Feb 18, 2024 @ 13:58:21 EST
Saturday started with low ceilings and near calm winds. The Thunderbirds were practicing for the Daytona 500, but fortunately that was the only thunder to be heard on this day. Unfortunately, with just 2 knots of wind, the sailors were presented with the AP flag at the end of the 9:30 competitors' meeting.
The R/C took to the water, setting a course for the light westerly flow from shore onto the Halifax river. With the winds finally reaching a steady 4 knots, Division A was called to the water to commence racing. Our first race was finally started just after 11:30 AM. The light winds and a strong ebbing tide perpendicular to the course made for some challenging conditions, but the fleet largely hung together around the W4. A second race was completed, but the boats at the back of the pack finished under dying conditions. The AP flag was once again hoisted. After an hour of waiting for the breeze to exceed 3 knots, the boats were sent to shore for a rotation, in hopes of getting a pair of races in for B Division.
The R/C was stubborn, unwilling to call the event, and finally just after 2:00 PM the winds filled from the east. The R/C was able to run a pair of races, with the sailors returning to shore with the approaching cold rain. The sailors earned this day on the water, showing great patience to get these races done.
The conditions were challenging, but the racing was competitive. Many boats finished overlapped in the fleet. The scores reflect the competition, with the ERAU Eagles winning a three-way tie for fourth place, and FIT in third place was just three and four points out of USF's 2nd and JU's 1st.
Thanks to all the Eagles who helped on (and off) the water! Thanks to Rob Mundell's help on the R/C boat, and thanks to the Halifax Sailing Association for sharing their facility for our event!
| School | Team | A | B | TOT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Jacksonville University | Fins 1 | 7 | 2 | 9 | |||
| 2 |  | University of South Florida | Bulls | 2 | 8 | 10 | |||
| 3 |  | Florida Institute of Technology | Panthers | 4 | 9 | 13 | |||
| * | 4 |  | Embry-Riddle University | Eagles | 14 | 4 | 18 | ||
| ** | 5 |  | University of Miami | Hurricanes | 9 | 9 | 18 | ||
| ** | 6 | | Jacksonville University | Fins 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | ||
| 7 |  | Palm Beach Atlantic University | Sailfish | 15 | 15 | 30 | |||
| 8 |  | University of Central Florida | Knights | 16 | 15 | 31 | |||
| 9 |  | University of Florida | Gators | 15 | 22 | 37 | |||
| 10 |  | College of Coastal Georgia | Mariners | 20 | 18 | 38 |
| Sym. | Explanation |
|---|---|
| * | Number of high-place (2) finishes |
| ** | Number of high-place (4) finishes |
The following chart shows the relative rank of the teams as of the race indicated. Note that the races are ordered by number, then division, which may not represent the order in which the races were actually sailed.
The first place team as of a given race will always be at the top of the chart. The spacing from one team to the next shows relative gains/losses made from one race to the next. You may hover over the data points to display the total score as of that race.
