The Radcliffe sailing team, national champion four of the last five years, will defend its national title today and tomorrow at the New York State Maritime College at King's Point, N.Y.

Radcliffe, which finished with a 3-3 record for the season, will be one of three colleges representing the New England division in the nation-wide meet. MIT and B.U. will be the other New England entrants at King's Point.

Radcliffe started strongly this year, winning its first two regattas, but slipped in the body of the season, dropping three straight before winning its last regatta May 12. Two of these losses came at the hands of MIT, a team many believe is one of the best in the country this year.

Radcliffe finished second among eight teams in both these losses. In late April the Engineer women topped the 'Cliffe in the Jerry Reed Trophy regatta where the top three teams qualify for the nationals. On May 5 MIT again defeated Radcliffe, this time by five points, 18-23, in the Regis Bowl regatta.

Sailing for Radcliffe will be Barbie Grant as skipper and Marie Roehm, crew, in A Division, and Janice Stroud and Kathy Angell in B. Stroud and Angell are co-skippers.

Radcliffe gained wins this year in the Sloop Shrew Trophy regatta, April 14-15, the President's Trophy regatta, April 22, and the CCT Invitational, May 12. In the Sloop Shrew race Radcliffe topped second-place MIT, 40-60. B.U. finished third with 78 points.

The President

In the President's Trophy regatta the 'Cliffe squad defeated second-place B.U., 8-19, and third-place MIT, 8-21. In the CCT Radcliffe turned back MIT, 9-13, and beat URI, 9-17.

This year the Middle Atlantic Division for Women's Intercollegiate Sailing is hosting the nationals. The meet will have entries from all the regional conferences across the U.S. Last year the Harvard Yacht Club hosted the coast-to-coast competition.

If the 'Cliffe can shake off the lax performances that hindered it in midseason, it could bring the national women's title back to Cambridge for another year.