New London Connecticut-- The Maine Maritime Sailing Team celebrated an enormous program achievement this weekend as they posted a ten-year best finish at the NEISA Open Fleet Race Championship. The NEISA conference is widely accepted as the most competitive district in the country, and this event is considered by many to be just as competitive as Nationals. Qualifying for this event requires a season ranking that beats out dozens of other schools.
 
With the forecast calling for sustained winds of 15 knots with gusts in the 20 knot range from the East, the Mariner team was prepared for two days of physically-challenging endurance sailing at the Connecticut College's venue on the Thames River. When the true course conditions proved to be lighter and shiftier the team channeled their endurance mindset into the racing. Henri Richardsson (So. Cohasset, Mass.) and William Ries (Fr. Sarasota, Fla.) in the A Division and Nalu Ho (Jr. Lahaina, Hawaii) and Amelia Griffith (So. Castine, Maine) set the tone for the regatta by carefully studying the puzzle of race-making wind shifts caused by the strong easterly breeze funneling through hills on the far side of the course and the deceptively powerful current of the river. The pairs exhibited intense mental toughness as they fought to pass boats on each leg and in their diligent preparation before each race. Zachary York (Jr. Sewell, N.J.) substituted in to the A Division as skipper to relieve his teammate and the time that he had spent studying the competition from afar showed in a fifth-place finish in the ninth and second to last race of the day.
 
Conditions on Sunday presented another set of challenges and opportunities for the Mariners. The northeasterly breeze required reorienting in a way that made current a more critical factor. A strong ebb tide created "elevator-lifts" across the center of the course while reverse eddies near the starting line created dramatic pileups at the pin-end of the start and resulted in many teams receiving score penalties.
 
Coaches Patrick DiLalla and Delaney Brown are proud of the way these five sailors fought tirelessly, showed improvement, and maintained their enthusiasm through two demanding competition days.
 
And, most importantly, the Mariners beat rival team Massachusetts Maritime Academy by a double-digit lead.