Boston College Wins the 2010 ICSA National Match Racing Championship

Kings Point, NY - Boston College rolled over St. Mary’s 3-0 in the finals to become the first ever winner of the 2010 National Match Racing Champion. In a first to three points finals, skipper Taylor Canfield, and his crew of Tyler Sinks, Bianna Provancha, Danny Bloomstine, Ryan Mullins, with alternate David Gross, thwarted every attempt by the very skilled St Mary’s team to come behind in all three matches. It just wasn’t in the cards for St. Mary’s this year, a team the won the Dinghy Championship in 2009 and the 2010 Team Racing Championship, and was undefeated until late Saturday when they suffered their first loss. They tried everything in their arsenal of tricks but Boston College just wouldn’t give an inch.

In the petit finals, in a first to two points, Brown dominated the matches. The second match, which would determine 3rd and 4th place, it was a nail biter right to the finish, with Tulane getting a double penalty right at the line, giving Brown the win, and securing 3rd place and forcing Tulane into 4th.

Canfield, who did not have a good first day in the regatta, but came on strong Saturday and Sunday, said that he and this team came “into the regatta thinking anyone can take a race and knowing we were up against very good sailors. We were confident with our boat speed and boat handling.” He added, “It was a great regatta; great weather and good breeze.”

Alice Leonard, the ICSA representative, gave a little perspective on why the keelboat nationals were changed into a match racing format. “The keelboat nationals were a fleet race that wasn’t very popular. We were at a crossroads and as an experiment, decided to go with match racing to build on the excitement that match racing has generated. We hoped to re-energize this event and we couldn’t be more pleased with the way it has gone.”

USMMA and the USMMA Sailing Foundation really know how to put out the welcome mat and run a top notch regatta. CDR. Chris Gasiorek, Sailing Master, thanked the team that made it all happen: his coaches: Blaine Pedlow, Jon Singsen, Jon Kabak, Michael Collins, Rick Dominique and Rich Cain. Thanks were also extended to John Casey and the maintenance staff, Alice Manard-Leonard, the representative from the Intercollegiate Sailing Association, and Skip Shumway of Shumway Marine for the loan of 4 Sonars. Bill Hardesty, Isao Toyama and Todd Reynolds from the Chicago Match Race Center were thanked for the live feed and web hosting as was Dawn Riley, Oakcliff Sailing Center for video commentary, and Paul Cuneo, Manhasset Bay YC, also for video commentary.

Ken Read and the Puma Race Team provided raffle prizes, and Sue Miller, Commodore of Manhasset Bay YC, was PRO and did a great job. Glennon Stratton of GTS Photos took photos which can be seen at (www.gtsphotos.com). And last, but definitely not least, a big thanks to Ralf Steitz of the USMMA Sailing Foundation for purchaseing the new Sonars and sails.

Thanks to the Umpires this year: Bruce Cook, Chief Umpire, NY; Christine Accettella, VA; Charlie Arms, CA; Don Becker, CA; Hans Graf, WI; Sandy Grosvenor, MD; WI; Greg Kiely, MA; Don Makowiecki, NY, Chris Petracco, RI; John Pratt, MA.

Match racing is on a roll in the United States. For the ten teams who qualified for the national championship, there were many other teams competing with the hope of qualifying. According to Dave Perry, who spent Friday evening talking with the teams, there are three regional youth camps planned for the collegiate sailors who thrive on head to head matches, and are interested in improving their match racing skills. With US SAILING supporting match racing 100% and untold number of race officials and volunteers passionate about moving match racing to the next level in the US, the collegiate match racing teams of today may very well be the next Olympic team, a winner of the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) or racing with a team at the America’s Cup.

Congratulations to all the teams who made history this weekend at the US Merchant Marine Academy. Their dedication to the sport and their unbelievable match racing skills bode well for sailing and for match racing. Remember these names – you most likely will see them again as they represent the United States in future venues here at home and throughout the world.

School, skipper, crew members:

1. Boston College: Taylor W. Canfield, Tyler Sinks, Brianna Provancha, Danny Bloomstine, Ryan Mullins, David Gross
2. St. Mary’s College of MD: Michael W. Menninger, Ben Lezin, John Wallace, Kayla McComb
3. Brown University: Mark K. Towill, Thomas Fink, Tyler Rice, Ashley Noble
4. Tulane University: Patrick Ryan, Mary Duncan, Mike Schmitt, Andrew Eyring
5. College of Charleston: Jackson Benvenutti, Sarah Somes, Zeke Horowitz, Cole Allsop
6. USMMA: Chris Herring, Joe Hoffman, ¡ Evan Siepert, Misty Harris
7. University of Washington: Glen F. Stellmacher, Hannah Darrin, Katie Schmidt, Thomas Stewar
8. University of Wisconsin: Phillip O. Morley, Jeremy McMahon, Eric Tobias, Rika Grufman
9. California Maritime Academy: Dillon T. Lancaster, Scott Doyle, Andrew Lamb, Jessica Schember
10. University of Minnesota: Matthew C. Thompson, Kirstin Wilson, Allison Prange, Braden Solum

Special thanks to the sponsors for their support: USMMA Sailing Foundation, Chicago Match Race Center, Oakcliff Sailing Center, Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, Kattack and GTS Photos.

For more information, photos and video replays of the action, go to collegematchrace.com