NC State sailors travelled to St. Petersburg, Florida to kick off the Spring 2014 college sailing season at the SAISA Open regatta hosted by Eckerd College. Sailors were greeted by overcast conditions and light wind on Saturday, but Sunday brought warmer weather, sun and a bit more wind.
NC State was represented in A-fleet by senior skipper Benton Morton (Wilmington, NC) and junior crew Jill Tucker (Jamestown, NC) on Saturday with freshman Andrew Edwards (Aiken, SC) rotating in on Sunday. Junior skipper David Rogers (Mt. Pleasant, SC) and sophomore crew Paulina Spencer (Raleigh, NC) sailed in B-fleet.
It’s always a challenge to dust the snow and ice off our gear and get time on the water practicing before the beginning of the season,” said NC State coach Dana Magliola. “This year was no different, but I was pleased with how our sailors competed, and adapted to changing conditions, tides and current this weekend in Florida. More than anything, we’re excited that the season has started.”
Facing strong competition from fellow SAISA schools including the College of Charleston, University of South Florida, Miami, UNC-Wilmington, host school Eckerd and others, NC State placed 13th, securing a 6th place standing in SAISA’s North division. For more information, click here.
NC State sails again this coming weekend at the Charleston Spring Intersectional hosted by the College of Charleston. Stay tuned to our Twitter for updates from the regatta.