SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Stanford wrapped up its fall season with a victory over the weekend, taking first place in the Fall Pacific Coast Championship. The Cardinal showed a dominant display, topping the 19-team field by a wide margin.
Stanford finished the regatta with 36 points, ahead of the hosts, UC Santa Barbara in second with 70 points.
"The group clearly rose above the fray at the PCCSC Open Championship," said Head Sailing Coach Chris Klevan. "It was fun to see the team work together and shine amid challenging conditions. We have an immensely skilled, selfless and hard working group. I'm inspired as a coach every day I'm able to work with the team."
The Cardinal performed strongly in each of the three divisions, earning the top mark in all three. Throughout the entire regatta, Stanford won 17 of the 24 total races.
Michelle Lahrkamp and Ellie Harned took control of the A division, never finishing lower than second in a race. Vanessa Lahrkamp and Abigail Tindall handled the B division, finishing first in six of the eight races. In the C division, Hannah Freeman and Patricia Gerli won seven of their eight, taking second place in the fourth race.
Meanwhile, in San Diego, Stanford finished eighth overall in the ICSA Match Race Championship. In an extremely competitive field including the likes of Yale, Charleston, Brown, and others, the Cardinal raced well to advance into the quarterfinal round, but fell to Charleston.
"The final standings do not represent the quality of our event," said Klevan. "The team came together and were improving throughout the event - finishing the first round robin one loss away from earning the top seed for the knockout round and a win over eventual champion, Yale. They were charging."
In the first round of the competition, the Cardinal secured seven race wins compared to only two losses. After the initial round robin, Stanford was in third overall.
"Considering the extent of our season, in terms of travel, different types of regattas and boats sailed, it's impressive to see what this group of sailors was capable of in a new boat, sailing a type of regatta we don't often do," added Klevan. "Wiley, Konstantinos, AnaClare and Jack are great sailors and people. I'm looking forward to how they respond to the disappointment."
This marks the conclusion of Stanford's fall season. The team will be back inaction in the spring of 2023.