Tom Curtis Memorial Regatta
This regatta is sailed in memory of Thomas E. Curtis Georgetown ‘68. He was a great friend to all who new him and a very accomplished sailor whose life was cut short in a tragic accident while racing his yacht Obsession in the 1979 SORC race. Tom is a member of the GU athletics hall of fame. Tom’s sister Liz and nephews Curtis and Pierce came out to watch the races and root for the Hoyas.
Saturday was a beautiful day on the Potomac River. The wind filled in at 11:30AM and was SE 6-8mph for the first four races. The last two races in each division were sailed in a very shifty SW wind. Temps were in the high 70’s with bright blue skies. Racing among the top 3
teams was very close.
Sunday brought another beautiful day on the Potomac River. The wind filled in around 9:30AM and the first race started at 10AM. Seven races were sailed in each division. The first four in each division were sailing in a decent NW wind of 8-12mph. The wind shifted to the WNW for the last 3 races and the beats got very shifty. American and GW used their home water advantage to qualify for the War Memorial. Many thanks to Kyle Assad and Michael Collins for hearing protests and to the Georgetown Sailors for running the regatta.
IMAGE: The entire CNU team for the weekend: Assistant Coach Kate McClintock, Maxwell Plarr, Taylor Gray, Jessica Thal, Lynn Ball, and Sarah-Daye Hand.
As well as we sailed last week, we sailed that poorly on Saturday. We sailed much better on Sunday, but with stronger teams from American and George Washington, who practice at this site with Georgetown, neither we, Hampton nor Maryland made the cut for the War Memorial. So, it appears that we will see many of our fellow South Region teams at the Luce Regatta. The location for that event is yet to be determined. Needless to say, our failure to make the War was a disappointment. But this was tempered by Jessica and Sarah-Daye’s first place finish in the final race of the regatta. This wasn’t just a win, it was an extremely well sailed race. In any race, there is a perfect way it can be sailed and the winner is the team that comes closest to perfection. Jess and Sarah-Daye came as close to sailing that perfect race as I have ever seen and we expect this to be just the first of many more for our sophomore skipper.
Of particular interest was the final placing of Virginia, Hampton, Maryland, Christopher Newport, and William & Mary – all from 8th to 12th which indicates the closeness of competition in the southern part of the South Region of the Middle Atlantic InterCollegiate Sailing Association.
IMAGE: Our very happy B Division team returning to the dock after their best race of the weekend.
| Scores | A Div. | B Div. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Georgetown | 35 | 38 | 73 |
| 2. St. Mary’s | 39 | 36 | 75 |
| 3. American | 58 | 53 | 111 |
| 4. Navy | 70 | 80 | 150 |
| 5. Old Dominion | 77 | 76 | 153 |
| 6. Kings Point | 74 | 108 | 182 |
| 7. George Washington | 98 | 87 | 185 |
| 8. Virginia | 124 | 86 | 210 |
| 9. Maryland | 88 | 130 | 218 |
| 10. Hampton | 127 | 97 | 224 |
| 11. Christopher Newport | 151 | 120 | 271 |
| 12. William and Mary | 174 | 152 | 326 |
| 13. Princeton | 158 | 172 | 330 |
| 14. St. John’s | 170 | 173 | 343 |
| 15. Salisbury | 171 | 183 | 354 |
| 16. Virginia Tech | 174 | 196 | 370 |
| 17. Drexel | 196 | 202 | 398 |
Christopher Newport Team Members & Finishes
A Division
Taylor Gray, Maxwell Plarr, Lynn Ball
11-12-13-12-12-16-8-12-10-10-13-9-13
B Division
Jessica Thal, Sarah-Daye Hand
5-9-11-15-10-8-10-9-9-13-8-12-1
IMAGE: Sarah-Daye, Lynn and Jessica coming ashore after Jess and Sarah-Daye’s win in the final race.