Hobart and William Smith Colleges

12 September 2014 HWS Sailing begins season

The Hobart and William Smith Colleges sailing team will open the 2014-15 season this weekend with three regattas. HWS will compete in the Cornell Fall Open, the Laser North and the Navy Radial Open on Saturday, Sept. 13 and Sunday, Sept. 14.

Head Coach Scott Ikle 84 begins his 22nd season at the helm of the program. Were very excited to begin another year of competition, said Ikle. More than half of this years team is made up of first-years. This weekend eight will be out sailing in their first collegiate regattas. It will be a good test of the talent and strength.

Last year, the Colleges competed in three championship regattas to cap the fall season and William Smith sailors earned their best finish in program history taking seventh place at the ICSA Womens National Championship to close out the spring season.

This year, HWS returns 11 including two seniors,Elliott MorrillandLiana Folger. Morrill, who earned the teams Most Valuable Sailor Award last year, competed in 14 regattas. Folger took part in five. She helped the Herons earn a spot in last years ICSA Womens National Semifinals. In addition, the team welcomes 15 members of the Class of 2018. The Colleges will be put to the test early as the Laser North in Kings Point, New York, serves as a qualifier for the Carl Can Duyne Regatta and the Navy Radial in Annapolis, Maryland, is a qualifier for the Faye Bennet Trophy.

In 2013, HWS placed second at the Cornell Fall Open. JuniorEddie Coxtook fifth at the Laser North, qualifying for the Carl Van Duyne MAISA Mens Singlehanded Championship, andArielle deLisser14 andBrooke Lyon14 finished second and fourth, respectively, earning spots in the Faye Bennet MAISA Womens Singlehanded Championship.