Thursday, October 31, 2002
Written by Sarah Conlon

KIRKLAND SECOND IN NEW ENGLAND SINGLE-HANDED SAILING

MEDFORD-- In his first season of collegiate competition, Tufts freshman Zander Kirkland (Warwick, BERMUDA/ Tabor Academy) took home second place in the New England Singlehanded Championship Regatta. The race was held Saturday and Sunday, October 26-27, at the US Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut. Eighteen boats competed in eighteen races. The top four finishers won a chance to compete in the National event in November.

Harvard's Clay Bischoff dominated the standings right from the race's start. His two day total was 45 points. Bischoff came in first in nine of the eighteen races. His total was over 70 points better than Kirkland's 117 second place score.

Although first place was secured early in the weekend, the battle for the remaining top spots was closely contended. In the end, Kirkland was able to edge out another Harvard sailor, Vince Porter, by one point for second place. Kirkland was first in the twelfth race, and second in four others. Brown's Alex Mehran took home the last national-qualifying spot, finishing fourth with a total of 126 points.

Two other Tufts sailors finished in the top ten. Senior JR. Maxwell (Stonington, CT/ The Williams School) placed sixth overall with a score of 147, and sophomore Brendan Shattuck (Annapolis MD/ Choate Rosemary Hall) took eighth with 155 points.

Nationals for the Singlehanded Championship will be held November 8-10 in Houston, Texas.

#