be found here:http://scores.collegesailing.info/f11/maisa-club-championships/full-scores

Next weekend they will compete in the Atlantic Coast Championship against at least a dozen top 20 teams at MIT in Boston.  Go Quakers!