May 7 - Rowers have a strong weekend heading into Dad Vail Regatta next weekend.
Varsity Rowing Race Results- New York State Championships, Binghamton, NY
Freshman/Novice Men's Four:
'A' Crew:1st Place in Petite Final
Placed 7th of 18 crews (5th fastest time overall in the finals)
Coxswain -Marie Ebers '10, Stroke-Kyle O'Connor '10, 3-Tom Powers '07, 2-Sam Diedrick '10, Bow- Steven Jones '10.
'B' Crew:
3rd Place in Petite Final
Placed 9th of 18 crews (9th fastest time time overall in the finals)
Coxswain- Jeffrey Hathcote '10, Stroke- Chris Segovia '10, 3-Mike Stocko '10, 2-Greg Czyzewski, Bow-Jeremy Tunstall.
Varsity Men's Pair
4th Place in Heat (Did not qualify for final)
Stroke- Erik Henden., Bow- Mark Lauretano
Apr. 26 - Offshore Team begins big-boat season with a *bang* at American YC Spring Series.
After a collision where the other boat was penalized, Solution finishes in fourth place, 1 point out of third. Diana didn't sail the first weekend, but posted a 6-5-5 in weekend #2.
Apr. 26 - Dinghy Team's season comes to an end after tough America Trophy.
Apr. 26 - Rowers to compete in Metropolitan Collegiate Championship this weekend.
Apr. 23 - KP sailing well heading into National Qualifier at home next weekend.
The Mariners faired well in the tough conditions this past weekend at the MAISA Open regatta hosted by Georgetown University on the Potomac River. The combined team of Charles Bonner ‘09 with crew Alyssa Montague ’10 in A-Division and Steven Holm ‘09 with Casey Gilmore ’09 in B-Division placed 4th out of 16 teams from across the MAISA district. The racing could be characterized as needing a “coin-toss strategy” with the light and fluky winds, leaving many teams baffled throughout the weekend. The team sailed well despite these trying conditions and gained invaluable experience leading up to the America Trophy, our National Championship qualifier, to be held here at Kings Point this weekend.
Apr. 18 - Alumnus CDR Chris Gasiorek appointed Sailing Master, Director of Waterfront Activities.
CDR Chris Gasiorek is a 1995 graduate of Kings Point. He is a native of Michigan and grew up cruising and racing on Lake Huron. While at Kings Point he was a member of the Offshore Sailing Team and skipper of ICEFIRE, competing in two Bermuda races as a midshipman, one as skipper of SEVENTH SON. After graduation he took a job as mate aboard the 82' maxi racing yacht SAGAMORE, crossing the Atlantic twice and winning the Maxi World Championship in Sardinia, Italy. Turning his attention to a tight shipping market he started as ordinary seaman aboard an integrated tug and barge, but moved up rapidly to Chief Mate working aboard bulk cargo ships in domestic and worldwide tramp trade. Looking for a change from carrying grain, coal, and fertilizer he took ajob aboard a U.S. Navy Oceanographic ship followed by work as engineer, chief mate, and relief master aboard the Schooner LETTIE G. HOWARD. After two seasons of sail training voyages between New York City and Nova Scotia, CDR Gasiorek returned to the yacht racing world, winning consecutive Caribbean Big Boat Series' and setting an elapsed time record in the Montego Bay race aboard the 75' TITAN XII. Returning to Kings Point in 2005 as master of the 80' HERCULES and later the 77' ALCHEMY, CDR Gasiorek combined sail training and yacht racing concepts sailing with midshipman on the largest sailing vessels in the fleet. CDR Gasiorek holds an Unlimited Masters License; 200 Ton Auxiliary Sail Endorsement; First Class Pilotage for the lower Mississippi River as well as lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior; and QMED endorsements for Oiler, Electrician, Deck Engineer, Junior Engineer, and Pumpman.
Apr. 16 - Offshore Team returns to USNA to dominate in Colgate 26's.
Besting the 9-boat fleet at the USNA Keelboat Promotional Regatta was KP's Chad Ellis '07 (skipper), Pat Showell '09, Phil Ientile '10 and Mike Dybvik '10. The team practiced hard in the new fleet of Sonars for two weeks and their hard work was rewarded with an 8-point margin over the second-place team over the seven-race regatta.
Shown below the winning team (L to R): Pat Showell '09, Chad Ellis '07, Mike Dybvik '10 and Phil Ientile '10
Apr. 16 - Dinghy Team dominates North #2 Qualifier at Cornell U in 420's.
Led by team captain Andrew Bercovici '07 the Mariners won this event by a whopping 37 pts. combined A& B Divisions. Casey Gilmore '09 was Bercovici's crew and the duo was nearly perfect, winning every race but two. In B-Division, Charles Bonner '09 with crew Alyssa Montague '10 were nearly as dominant, winning their division by three points. This convincing victory qualified KP for the America Trophy at Kings Point, 4/28-29 where the top four teams will qualify for the ICSA Co-Ed Dinghy National Championship.
Apr. 16 - Dinghy Team stretched thin but runs a great home regatta: the Admirals Cup.
The team's depth was tested this weekend without the class of '08 (at sea) and the top skippers and crews were at Cornell to ensure KP would qualify for the America Trophy at home in two weeks. KP's younger skippers got to get their feet wet at this major intersectional regatta with all the country's top teams. TJ McKelvey '10, Sara Mock '10 and Pat Ambrose '10 placed 19th, only seven points behind the only other all-freshman team in A-Division. their best race was a 6th in race #4. In B-Division, Steven Holm '09 with crews XXXX placed 19th, only two points out of 17th. Their best race came in race #9, a 4th. In C-Division, Derek Day '10 placed 17th, just 1 point from moving up to 16th.
Apr. 10 - Alumnus Dave Wright '04 finishes 13th in Laser fleet at Princess Sofia Regatta in Spain.
Read Dave's Guest spot on Scuttlebutt's Monday Morning Tactician
Apr. 9 - 7th place at 6W-5L for KP at Intrepid Trophy Match Racing Regatta in Colgate 26's.
Sailing in conditions characteristic of Cape Horn the USMMA Keelboat Team of Chad Ellis '07, Pat Showell '09, Phil Ientile '10 and Mike Dybvik '10 put together a good regatta for their first time in a match racing event. Match racing is America's Cup style racing pitting one boat against another through a series (or round-robin) of races where each team races each other team at least once. The winner is decided by the best win-loss record. There are very different rules and even different tactics and strategies used when match racing. Our keelboat team won 6 races, lost 6, (some very close ones) resulting in a tie for sixth place with Webb Institute. Webb won the tie breaker because they defeated KP the one head-to-head race sailed between the two. KP was able to show off some pretty salty seamanship when Mike Dybvik lost a shoe overboard on the run and the crew were able to perform a perfect man-overboard maneuver and recover the shoe AND win the race!
Apr. 2 - Dinghy Team at North Spring #1 Qualifier for Coed National Championship
Apr. 2. - Rowing Team Medals at Manhattan College Invitational Regatta
Results Saturday March 31:
Men's Novice Four Placed 1st of 8 Coxswain Jeffrey Hathcote '10, Stroke Steven Jones '10, 3-Chris Segovia '10, 2-Tom Powers '07, Sam Diedrick '10
Men's Varsity Pair Placed 2nd of Four Brad Webster '09, Erik Henden '09
Men's Novice Eight Placed 2nd of 4 Coxswain Marie Ebers '10, Stroke -Steven Jones '10, 7- Chris Segovia '10, 6-Tom Powers '07, 5-Sam Diedrick '10, 4-Kyle O'Connor '10, 3-Mike Stocko '10, 2-Adam Kroupa '09, Bow Jeremy Tunstall '10
Men's Varsity Four Placed 4th of 7 Coxswain Romulus Cirone '09, Stroke- Brad Webster '09, 3-Erik Henden '09, 2-Mark Lauretano '09, Bow- Drew Baldwin '09.
Mar. 26 - Dinghy Team at Owen Trophy Regatta at US Naval Academy
Mar. 26 - Dinghy Team at Aaron Szambecki Team Race Regatta at Old Dominion U.
Mar. 26 - Rowers at Murphy Cup, Philadelphia, PA
Results from the Murphy Cup Regatta-March 24, 2007 Philadelphia, PA Men's Varsity Four: Romulus Cirone, Brad Webster, Erik Henden, Mark Lauretano, Drew Baldwin 3rd in Heat (Did not qualify for final)
Men's Novice Four: Marie Ebers, Chris Segovia, Jeremy Tunstall, Tom Powers, Sam Diedrick 1st in Heat, 2nd in Final Overall: 2nd of 8.
Men's Varsity Four:
Place Team Time Split
1 Penn State A 6:08.71
2 American Univ A 6:13.80 5.09
3 USMMA 6:23.68 14.97
4 Rutgers (Camden) 6:34.54 25.83
5 Stony Brook 6:46.96 38.25
Men's Novice Four Event 8 Final:
Place Team Time Split
1 Pittsburgh 6:18.86
2 USMMA 6:33.92 15.06
3 Duquesne 6:39.00 20.14
4 Penn State 6:40.47 21.61
5 American Univ 6:49.92 31.06
DNS Lafayette
Mar. 19 - Dinghy Team's youth promising at Truston Umsted Regatta at US Naval Academy
The USMMA Dinghy Team competed in the Truxton Umstead Regatta hosted by the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. The regatta is the largest intersectional regatta in the country this weekend with 19 teams competing (one team could not attend due to the storm raging in the northeast). One of the toughest events to win, the “Trux” requires enough depth to compete in four divisions. Couple that with the impact this event has on rankings and the fact that fourteen of the competing teams are currently ranked in the top 20 in the nation and it was a big weekend for the Mariners.
Without veteran skippers Chris Alexander’08 (at sea), Jimmy Givens’08 (at sea) and Chris Branning’08 (Morning Light Project), KP was sending a very youthful and inexperienced team to one of the biggest regattas of the season. Veteran crews Laura Beck’08 (at sea) and Bobby Grandstaff ’08 (at sea) being missing contributed to the tall order put before the Mariners racing this weekend. “We had an outstanding finish with the young team we competed with this weekend”, said coach Matt Allen. “Everyone stepped up and delivered. It goes to show the depth of talent this team has.”
Captain Andrew Bercovici’07 led the Mariners in A-Division sailing the double-handed 420s for all nine races. Bercovici, with crew Jacob Rugland’10 opened the regatta with solid finishes to lead A-Division after 6 races, but fell to 5th place after a tough set of scores at the end of the regatta.
The outstanding performance of the weekend for KP was the standout performance of freshman Eric Horrocks’10 competing in his first major intersectional sailing Lasers in C-Division (sail # 13 in photo). Sailing the single-handed Laser, Horrocks posted only one finish out of the top ten to place him fifth for the regatta. Eric consistently rounded the weather mark in the top 10 but it was his ability to pass boats downwind that brought him a great string of finishes in the gusty conditions.
Returning from their 3-month sea term this week were Steven Holm’09 and Tamera Reul’09 in B-Division, sailing the double-handed FJs for 6 races before switching to 420s for the remaining three races. Holm and Reul proved to be a little undersized and without much practice time, teamed up for a 15th place finish in B-Division. Also returning from sea this week was Charles Bonner’09 sailing in the single-handed Laser Radial who finished 8th in D-Division.
Mar. 15 - Chris Branning '08 Morning Light Project: Scout Spirit Dismasting
Mar. 12 - Dinghy Team at Admiral Moore Team Race at SUNY Maritime
Mar. 10 - Rowers in Jacksonville, FL for Spring Break Training
Mar. 8 - Dinghy Team on Spring Break Training at Old Dominion U.
USMMA Sailing Foundation purchases six Sonar-class keelboat for benefit of Waterfront Sailing programs.
Mar. 5 - Dinghy Team at ODU Open-1st qualifier toward Coed National Championship
Mar. 5 - Dinghy Team at John Jackson Team Race Regatta at Georgetown U.
Sailing season is here. Dinghy and Offshore Teams get underway.
Feb. 26 - Dinghy Team at Washington College Team Race Regatta
Feb. 1 - Chris Branning '08 Morning Light Project: Key West Race Week on GROOVEDERCI
Jan. 1 - Chris Branning '08 Morning Light Project: Mumm 30 World Championship on TEAM SIXX
Spring 2007 Previews:
Dinghy Team Offshore Team Rowing Team
2006: Another successful year for the Department of Waterfront Activities and our many programs.
The Arthur P. Davis Beach Point Yacht Club Award is awarded by the YRA of Long Island Sound for outstanding contribution to the sailing community. This year the USMMA Waterfront is awarded this trophy for the revolutionary, first in the U.S. Hands-on Safety-at-Sea Seminar hosted here in April. That seminar has paved the way for conducting these seminars in the future.
OFFSHORE TEAM: We raced our two maxi-yachts Hercules and Alchemy in the Newport to Bermuda Race. Alchemy was the second boat to finish, just 43 minutes faster would have given her line honors. Hercules was the ninth in the 264-boat fleet. USMMA was the only Service Academy to compete in the Farr 40 World Championship in Newport, RI…and with two teams.
DINGHY TEAM: We sent three midshipmen to the ICSA Single-handed Nationals including our first woman to qualify since 1996. Allison Davis '08 qualified for nationals by winning the district qualifying event and the Faye Bennett trophy. Similarly, Chris Branning '08 won the Men's qualiying event and the Carl Van Duyne trophy. Teammate Chris Alexander '08 qualified for nationals by finishing third. At the nationals, Branning edged out Alexander by one point in the light-air series for fifth place. Davis placed ninth in the women's fleet. The largest regatta of the year is the Navy Fall with two double-handed and two singlehanded divisions. KP were two-time defenders, but couldn't pull off a threepeat, finishing second behind Yale. This regatta really shows the depth of a team and KP has really shined over the past three years. Midshipman Chris Branning ’08 was selected from over 500 applicants to participate in Roy Disney’s Morning Light Project, a documentary film on the youngest crew to compete in the TransPac Race.
ROWING TEAM: Most visibly, the team has undergone a name change. In order to align itself better within the sport, KP Crew is now KP Rowing. The rowing team put together six gold medal finishes as well as medalists in thirteen separate catagories. The rowing team won two first-ever medals in sculling competition this year. Erin Mitchell '08 and Jennifer Wells '08 won one for the women at the Head of the Mohawk Regatta. Erik Henden '09 and Bradford Webster '09 won the men's first sculling medal at the Green Mountain Head Regatta. At the Head of the Charles Regatta, the Men's Varsity Four (Coxswain Sarah Jones '08, Stroke Mark Lauretano '09, Bradford Webster '09, Karl Rumschlag '09 and Bowman Erik Henden '09) placed 7th overall, which equated to second amongst the other division III schools. The Women's Four (Coxswain Marie Ebers '10, Stroke Meaghan Fahey '08, Erin Mitchell '08, Anne Fisher '09 and Bowman Jennifer Wells '08) placed tenth amongst the other Division III schools.
POWER SQUADRON: coming soon...
WINDSURFING CLUB: Midn. Keegan Doig '07 and Midn. Matt Riley '07 both completed the Martha's Vineyard Challenge in September. The Martha's Vineyard Challenge is a middle distance open racing charity event. The proceeds go to the Martha's Vineyard Community Services.
WATER-SKI/WAKEBOARD CLUB: coming soon...
COACHES AND STAFF: Ralf Steitz was awarded the Storm Trysail Club's Owen C. Torrey Award for outstanding service to the Club and its mission. Ralf was selected for his work at three Junior Safety-at-Sea Seminars in Larchmont YC, Sail Newport and Pleon YC. Safety-at-Sea Seminars are becoming a specialty of Ralf's. He participated as an instructor at the first ISAF Safety-at-Sea Seminar in the U.S. in Hawaii for the Morning Light Project. Crewing for Kerry Klingler, Rick Dominique, Mike Gutshall and Jay Lurie placed fifth at the J-80 World Championship in Corpus Christi, TX in July. Matt Allen is the newly-elected president of the Vanguard 15 Class, and sailing with KP Alumnus Tim Cain '06 finished second at the V-15 Midwinters, then with teammates Brad Funk, Jen Adams, Anna Tunnicliffe and Carlos Lenz, Matt and Tim placed fourth at the USTRA Team Racing Midwinters.
9 October - KP qualifies 2 for Men's Single-handed Nationals at MAISA Single-handeds.
Branning wins and Alexander is third to advance to National Championship
Midshipmen Christopher Branning ‘08 and classmate Christopher Alexander '08 advanced to the ICSA Men’s Single-handed National Championship by finishing first and third respectively at the Mid-Atlantic Single-handed Conference Championships Oct. 7-8 hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy. Also competing for Kings Point was James Givens ‘08 who finished tenth in the sixteen boat fleet.
The racing was extremely close all weekend with the qualifying spots changing hands repeatedly. Branning won the first race and held onto a qualifying spot the entire weekend, while Alexander moved in and out of a qualifying spot highlighted and hampered by inconsistent finishes. Going into the last day Alexander was 9 points out of qualifying with four races remaining. After 2 races on Sunday morning he had moved to fourth and with one race remaining he was tied for third, had a one point lead over fifth and a mere five point lead over sixth. In the last race Alexander left no doubt as to his determination to go to Nationals as he sailed the entire race in front of his close competitors to close the regatta finishing the last race in third, thereby capturing third place overall. Teammate Chris Branning, with slightly less pressure upon him, won the last race to give him the overall regatta victory.
“I was excited to see that my determination and hard work paid off late in the regatta with a come from behind finish. We have been working very hard for this as a team, and I am looking forward to Nationals” said Alexander of his efforts. Alexander will be competing in his second National Championship. He skippered B-division at the 2006 ICSA Coed Dinghy National Championship.
The Single-handed National Championships will be hosted by Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI from November 3-5. This is the second year in a row that Branning has competed at the Single-handed Nationals. Branning was third in last years’ event hosted by the University of Hawaii.
Head sailing coach Matt Allen: “I am happy to see that we have continued our proficiency in the single-handed disciplines, as we have had a good run at this event. I am proud of Chris, Chris and Jimmy as well as Allison Davis who qualified for Women’s single-handed last week. It really brings a great team feeling to have more than one berth at these events and we are ecstatic to have three. We really have a lot of work to be mentally and physically prepared for the cold and windy conditions in Rhode Island that time of the year”.
Kings Point is riding a wave of good finishes in single-handed competition on the national level. Look for Branning and Alexander as well as Allison Davis to finish well at Roger Williams University on November third through the fifth before heading out for their long sea term.
2 October - Allison Davis Qualifies for Womens Single-handed National Championship.
MIDN Allison Davis ’08, (Bow #20) winner of the Faye Bennett trophy is headed for the
Women’s Single-handed National Championship in November.
Midshipman Allison Davis’08, qualified for the ICSA Single-handed National Championship this weekend by convincingly winning the MAISA district qualifier and taking home the Faye Bennett Trophy. This is the first time since 1996 Kings Point has qualified a woman for the Single-handed Nationals. The qualifying regatta was hosted by the US Naval Academy and sailed in Laser Radials. There were twenty-eight competitors, with the top five finishers moving on to the National Championship. Sixteen races were completed on a windward/leeward course and winds were light and variable for most of the weekend.
Coach Matt Allen is very pleased with how she sailed, “It was nice to see that Allison jumped out early to a comfortable qualifying position. After that, it was easier to have her focus on sailing each race and improving throughout the regatta.” After day one of this two-day event, Allison had an eighteen point lead over second place. She went out Sunday morning to win the first race by a very large margin and finished consistently in the top half of the fleet the rest of the day. Allison ended the regatta nineteen points ahead of her competitors.
MIDN Davis will compete in the Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s National Championship from November 3 – 5th. The event will be hosted by Roger William’s University in Bristol, Rhode Island. It has been ten years since Kings Point competed in this event when Aimee Graham ’98 finished seventh. Allison is excited about sailing at Roger William’s University, “I look forward to representing the Academy at nationals and sailing against the best girls in the country in college sailing. I know that I still have a lot of hard-work ahead of me, but I am determined to do well.”
10 September - Farr 40 World Championship, Day 4: "Solution's turn to be impressive"
Solution (Sail # 40025) with a nice start at the windward end, converted this into a 7th place finish in Race #8.
The crew of Solution was not to be outdone by yesterday's performance of their stablemates on Nimbus; they posted a remarkable 7-21-33 today in a last day rally to catch Nimbus for the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship Service Academy Trophy. The 7-21-33 closed the gap on Nimbus, but not enough. Nimbus placed 33rd overall and Solution was 35th. Congratulations to Nimbus for capturing the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship Service Academy Trophy for Kings Point. For complete results and phots visit the Official website: www.farr40worlds.com
9 September - Farr 40 World Championship, Day 3: "Strong Day for Nimbus"
Windward mark action aboard Nimbus (bow #24) who posted an impressive 16-14-34 on day 3.
The crew of Nimbus worked hard and with a few breaks, had some very impressive finishes. "It was like Nimbus put Kings Point on the map today. A lot of our competitors had very nice things to say about our program." - Chris Gasiorek. On Solution things were good as well, though the crew witnessed how a matter of a few feet can be the difference between beig 16th or 22nd when Nimbus and Solution got close at a crowded mark rounding, Nimbus had the few feet needed to get through unscathed while Solution got caught in the bottleneck and watched helplessly as Nimbus sailed away. "When we have two boats in a regatta, it's really weird how they can go different directions, but still end up together at the marks, Nimbus had that few feet on us that got them through the traffic." - Ralf Steitz
Official website: www.farr40worlds.com
8 September - Farr 40 World Championship, Day 2: "Redemption Day"
Solution (Sail # 40025) jams it in clean around a typically tight mark rounding. Not much room for error, here.
Today was a great day for USMMA boats Nimbus and Solution. Racing was held until late in the day on Rhode Island Sound after a shoreside postponement waiting for the seabreeze to fill in. In race #3, Nimbus and Solution came together on the course amid a large cluster of boats and Nimbus was able to squeak just ahead of the pack while Solution got caught in the heavy traffic and lost places. Nimbus finished 22nd and Solution was 24th. In race # 4, Nimbus rounded in 10th, followed closely by Solution in 11th at the first mark amid cheers from competitors happy to see the young teams doing so well. "Everyone is real happy to see us here and competing so well." - Ralf Steitz (Solution). Both boats were able to hold off competitors and finish 16th and 21st, respectively. "We had better speed and pointing today. It felt like the boat and crew were in sync. Everything just seemed to click." - Chris Gasiorek (Nimbus).
Official website: www.farr40worlds.com
7 September - Farr 40 World Championship, Day 1: "Paying Our Dues"
Tight starts like this weren't the problem for Solution and Nimbus.
Racing was held in Rhode Island Sound in light shifty winds that built from 7 to 12-13 knots. Starts and first beats were generally good in these two races for Solution and Nimbus, but neither boat was able to hold off the professional crews that chased them down. Coaches Ralf Steitz (Solution) and Chris Gasiorek (Nimbus) cited a lack of boatspeed and pointing ability in getting passed by boats on almost every leg. "You have to remember that the racing experience level on our boats averages 2 or 3 years, while most of the other boats are averaging over 10. Still, this is a fantastic event and the opportunity to compete at this level and against these sailors is an experience our midshipmen will never forget!" - Ralf Steitz
Official website: www.farr40worlds.com
2 September - Farr 40 Pre-Worlds: "Blowin' the dog off the leash!"
Wipeouts like this weren't all that uncommon even in this field of professionally sailed Farr 40s.
USMMA entries, Solution and Nimbus placed 31st and 37th respectively in the 38-boat fleet at the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. Friday saw moderate breezes and racing outside Narragansett Bay on Rhode Island Sound. Solution had scores of 35-35-23 and Nimbus had scores of 37-36-36. On Saturday, the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto reached the Newport area and winds were 25-32knots and very shifty as racing was held in the confined waters of Naragansett Bay. Nimbus was sitting in about 33rd when Coach Chris Gasiorek (KP '95) decided to withdraw from the last two races to preserve the best racing sails the boat has for the World Championship, Sept. 6-9. Solution sailed the last two races, posting a 29-25 and finished the event in 31st place. Congratulations to Solution for winning the Belle Mer Farr 40 Pre-Worlds Service Academy Trophy for Kings Point.
Official website: www.farr40worlds.com
31 August - Offshore Team in Newport for Farr 40 World Championship:
The Varsity Offshore Sailing Team is in Newport, RI with Solution and Nimbus to compete against the best in the world in the Formula I race car of sailing...the Farr 40. With a "Who's-Who" list of professional sailors to compete against, the team will have to sail their hearts out to beat any of these teams. There is a sub-category scored called the Corinthian Fleet. These are boats that are sailed with two or less professionals onboard. Solution and Nimbus will be looking to score well against those other Corinthian boats to realistically gauge their performance. The two teams are:
Nimbus Solution
Bob Greenling ‘07 Chad Ellis '07
Jen Davis ’08 Pat Showell '09
Candice Vermillion ’08 Jamie Losee '09
Nick Gasper ’07 Evan Denholm '08
John Cavenaugh ’08 Justin Henigan '08
Kitty Segert ’08 Brian Giorgio '08
Jon VanWylen ’07 Jeremiah Lyons '06 (Alum.)
Peete Must ’05 (Alum.) Jeff Miller '05 (Alum.)
Mr. Bill Liberty (Safety Advisor) Ralf Steitz (Coach)
Capt. Chris Gasiorek (Coach)
Official website: www.farr40worlds.com
1 June - Nationals Daily Report #4: "Slight rebound on day two."
Day 4 A-Division finished off the day yesterday which meant today started off with B- Division. Chris Alexander '08 with crew Greer Ferguson '06 started off with a 16, 14 today. Graham Mergenthaler '06 with crew Tim Cain '06 were back in A-Division looking to improve on yesterday's performance. They scored an 18-17 in their first set. for the next A-Division set, Head Coach Matt Allen replaced crew Tim Cain with Robert Grandstaff '08, looking to shake things up. Mergenthaler / Grandstaff scored a 10-13. Looking for still better results, Coach Allen sent James Givens '08 out with Grandstaff who scored a 12-12. Chris Alexander and Greer Ferguson sailed the whole of Thursday together finishing 16-14-12-DSQ-5-10-14-11. The forecast for Friday is for more wind, a strength for this KP team. "With 6 races to go in each division major gains can be made and we are hoping that we can capitalize on the lack of pressure on our team to sail loose and well." - Asst. Coach Adam Bennett. At the end of Day 2, KP had moved up to 14th place and is in striking distance of 12th.- Rick Dominique, via phone interview with Asst. Coach Adam Bennett
31 May - Nationals Daily Report #3: "Day one of racing."
Day 3 The day started with a morning practice session on the water from 9:00 to 10:30, then the competitors meeting from 10:30 to 11:30, followed by lunch, then onto the water for the start of the first race at 12:30. Graham Mergenthaler ’06 started in A-Division, with Tim Cain ’06 as his crew. After 4 tough races in shifty winds of 8-15 knots and variable current, Mergenthaler was replaced by James Givens ’08 to sail the last two races of the day with Cain to give Mergenthaler the opportunity to work with coaches Matt Allen and Adam Bennett to find his groove. In B-Division, four races were run where Chris Alexander ’08 sailed all races with Greer Ferguson ’06, posting two great finishes of sixth and third. Alexander/Ferguson will be trying to repeat those scores more consistently as day two of racing gets underway on Thursday, June 1. Kings Point is currently in 17th place but fully expected to move up as the event continues. - Rick Dominique, via phone interview with Asst. Coach Adam Bennett
30 May - Nationals Daily Report #2: "On the water practice."
Day 2 We awoke and were at breakfast at 9:30am. We met up with Capt. Wallischeck in the lobby of the hotel and arranged dinner with him tonight at 7pm. After breakfast we went food shopping for the week and stuffed our coolers full with healthy good stuff! We stopped by the regatta site and caught the tail end of today's competitors meeting. (Apparently at the end of day one Harvard and St. Mary’s were winning the Team Racing event)
Afterward we made our way through downtown Charleston to Charleston Community Sailing. We arranged a charter of four 420s and a coach boat. We went out for a 4 hour practice. Lots of current and a solid 8kt breeze greeted us. There was a ton of pleasure boater traffic which created lots of chop. Afterward we had a quick debrief at the pool and prepared for dinner with Capt. Wallischeck.
Tomorrow is our lay-day as it is the day before competition. We plan on taking a walk through the city, doing cardio exercises in the pool and making sure we eat properly. - Asst. Coach Adam Bennett
29 May - Nationals Daily Report #1: "The road trip down."
Day 1 For us today started at 6am. By the time we packed, ate breakfast and got on the road it was 7am. We hit an hours’ worth of traffic just south of Washington DC; other than that it was ‘smooth sailing’. We made a stop for lunch and a stop for dinner. We also made a few stops for gas, and what seemed like many stops for bathroom breaks. We arrived in Charleston around 8pm. We had a team meeting at 8:30 and called it a night. - Asst. Coach Adam Bennett
1 February 2005:
Alumni Update: Key West Race Week & Miami Olympic Classes Regatta.
Acura Key West Race Week is a northern sailors' winter mecca. Bill Hardesty '98 and Peeter Must '05 combined their skills on the Farr 4030 December 2005: Team Fall season wrap-ups:
Facilities and Resources
By Mr. Richard Cain, Assistant Director
From the facility stand point we will be dredging Hague Basin in the early spring of 2006. This will enable us to move around the Basin with less bumping on the bottom with all our boats including the T/V KINGS POINTER. We will be hiring an additional worker for the maintenance staff, which will help ensure quicker repair times and greater reliability of all floating equipment. The success of having Captain Christopher Gasiorek ’95 and Mate Jeff Miller ’04 aboard to manage our maxi-boat program was remarkable, and we are exploring ways of bringing on additional seasonal coaches for both offshore and crew.
The Varsity Intercollegiate Sailing Team
By Mr. Matt Allen, Director of Varsity Intercollegiate Sailing
The Team had 40 sailors on the roster this season, and with 28 third and fourth classmen on the team, the prospects for future success are strong. The Mariners traveled over 1,500 miles in the fall season, and competed in 31 events up and down the eastern seaboard.
We kicked off the season with a third place showing at home in the Nevins Trophy, the first major regatta of the season. The Nevins Trophy is one of Kings Point’s prime opportunities to showcase its sailing facilities, with twenty of the nation’s top teams and over 140 sailors taking part. The team continued to show its prowess by defending its title at the largest regatta of the season, the U.S. Naval Academy’s Fall Intersectional. Winning at the Navy Fall is a true indication of the strong, deep talent roster of Kings Point. The team wrapped up the season with a fourth place finish at the War Memorial Regatta which is the Mid-Atlantic Conference fall championship.
On the women’s singlehanded circuit MIDN Allison Davis 3/c had a strong showing with an eighth place finish at the conference singlehanded championship held at the US Naval Academy. On the men’s side, MIDN Christopher Branning 3/c finished in second place finish at the men’s conference championship hosted here at USMMA. Chris went on to represent USMMA at the Inter-Collegiate Singlehanded National Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii where he placed third at that event.
The Varsity Intercollegiate Sailing Team races in three fleets of twenty boats each. The double-handed fleets of 420s and FJs are barely a year old, and in excellent condition. However, the fleet of Lasers used for singlehanded competition is now over 10 years old, and in dire need of replacement.
Varsity Offshore Sailing Team
By Mr. Ralf Steitz, Director of Varsity Offshore Sailing
The Varsity Offshore Sailing Team’s 66 members filed nearly 70 vessel movements, entering 29 races and sailing in 18 different boats. In May 2005, USMMA brought the 82-footer Hercules to the starting line of the Block Island Race, and the Academy entered a new level of grand-prix competition. She was joined by the Andrews 77 Alchemy later in the fall. With their mixed crews of midshipmen, staff and alumni, the success of these two yachts showed that USMMA could successfully and safely campaign state-of-the-art maxi-yachts.
Competitively, 2005 started off with a spectacular victory at the Kennedy Cup, the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association’s Large Yacht National Championship. Sailed at Navy, this was the first time the Mariners won the event since 1972. The win set a positive tone for the rest of the season, in which USMMA competed in many of the regular races on the Long Island Sound racing calendar. Other highlights include:
Two boats on the line at Block Island race week, with Hercules in the support fleet
- Participation in most East Coast Farr 40 events.
- Hercules was the first USMMA entry in the over thirty years in the
Marblehead to Halifax Race. - Three trophies at the Women Skippers Race
- Thirty midshipmen raced on two USMMA boats in the Around Long Island Race, with Hercules being the first to finish and winning the Jack Sussi Memorial Trophy.
- Two maxis and a Farr 40 raced in the Vineyard Race, with Alchemy beating Blue Yankee’s three year-old record by more than three hours
- USMMA was the only college to fully crew four boats at the Storm Trysail Club’s Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta, winning the J-109 class and placing third in both the
J-44 and Level 72 classes.
The Academy’s high profile through the success of our sailors and the caliber of our boats has been phenomenal; and has reinforced our reputation in the yachting community. That reputation is reflected in the continuing gifts of competitive, high-value racing sailboats to the USMMA Sailing Foundation by yachtsmen from across the country. In addition, a significant increase in the level of participation of alumni has been a big part of our success.
Kings Point Varsity Crew
By Mr. Derek Hartwick, Director of Varsity Rowing
The year of 2005 saw many positive changes for Varsity Crew at the Academy. A long-range plan was developed in 2004 to address the needs of the program. Many steps were taken in 2005 to accomplish the goals outlined in the plan. Additionally, both the Men’s and Women’s teams began competing in categories that it had not previously, and posted fine results in these endeavors and others.
During the winter and spring seasons, actions were taken to upgrade the racing equipment by purchasing four new racing shells and selling some of the oldest ones. Two four-person racing shells were purchased for the spring season and two eight-person shells were purchased in time for the fall season. Additionally, a secondary training site was secured to act as an alternative site for those days when the conditions on Long Island Sound are too windy for rowing.
Efforts were made this year to improve the indoor training facilities at the Prosser boathouse so that the crews can be in top physical condition for the race season. A plan has been implemented for the regular maintenance of the rowing fleet and the rowing tanks so that the equipment can be kept in top racing condition. Additionally, new storage racks were installed in the Yocum Sailing Center which will serve two purposes: Firstly, to properly store the rowing shells and maintain their value and secondly to store the shells more efficiently in order to better utilize the limited space in the bays in an effort to accommodate all waterfront programs.
For the first time in nearly a decade, the women’s team was able to boat eight women rowers. A Varsity Women’s Four and a Novice Women’s Four competed for the Academy throughout the spring 2005 season. Racing in the new women’s team shell, the Novice Women’s Four won the New York Metropolitan Championships finished 6th of 30 crews in the Knecht Cup and 8th of 50 crews at the Dad Vail Regatta (National Championships). Both the Men’s Novice Four and Varsity Four had strong spring seasons with the Novice Crew capturing a medal at the Spring Metro Regatta.
The fall season could be best exemplified by a widening expanse of the team and improved competitiveness in many aspects. Thirty-five rowers managed to endure three months of intensive training, early mornings and sometimes bitter cold. Many of the rowers had the opportunity to learn sculling and to compete in both sculling events and sweep events. Through intensive training, an improved racing fleet and increased overall depth due to greater retention of rowers and recruiting efforts the team was able to field a strong team during the fall season.
Both the varsity and novice men’s teams met with great success during the fall, winning numerous medals at local regattas and placing well at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta. The Men’s Varsity dominated the local scene, winning many of the local races defeating Coast Guard and placing a respectful 6th at the Head of the Charles Regatta.
The Novice Men’s crew of more than a dozen rowers won many medals in both fours eights and sculling events at many of the local and distant races. The Novice Men’s crews always finished in the top tier, winning medals throughout the season and defeating several Division I Crews in the process. At the Head of the Charles Regatta the first Novice Four finished a strong 12th of the fastest 43 crews in the nation.
The women’s team, while smaller in size compared to the spring; continued to be a strong team at many of the fall races. The women's team finished in the top three teams in most of the regattas that it competed in during the fall season. Ten women including four coxswains competed for the academy during the fall season.
Kings Point Crew represented the academy in six major regattas this fall and finished in the top three in each regatta that it competed in. For the first time, Kings Point Crew earned berths for two crews for next years Head of the Charles Regatta by virtue of the fine performances in the 2005 regatta. The team continues to improve the depth and competitiveness of each of its crews. As efforts are made to update the racing fleet, improve the training facilities and rowing options, the team will continue to reach even greater heights.
Power Squadron
By Mr. Robert Asma, Director of Power Vessel Training
In 2005, an average of 30 midshipmen participated in the Power Squadron each trimester. Eight midshipmen were certified as skippers, including a fourth classman who was appointed skipper of TV Maverick. There was an unusually large number of underclassmen this year, so there was a lot of additional training that needed to be conducted, both underway and ashore.
Power Squadron vessels spent over 1,400 hours underway, with each vessel underway at least three times per week for training in local waters, or longer weekend trips. Port calls were made on New London, Port Jefferson, Huntington, Long Beach, West Point, Mamaroneck, and Sandy Hook. TV Dottie J made three offshore fishing trips, traveling up to 60 miles offshore to catch tuna and shark. She had great success this year, landing albacore, blue fin and yellow fin tuna, and we hope to add to this success next year.
A core mission of the Power Squadron is volunteer service, and we participated in several activities this year. Three vessels and their midshipmen crew took part in the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club outing in Oyster Bay, taking out over 400 kids on boat rides around the harbor. In the fall, we returned to Oyster Bay to help with the annual Maritime Festival. The crews gave tours of the USMMA boats and talked about the Academy to the public. The Power Squadron also helped out the crew of the light ship “Nantucket” with maintenance and other work.
Waterfront Clubs
Mr. Rick Dominique, Director of Varsity Programs
The 15 midshipmen of the Windsurfing Club enjoyed “business as usual” with trips to Montauk Point and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as sailing every day there is breeze at Kings Point. Through the good spirit and camaraderie of fellow windsurfers, the Club has received three donated race boards which we look forward to using this spring. Thank you Mr. Larry Glenn and Mr. Steve Masur.
The 10 members of the Water-ski/Wakeboard Club had a great time in late-summer, with plenty of no-wind days, making the Sound like glass to water-ski and wakeboard on. In December, a 19-foot bow-rider ski boat and trailer was donated by Mr. Stan Henry who wanted to donate his family boat “to benefit the men and women who support and defend our great nation.” His timing couldn’t have been better as the Club’s Wellcraft was tired and in need of replacement.
The Recreational Sailing Club’s members enjoyed the beautiful summer and fall days on Little Neck Bay getting out on the water for some much needed R&R. Through the PE Sailing classes, 44 midshipmen earned their USMMA Level B+ skippers ticket, and joined the Recreational Sailing Club. Of those 44, twenty-two earned the US SAILING Basic Keelboat Certification, recognized by sailing schools and charter companies nation-wide. The Recreational Sailing Fleet is comprised of three J-24 class boats and two Sonar class boats are old and tired. They are prone to equipment breakdowns which result in a loss to time available to enjoy the relaxing waters surrounding Kings Point. Through the generosity of local sailors, the Club has received two new donations. Dr. Anthony Barratta of Islip, NY graciously donated his Hunter 212 and Ms. Wendy Kaplan of Sea Bright, NJ graciously donated her C&C 24. Both boats are wonderful additions to the Recreational Program, we thank them both.
Congratulations Chris Branning on finishing 3rd at Nationals!
Midn. Chris Branning finished 3rd at the ICSA Men's Single-handed National Championship in Hawaii. The regatta was sailed in a variety of wind conditions ranging from 5 to 18 knots, with reasonable shifts. The regatta was completed by Saturday as the forecast for Sunday was for no wind. Chris sailed well, consistently in second place throughout the two days of sailing. Going into the last race, Chris was in second, 2 points ahead of Clay Johnson of Harvard. Branning was ahead and covering Johnson up the beat, when the two boats entered a mooring field on the favored left side of the course. A large boat moored was an obstruction for Branning who was forced to tack to clear the moored boat, while Johnson was able to duck just behind it and gain the advantaged left side. A left shift put Johnson ahead of Branning into the windward mark. The pair was about to round 4th and 5th and if Chris could avoid being passed, would hold on to second overall. At the mark, Chris was fouled by a port-tacker and he had to circle short of the mark, waiting for a hole in the line of starboard tackers approaching; he rounded 15th! A new threat now existed. Vincent Porter in 4th place overall was winning this last race which would put him ahead of Branning overall unless he could pass a few boats and finish 12th or better. Chris worked hard and clawed back to ninth, giving him back third place, but still a bit disappointed at not being second. Regardless of Chris' personal feelings, the Waterfront Department and the Academy are proud of his accomplishment.
Chris Branning '08 and Coach Matt Allen anxious to get racing in Hawaii.
Midn. Chris Branning from Sarasota, Fla. called from Hawaii to check in and let all of us back home know he's ready to rock! Coach Allen awoke to look out the balcony window this morning to a beautiful full 180° rainbow. A sign? We'll see. Racing starts on Friday, November 18.
Dinghy Team has a disastrous weekend at St. Mary's College of MD.
The conditions were almost perfect but the Mariners couldn't find any of that perfection in their sailing at the Dinghy Atlantic Coast Championship. With 18 of the best schools on the east coast in attendance, Kings Point just couldn't find their groove. Graham Mergenthaler '06 and Tim Cain '06 sailed A-Division only able to finish one race in the top half. Chris Branning '08 and Greer Ferguson '06 finished better, 14th with five single-digit finishes including a first and a second. Branning heads to Hawaii this week for the ICSA Single-handed Nationals. Full results.
Dinghy Team struggles at Freshman Atlantic Coast Championship.
Racing at Brown University is usually tough, and this year's Freshman ACC's was no exception. Light, shifty breezes prevailed for both days of this event. KP finished 14th in the 18-boat fleet. 15th place in A-division went to Brett Baker '09 and crew Kyle Sterns '09. In B-Division Steven Holm '09 and crew Garrick Sheatzley '09 placed 14th. "What we learned this weekend is that our freshmen teams need to work on their starting and being able to sail from the back to the front of the fleet. The only single-digit finishes we had were the races where we got a good start, but when we got one, we sailed well." - Asst. Coach Adam Bennett. Full results.
Dinghy Team finishes fourth despite OCS problems.
Traveling 8 hours by van to Norfolk, VA and coming home with a fourth overall is a great feeling, coming back knowing you could've been second makes for a different ride home. The team of Graham Mergenthaler '06, Robert Grandstaff '08, Aaron Thompson '08, Emily Gardner '06, Andrew Bercovici '07, Greer Ferguson '06 and Jarrod Prill '08 lost 31 points by being over the starting line prematurely and failing to restart. Those 31 points would have launched KP past Hobart and Georgetown, to finish second to St. Mary's College of MD in the 18-team event. In A-Division, Mergenthaler, Grandstaff, Thompson and Gardner came on strong to the finish with a nine-race string for 36 points. In B-Division, Bercovici, Ferguson and Prill blasted out of the gates with a 1-1-1-3 then hit their first OCS. B-Division recovered and sailed very consistently until the second 20-point OCS hit in the second to last race. "We're still happy with the result, it's just hard to not think about what could have been." - coach Matt Allen. By finishing in the top eight, Kings Point has earned a berth at the Atlantic Coast Championship November 12-13 at St. Mary's, MD.
Freshman team shows promise for Kings Point at MAISA Freshman Regatta.
Often an indicator of a team's future, the district freshman regatta results show Kings Point as a continuing front-runner in the highly competitive MAISA district. The A-division team of Brett Baker '09 (Poquoson, VA) and Casey Gilmore '09 (Truckee, CA) finished 7th, just one point behind 6th, while the B-division team of Steven Holm '09 (Cape Coral, FL), Tamera Reul '09 (Arvada, CA) and Russ Forthuber '09 (Benicia, CA) placed 7th. This steady combination put the team in 7th overall, snatching the final qualifying position for the Freshman Atlantic Coast Championship from neighbor NY Maritime by just 10 points. The Freshman Atlantic Coast Championship will be held at Brown University, November 5-6. Full Results.
Offshore Team loses a heartbreaker at USNA in MacMillan Cup.
The Offshore Sailing Team sailed an amazing first day in Navy 44 sloops at the U.S. Naval Academy. The team of Jeremiah Lyons '06, Jared Brabazon '06, Sean Russell '06, Kitty Segert '08, Mark Levis '06, Brian Fantel '06, Pete Radzicki '06 and Candice Vermillion '08 posted scores of 1-2-6-2 to lead Navy at home by 2 points. Upon returning to shore, tactician Jeremiah Lyons had to defend KP in a protest brought by 9th-place NY Maritime for an incident at the last windward mark. Kings Point lost the protest, turning that 2nd-place finish into a 10th, dropping them to 6th overall for the day. "Looking back, we probably should've taken the 2-point alternative penalty, but we never thought we'd lose that protest." was helmsman Jared Brabazon's reaction after hearing of the protest result. The team arrived on Sunday with a good attitiude, but never really bounced back from the disappointing decision. They finished the regatta in 7th place. Full Results.Allison Davis '08 puts up strong performance at MAISA Women's Singlehandeds.
Racing Laser Radials at the U.S. Naval Academy in very tricky condidtions, the lone KP entrant, Allison Davis sailed consistently and posted some great scores including one first, a third and a trio of fourths to place 8th of 28 women sailors. allison is the first women sailor to compete for this event since
Crew Team rows well, earns invitations back for 2006 Head of the Charles.
Led by incredible performances in the Men's Collegiate Four and the Men's Youth Four, these Kings Point Crews earned a guaranteed berth at next year's regatta. Placing 6th in a field of 19 was Dean Macris '06, Adam Dunn '07, Matt Goodavish '06, Peter Flynt '06 and coxswain Sarah Jones '08 in the Men's Collegiate Four. Placing 12th in a field of 43 was Brad Webster '09, Mark Lauretano '09, Erik Henden '09, Chas Waters '09 and coxswain Romulus Cirone '09.
Event website: http://www.hocr.org/home/default.asp
Event results: http://www.hocr-timing.org/results/results_schedule.shtml
(KP in events 6M, 6W, 9M, 18M: left column)
Coach Matt Allen wins US SAILING Team Racing Nationals.
Sailing with Midn. Tim Cain '06, former KP head coach Mark Zagol and good friend Brad Funk, "Team Trouble" upset the defending National and World Team Racing Champions in crowd-pleasing fashion. Often winning clutch, come-from-behind races, "Team Trouble" dug down deep to find what it took to win.
US SAILING Association Website.
Dinghy Team repeats big win at the four-division Navy Fall Invitiational.
The Navy Fall is the "biggest" regatta of the fall season, requiring four good skippers and at least two crews, often with the strongest competition from across the country, this event has a huge impact on National Rankings. This year KP won by just one point after 72 races in 420's, FJ's and Lasers. The A-division team of Graham Mergenthaler '06, Emily Gardner '06 and Aaron Thompson '08 placed 13th, just one point behind 12th. The B-Division team of Andrew Bercovici '06, Greer Ferguson '06 and Scotty Gilmore '07 placed 6th. C and D-divisions had the best showing with Chris Branning '08 finishing second in C and Chris Alexander '08 third in D. The drama came in the last race of D-division, when all other divisions were finished. With all coaches and temmates watching, KP needed a top-3 finish from Alexander, who rounded the windward mark in about 8th place. At the jibe mark, 6 of the 7 boats ahead of Alexander tipped over in the 30-knot gust upon them. Chris Alexander came into the mark and executed a perfect jibe, to scream past the overturned Lasers and into second place, giving KP the overall lead. Full results.
Offshore Team starts strong in week 1 of Manhasset Bay Fall Series.
Racing on Saturday was in brisk winds, 15 to 30 knots out of the northwest causing numerous wipeouts and broken boats. Blizzard, skippered by Dan Miller '06 was unable to continue racing after breaking her spinnaker pole during a wipeout sailing at 14 knots! Though their results didn't show it, skipper Brian Giorgio '08 and the crew of Matriarch sailed very well in the tough conditions. The team's standout performance is the Farr 40 Nimbus, skippered by Mark Levis '06 and is currently in 3rd place behind past Farr 40 World Champion Solution owned by John Thomson. Thomson had three midshipmen from the Varsity Offshore Team on his boat, Brian Fantel '06, Brad Griffin '06, and Chad Ellis '07. Mr. Thomson was very impressed with the abilities of these team members. Also sailing on private boats in this event were Jamie Losee '09 sailing on Alaxa John, currently in 6th place in PHRF Division 6, and Nate McCrillis '06 crewed for Paul Strauch on Andiamo, currently in a three-way tie for second in the highly competitive J-105 division. Regatta website.Crew Team proves they can run with the big dogs at Navy Day Regatta.
The Crew Team competed in its second Navy Day Regatta on October 15, 2005. The regatta was created as a way to commemorate the founding of the U.S. Navy. Building on last years' fine performances each crew placed better in each of the events that it competed in and put forward their best performances of this fall season. The competition included some of the best Mid-Atlantic college teams including those from Division I, II and III. Full story and results.
Historic regatta for KP Women Sailors at U.S. Naval Academy.
For the first time ever, the Kings Point Sailing Team has sent a full team to compete at a 3-division intersectional regatta at Navy. In the past the team has sent women to compete in the single-handed or double-handed divisions, but never all three. The ability to do so shows the great strides made over the past few years to develop our women's sailing program. Thirteen races were sailed in very difficult conditions with eight of them during rain squalls and winds of 18-25 knots. A and B Divisions sailed 420's and FJ's. A-Division was sailed by Sonny Bilunas '08 with crew Andrea Koval '06. B-Division was sailed by Brittany Rossi '08 and crew Laura Beck '08. Both Bilunas and Rossi are regular crews on the coed team, and had their hands full as skippers for nearly the first time. The star of the team (and with more experience) was Allison Davis '08 who sailed to an 8th place, losing a tie-breaker for seventh and only 10 points out of 5th in C-Division sailing Laser Radials. Full results.Kings Point sails to 7th of 18 teams at Hobart-William Smith Fall Intersectional.
Charles Bonner '08 and Robert Grandstaff '08 sailed to a 7th in A-Division, just 3 points out of sixth while James Roe '08 and Greg Forthuber '07 finished 8th in B-Division, just 2 points shy of 7th to combine to 7th overall of the 18 teams in attendance. Full results.
Branning is 2nd at home to qualify for ICSA Singlehanded Nationals in Hawaii.
Chris Branning '08 topped the 16-boat fleet to take the second of three qualifying spots for the ICSA Singlehanded National Championship in Hawaii November 18-20, 2005. The regatta was a real challenge with conditions running the gamut. 20-25 knots on Saturday, eventually being cancelled due to gusts topping 40 knots! Sunday started at 15 knots fading to 5 knots on Sunday afternoon. Branning said of the event, "I sailed the most conservative regatta of my life. I had to really hang on in the light stuff. It was really tense with three guys having a good shot at the two remaining spots going into the last two races." Full results here.Strong showing for the Offshore Team at STC's Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta.
As the only team to compete in all four classes, KP showed it's depth and skill by winnning trophies in two classes and finishing in the top half of the other two. After being cancelled on Saturday due to winds of 30 knots-plus, three races were held on Sunday in a dying northeasterly breeze. Skipper Sean Russell '06 led his crew to a convincing victory in the 9-boat level J109/J120 class, sailing Mr. Barry Gold's J109 Sundari. In the J44 Class, Skipper Brian Fantel '06 and crew sailed Doc Clarke's Diogenes 2 consistently to place third of 5 teams, beating Coast Guard Academy and Naval Academy. Skipper Mark Levis '06 led his team to a fourth place in the 9-boat Level 72 class, just one point from another trophy for KP sailing Bill Walker's Express 37 Afterglow. Skipper Ryan Mulvania '06 and team to a 5th place finish in the 10-boat J105 class, sailing Paul Strauch's Andiamo.
Event website: 2005 Intercollegiate Regatta
Video coverage: Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta presented by Prestige Toyota || T2Productions
Crew Team performs well in stormy conditions at Head of the Connecticut.
A Bronze Medal was the highlight of this event for the Men's Collegiate Novice Four Crew consisting of coxwain Romulus Cirone '09, sweep Peter Morris '09, #3 Drew Baldwin '09, #2 John Whitehouse '09 and bow Dan Cleveland '09. KP placed 6th of 11 teams in the Collegiate Novice Eight with coxwain Judith Jaime '09, Brad Webster '09, Mark Lauretano '09, Erik Henden '09, Chas Waters '09, Karl Runschlag '09, John Calise '07, James Lipset '09 and Justin Kisielewski '09. In the Men's Open Four the Mariners placed 5th and 14th of 16 teams overall which equates to 3rd and 11th of the 13 Collegiate crews. Due to the stormy weather creating much debris in the river, the Women's Open Four and Mixed Quad events were cancelled. Full Results.
3 October 2005 - Kings Point victorious at home qualifier for the War Memorial.
Winning at home is always sweet, but even more so when it qualifies you for one of the biggest events of the season.
3 October 2005 - Kings Point misses qualifying for the Sloop Nationals.
Over the past three years, Kings Point has become a fixture at the ICSA Sloop National Championship. The team of Graham Mergenthaler '06, Todd Kutkiewicz '06 and Aaron Thompson '08 fought hard against the challenging light and shifty winds for which Annapolis is well known. With only 1st and 2nd place qualifying, Kings Point was in a tie with St. Mary's College of Maryland for second place. Georgetown U. was in 1st place, just 3 points ahead, and Old Dominion U. was in 4th just 1 point back and host U.S. Naval Academy just 3 points farther back. It was a five boat race for the two qualifying positions. In the final race, St. Mary's and ODU finished 1-2, while "Mergs" and crew posted a 6th falling back to 4th in the 12-boat Colgate 26 fleet. It was a great regatta with some really tight, nail-biting action. Full results click here.
3 October 2005 - Offshore Team concludes American Yacht Club Fall Series in good shape.
Blizzard skippered by Dan Miller ’06, helmed by Ryan Mulvania’06 and crew of 12, held onto 4th of 8 teams, 7 pts. from a 3rd place trophy in IRC Class 1.
Nimbus skippered and helmed by Mark Levis ’06 and crew of 10 had a tough time in the light and shifty winds, dropping from 5th to 8th of 12 teams, just 2 pts. out of 6th in IRC Class 3.
Full results: http://12.171.130.20:3001/results/fall05east.htm
Matriarch skippered by Brian Giorgio ’07, helmed by Jeremiah Lowe ’07 and crew of 7 were unable to compete in their final three races this weekend due to other USMMA commitments, but held on to 6th of 9 teams in PHRF Class 3.
Fast Lane skippered and helmed by Sean Russell ’06 and crew of 7 sailed well on Saturday but were unable to compete on Sunday due to engine problems. They remained in 7th place of 9teams in PHRF Class 5.
Full results: http://12.171.130.20:3001/results/fall05South.htm
3 October 2005 - Crew Team posts best overall performance of season.
Kings Point Varsity Crew earned medals in four of the seven events it entered in the 2005 Textile River Regatta. The strongest performance was posted by the Men’s Novice Eight. Despite a broken oar which prevented the stroke-man from rowing the last half of the race, the crew of Coxswain Romulus Cirone ‘09, Stroke-Chas Waters ‘09, Erik Henden ‘09, John Calise ‘07,-James Lipset ‘06, Justin Kisielewski ‘09, Karl Rumschlag ‘09, Drew Baldwin ‘09 and Peter Morris ‘09 still finished 2nd amongst 15 entries.
25 September 2005 - Rookie team finishes 4th at COHO Memorial Regatta.
Webb Institute, Glen Cove, NY: Skipper Cale Jurin '09 and crew David Hume '09 racing in A-division combined with skipper Michael Buckley '09 and crew Garrick Sheatzley '09 racing in B-division to beat West Point, Princeton University, Stevens Tech and Monmouth College.
25 September 2005 - Laser North Singlehanded Qualifier at Kings Point.
Kings Point hosted the Laser North regatta which was a qualifer for the MAISA District Champs, also being held here in October. The strong winds (13-23 kts) from the north on Saturday made for intense racing with capsizes every race. Sunday was all about smart sailing; the winds were 5-12 kts and very shifty. In one race turning a last place into a first and then back to last again. Heading the Mariner charge was Charles Bonner '08 (Richmond, Va) who turned the jets on late in the regatta but was unable to move into qualifying position, finishing sixth. Steven Holm '09 (Cape Coral, Fl) Finished in 8th, Todd Kutliewicz '06 (Center Moriches, NY) finished in 10th and in his first laser regatta Ben Parrish '08 (Houston, Tx) finished 15th. Previously qualified for the MAISA District Champs are Chris Branning '08 (Sarasota, FL), Chris Alexander '08 (Cape Coral, FL) and Jimmy Givens '08 (Cape Coral, FL).
25 September 2005 - Dinghy Team 13th at Hood Trophy hosted by Tufts University.
Skipper Graham Mergenthaler ’06 (Colt's Neck, NJ) and crew Tim Cain ‘06 (Marlboro, NJ) placed 13th in A-division. Skipper Andrew Bercovicci ’07 (Falmouth, MA) with Greer Ferguson ‘06 (Great Neck, NY) crewing finished 9th in B-division to combine to 13th of 18 teams overall, beating rival Coast Guard Academy by a combined 40 points.
Full results: http://www.collegesailing.org/regattaLatest.asp?RegattaID=31
25 September 2005 - It's 2nd place for KP at St. Mary’s College Open for the Senator’s Cup.
The Mariners finished just 17 points from winning on combined scores from A & B Division. Chris Alexander ’08 (Cape Coral, FL) with crew Sonha Bilunas ’08 (San Antonio, TX) finished in 3rd place, just points from 2nd. In B-division, Jimmy givens ’07 (Cape Coral, FL) with crew Laura Beck ’08 (Philadelphia, PA) finished 3rd as well. The consistency of both divisions gave them 2nd place overall.
25 September 2005 - Four Offshore Teams compete at first weekend of American YC Fall Series.
Blizzard skippered by Dan Miller ’06, helmed by Ryan Mulvania’06 and crew of 12, are currently in 4th of 8, just 1 point out of 3rd in IRC Class 1.
Nimbus skippered and helmed by Mark Levis ’06 and crew of 10 are currently in 5th of 12, 4 points out of 4th in IRC Class 3.
Matriarch skippered by Brian Giorgio ’07, helmed by Jeremiah Lowe ’07 and crew of 7 are currently in 6th of 9 in PHRF Class 3
Fast Lane skippered and helmed by Guy Miller ’07 and crew of 7 sailed well on Sunday to overcome not competing on Saturday due to high winds and rough conditions. They are currently in 7th of 9 in PHRF Class 5.
Full results: http://12.171.130.20:3001/results/fall05South.htm
25 September 2005 - Laser World Championship Update.
Midshipman Chris Branning '08 (Sarasota, FL) is currently in 50th place in the 68-boat Silver Fleet after 10 races. Branning's best race was a 25th in race1. Alumnus Dave Wright '05 is currently in 56th place in the 68-boat Gold Fleet. Wright has had some top-ten finishes and looks to move up in the standings.
Event website: http://www.2005laserworlds.com.br/results.html
25 September 2005 - Offshore Sailing Team places third at Shields Trophy. USNA, Annapolis, MD. Sailing provided Navy 44 sloops, the Offshore Sailing Team finished third by just one point after leading the 10-boat fleet at the end of Saturday's 5 races. Sailing many come-from-behind top finishes, the Mariners were unable to continue sailing past their rivals after not starting well and posted their two worst scores in the last races of the event. With starting practices planned over the next four weeks, KP will be ready to shine at the MacMillan Cup at USNA October 22-23. Congratulations to the Shields Team:
Helmsman Jared Brabazon '06 (Coopersburg, PA),
Tactician Jeremiah Lyons '06 (Annapolis, MD),
Jib Trim Pat Gerometta '08 (Farmington Hills, MI),
Spinnaker Trim Kitty Segert '08 (Merritt Island, FL),
Mainsail Trim Sean Russell '06 (Worton, MD),
Pit Brian Fantel '06 (Danbury, CT),
Mast Pete Radzicki '06 (Mint Hill, NC),
Bow Candice Vermillion '08 (Bloomington, IN)
Full Results: http://www.collegesailing.org/regattaLatest.asp?RegattaID=33
19 September 2005 - Midn. Chris Branning '08 heads to Brazil for Laser World Championship. Chris Branning of Sarasota, FL qualified for the 2005 Laser World Championship by placing 32nd on the Laser North American Grand Prix standings. Ever modest, Chris's goal for the regatta, "to be in the top 100." In Fortaleza, Brazil Chris can meet up with and train with KP Alumnus David Wright '05. Dave qualified for the worlds by winning the 65-boat Laser Midwinters West. Best of luck, Chris & Dave! Event website: www.2005laserworlds.com
19 September 2005 - Mariner Varsity Crew Victorious. The USMMA Varsity Crew opened up their season this year with a win at the Coastweeks Regatta in Mystic, CT. In a rare match up against rowers from the US Coast Guard Academy, USMMA was victorious. The Varsity Four A-Boat Coxswain Sarah Jones 3/c (Vero Beach, FL), Stroke Dean Macris 1/c (Mystic, CT), Adam Dunn 2/c (Birmingham, AL), Matt Goodavish 1/c (Appleton, WI), and Peter Flynt 1/c (Jacksonville, FL) handily beat the Coast Guard Bears. Macris garnered a second gold medal with a victory in the Open Single class, while Michael Troiano 1/c (Chester, NY) took a second in the Alden Ocean Shell class.
19 September 2005 - USMMA Places Second at Nevins Trophy. Posting strong finishes against the nation's top teams, the Mariners walked home -- at home -- with a second place finish at the 55th annual Nevins Invitational Trophy. The top performance was put in by Andrew Bercovici 2/c (Falmouth, MA) with crews Greer Ferguson 1/c (Kings Point, CA) and Scott Gilmore 2/c (Truckee, CA), who won B-Division. Chris Branning 3/c (Sarasota, FL) managed a 3rd place in the singlehanded division, while Graham Mergenthaler 1/c (Colts Neck, NJ) and Emily Gardner 1/c (Lindenhurst, NY) , managed a 6th place finish in the highly-competitive A-Division. Winning the regatta for the second year in a row was Boston College, while Georgetown placed 3rd.
14 September 2005 - GROWLER Returns from Shipyard. The M/V GROWLER spent last weekend at Derecktor's Shipyard in Mamaroneck, NY for a short haul. Kyle Fries 1/c (Bellevue, OH) and his crew helped clean, scrape and repaint the bottom, fit new zincs, and perform a basic underwater inspection. The vessel, which weighs 80 tons, was hauled using the yard's 120-ton boom crane. Click here for some pictures.
13 September 2005 - Mariner J-24 Team Wins Spirit Rider Regatta. The Academy competed in the Spirit Rider Regatta this past weekend, an event sailed in the waters off Atlantic Beach, Brooklyn, which honors the memory of FDNY Firefighter Patrick J. O'Keefe, who was lost on 9-11. The Mariners were under the able leadership of skipper Michael Wagoner 3/c (Phoenixville, PA) skipper, with crew Evan Denholm 3/c (Atco, NJ) and Eric Dukett 3/c (Tupper Lake, NY). ORION finished 1st in the Spinnaker division, beating several boats, including Navy.
12 September 2005 - USMMA Finishes 2nd at Riley Cup. The Varsity Intercollegiate Sailing Team finished in 2nd place at the Riley Cup, hosted by Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Jimmy Roe 3/c (Waretown, NJ) and Robert Grandstaff 3/c (Red Oak, TX) posted a solid 2nd place finish in A-Division, while P/C Brett Baker (Poquoson, VA) and P/C Tamera Reul (Arvada, CO) -- both competing in their first intercollegiate regatta -- managed a respectable 4th in B-Division.
12 September 2005 - Branning Makes It Three At MAISA Laser Championship. Chris Branning, 3/c (Sarasota, FL) finished fourth at the Navy Laser Open, qualifying him for the MAISA Laser Championship, which will be sailed at USMMA October 8-9.
12 September 2005 - Davis Finishes 7th at ODU Laser Event. Allison Davis 3/c (Seattle, WA) finished in 7th place at the annual Laser Radial regatta at Old Dominion University. 22 sailors competed in this BYO event.
12 September 2005 - Varsity Offshore Sailors Finish 5-7 in Farr 40 Event. The Varsity Offshore Team sent two squads to Newport, RI to compete in the Ida Lewis Farr 40 Regatta. Team Solution, skipper by Brian Fantel 1/c (Danbury, CT) and helmed by Jared Brabazon 1/c (Coopersburg, PA) finished in 5th place, while Team Columbia, skippered by Mark Levis 1/c (Chatham, NJ) and helmed by Sean Russell 1/c (Worton, MD) placed 7th. This was Columbia's last race under USMMA colors.
12 September 2005 - USMMA Slip to 9th at Pine Trophy. The Varsity Intercollegiate Sailing Team finished had a tough weekend in New London, finishing in 9th place, 1 point behind arch-rival Coast Guard. The Mariner Team included skipper Graham Mergenthaler 1/c (Colts Neck, NJ), with crew A.J. Black (St. Georges, BDA), Todd Kutkiewicz 1/c (Center Moriches, NY), and Aaron Thompson 3/c (Sheboygan, WI).
12 September 2005 - Mariners Finish 17th At Hurst Bowl. Sailing in challenging, light-air lake conditions at Dartmouth, the sailors were only able to get in six races. Sailing in A-Division, Andrew Bercovici 2/c (Falmouth, MA) and crew Scott Gilmore 2/c (Truckee, CA) managed a 7th place (which included a 1st and a 2nd), while Chris Alexander 3/c (Cape Coral, FL) and crew Sunny Bilunas 3/c (San Antonio, TX).
6 September 2005 - Alexander and Givens Qualify for Conference Championship. Sailing in the debut Laser event of the season, Chris Alexander, 3/c and Jimmy Givens, 3/c (both from Cape Coral, FL) finished 1st and 3rd at the Kings Point Laser Open, thereby qualifying for berths at the MAISA Men's Singlehanded Championship.
6 September 2005 - Columbia, Hercules, Alchemy Compete in Vineyard Race. The Varsity Offshore Sailing Team participated in 71st running of the Vineyard Race, a 238-mile round trip from Stamford, CT to the Buzzard's Bay light and back. Columbia, skippered by Mark Levis 1/c (Chatham, NJ), finished in just over 36 hours, garnering 3rd place honors in class. Hercules, in her last race of the season, was forced to withdraw after experiencing rudder problems. Alchemy, the Sailing Foundation's newest acquisition, was under charter to local yachtsman Steve Munger, and took 2nd in class and 2nd overall. For full results, visit the Stamford YC site.
6 September 2005 - Mariners Struggle at Harry Anderson. The Varsity Intercollegiate Sailing Team had a rough go at their season opener, finishing 20th in the 24-team fleet. A.J. Black 1/c (St. George, Bermuda) and Greer Ferguson 1/c (Kings Point, NY) managed a 17th place finish in A-Division, while Todd Kutkiewicz 1/c (Center Moriches, NY) and Jarrod Prill 3/c (Boonton, NJ) finished 20th in B-Division. Complete results are on the ICSA website.
9 August 2005 - Lady Mariners Sail to Victory in City Island Women's Skipper Race. The Varsity Offshore Sailing Team's fall season got off to a successful start with three top-three finishes in the annual City Island Yacht Club Women's Skipper Race on Saturday, August 6. Leading the pack was Kitty Segert '08 (Merritt Island, FL), who steered the J-24 Orion to victory in Division 4. Sailing the J-29, Fast Lane, Jennifer Davis '08 (Yuma, AZ) placed 2nd in Division 2. Finally, sailing aboard the Pinnacle 30, Matriarch, Megan Frazier '07 (Sulphur Springs, IN) placed 3rd in the highly-competitve Division 1.
1 August 2005 - HERCULES Finishes First (Again); BLIZZARD Captures 3rd Place and Jack Sussi Trophy in Around Long Island Race. Battling currents and light air, HERCULES finished in just over 31 hours, and was able to capture line honors in the annual Around Long Island Race. However, it was BLIZZARD that took home the Jack Sussi Memorial Trophy, award to the top-finishing Service Academy yacht. BLIZZARD, under the command of Dan Miller (Canyon, MN), finished almost four hours later, can captured 3rd place in her division. The Jack Sussi Trophy honors the Academy's former Assistant Director of Waterfront Activities, who passed away in 1995.
31 May 2005 - HERCULES is First to Finish in 60th Block Island Race. With a crew of 24 aboard, Hercules completed the course in just under 26 hours. Race conditions were typical of the Long Island Sound, combining light air, with current, shifty breeze, and rain. An hour from the finish found the boat wallowing 2.5 miles from the line in 2 knots of breeze. But, 45 minutes later, the boat was hit by a 30-knot line squall, and she finished under main alone. - Click for photos
20 May 2005 - 2005 FIRST CLASS DINING IN. The 19th Annual Dining In took place at Yocum Sailing Center, and recognized the achievements of members of the Sailing, Power And Crew Squadron. Highlights included the inaugural presentation of the David A O'Neil Memorial Trophy, honoring an early captain of the Varsity Sailing Team. - Click for photos and information
15 May 2005 - Bill Hardesty '98 brings victory to San Diego YC at the Lipton Cup - Bill continues his winning ways by dominating the otherwise tight 11-boat fleet of J/105's at Balboa YC in Corona del Mar, CA. Finishes for the crew of "Wings" were 4-1-1-2-2 for a total of 10 points in this light-air event. Second and third places were tied with 18 points. Congratulations to Bill and his crew: Kyle Clark, Betty Sherman, Brian Janney, Kelly McKeowne, Maria Stout and
Eric Shampain. [click here for full results]
14 May 2005 - HERCULES & AVALANCHE complete first events at Larchmont YC's "The Edlu" race. - HERCULES completed the 32nm course in 5-1/2 hours as the largest boat in the fleet, but light airs and a building sea breeze made this a small boat race on corrected time. The crew work was excellent on board and the team will be taking a "spin around Long Island" next weekend as a tune-up for the Storm Trysail Club's Around Block Island Race.
AVALANCHE completed the same course in roughly 8-1/2 hours. This was the first race for the cruising-oriented Skye 51 since her donation to Kings Point. Her skipper Glenn Atherton '05 is hoping for more breeze for the Around Block Island Race to help her be more competitive. [click here for full results]
17 April 2005 - Kings Point Offshore Team Wins Kennedy Cup at USNA - The Kennedy Cup is the unofficial National Championship for Collegiate Offshore Sailing. This first Kennedy Cup victory for KP since 1972 was hard-fought and well-earned. KP led the regatta after the first day with a 1-1-2 score over Navy (5-3-1), relinquished the lead by two points to Navy after the second day only to sail a near-perfect 2-1 on the final day to capture the Kennedy Cup by 4 points over Navy. The team that brought home the Kennedy Cup is: Coach Ralf Steitz, Austin Howell '05, Peet Must '05, Ed Hine '05, John Phelan '05, Rob Tolleson '05, Bob Greenling '07, Chad Ellis '07, Craig Gary '08, Ben Hilton '08. Congratulations to all! CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS
03 April 2005 - Kings Point Dinghy Team finishes 3rd at the Hobart North Regatta over the weekend - Chris Branning '08 and Jarrod Prill '08 finished 5th in A-division and Allison Davis '08, Ben Parrish '08, Brittany Rossi '08 finished 4th in B-division.
27 March 2005 – Kings Point Intercollegiate Sailing Women's Team finishes 2rd at the Princeton Spring Open - The Kings Point Women's Team place 2nd in both A and B-divisions and 2nd place overall at the Princeton Open this weekend. Allison Davis '08 and Brittany Rossi '08 sailed A-Division and Connie Barela '07 and Laura Beck '08 sailed B-Division.
13 March 2005 – Kings Point Intercollegiate Sailing Team finishes 3rd at the Admiral Moore - Skipper Chris Branning with crew Jarrod Prill '08 took 7th place in A-Division while Jimmy Givens '08 and Aaron Thompson '08 took 1st in B-Division at the Admiral Moore Regatta hosted by New York Maritime.