William and Hobart Smith Colleges

MAISA Spring Open

On Friday afternoon, the team embarked on a trip to Geneva, NY for the MAISA Spring Open at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Saturday was a blustery day, with wind speeds approaching 20 knots, and boats capsizing left and right. For the most part, the Drexel sailors stayed dry, but being the experienced swimmer that I am, I was unable to resist the frigid waters of Seneca Lake. To mid-40’s. “A” Division skipper Andrew Bergan (’10) and crew David Schubert (’10) sailed well, even placing third in a race on Saturday. In “B” Division, myself and crew Colby Weingarten (’10) battened down the hatches and hiked our hearts out. I’d like to give special shout-out to Colby, as this weekend was his second regatta ever, and he did an impressive job in Saturday’s high winds. Sunday brought warmer weather and slightly lower wind speeds, turning out to be a beautiful day. Overall, the team placed eighth in the regatta, and gained a significant amount of higher wind experience. ;

-Kelsey Gibbons (’10)

Ocean County College

Two-on-Two Team Racing

For the weekend of April 10-11, Drew Bergan, David Schubert, Jennifer Mislinski and Joan Boyle traveled to beautiful Toms River, NJ to compete in the OCC 2 on 2 Team Race Regatta (home to Joan Boyle). The Toms River is always a lovely place to sail with a beautiful view, steady breeze, and essentially no current (compared to the Delaware at least). Although wind was a little more than usual and definitely more than the team was used to, the Drexel Sailing Team held their own. Starting off the day on Saturday with winds at 15-20kts the team’s goal was to just try and survive and maybe win a few races. Being probably the lightest boat on the water, skipper Jen Mislinski and crew Joan Boyle were worried their small size would be a disadvantage. They were proved wrong. After doing a complete round robin the team ended up winning against Princeton University, Villanova University , University of Maryland and Monmouth University; leaving them with a winning record of 4-3 (losing against OCC, Colgate, and Cornell). This winning record put the team in the “Gold” division, which consisted of the top four teams from Saturday’s races (tied for 1st OCC and Cornell, 2nd Colgate, 3rd Drexel). On Sunday the team raced each team in the Gold division twice. The winds were much more tolerable than Saturday, blowing at about 9-11kts. Although the team came out with only one win on Sunday against Cornell the team proved themselves by finishing only inches behind Colgate and OCC. They finally finished 4th out of 8 and let the other teams know that Drexel Sailing is the new competition! Overall, a very successful weekend. Congrats to all!  

~ Crew Joan Boyle, ‘10

Princeton University

Central Spring Qualifier

We arrived to Raritan Yacht Club Saturday morning with high expectations.  The weather was great and we got out on the water quickly.  Myself and David Schubert, ('10) sailed A division and President Jennifer Mislinski ('11) sailed B division with crew and team secretary, Joan Boyle ('14).  The wind was steady, building to about 12 knots around 1pm.  The racing was very close, often with 4 or 5 of the seven boats crossing the finish line in packs.  In both divisions we had trouble breaking out of the pack to complete the finishes we needed to qualify for the America's Trophy.  Easter Sunday brought a gorgeous day with light winds.  The racing was even closer than on Saturday.   Drexel will be sailing at the Leroy Grant hosted by William and Mary in two weeks.

-Drew Bergan

Below is our team schedule for this Spring Season. We look forward to travelling to many schools this season to compete in regattas, and please let us know if you will be able to come watch these races – we really appreciate all the support we get from our fans, and we would love to reconnect with alumni and fans at regattas. Other events this season include the Alumni Banquet and the Drexel Open, which is to take place on May 8th and 9th. More details will be provided in the next newsletter. We look forward to seeing Drexel Sailing alumni, family, and friends this season!
Sincerely,
Annie Mercurio
Alumni Relations Chair
Regatta Manager
Drexel Sailing

Spring Schedule 2010

April 3-4:
Central Spring Qualifier at Princeton University
Princeton, NY

April 10-11:
Ocean County 2-on-2 at Ocean County College
Ocean County, NJ

April 17-18:
MAISA Spring Open at Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Geneva, NY
America Trophy at Cornell University
Ithaca, NY

April 24-25:
MAISA Women’s Spring Open at U.S. Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD
Army 2-on-2 at U.S. Military Academy
West Point , NY
Delaware Spring Open at University of Delaware
Newark, DE

May 8-9:
*Drexel Open at Drexel University*
Philadelphia, PA
Maryland 2-on-2 at Severn Sailing Association
Annapolis, MD

May 15-16:
Engineer’s Cup at Webb Institute
Glenn Cove, NY

Dear Alumni, Parents, Friends, and Fans:

Although we have yet to begin practicing this spring, we are excited to have participated already in two sailing events this month! This weekend, four Drexel Sailors visited the Commonwealth of Virginia for the second time this month to participate in Old Dominion University’s Spring Open, which was also the first qualifier this season for the South. The following is a regatta report written by Team President, Jennifer Mislinski:

Old Dominion University
Spring Open
On March 6th and 7th, Drexel Sailors Andrew Bergan, David Schubert, Joan Boyle, and Jennifer Mislinski competed in the ODU Spring Open at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The regatta began on Saturday morning with a nice breeze, around 14kt and sunny skies. Drew and Dave sailed in “A” division and Jen and Joan in “B”. The best finishes of the day included a 7th in “A” division and a 5th in “B” out of 18 competitive schools, including the Naval Academy, Georgetown University, St. Mary’s College, and University of Vermont. The afternoon proved to be a challenge for the team due to the lack of wind. Despite such difficulties, Drexel Sailing ended day one in the middle of the pack. Sunday was sunny yet again with a high of 60 degrees, but beginning with only 8 knots and eventually dying to 0 knots. “A” division sailed an extra rotation, which was ultimately not counted because of the lack of wind. Sunday’s best finishes for Drexel were 10th and 6th places for divisions “A” and “B” respectively. All in all, the weekend was fun filled and was a great first regatta for the team! Thanks to the Marriott Courtyard, providing the hospitality so our team was well rested; to the construction throughout the city of Norfolk for keeping the team awake and alert; and to Andrew for sharing his notorious mixed nuts on the long car ride!

Sincerely,

Annie Mercurio
Alumni Relations Chair
Regatta Manager
Drexel Sailing

February 27-28, 2010

CNU 2-on-2 Team-Racing Clinic
Newport News, Virginia

This past weekend, Drexel Sailors Drew Bergan, Jen Mislinski, Sean Orzolek and Annie Mercurio participated in a two-on-two team-racing clinic at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. CNU Sailing Coach Dan Winters spent Saturday and Sunday mornings presenting lectures to the visiting teams about team-racing tactics, strategies, and the importance of obtaining winning positions on the course throughout the race. Skipper Drew Bergan and crew Annie Mercurio were paired in one boat, and Team President, Jennifer Mislinksi skippered with crew Sean Orzolek. Despite shifty winds gusting between 0-4 knots, the teams spent the afternoons practicing applying their new knowledge out on the water. Due to the poor wind conditions, sailors were unable to successfully exercise the strategies they had just learned, and many of the practice races inevitably turned into fleet races. We took this time to switch between Vanguard 420s and Flying Juniors, as well as switch roles in each boat. Crew Annie Mercurio had the chance to skipper a boat for the first time in over a season, and Skippers Drew Bergan and Jen Mislinski alternated skippering and crewing. During short periods of good wind, however, we were able to team-race and we even won several races! The trip was a great opportunity to learn about a unique type of racing, and we are excited to expand our abilities and understanding of racing. The Drexel Sailors who attended Christopher Newport University’s sailing clinic will enlighten the rest of the Drexel Sailing team once the Spring 2010 Season practices commence.

--Annie Mercurio

On February 13th, The Sandra Drayer award will be presented to past sailing coach Bob DiFilippo. This is the first annual award in recognition of an individual who has made a significant impact to the Sailing Club through outstanding contribution as a student officer, success as a club competitor or leadership as a club coach or adviser.

For a decade, Bob DiFilippo dedicated an inordinate amount of his time and effort as coach and taught scores of Drexel University students how to sail. Dozens of alumni owe their continued involvement in the sailing community to the skills Coach Bob taught both on and off the water. He was directly responsible for transforming many sailors—coming into our program with no or little sailing experience—into competitive and life-long racers. Additionally, Coach Bob is a committed humanitarian, volunteering his time to help build infrastructure in the refugee settlements of Rwanda with Engineers Without Borders. The Drexel Sailing Team is extremely pleased to be able recognize Coach Bob's great contribution to our team, our school, and our sport.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you to attend this exciting event! The award ceremony will take place during the February 13th Men's basketball game. The game begins at 12 noon, and tickets are to be provided by the Drexel Athletics Department.

It would be a great honor for us if you would attend! Kindly R.S.V.P. through email (jmislinski@drexelsailing.com) by January 29th.

--The Drexel Sailing Team

President: Jen Mislinski
Jen is a junior from Norwalk, Connecticut. She is a Psychology major, formerly studying fashion design at Drexel. She previously instructed sailing at the Norwalk Sailing School. Jen enjoys sailing, traveling, fashion, nice people, horticulture, and she loves Drexel Sailing.

Regatta Manager: Annie Mercurio
Annie is a sophomore from Bronxville, New York. She says Westchester County, New York is the best chester. Annie is a burst of energy when the team is tired, a trumpeter of fun, adventure, and activity. Annie will also be taking over duties from yours truly as alumni relations chair.

Club Manager: Sean Orzolek
Sean is a freshman from Berlin, Connecticut. He is studying Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at Drexel. Sean thinks that Eastern Connecticut is a really chill place and underrepresented. Sean is a former instructor at Okemo Mountain in Ludlow, Vermont.

Treasurer: Jason Sinclair
Jason is a pre-med Drexel sophomore from Edison, New Jersey. He volunteers in the General Medicine department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He's a Phi Kappa Psi and will serve you a great appetizers at the downtown Applebee's in Philadelphia.

Secretary: Joan Boyle
Our lovely secretary Joan Boyle is from Beachwood, New Jersey and is a sailing instructor at Mantoloking Yacht Club. Joan is active in the Toms River/Barnegat Bay sailing community, which means whenever we go to OCC for regattas we are treated like family.

Equipment Manager: Andrew Cebulski
Andrew is a pre-junior Computer Engineering major from Sterling, Virginia. He also the VP of Infomatics for the Drexel Smart House, the Technology Director of the Undergraduate Student Government Association, the webmaster of the Sierra Club and Engineers without Borders, and plays clarinet in concert band. He is also a member of Apple Pi (Aphla Pi Lamda) and in addition to sailing he enjoys hiking, backpacking, archery, and billiards.

Our thanks to all former officers, especially our seniors. I just graduated in December, so now I have become alumni myself. It's been a pleasure serving everyone.

Fair winds and a following sea,

Tyler Drown
Outgoing Alumni Relations Chair
Drexel Sailing Team

November 7-8, 2009

MAISA Club Championship
Tom's River, New Jersey

We left Philadelphia early in the morning and began the long-familiar drive to Tom's River, New Jersey through city, suburbs, and Pine Barrens. A stop at a Wawa for some breakfast and a some hot chocolate and bagels at the club prepared the sailors for a great day of racing. At Tom's River Yacht Club, the wind had yet to show up by the time of the skippers meeting, but after changing and rigging our boats a nice breeze began to fill in.

Ocean County College has the unique distinction of being the only team in MAISA to have a fleet of Tech Dinghies. These strange sea creatures were designed by Professor George Owen for the opening of the MIT Sailing Pavilion in 1935 and were built at the legendary Herreshoff Yard in Bristol. The are the progenitor and genesis of intercollegiate sailing as-we-know-it. OCC's fleet are fiberglass and cat-rigged and these days the boats are regarded as slow bathtubs or "two-person Optimist" (the Optimist is a small beginner boat for kids). Nevertheless, it was interesting to break up the monotony of the standard 420s and FJs that intercollegiate sailing is relegated. Their scarcity in MAISA, the age of the secondhand fleet, their slow speed, and the battleship-gray the hulls are painted give the sailing experience the rare distinction of being both banal and exotic.

I skippered the B-division boat with Clara Engel ('13) as trusty crew. President Andrew Bergan ('10) skippered A-Division with the loyal crew, Regatta Manager David Schubert ('10). B-Division started the day in 420s, A-Division sailed Tech Dinghies. Our boat in the B-division had a bad first race and then progressively improved for a little while before moderating out and finding a home somewhere in the middle. While I was disappointed I didn't sail better, I had a great time sailing. As the day of sailing ended Drew, Clara, and Dave returned to Philadelphia while I remained on the Jersey Shore for festivities.

The next day B sailed Tech Dinghies and A-division sailed 420s. Clara and I were in Tech Dinghies. Tech Dinghies were a bit unfamiliar to me. I had sailed in them twice before, once as a skipper at the 2007 MAISA Club Champs and another as a crew. Proper trim is a bit different on the boat, to say the least, as is weight balance. As the wind died it became an exercise in patience and the fleet spread out as low weight and technique prevailed. Overall, Drexel finished 12th of18th boats.

This was my last intercollegiate regatta. A regatta-less freshman year and a Co-Op job abroad allowed me to be eligible to compete this last term, in spite of having graduated high school in Spring 2004. I've had the wonderful opportunity to attend many regattas, make lifelong friends, learn how to sail (well), learn how to race, serve in different leadership positions (Alumni Relations, VP/Regatta Manager, Equipment Manager), organize events, and much more. I look forward to attending events and regattas as an alumnus and helping support Drexel Sailing in the future. Though I'm currently now boatless, I hope to see everyone on the water!

Fair winds and a following sea,
—Tyler Drown

Results: http://barnegat.lhhost.com/pipermail/maisa/Week-of-Mon-20091102/001570.html
Photos: Craig Priniski's Photos

FROM COACH SISSON--- Regatta report on MAISA Women's Fall Championships hosted by Old Dominion, Norfolk, Virginia, Saturday, November 7, 2009.

For the first time in five years, Drexel Sailing fielded a women's team for the competitive MAISA Women's Fall Championships hosted at ODU. Eight teams competed, and although Drexel finished at the end of the list of competitors, I wanted to report on the inspired sailing I observed and the future strength of our Drexel women sailors.