Cougars Claim North Points #3, SAISA Match Race

Saturday, September 29

Columbia, S.C.

ALL DAY

College of Charleston

North Points #3

10/1/2018 12:26:00 PM | Sailing

COLUMBIA, S.C. --- The College of Charleston sailing team added to its collection of regatta victories with wins at North Points #3 and the SAISA Match Race Championship this weekend, and turned in a pair of quality finishes at both the Jen Harris Women's and the Danmark Trophy to continue its strong start to the season.

The Cougars opened the weekend with a five-point win at North Points #3 on Saturday in Columbia, S.C. Charleston finished the regatta with 15 points, including a superb performance by Benn Smith (Bermuda) and Austin Googer in B-Division with five points from four races. Junior Patrick Shannon (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Jack Sutton placed second in A-Division with 10 points.

William Curtiss (Lake Bluff, Ill.) skippered the Cougars to a victory at the SAISA Match Race Championship on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla. with crew of sophomore Oliver Parsons (Stonington, Conn.), senior RJ Porter (Fontana, Wis.), and junior Laura Masterson (Kemah, Texas). The Cougars posted a 7-2 record to finish tied for first with Jacksonville, and won the regatta via tiebreaker after defeating the Dolphins in the finals.

Allie Toppa (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) paced the Cougars to a fifth-place finish at the Jen Harris Women's in Annapolis, Md. on Saturday and Sunday. Charleston finished the regatta seven points behind fourth-place Rhode Island with a total of 142 points. Allie Toppa and Annabel Carrington (White Stone, Va.) won A-Division with 27 points and four race victories. Liza Toppa (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) sailed all 10 races in B-Division, eight as skipper and two as crew; Marian Williams (Sai Kung, Hong Kong, China) skippered two races with Liza Toppa as crew, while Caroline Bracken (Bridgewater, Mass.) crewed eight races with Liza Toppa at skipper.

The Cougars finished 11^th at the closely contested Danmark Trophy on Saturday and Sunday in New London, Conn., with only nine points separating fifth and 11^th place. Charleston accumulated 94 points, including 37 from a fifth-place finish by sophomore skipper Jack Brown (Newtown Square, Pa.) and sophomore crew Mary Morano (Edgartown, Mass.) in A-Division. Sophomore skipper Ryan Ratliffe and sophomore crew Hannah Kinder (Portsmouth, R.I.) finished with 57 points in B-Division.

Charleston returns to the water next weekend at the Stu Nelson on Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7 in New London, Conn.; and the Coed Showcase Semifinals on Saturday and Sunday in Boston, Mass.