University of Vermont Sailing Team Headed to First Ever ICSA Spring National Championship!

Led by Sophomores Clinton Hayes and Coco Solsvig's win in A division, the Catamounts charged to a third place finish in the ICSA National Championship Eastern Semi Final Regatta. Aside from qualifying for their first ever Spring Finals, this hardworking club team has established themselves as competitors for the title in June.

Saturday brought a steady 15 knot breeze with higher puffs, blowing from the south up Seneca Lake, creating waves that reminded us of the Lake Champlain southwesterly we know and love. While many teams went heavy for their early sets, the Cats chose to stick with their regular crews, and Hayes/Solsvig and Juniors Tyler Baeder/Christine Bletzer opened with 4 single digit races, en route to a sixteen race performance that saw the Cats finish outside of the top ten just twice. Hayes and Solsvig only dropped out of the top five once, and sailed consistently throughout a range of conditions over the weekend.

Critical shore support was provided by Seniors Matt Clark and Caitlyn Connolly, Junior Steve Widdis, and Freshman Spencer Howe. Alum RJ Bouchard 07 made the trip from Buffalo, NY to provide a second set of coach's eyes, as well as parents Curt Solsvig P10, Christine Solsvig (sister), Tim and Diane Clark P08, and Kelly Clark (twin sister), all of whom contributed to a strong cheering squad and a terrific Saturday night dinner.

This success followed Thursday's release of the current National Rankings, placing the Catamounts at their highest ever national ranking (12th). Amid the swirling excitement, the Catamounts will buckle down this week to prepare for the New England Team Racing Championship May 3-4, and following exam week the Cats will embark on a three-week spring break style training program that will leave them primed for a strong performance at the ICSA Spring National Championship on June 2-4, 2008, in small, scenic Newport, RI.

I speak for all of the Catamounts when I thank everyone reading this for your continued support. As you know, we're one of the last true club teams out there fighting and beating varsity squads every week. I could not be prouder of our entire roster; this is a group of student athletes that have refused to accept that they cannot contend with the very best collegiate sailors in the country, and have instead accepted the challenge, and no matter how we finish in June, we will have left every ounce of effort out there on the water. All spring we've focused on working hard and coming away from every weekend a little faster and a little smarter than we began it; we knew if we could do that, we'd finish the spring a lot better at sailing than we started, and we have certainly accomplished that goal.

Thank you again for your support, and we'll see you in Newport this June!

Sincerely,
Justin Assad

Eastern Semi Final Results

April 22 Sailing World National Rankings