Fall 2009 Wrap
Every season is different. Each brings its disappointments and its triumphs. The team we have each season is unique. If we focus on the failings we can call it a poor one. But if we concentrate on the positives it can be a good one.
We had expected this season to be the one in which we returned to the top ten in the Middle Atlantic InterCollegiate Sailing Association. When we lost our number one skipper even before the season started to academic problems, our entire focus changed to developing our new people and getting the best from our returning sailors. Rather than team goals, we gave our attention to individual successes. In this we were quite successful. Jessica Thal stepped up her game and improved dramatically all season long. Taylor Gray and Lynn Ball took up the slack and filled out our best A & B crew paring.
IMAGE: The team at the 2009 Christmas Party.
Tyler Myers, Maxwell Plarr, Amy Craven, Taylor Morgan, Sarah-Daye Hand, Meghan Magee, and Brennan Russell represented the team at most of the other events.
However, what was probably the most fun we had all fall was at the Central #2 Qualifier held at Washington College to which we took all women. This was an important event for the Central Region teams as it was one of their two qualifiers for the War Memorial. For CNU it was all fun and a great opportunity for our women to show what they could do. Not surprisingly, Jessica and Meghan posted a very creditable 4th in A Division. We rotated two pairs, Maggie Gore & Amy Craven and Victoria Miller & Katlin Kitchen in B Division where they took 8th of the 13 teams. Maggie and Amy finished up with a very well sailed 5th place. For both pairs, this was their first major event. We will certainly do the “all-girl” thing again in the spring.
Perhaps the most improved sailor we had in the fall was Taylor Morgan. Unfortunately, Taylor has gained admission to the Savannah School of Art & Design, one of the top schools of its type in the country. We are going to miss Taylor, but we are also happy with his good fortune and we will see him back at our Alumni Regatta one of the these years.
We were unable to qualify for the Wear Memorial, one of the few times we have not and sailed instead in the Luce Regatta that was held close to home at Hampton University. Our third place finish there was a very good showing.
One of the most interesting and welcome developments that began last spring, continued through the fall, and will go farther in the spring is the increasing number of events being run by CNU, Hampton, Virginia, and William & Mary. This means that more of our events will be close to home, less expensive to attend at a time when budgets are being cut, and we’ll have stronger relationships with other Virginia teams. It is one of the goals of MAISA leadership that we develop a series of events in each of the three regions to provide added goals to which teams may aspire.
We wrapped up the fall season with the SAISA/MAISA Regatta at Charleston, our traditional finish to the season. The fleet was strong this year and we were fortunate to place 12th of the 15 teams using most of the sailors we expect to have back in the spring. We do expect to have Amy Polhemus, Becca Hornick and Dara Gruber rejoining the team after lost semesters in which their academic schedules kept them out of competition.
The late news is that Jessica will not be able to sail due to class scheduling problems. But, as they say, “Every one else will have to step up their game. I have no doubt that they will do so.
Dan Winters, Coach