A long trip for the coed sailing team proved to be worthwhile last weekend, as Bowdoin took second at the Atlantic Coast Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla.
Though the Saturday conditions were mild, the regatta was cut short because of insufficient wind on Sunday. Pete Edmunds '14 and Mae Speight '13 sailed to third place in the A division, while captain Jeff Goodrich '12 sailed with Clare Henry '12 in the B division, which they won with 14 points.
However, the women's team faltered at the Atlantic Coast Championship, hosted by SUNY Maritime. Kaylee Schwitzer '15, Isabel Low '13, Emily McNeil '14, Lizzy Hamilton '15, Katie Doble '13, and Kim Dempsey '14 finished 14th out of 18 teams, and Doble and Dempsey placed ninth overall.
Bowdoin struggled with a heavy cross current and rough winds, all while also sailing against a fleet consisting of the top 18 teams in the country.
"We were sailing against a whole new level of competition," said Doble.
The team performed better on Sunday, when the calmer winds made the sailing conditions far less tumultuous.
Doble said the choppy current and winds on Saturday affected the laylines, which made the execution of sailing tactics more complex. She said that the performance of the team in these situations can lead to "either significant gains or total annihilation from the race."
To practice for these conditions, Doble said the team executes drills to work on manipulating laylines at windward marks on the course.
Because the Polar Bears usually sail on the sheltered Casco Bay, they are not used to competing in such rough weather. Doble said that as a result, the team's techniques to combat such conditions are not well developed. Teams that normally compete in harsher winds, such as SUNY Maritime, performed better.
Overall, Bowdoin is in solid standing for the upcoming spring season after facing their strongest competition of the year in their final two regattas.
Coach Frank Pizzo said that in the offseason, the Polar Bears will continue to work on starts that leave options open later on. Doble explained these kinds of starts are dependent on perfect boat handling that leaves no room for error.