Sophomores Ladd, Dylan Farrell (skipper), and Kevin Coakley (crew) partnered with freshmen Nick DiGiovanni (skipper), Christine Gosioco (crew), and Lena Episalla (crew) to race at the Savin Hill Yacht Club and in Dorchester Bay.
Due to the cooperative weather, event organizers fit all 45 races into Saturday despite the race being scheduled for Sunday as well.
“There was a really good breeze the whole day,” Ladd said.
Still, Harvard struggled in the morning, breaking for lunch with a 1-4 record. That mark put the team at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the field, which included Coast Guard, Boston College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Roger Williams, and Yale.
However, Harvard greatly improved its standing in the afternoon and ultimately placed fourth with a record of 9-6. Yale came in first, followed by Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Boston College.
“After lunch we got our stuff together and went 8-1,” Ladd said. “Overall we learned a lot and got better as a team. You could see the progression throughout the day.”
BU TEAM RACE INVITATIONAL
After an onshore delay waiting for wind and a late report time, Harvard began racing at the BU Team Race Invitational shortly after 11:30.
The day hardly improved when the Crimson hit the water, as the team finished fifth with a record of 1-7. Harvard’s lone win came against Roger Williams University in the second round.
Overall the races at the BU Team Race Invitational were close. As a light easterly built over the course of the day, ranging from two to seven knots, Boston University battled Bowdoin College for control of first and second. The Terriers ultimately triumphed because they held tiebreakers.
Despite the disheartening results, Harvard’s focus for the weekend was on gaining experience and learning from the racing process.
A trio of freshmen skippers–Nicholas Karnovsky, Jackson Wagner and Andrew Puopolo–united with senior crew Adam Brodheim and freshman crew members Divya Arya and Catherine Tang to race against six teams in FJ dinghies.
“We’ve been working on everyone learning a lot and getting better for our team next year,” Ladd said.