May 26, 2003
Stanford, Calif. - The Stanford Sailing Team is in their final week of practice for this year's Intercollegiate Sailing Association North American Championship, to be hosted by the Midwest Sailing Association at Bayview Yacht Club, Detroit, June 8-10.
The Cardinal Coed Sailors have had one of the most successful years in the team's history, with divisional victories and top-five finishes at the year's most competitve events. Since February, the team's rankings have ranged from 3rd to their present 9th position in the ICSA's bi-weekly rankings.
Consistently good perfomances may lead many of the Cardinal Team to All-American Status, which will be determined at the conclusion of the to start of the incredible year, Dave Phillips '04 and Lauren Gross '05 dominated A Division at the Harry Anderson Regatta hosted by Yale. Phillips sailed with Sonja Bebber '04 at the Rose Bowl Regatta in Long Beach in January, dominating A Division there as the Cardinal went on to win the regatta over defending Rose Bowl Champions USC and defending National Champions St. Mary's of Maryland.
Also putting in great performances this year were Ted Conrads '03 and crew Lucy Horton '05, who took top honors in A Division at the Navy Fall Regatta. The Stanford team went on to take 5th overall at the event.
Also putting up great numbers for the Cardinal was Freshman Brian Haines who qualified for the Singlehanded Nationals in the Fall, finishing 7th. Haines also earned 6th in a stacked Singlehanded Fleet at Navy Fall. At Rose Bowl, Haines and crew Lucy Horton earned 2nd in B Division to help the Cardinal dominate the regatta. Sailing doublehanded in the Spring with crew Taylor Clark, Haines was 3rd in A Division at the St. Francis Regatta.
Conrads/Horton, Phillips/Bebber, Haines/Clark and Dave Kenny '03 with crew Anna Vu '06 were a force to be reckoned with in the Team Racing discipline this year. In a discipline that pits three boats from one team against three from another, the powerful Stanford Team Racers won the McIntyre Team Race Intersectional.
The Cardinal has their work cut out for them, sailing against 18 of the countries strongest teams. They expect to immediately battle against top ranked teams, Tufts, Harvard, St Mary's of Maryland and U Hawaii. "We have an excellent shot at being top 3 this year," said Head Coach Jay Kehoe, "as well as having some All-American players."
The Stanford Team will be practicing in their home waters of Redwood City Tuesday through Thursday this week. The team departs for Detroit on June 6th. More information about the championship is available at www.collegesailing.org.