Harvard’s sailors fanned out across New England this weekend to compete in national qualifying regattas and intersectional competition. In the end, the Crimson’s success at the New England Singlehanded Championship was tempered by less dominant performances elsewhere on the seas.

Harvard shined at the Singlehanded Championship, hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The field of competition featured 18 of the region’s top sailors, vying for the top four slots—which earn berths in the North American Men’s Singlehanded Championship, held in Houston in early November.

Captain Clay Bischoff dominated the regatta, winning nine of the 18 races. He finished in the top-four 15 times and did not place worse than eighth on the weekend.

Despite Saturday’s torrential downpours and shifting wind patterns, Bischoff staked claim to the lead by the end of the fourth race and never trailed again throughout the course of the weekend.

In races five through 10, Bischoff won five times and finished second once, increasing his one-point lead to a 36-rank cushion heading into Sunday.

“Clay put on a show,” freshman Vince Porter said. “[The wind] was blowing the whole regatta, and he’s definitely good in the breeze. The conditions were definitely good for him. He’s faster upwind than anyone else and in better shape than anyone else.”

Though the conditions Sunday—a crisp autumn day with a consistent northwesterly breeze—were markedly different from Saturday’s, Bischoff set the tone early by winning two of the first three races and moving 42 points ahead of the field.

Appropriately, he took first place in the final race of the competition, extending his lead to a whopping 72 points.

Porter also made waves, as he took third in the event and will join Bischoff in Houston.

Porter started the regatta well, winning two of the first three races and leading after the third race.

“I just had a good start both races and got out in front early,” Porter said. “I increased my lead and nobody was really near me.”

But none could pose much of a challenge to Bischoff this weekend and Porter consequently fell back in the standings after the fourth race.

Throughout the weekend, Porter was locked in a three-way struggle for second place.

After Saturday’s races, Porter’s three-man chasing group had distanced itself from the rest of the competition. He held a comfortable fourth, four points out of second place and a single point out of third.

Porter hit rough seas in races 10 through 13, finishing 13th twice and 15th once. More than 20 spots out of first, he launched a comeback that nearly won him second place.