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FOUST Newsletter MAY 2012 |
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Dear Friends, Sorry you haven't heard from us in a while, but we've been saving up for an issue you won't want to miss. See below for alumni regatta updates, including an NOR, and two social events for Memorial Day weekend in addition to the regatta itself. We also have results from Coed, Women's, and Team Race PCCs. Finally, a recap from team captain Billy Edwards of UCLA's fifth straight year participating the the Edhec Cup in France, where the Bruins got their best results yet. Can't wait to see you all in Marina del Rey on May 27! Sam Wheeler
We've got a Notice of Race up for the 2012 Alumni Regatta. You can check it out here. If you haven't RSVPed yet, please do! Or send us an email if you're not a Facebook user.
There are also two parties this year that you won't want to miss, in addition to the main event. First, the Schweglers have been kind enough to reprise their amazing post-regatta dinner from last year. If you've been to their house in Long Beach before, I know it won't take much to convince you to attend. If not, come see what you've been missing! This will start up soon after sailing, and we would love to see everyone there whether or not you can come to the regatta itself. Also, the time capsule has finally made it to Westwood! Those of you who graduated in the last few years know what this means. For everyone else, if you want to find out come to a party hosted by Mark Anders ('11), Tats Woo-Kawaguchi ('11), and Eric Dita ('10) on Saturday night (5/26) near Westwood to relive the glory days. Festivities will get started around 7:00 pm at 11551 Ohio Ave #4. Starting sometime before 2003, the team kept a time capsule burried under the teepee at the Little Panoche gas station off of I-5, to be dug up each year after the last North regatta of the season (the infamous St. Francis Intersectional). When the teepee was removed, a new tradition became necessary: the time capsule started in San Francisco, and every year since, the team has dug up the capsule, put in new keepsakes and buried the capsule 50-100 miles south. The bottle had contact info for that year's graduating seniors and a few mementos from those seniors. However, as with any buried treasure, there's always the danger of it being lost - at least a couple of times the team spent time fruitlessly digging somewhere along I-5. But new capsules were created and buried, and one has finally managed to make it all the way back to Westwood! It's time to celebrate its successful return and peruse its contents - you might be able to snag some chapstick or hair ties for Sunday racing! Big thanks to FOUST Treasurer Neha Bazaj ('10) for writing up the time capsule history!
Every regatta in Santa Barbara seems to follow a familiar pattern: about half of the event will be too light to sail, and the other half will be blowing survival conditions. Coed PCCs this year, on April 28-29, was an exception: the wind never filled in, and the fleet barely got off six races per division. Overall UCLA finished 10th - only one point behind UC San Diego, and not at all bad considering the long qualifying saga which resulted in UCLA sneaking in with the 12th berth. Congrats to Peter Bailey ('15) and Louise Lehman ('14) on tying for 6th in A division, including a 4th place finish in race 5. Only one women's skipper at this event finished better than team captain Emelia Pelliccio ('13), sailing B with Erica Parker ('14). Congrats also to Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Long Beach, and UC Irvine on qualifying for the national championship semifinals. UCLA also fielded one division of a JV team in the PCCSC Dinghy Tournament, held the same weekend. Women's PCCs managed to get a few more races off, finishing a double round robin in one day on April 21 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Bruins just barely missed out on advancing to the nationals, finishing 4th overall. UCLA was 4th in each division, with Emelia and Erica in A and Nora Brackbill ('13) and Amy Stuyvesant ('13) in B. Congrats to Nora and Amy on a bullet in race 6! And to Stanford, USC, and UH for advancing.
UCLA also competed in Team Race PCCs on April 14-15 at Stanford, taking 7th. And that just about wraps up the 2011-2012 season - only one regatta left!
By Billy Edwards ('12), team captain For the fifth consecutive year, the UCLA Sailing Team has been fortunate enough to participate in the EDHEC Boat Cup, a massive collegiate keelboat regatta in France. This year seven of us - mostly recent UCLA Sailing alumni - trickled into La Rochelle from Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and even Switzerland from April 13th to 16th to compete in the 44th annual Course Croisiere EDHEC. Drew Morton ('11), our jib trimmer and go to muscle man, and Richard Fuller ('11), our main trimmer, tactician, and medical advisor, were the first to arrive. On the docks they met honorary Bruin Adrien Hausammann, our helmsman, translator, and costume designer. Billy Edwards ('12), another grinder and sometime pit man, and Scott Barber ('11), the bowman and spirit squad leader, were next to arrive, surprising Drew, Richard, and Adrien at the French trailer park we were housed at with the other international teams. Oscar Jasklowski ('11), our man on the mast and tactician, and Mert Eren (UCLA Extension), our kite trimmer and sometime pit man, arrived last to round out the UCLA crew.
The week began with three windy races on Monday. Everyone was happy to be out on the water and even happier that we were sailing well. Helmsman Adrien pulled three beautiful starts out and the team came together to round the windward mark in the top of the fleet several times. Heavy winds contributed to several collisions including a particularly bad one resulting in a snapped mast! Fortunately, the team managed to avoid being caught in any of these situations. On the downwind legs, some problems hoisting and dousing the spinnaker prevented the Bruins from getting a finish above 14th, but at the end of the day the team was happy to find itself 19th place.
Tuesday and Wednesday racing was cancelled due to inclement weather (think rainy with 35+ knot winds and 45 knot gusts). On Wednesday, the Bruins took the opportunity to explore beautiful Bordeaux, enjoy some of the local food and drink, and try to get some fresh fish for Richard (who may have been dressed like a seal). While they never managed to get Richard any fish, they did have a great time and make some wonderful memories.
Thursday and Friday races began again, but each day races were cut short due to escalating wind and several more collisions. The Bruins ended the week after six races in 17th place - the best the team has ever done at the event. After peeling the UCLA stickers off their boat with a heavy heart and dousing the UCLA flag, Richard, Scott, Billy, Oscar, Drew, Adrien, and Mert packed their bags and said goodbye - but not before doing one last 8 Clap. |
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