Juan Maegli 12 Wins ICSA Men s Singlehanded National Championship; Allie Blecher 10 3rd at Women s

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1 The Cougar Current Official Newsletter of the College Juan Maegli 12 Wins ICSA Men s Singlehanded National Championship; Allie Blecher 10 3rd at Women s by Corey Hall The 2009 ICSA Men s and Women s Singlehanded Nationals were held in the great state of Texas on November 6-8 at Corpus Christi Yacht Club. The Cougars started out our Texan adventure on Thursday November 5th, when we attempted to get our tiller extensions through security in a large PVC tube. Fortunately the security guards recognized the team, allowed us to get our necessary gear past the check point, and wished us all good luck as we prepared to go to Texas. After a long journey, we arrived to our final destination: Corpus Christi, the birthplace of WhatABurger! On Friday morning, we rigged our supplied Lasers and geared up to sail in the warm, beautiful Texas sunshine. The breeze filled in just in time for five fantastic races. Juan Maegli 12 and Allie Blecher 10 proved early on that they were going to be major contenders in this event, and Corey Hall 12 was sailing well also. Learning about the local wildlife proved to be a theme for our trip. On the first night we became well acquainted with bird-sized mosquitoes that were enormous even by South Carolina standards. After sailing on Friday, a giant garden snake greeted Juan on our hotel room porch. Juan is okay, the same cannot be said about the snake. Friday evening we were treated to a delicious Jambalaya dinner at Anne Clark (Ward s sister) and Bryan Hudson s house. We helped ourselves to multiple servings while learning about yet another Texan creature: the Javelina, a pig-like animal that is related to a hippopotamus and an anteater. Our second day of racing once again started out with a light breeze, yet by our fifth race of the day the sea breeze began to build to a steady fifteen knots. Juan dominated the full rig course, s-curving marvelously downwind and working his boat skillfully Juan, Corey and Allie at the awards presentation Juan leads Brown s Fred Strammer into the windward mark on the final day of racing upwind through the chop. Allie showed the radial sailors what it meant to dominate stating Issue #5 February 2010 of Charleston / Hissar Sailing Program at the pin. She straight-legged hiked off her toes into third place by the end of the day. Corey was able to work on her starting technique, improving each race throughout the day. It was a long hard day full of lots of races, and everyone was worn-out by the end of it. After sailing, we were treated to a Tex-mex taco fiesta at the yacht club, and left with a souvenir sombrero for Coach Nick. On Sunday, the breeze was up and rain was in the forecast. We prepared for a wet day of sailing with two races to go in the regatta. Juan had a comfortable lead in the full rigs, but needed to keep an eye on second place, Brown s Fred Strammer. Allie was third in the standings and needed her competition to stumble in order for her to move up in the standings. In the first race of the day, Allie sailed a great race to finish first, with Corey placing fourth in that race. In the final race, Juan skillfully match-raced Strammer at the start and finished 5th to take the title in the men s championship. Allie worked her boat through the waves and secured a second in her last college laser event, ending up third overall. And Corey sailed solidly, improving each race, ending up twelfth. The rain followed us to the airport; however, we were happy to be heading home to Charleston. Our wet gear was crammed into our bags and Coach Nick s sombrero was safely stowed in the overhead bin. Our trip would not have been complete without a sprint through the Atlanta airport to make our flight home. Congratulations to Juan for bringing the men s singlehanded championship trophy back to Charleston for the first time since 1991 (Andy Lovell 93). Thanks to our teammates for helping us prepare for this event! In This Issue... Coaches Corner...2 Thank Yous...3 Fall 2009 Regatta Reports...4 Spring 2010 Schedule...9 Spring 2010 Roster...10 Alumni Corner...11 College of Charleston Sailing 66 George Street Charleston South Carolina (Phone) (Fax) (Sailing Center) Fear the Claw

2 The Coaches Corner This fall was another great season for the College of Charleston sailing team, and they posted some great results on the water. The team pulled in three top-five finishes at the three fall national championships, including a win at the men s singlehandeds, and the women won the ACCs. The squad also posted some pretty impressive finishes at intersectionals throughout the season. The team braved quite a bit this season, with several heinous travel delays and some fairly chilly fall regattas in New England. But they persevered and had a great attitude about it all. We are now pros at navigating the Atlanta and Charlotte airports in a hurry, and negotiating with the airlines and rental car agencies. For the coaching staff, the most rewarding aspect of the season was seeing the maturity, comraderie, and teamwork displayed this season. With a team as big as ours, that s not always easy to come by! They work hard and push each other at practice and workouts, which has resulted in them outperforming expectations a number of times throughout the season. In the off season, we ve been working hard to prepare for the spring. And we ve been moving! Our campus offices have moved to the second floor of the Johnson Center, and we now have a suite of three offices instead of one. The wall accross from our offices has become the Sailing Wall of Fame and displays all 124 All-American certificates earned by CofC sailors since 1978 when Stewart Walker was named the College s first All-American. The picture below doesn t quite do it justice, so stop by and take a look if you re in Charleston. (A huge thanks to Colin for suggesting the use of string to line up the frames!) The CofC Sailing Wall of Fame As we look toward the spring season, we re excited about what s ahead for the Cougars. The season kicks off with the Mendelblatt Team Race on Feb and goes strong through the ICSA National Semi-Finals, which we will be hosting in Charleston on May 1-2. Our coed squad is anxious to get in some great team racing, and the women s team is looking forward to its final season with Allie and Shannon at the helm. Go Cougars!! ICSA Sloop National Championship by Brooks Clark It was a three day weekend for the Cougars October as the Sloop team traveled to New London, CT to compete in the 2009 ICSA Sloop National Championship hosted by the Coast Guard Academy. Helmed by Jackson Benvenutti 10, the team consisted of Cole Allsopp 11, Zeke Horowitz 12 and Brooks Clark 13. Before the team had even arrived at the airport, the weekend was already dubbed Bro-Fest 09. With a forecast of 20+ knots, rain, 50 degree weather and 10 races, an epic weekend was predicted. Despite the forecast, the team was greeted on Friday morning with fairly light and incredibly shifty conditions. Although The Sloop Nationals team at the O Neil s Charleston s Ocean Sailing Academy had allowed the Cougars to practice in their Colgate 26 prior to the event, our boat handling seemed to be a step off the pace. The day ended with the Cougars sitting in 7th place, only five points out of 3rd. After a fantastic dinner cooked by the O Neils and a filling breakfast at a local favorite spot known as Phil s, the Cougars were optimistic Saturday would bring more promising results. Upon arrival, the team was informed that the race committee would 2 The Cougar Current attempt to finish the regatta that day, meaning seven races and a possibility for serious gains to be made. The 20-knot forecast never quite lived up to the hype, as the breeze peaked at only 14 knots, with light rain. After winning two of the first four races, spirits were high. With one race to go, 3rd place was all but out of reach but 4th place was still possible. Unfortunately, Brown was able to port tack the fleet and never looked back, ending up 4th overall, four points out of 3rd. Charleston ended up 5th overall, seven points out of 3rd. Boston College won the tie breaker over St. Mary s to take the championship. Since the regatta was over on Saturday, the Sloop team was able to drive to Brown to cheer on their fellow Cougars at the Hoyt Trophy on Sunday. Thanks to the O Neil s for providing food and incredible hospitality over the weekend and the OSA for letting us borrow their Colgate 26 for practice. Become a fan of College of Charleston Sailing on Facebook! We have a Facebook fan page to keep all of our fans up to date throughout the season. Join our 300+ fans to get the latest scores, pictures, updates from the sailors, and more throughout the season.

3 thank YOU FOR your support of college of charleston sailing Mr. David Archer Mr. and Mrs. John Aschieris Mr. and Mrs. Scot Banholzer Mr. John Barbano Mr. John Barnwell Mr. John Bonds Ms. Jane Bowen Ms. Kelley Bowers Mr. H. C. Burn Mr. Mason Chrisman Mr. and Mrs. David Clark Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clark Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Cooper Mr. David Dabney Ms. Betsy Ball Dasburg Ms. Janet Dawson Mr. and Mrs. Mark DeCollibus Mr. Bill Dickey Mr. and Mrs. Martin Dickinson Mr. and Mrs. Richard Emsiek Mr. and Mrs. G. P. Geentiens Mr. M. Ross Griffith Mr. Clifton Gustafson Mr. and Mrs. Jay Horowitz Mr. Peter Hyndman Mr. Jeffrey Irvine Ms. Sarah Jackson Mr. Harold Jones Dr. Thomas Kays Ms. Lynn Loring Kerrison Mr. Blake Kimbrough Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth King Mr. Leonard Krawcheck Mr. William Lesemann Mr. and Mrs. Greg Leib Ms. Gail Lintern Mr. Richard Lintern Mr. and Mrs. James Lipp Mr. and Mrs. Ward Mace Mr. and Mrs. John Manard Ms. Dorothy Marchal Mr. Thomas Martin Mr. and Mrs. John Maxwell Mr. Tyler Moore Ms. Gail Nelson Ms. Loraine Perry Mr. Michael Pinckney Mr. Thomas Pinckney Mr. Walter Pringle Mr. C. Ford Reese Ms. Caroline Scudder Mr. Park B. Smith Mr. and Mrs. John Stokes Mr. Arthur Swanson Ms. Catherine Swanson Mr. and Mrs. Chris Swatta Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Thornhill Mr. John Townsend Mr. Alan Uram Mr. Polk Wagner Ms. Patience D. Walker Mr. and Mrs. Charles Weinheimer Mr. Henry Wiles Mr. Stephen Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wolcott Mr. George Wood Dr. Eugene Young THANK YOU for housing and feeding us! The O Connors The DeCollibuses The O Neils The Scudders Hatch Brown The Maguires Yale Women s Victorian Urn The Watts Navy Fall Coed ACCs The Swattas Navy Fall Women s Danmark Trophy Navy Fall Coed Victorian Urn Sarah Jackson Navy Fall Coed Schell Trophy The Bruners North Points at Tennessee ICSA Sloop Nationals The Halls SAISA Coed Champs Women s ACCs The Farias Moody Trophy Nevins Trophy The Watsons Hatch Brown Spring

4 Fall 2009 Regatta Reports Charleston Open by Brooks Clark The Fall 2009 college sailing season kicked off for Charleston on the weekend of September by hosting the Charleston Open. On Saturday the Cougars were represented by an all-freshman squad of Brendan Faria and Alexis Scott sailing A- division, and Brooks Clark and Deborah Ong sailing B-division. After a postponement ashore until noon, the first A-division set started in a light easterly. Unfortunately, the conditions failed to change much throughout the course of the day. As the current became too strong and the breeze too light, racing was called for the day. The Cougars went home sitting in 3rd place, but remained in contention, a mere seven points out of first. Because Saturday ended with an A-division set, Sunday started with B-division heading out first. Freshmen Chris Banholzer and Sarah Somes rotated into the lineup and sailed flawlessly as they punched out a 1-1. A-division also had a change in lineup, featuring freshmen Cameron Hall and Jeff Aschieris. Unfortunately the race committee was unable to get off another A-division race, and the day ended there, as the flood tide overpowered the breeze. Brendan and Alexis finished 5th in A- division, three points out of 3rd, and the B- division squad finished 2nd, 1 point behind first. Overall, the Cougars placed 2nd, four points behind South Florida. Many CofC sailors came out to support the team, and it was a great learning experience for the freshmen who got their first taste of college sailing. Harry Anderson Trophy by Katie Weaver The Cougars kicked off the fall season at Yale this year at the Harry Anderson Trophy. Twenty teams attended this first intersectional of the season. Sailors were greeted by twenty brand new 420s on Saturday morning, some of which had never 4 The Cougar Current even been sailed before. Conditions on Saturday were tricky with major shifts from both directions. It was a light breeze for the majority of the day, with only a few races in moderate conditions. The Cougar team struggled somewhat in the light conditions but were able to pull out better races when the breeze was up. Saturday night the team explored the streets of New Haven and learned just how famous Frank Pepe s pizza is. We now know just how crucial calling ahead is. The place next door was pretty good. Sunday morning the team woke up to a beautiful sunny New England day. The breeze remained light and shifty in the morning, but picked up throughout the day and the team was able to rally back. Overall, twelve races were sailed in each division. Charleston sailors, Zeke Horwitz 12 and Erin Markee 10 finished 9th in A-division and Steve Barbano 11 and Katie Weaver 10 finished 4th in B- division. The team finished 8th overall. Hatch Brown Intersectional by Alyssa Aitken The Hatch Brown at MIT was held on a beautiful weekend in Boston, with typical Charles River conditions. The Cougars were represented by Steven Barbano 11 and Katie Weaver 10 in A-division, Allie Blecher 10 and Alyssa Aitken 12 in B- division, and Jackson Benvenutti 10 and Christina Murray 10 in C-division. On Saturday we had breeze in the 5-15 range coming over the corner of the MIT sailing center. This made it very shifty and forced the sailors to make a choice between going towards a shift or waiting for the next one to come down their side of the course. The puffs were anywhere and everywhere for the most part, but the Cougars did a great job of maintaining focus and keeping their heads in the game. With three divisions sailing in two fleets at this regatta, each division sailed 2 sets (4 races) and then sat out for a set on the docks to take a break and watch the racing. The warm weather and sun brought out hundreds of recreational sailors, which added some entertainment as well as frequent obstacles on the race course. There was a little more regularity in the breeze on Sunday, and we were able to complete the final 6 races of the regatta. The results were extremely close going into the final race, with the Cougars battling for third with four other teams. Stevie and Katie had a great last race finishing 2nd and putting the Cougars in 4th overall, just 1 point out of 3rd. It was a great team effort for the Cougars in Boston! Cam Hall gets a hug from big sis Corey Nevins Trophy by Alex Bertrand On the weekend of September 19-20, the Cougars traveled to the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point for the Nevins Trophy. The team consisted of Zeke Horowitz 12 and Erin Markee 10 in A-division, Juan Maegli 12 and Perry Emsiek 12 in B-division, and Alex Bertrand 12 in C-division. Saturday started off with a light northerly, followed by a quick postponement and lunch break on shore. The northerly filled back in and built to 8-14 knots, allowing 10 races to be completed in each division. Sunday started with an hour and half postponement ashore because of too little wind and too much current. The current died down and 3 races were sailed before the breeze died again and the day was called at 1:30. Zeke and Erin were 3rd in A-division, Juan and Perry placed 2nd in

5 B-division, and Alex finished 12th in C-division. The Cougars finished strong in 5th place overall in the 20 boat fleet. North Points at Tennessee by Laura Beigel The weekend of September the Cougars traveled to Knoxville, TN for North Points #2. Representing Charleston were Jeff Aschieris 13 and Sarah Somes 13 in A-division, and Laura Beigel 13 and Sarah Scudder 13 in B-division. We sailed JY15s on the Tennessee River right in front of the yacht club. Nine teams attended the regatta; but, with only eight boats, the race committee had to work a bye into the rotation so everyone could sail. With very light winds forecast for the day, the race committee set up a fairly short modified windward-leeward course. A and B-division each completed three races in light and very shifty breeze. After the start, the first shift would be a starboard tack lift on the bottom left side of the course. The most difficult part of racing was finding the right time to tack out and head right because the top right side of the course was favored as well. Going down wind, the left side of the course was favored due to the current with the channel just a few yards to starboard of the race committee boat. The conditions were very challenging to sail in and we certainly had our work cut out for us learning to sail the JY15s. Overall our team finished the regatta in 4th place. SAISA Fall Women s by Corey Hall On Saturday, September 26, Charleston hosted the SAISA Fall Women s Doublehanded and Singlehanded Championships. Utilizing all three of our racing areas (in front of the sailing center, up at the bridge, and by crab bank) to accommodate the conditions, the women competed in laser radials on Saturday for the singlehanded championship. Allie Blecher 10 won the event and qualified to attend the ICSA singlehanded nationals. Corey Hall 12 finished third, earning her a berth to nationals as well. Kathryn Metscher 10 and Caroline Warren 12 also represented the Cougars with strong finishes of 5th and 9th, respectively. On Sunday, the Cougars came back to race for the doublehanded championship in breezier conditions in 420s and FJs. Shannon Heausler 10 and Becky Bestoso 10 won A-division while Corey Hall 12 and Caroline Warren 12 finished second in B-division. The Cougars finished second overall, one point behind Eckerd. North Points at Clemson by Alexis Scott On Saturday, September 26th, the Cougars traveled to Clemson for the North Points #3 Regatta. The day started off with a fair amount of wind and continued to get progressively lighter throughout the day, allowing only 6 races for both A and B- divisions. Ten teams competed in the one-day event. Sailing A-division for the Cougars were Ben Spector 13 and Alexis Scott 13, while Brooks Clark 13 and Cory DeCollibus 13 sailed B-division. Both A and B division finished the day with 11 points, for a total of 22 points to win the regatta! Danmark Trophy by Mac Mace On October 2, the Cougars traveled to the Coast Guard Academy for the Danmark Trophy. When we arrived at the regatta site we were greeted by lots of rain and cold weather. We made the long walk out to the boathouse on the end of the pier. By the time we reached shelter we were already soaked to our shoes. We eventually got rigged and went out onto the water. Coast Guard has full fleets of both FJs and 420s, so both A and B-divisions were on the water at the same time. Sailing in A-division were seniors Jackson Benvenutti and Christina Murray, and in B-division were freshmen Mac Mace and Cory DeCollibus. Both divisions completed 10 races in the tricky conditions. The breeze ranged from 3 to 10 knots and came from many different directions. Consistency was the main obstacle for our team. At the end of Saturday we were in 7th place overall, but were within striking distance of the top 5. When we arrived on Sunday we were Allie Blecher wins the pin at the ICSA Singlehanded National Championship happy to see sunshine. On top of that, we arrived to our guest coaches, Cougar alums Chris Lash 08 and Brendan Healy 07, rigging our boats. That was a pleasant surprise! Once we finished our pre-race Cougar chant, we launched our boats and made our way to the race course. The Cougars stepped up their game on Sunday and won the first race of the day in both divisions. It looked like it was going to be a great day to be a Cougar. Unfortunately, that was pretty much the highlight for the day, but the team did sail a little more consistently than the day before. We finished with 15 races in each division in light conditions and strong current. We ended up in 6th place overall, nine points out of 5th place. Thanks to Chris Lash and Brenadan Healy for their help coaching us throughout the weekend, and to the seniors for helping us out at our first college regatta. SAISA Men s Singlehandeds by Erik Bowers The SAISA Men s Singlehanded Championship took place October 3 on Biscayne Bay in Miami, FL. CofC was represented in the fleet of 15 lasers by Erik Bowers 12, Brendan Faria 13, Zeke Horowitz 12, and Juan Maegli 12. After waiting for about 45 minutes for the breeze to fill in, it finally filled from the southeast at about 5-7 and slowly built over the course of the day. The race course was a modified windward leeward with gates. The starting line was very crowded with much dueling and numerous general recalls. A good start and clear lane up the course on port tack were essential to a top 5 weather mark rounding. Downwind was about sailing with good rig pressure, clean air, and staying on the rhumbline. Juan Maegli won the event with very consistent finishes, a result of his good speed and positioning upwind and downwind. Zeke was 5th, Brendan 7th, and Erik 9th. With the win, Juan qualified to represent SAISA at the nationals in Corpus Christi, TX along with Mitch Hall from USF. Navy Fall Women s Intersectional by Becky Bestoso The weekend of Oct 10-11th was a big weekend for the CofC women s team at the Navy Fall Women s Intersectional. Allie Blecher 10 and Alyssa Aitken 12 sailed A-division, Shannon Heausler 10 and Spring

6 Becky Bestoso 10 sailed B-division, and Corey Hall 12 sailed C-division. Molly O Neil 12 was always on call as our alternate crew for both A and B-divisions. The beautiful drive up to Navy was uneventful and we were eager to get to the Swatta s house and get some much needed rest! On Saturday morning, after a great breakfast and equipped with our coffee, we headed to the sailing center. After a few close calls with a naval ship in training (we re hoping they were in the early stages of their training!), the racing began. Saturday was a breezy, chilly day with 55 degree weather and winds of mph. It was really shifty and the last beat was incredibly tricky. After a long day on the water, we headed back to the Swatta s for a great meal and some R&R. Sunday s breeze was around 5-10 mph and still just as shifty. After 12 races in each division, we ended up fifth overall for the event. Allie, Alyssa, and Molly placed second in A-division; Shannon, Becky and Molly were 6th in B-division; and Corey was 8th in C-division. Evidently we had picked up a nail in the van tire somewhere along the way, so the trip home started with learning where the spare tire is and a stop at Firestone to repair the tire. After that brief detour, we made the long drive home. Overall it was a solid weekend for the women s team and a great learning experience! The Navy Women s team waits patienly for the tire to be repaired before driving home Moody Trophy by Andrew Zuber The Cougars arrived in Warwick, RI for the prestigious Moody Trophy at the University of Rhode Island. The team arrived to find a light westerly that was expected to fill in throughout the day. Hitting the water first in A-division were Mac Mace 13 and Erin Markee 10, who sailed a strong first set to get the day rolling. The breeze began to build from the west, creating very shifty conditions coming from the shore. Sailing in B-division were Andrew Zuber 11 and Sarah Burks 12. At the end 6 The Cougar Current of Saturday, we were in 6th overall, with Mac and Erin first in A-division. Andrew and Sarah struggled with upwind tactics and made some starting errors, putting them in 13th after day 1. At the beginning of Sunday, the breeze had shifted more to the south and built to 15 with puffs to 20. In the heavy wind the Cougars felt much more comfortable, but struggled with consistency. After a long second day of racing with up and down finishes in both fleets, CofC remained in 6th. Mac and Erin were a close 3rd in A- division (2 points out of first), and Andrew and Sara finished 11th in B-division. SAISA Sloop Championship by Sam Stokes The SAISA sloop championship was held at home on October 10. This championship was the qualifying round for the ICSA Sloop National Championship, so the Cougars came into the regatta determined to win. The J-22 sloop squad this year was filled with some of the Cougar s top sailors: skipper Jackson Benvenutti 10, trimmers Cole Allsopp 11 and Zeke Horowitz 12, and bow-man specialist Brooks The Main Event Clark 13. The main competition for the Cougars were the defending Sloop National Champions of South Florida, led by skipper Mitch Hall, so the cougars had their work cut out for them. The first three races were sailed in a cool 8 to 10 knot south-westerly breeze in which the South Florida Bulls edged out the Cougars in some photo finishes. After a short lunch break, a westerly wind shift, and some interesting tide changes, Charleston took advantage of its local knowledge and finished the next two races with solid first places. The change in the racing conditions caused some problems on the race course for the Bulls, and Charleston was able to take the lead. In the final race, after a wind shift to the south, the Cougars were able to put the regatta away with an exciting match racing start. After pushing South Florida away from the line, the Cougars were able to catch up to first place in the final race, giving them the win overall to qualify for the national championship. North Points at UNCW by Cameron Hall On October 10, the College of Charleston team traveled to University of North Carolina - Wilmington to compete in the fourth North Points event of the fall season. The regatta was sailed out of the Carolina Yacht Club in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Nine teams competed in beautiful breeze ranging from 10 to 15 knots, eventually dropping down to 5 to 10 knots. The Cougars were represented by Cameron Hall 13 and Jeff Aschieris 13 in A-division, and Chris Banholzer 13 and Ben Spector 13 in B- division. 18 races were completed overall, 9 in each division. The C o u g a r s won 14 of 18 races in the event, finishing with 25 points and winning overall. The Katie Weaver singlehandedly drains her boat without spilling her coffee team won both A and B-divisions, with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Congrats to the Cougars for great sailing at North Points #4! This was the final North Points regatta of the fall season and the Cougars won the points series with finishes of first, fourth, first and first. Navy Fall by Christina Murray Navy Fall, one of the premier coed events of the fall season, was a competitive event as usual this year. 20 teams sailed out of Navy with all four divisions on the water at once. Annapolis greeted us with cold weather and lots of rain. Starting for the Cougars were Jackson Benvenutti 10 and Christina Murray 10 in A-division starting in 420s; Zeke Horowitz 12 and Erin Markee 10 in B-division starting in FJs; Juan Maegli 12 in C-division in full rig lasers; and Allie Blecher 10 in D-division in laser radials. On Saturday we sailed trapezoid courses all day off of Triton Point. The conditions were puffy and shifty with northerly winds from 6-14 knots of breeze. It was a very long day with 12 races in every division. The team got through the day with the only mishaps being a frozen, blue Guatemalan midway through the day and our new to drysuits Californian freshman trying to put on his dry suit over his boots. Day two brought different weather. We

7 sailed in the river with the breeze coming from the NNW (right corner of the bridge) in the Severn River. Our alternate crew, Brooks Clark 13, got some sailing time in A-division while the breeze was up. 8 races were completed on Sunday in each division. Juan killed it in the laser fleet, winning the division with only 55 points in 20 races. The Cougars finished in 4th overall a solid result that reflected the depth of our squad. Special thanks to everyone who came to cheer us on, the Watt s and Swatta s for housing us, and Ms. Benvenutti who kept us warm with hot chocolate and apple cider! Yale Women s by Caroline Warren The Cougars travelled to New Haven, CT to compete in the Yale Women s Intersectional on October We were anticipating wintery conditions and the southern girls were hoping to see some snow, so they came well prepared for cold. On Saturday, the team woke up to milder weather conditions than they anticipated, with temperatures in 50s and the wind blowing 5-15 knots out of the northeast. After the first day of racing, with 6 races completed in both fleets, the Cougars had very consistent scores in A-division (Shannon Heausler 10 and Alyssa Aitken 12) and some top scores in B-division (Corey Hall 12 and Caroline Warren 12). The Cougars were dazzled by the McGuire s hospitality, and greatly enjoyed the wonderful meals and surprise musical entertainment. Shannon Heausler and Alyssa Aitken keep warm at Yale Sunday started off with amazing French toast for the Cougar women to prepare them for a colder day with constant rain. The breeze continued to blow out of the northeast and gradually increased to 25 knots over the 4 sets of races. The Cougars placed fifth overall in the regatta and were pleased with their results in very challenging conditions. Shannon and Alyssa finished 4th in A-division, while Corey and Caroline placed 7th in B-division. Much to Corey s dismay, we just missed the snow: it started to snow in New Haven when we were in the plane on our way back to Charleston. Captain Hurst Bowl by Ben Spector The Captain Hurst Bowl hosted by Dartmouth was sailed by Becky Bestoso 10, Katie Weaver 10, Steve Barbano 11, and Ben Spector 13. With the seniors in charge on Friday night, we had smooth travels up north to New Hampshire, and Katie even made a friend that called her Mommy. We drove through some scenic mountains to the Dartmouth sailing center to meet up with Coach Nick Saturday morning and were greeted with a 10 knot breeze and about 30-degree weather. A-division got off a quick set and B-division went out as the wind died. B-division spent the next 4 hours out on the lake trying to complete a set while observing the beautiful scenery of the glassy inland lake. After many abandoned starts and races, B-division finished one race before the race committee called it a day. Sunday was colder and looked as though it was going to be just as light, but with a little patience (made easier by the great baked goods from Mrs. Hurst), the wind filled in around 2 pm and we were able to complete a regatta with four races in each division. Stevie and Katie finished 5th in A-division, Ben and Becky placed 14th in B-division, and the Cougars finished 10th overall. Hoyt Trophy by Perry Emsiek On October 24-25, the co-ed team traveled up north to Rhode Island for the Sherman Hoyt Trophy at Brown University. After some traveling difficulties, the team made it to Rhode Island early Saturday morning, anticipating the forecasted wind and rain. As predicted, Saturday was windy, ranging from knots. Eighteen teams were sailing, and the Cougars were represented by Juan Maegli 12 and Perry Emsiek 12 in A-division, and Allie Blecher 10, Alyssa Aitken 12, and Jeff Aschieris 13 in B-division. A southerly breeze held strong on Saturday, making the racing not only very tiring, but also quite fun to watch for the spectators. Eight races were sailed in both divisions, and consistent finishes put the Cougars five points behind the leading team, Yale, at the end of the day. The Vic Urn team in Boston: Kathryn Metscher, Cristy Jamison, Corey Hall and Caroline Warren When we arrived on Sunday morning, we were welcomed by blue skies and crisp air. On Sunday we also had a cheering section: Coach Ward and the team from the Sloop Nationals at Coast Guard had finished their regatta early and came to cheer us on. The wind was shifty and puffy coming from the north, which made racing challenging. The Cougar s A-division had a somewhat frustrating day, but B-division came on strong and sailed great. The regatta came down to the last race in B-division, and the Cougars were battling with Boston College for second place. Allie and Alyssa sailed great and finished 3rd in the final race. But BC s Taylor Canfield (who claimed the ICSA Sloop National Championship title the day before) won the race, putting BC just ahead of the Cougars by one point. The Cougars ended up third overall, third in A-division, and second in B-division. It was a very successful weekend and this regatta proved to be a great learning experience, especially regarding college racing rules and covering the fleet when winning. Thank you to Coach Nick and the sloop team for supporting us over the weekend. SAISA Dinghy Championship by Steven Barbano Competing at the 2009 SAISA Coed Dingy Championship for the Cougars were Jackson Benvenutti 10, Christina Murray 10, Katie Weaver 10, and Steven Barbano 11. The regatta was hosted by Eckerd College and was sailed in FJ s. Eleven teams were there from SAISA and the top three teams qualified for the Atlantic Coast Championship at Harvard. Arriving to warm, sunny, and steady Spring

8 breeze conditions, the day looked promising. Jackson and Christina dominated A- division, winning seven out of the eleven races and finishing with only nineteen points. Steven and Katie sailed B-division, winning two races, with the rest in the top five, resulting in fourth place. Overall the Cougars won the event, qualifying us for the ACC s. Another great regatta for the Cougs this fall! The Schell team at MIT: Sarah Burks, Mac Mace, Zeke Horowitz and Cory DeCollibus Schell Trophy by Sarah Burks On Halloween weekend, Zeke Horwitz 12, Mac Mace 13, Sarah Burks 12, and Cory Decollibus 13 traveled up to Boston to sail the 68th annual Schell Trophy. Despite some slight traveling delays, we arrived at the Charles River prepared for a day of big breeze and hard hiking. The regatta was the NEISA qualifier for the ACC s, so the fleet was very competitive. The two divisions sailed FJ s and Tech Dinghies, a boat the Cougars hadn t sailed before. Mac and Sarah started out in A-division in the Techs for the first ten races, while Zeke and Cory sailed B-division in the FJ s. Saturday was a long, windy day with an average wind speed of knots from the SSW direction. On the second day of racing, the conditions were more favorable with a 5-8 knot northerly. Despite some difficulties in the Tech Dinghies, the Cougars managed to finish 8th overall, 15th in A-division and 5th in B-division. The Cougars were pleased that we were able to be competitive and successful in a very talented fleet and difficult conditions. Victorian Coffee Urn by Kathryn Metscher The Cougar Women left sunny Charleston and headed up to chilly Boston to compete in the Vic Urn hosted by Harvard. As usual, the New England weather is highly unpredictable and the girls did 8 The Cougar Current not know what to expect. On Saturday the breeze ranged from 8 to 23 knots with puffs close to 30 (at least it felt like it). Corey Hall 12 and Caroline Warren 12 sailed A- division and started out with some promising positions off the line, but struggled with the shifty conditions and had some unlucky capsizes. Kathryn Metscher 10 and Cristy Jamison 11 sailed B-division and battled through the breeze to obtain all top 6 finishes and were one of the few boats not to capsize. A-division finished 6 races and B-division finished 4 races. There was a lengthy postponement due to excessive wind. Almost every single jib window had been blown out and had to be repaired before racing started again. Eventually racing was called for the day. The Cougars took advantage of the change in daylight savings that night and slept very soundly after eating a delicious lasagna meal. Sunday was a completely different day with the breeze shifting back and forth from the NW to N to NE. The wind velocity ranged from 0-6 knots. It was another challenging day, but the Cougars held strong through 4 races in B and 2 races in A for a total of 8 races. Corey and Caroline finished 13th in A, and Kathryn and Cristy finished 5th in B. Overall, the Cougars finished 9th out of 16 teams. A big thank you to Karen Metscher for housing and feeding us, and Mr. and Mrs. DeCollibus for dinner. Women s ACCs by Shannon Heasler Conditions in Providence, RI made for a light-air Women s ACCs regatta at Brown University. Prepared for dismal conditions, the Cougars were somewhat pleasantly surprised to find manageable temperatures. The tropical storm that had passed through Charleston the week before was now attacking New England, making for uninspiring sailing conditions. The rainy weather on Saturday made for light and variable winds out of the NE. Fortunately our women s team is quite comfortable in light air, and speed proved to be a strength for us. The racing was frustrating for many teams, as the wind bounced all over the place and teams tried to connect puffs or stay in the cheese. The Cougars were able to stay in the zone for the most part, until an incident with the judges at the start during the final B-division set, which almost cost us the regatta. We filed for redress and our request was denied in the hearing, which put us in second overall. However, we felt strongly that the jury had made an error, and after returning to Charleston we filed an appeal with the ICSA. Our appeal was upheld and redress granted, giving us the win we deserved! Allie Blecher 10 and Alyssa Aitken 12 placed 6th in A-division, and Shannon Heausler 10 and Becky Bestoso 10 were 2nd in B-division. Our heavy-air crews, Molly O Neil 12 and Deb Ong 13, ended up never seeing any sailing time, but were always ready to go and were happy to cheer us on as they watched the racing from the dock. The hospitality of the O Neils was wonderful and Mrs. ONeil made the best carrot cake we ve ever had. The Cougars were happy to end with a victory in our last championship of the season. SAISA/MAISA by Sarah Somes The College of Charleston hosted the SAISA/MAISA regatta on November Sailing for the Cougars in A-division were Cam Hall 13, Alexis Scott 13 and Kip Watson 11. Sailing B-division were Chris Banholzer 13, Sarah Somes 13, and Jeff Aschieris 13. Saturday s breeze started as a light northerly, which increased to about ten knots by the end of the day. The Cougars sailed strong the first day, but it was apparent on Sunday that USF was our b i g g e s t threat. Sunday started with Chris Banholzer and Sarah Somes at the SAISA/MAISA a slack c u r r e n t and light ENE, but throughout the day the breeze shifted NE and increased to 8-12 and the current (ebb) increased as well. USF team did their best to try to drive the Cougars back in the fleet and put points on us, but the Cougars fought back and stayed on top. After two days of tough sailing, the Cougars finished first out of fourteen teams.

9 College of Charleston Sailing Team Spring 2010 Schedule Dates 2/ / / /6-7 3/8-12 3/ / / / /3-4 4/ / / /1-2 5/ / /1-3 Event Mendelblatt Team Race Charleston Spring Intersectional USF Women s Intersectional SAISA Open & Annual Meeting Bob Bavier Team Race Intersectional Parents Weekend Old South Intersectional Charleston Women s Intersectional Graham Hall Team Race Eckerd Intersectional North Points #2 (Saturday only) Spring Break Practice Week with Yale Navy Spring Women s St. Mary s Team Race Truxtun Umsted Intersectional (tenative) St. Mary s Women s Intersectional North Points #3 (Saturday only) Practice with Stanford MAISA/SAISA Boston Dinghy Cup (tenative) North Points #4 (Saturday only) Southern New England Team Race (ten.) Dellenbaugh Women s Intersectional (ten.) Ted Ferrarone Team Race (tenative) SAISA Dinghy Championship * Friis/Marchiando Team Race (tenative) SAISA Team Race Championship * Wick/Shrew Women s SAISA Women s Championship * Thompson Trophy (tenative) Admiral s Cup (tenative) ICSA National Championship Semi-Finals *, ** ICSA Women s National Championship ** ICSA Team Race National Championship ** ICSA Coed National Championship ** Location USF/Eckerd - St. Petersburg, FL USF - St. Petersburg, FL Eckerd - St. Petersburg, FL Florida - Gainesville, FL Navy - Annapolis, MD Eckerd - St. Petersburg, FL NC State - Raleigh, NC Navy - Annapolis, MD St. Mary s College, MD Navy - Annapolis, MD St. Mary s College, MD Tennessee - Knoxville, TN Hampton University - Hampton, VA MIT - Boston, MA Clemson - Clemson, SC Coast Guard/Conn. College - CT Brown - Providence, RI Salve Regina - Newport, RI USF/Eckerd - St. Petersburg, FL MIT/Tufts - Boston, MA Coast Guard - New London, CT Coast Guard - New London, CT Kings Point, NY Wisconsin - Madison, WI Wisconsin - Madison, WI Wisconsin - Madison, WI * = qualifier for national championship ** = qualified only -Home regattas are in bold; please come out and support the team Spring

10 College of Charleston Sailing Team Spring 2010 Roster Seniors Jackson Benvenutti Bay St. Louis, MS Becky Bestoso Allie Blecher * Erie, PA 10 The Cougar Current Fullerton, CA Shannon Heausler * Tampa, FL Erin Markee Mary Maxwell Kathryn Metscher Del Mar, CA SW Harbor, ME Duxbury, MA Christina Murray ** Annapolis, MD Katie Weaver Sophomores Alyssa Aitken Alex Bertrand Erik Bowers Sarah Burks Perry Emsiek Corey Hall Zeke Horowitz Juan Maegli Molly O Neil Sam Stokes Davidsonville, MD Sandwich, MA Annapolis, MD Excelsior, MN St. John, USVI Corona del Mar, CA Tampa, FL Sarasota, FL Guatemala Narragansett, RI Norfolk, VA Caroline Warren Charleston, SC ** Team Captain * All-American Juniors Cole Allsopp ** Steve Barbano Cristy Jamison Chip Swatta Kip Watson Andrew Zuber Freshmen Jeff Aschieris Chris Banholzer Laura Beigel Brooks Clark Cory DeCollibus Brendan Faria Cameron Hall Mac Mace Deborah Ong Alexis Scott Sarah Scudder Sarah Somes Ben Spector Annapolis, MD Cranbury, NJ Rye, NY Annapolis, MD Duxbury, MA Rochester, NY Costa Mesa, CA Hartland, WI Severna Park, MD Newport Beach, CA Duxbury, MA Middletown, RI St. Petersburg, FL Newport Beach, CA Singapore Newport Beach, CA Mamaroneck, NY Grosse Pointe, MI Santa Clarita, CA

11 Alumni Corner From Aigles to Entrepreneur: Anne Bowen 05 Launches Stems Anne s unique creations adorn the store at the Stems opening party photo by Leigh Webber Her teammates always knew there was something unique about Anne Bowen 05. A talented and versatile sailor, she always seemed just a little more put together and refined than your average college sailor. Now the 2005 ICSA Women s All-American Honorable Mention recipient, who graduated from Charleston with a degree in Studio Art, is leveraging her knack for entertaining and design into her own flower business in Charleston. Since graduating, Anne has been refining her skills in floral design and planning the launch of her own full-scale business. Her designs are bold and creative, using unique combinations of flowers, colors, and containers to create eye-catching arrangements that are truly works of art. This January, her hard work paid off when Anne opened her own storefront, Stems on Coming Street in Charleston. Visit www. charlestonstems.com to learn more about Stems. Congratulations, Anne! For two afternoons in early February, the College of Charleston sailing team members hung up their dry suits and put on tool belts. The sailors worked in shifts to help Habitat for Humanity build a new home for the Hudson family on Nassau Street in North Charleston. The team has joined forces with Habitat each winter for the past three years, and the partnership has been true win-win. The build gives the team members a chance to give back to the Charleston community and provides some (hopefully!) valuable labor to Habitat. The event also allows the sailors to bond with each other outside of sailing and puts them in new situations where they have to trust each other and work together to achieve results. The house we worked on this year will be bought by Stacy Hudson, mother of Alex, 14, Malika, 6, Stems owner Anne Bowen 05 Don t miss the 2010 College of Charleston Alumni Regatta this spring! Details coming soon... Check the website for more info: Or manarda@cofc.edu to receive the regatta notice via Annual Habitat Build Kicks Off Spring Season This year s Habitat house (right) is next door to the house the team helped build in 2008 and Amani, 3. It will be a three-bedroom, s i n g l e - s t o r y home with a pole foundation. It will have solar thermal panels and will be EarthCraft certified. And, it is located right next door to the Habitat house we worked on two years ago! This year the team was tasked with installing hurricane straps (metal strips that are used to reinforce the joints between frame pieces) around the doors and windows on both the inside and outside of the building. Although the Chris Banholzer and Jeff Aschieris nail hurricane straps to the frame house is only one-story, it is raised about 10 feet above ground level for flood protection, and the front stairs haven t been built yet. So the sailors had to overcome any fear of heights they had to climb up there! Those with strong aversions to heights opted for the very important jobs of holding ladders or picking up nails, tools, wood, and metal strips that were accidentally dropped from the raised platform. The event was a great success and the team enjoyed a chance to get out into the Charleston community for a few afternoons. We are looking forward to joining forces with Habitat again next year! Spring

12 College of Charleston Sailing Team - Fall 2009 The team in front of the Carolina First Arena. Fron Row: Alexis Scott, Sarah Scudder, Sarah Wolcott, Cristy Jamison, Allie Blecher, Laura Beigel, Cory DeCollibus, Sarah Somes. Back Row: Mary Maxwell, Deb Ong, Corey Hall, Kathryn Metscher, Caroline Warren, Jeff Aschieris, Alex Bertrand, Alyssa Aitken, Christina Murray, Zeke Horowitz, Juan Maegli, Erik Bowers, The Cougar, Sam Stokes, Jackson Benvenutti, Andrew Zuber, Sarah Burks, Cole Allsopp, Perry Emsiek, Brendan Faria, Molly O Neil, Chris Banholzer, Mac Mace, Brooks Clark, Cam Hall, Ben Spector. Not Pictured: Steven Barbano, Becky Bestoso, Shannon Heausler, Erin Markee, Chip Swatta, Kip Watson, Katie Weaver. College of Charleston / Hissar Sailing Program 66 George Street Charleston, SC NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE P-A-I-D PERMIT NO. 149 CHARLESTON, S.C.