ANNAPOLIS , Md. - The Mariners varsity sailing team finished 5th overall at the Shields Trophy hosted by the US Naval Academy in Annapolis this past weekend.  The team was led by senior skipper Nalu Ho, and had Kevin Carse on bow, Finn Weeden at mast, Courtney King in the pit, Henry Currier grinding, Kenneth Deloe trimming the jib, Sarah Evans trimming the main, and Henri Richardsson navigating.   

Winds on Saturday topped out at 17 knots from the north, and moderated throughout the weekend.  Heavy rain from New England came pouring into the Chesapeake and strengthened the ebb tide, making the current an important part of the strategy for the weekend.  

In Race 1 the Mariners sailed a great race and finished 2nd.  In race 2 the team was over early and had trouble restarting, leading to an 8th place finish.  In race 3 they nailed the start and rounded the final windward mark in the lead, only to be rolled by Cal Maritime on the final downwind leg, and in the process let Navy slip by as well.  An otherwise excellent race was marred by one tactical error, making the 3rd place finish feel like a missed opportunity.  Race 4 was another early start which required a painful return to the line as the fleet departed upwind, resulting in a 7th place finish.  A DSQ for Coast Guard in race 4 put the Mariners in 4th place overall for the
day.  

On Sunday the Mariners were more conservative on the start line, and got buried behind the fleet in the first race.  Strong sailing, however, brought a 5th place finish, which was their average score after Saturday's hot and cold starts.  Some adjustments at the startline led to a slightly better start in race 6, and sound strategy combined with good sail trim produced a 3rd place finish.  
The final race of the weekend was the best for the Mariners.  A good start at the boat end of the line, good strategy, and excellent crew work put the Mariners in a pack of 3 boats way out in front of the fleet.  Tactics at the final leeward mark and on the last upwind leg determined the final order of the top 3: URI 1st; Coast Guard 2nd; Maine Maritime 3rd.  All three finished the hour-long race within ten seconds of each other. 
 
In summary, the Mariners team finished 5 points ahead of 6th place Kings Point, and 5 points behind 2nd place University of Rhode Island.  Hats off to Cal Maritime who set an impressive standard to win a National title.  The MacMillan Cup will be held in less than two weeks and the teams will do it all over again; this time with coveted berths for the John F. Kennedy Cup at stake.  The Kennedy Cup is held Nov 4 and 5 and determines a National Championship.