The wind was relatively weak throughout the day until about one PM, when a steady wind from the east came in and six races in each division were conducted.
DANMARK TROPHY
Poor sailing conditions seemed to be what hurt the Crimson the most this weekend as it came in 12th place in the Danmark Trophy hosted by the Coast Guard.
Finishing in 16th place in the A division were junior Gram Slattery, sophomores Andrew Mollerus and Sydney Karnovsky, and freshman Julia Lord. Junior Brian Drumm and sophomore Jacob Bradt took 10th in the B division. There were 20 schools represented.
Saturday saw several races postponed due to the light wind but conditions changed and racing commenced later in the afternoon, only to face strong currents that challenged boat control. Dying wind and stronger ebbs of the water defined Sunday’s racing, limiting the total amount of competitions that took place.
“The conditions were very tough,” Bradt said. “We were put in conditions we were not really used to and the light air with a lot of current really alters your game plan in nearly every part.”
Bradt expressed that the team was more comfortable in transitions on Sunday than Saturday, despite the fact that the strong current had the greatest impact on the starts for Harvard on Sunday.
Bradt felt that the team’s expectations were not met.
“This weekend showed us that we need to practice more in those conditions,” Bradt said. “This also means that we’re not at the place where we can go out consistently.”
Reflecting on the improvements that need to be made in the weeks to come, Duff stated that technical skills and smart boat-handling tactics are high priorities.
“The relationship we have between our skippers and crews is something that we will continue to foster throughout he year,” he said.
Duff believes that the team will find more improvement when it develops its teamwork on and off the water.
“It’s hard to be in a boat with somebody all day and not get along with them,” he said. “Finding who we work well with, developing that relationship, and pushing it forward is going to play a key part in our success.”
—Staff writer Tanner Skenderian can be reached at tannerskenderian@gmail.com.