In the first regatta of the spring season on Saturday, March 5, the Texas A&M sailing team finished fourth in the McCarthy Cup at the Austin Yacht Club on Lake Travis.
Sailing club teams from the University of Texas, University of North Texas and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi competed in the Saturday match races hosted by the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association.
The team captain said the club is looking forward to facing off against these teams again in April in preparation for nationals in May.
“We had a beautiful day sailing at Lake Travis with great wind and perfect weather,” senior Victor Malbrel, captain of A&M sailing, said. “We raced for eight hours against sailors from many different schools and learned new competitive sailing strategies.”
The single regatta consisted of a three-boat against three-boat team race in a double round-robin series, with final rankings determined through a championship knock-out round, according to the McCarthy Cup rules. With three boats from each team in the water at all times, schools raced against another team’s three boats. After completing the racecourse, each boat returned to the dock to rotate crews, with each crew racing at least once in each boat against each team.
These one-on-one races require strategy, teamwork and precise boat handling as crews use techniques to get ahead and to block trailing boats from passing, according to the Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s website.
Competitors had to adjust for weather and wind conditions, including a day-long southerly breeze ranging from 8 to 18 miles per hour, according to ISA.
“Better wind gives every team an advantage,” senior Paul Skierski, competitor and treasurer for A&M sailing, said. “For a day like today, we made crews based on weight. It is important to plan with weight as weather conditions can make boats heel over if weight is out of balance.”
Paul said the team is looking forward to the Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s Team Race National Championships on May 16-18 in New Orleans.
The sailing team has been organized and coached by students through the University’s Rec Sports program since 1990, according to the team’s website. They practice locally at their facility on Lake Bryan.
For more information, find the team on Instagram @TAMUsailing.