Rodrigues & Vieira Help Eckerd Finish Second
Bermudian sailors PJ Rodrigues and Jordan Vieira helped Eckerd College secure second place overall at the Atlantic Coast Tournament in New London, Connecticut.
Competing against 16 other colleges over the weekend [October 24-25], the Tritons finished with 98 points, moving up from fourth place after the opening day to claim the runner-up position.
Rodrigues partnered with Peyton Seidle in the A Division, while Vieira teamed up with Avery Guck in the B Division.
Saturday’s racing was delayed by light winds, with competition eventually getting under way at 12.45pm in breezes of six to eight knots and a strong current.
Seven races were completed in each division before shifting winds brought an early end to proceedings. Vieira and Guck recorded a race victory in their final outing of the day.
Eckerd ended Saturday in fourth place with 73 points, just three points behind third.
Conditions remained challenging on Sunday, with further delays limiting the number of races completed.
The Tritons entered the final stages nine points behind third place, but strong performances from both Bermudian sailors and their teammates helped the college climb into the top three.
With Eckerd sitting just two points behind second place heading into the final race, the team produced another strong finish to secure the runner-up position.
Rodrigues and Seidle finished second in the A Division with 54 points, recording top-half finishes in nine of their ten races.
Vieira and Guck placed third in the B Division with 44 points, also finishing in the top half of the fleet nine times.
The University of Rhode Island won the regatta with 77 points, while Hobart and William Smith Colleges finished third with 104 points.
Eckerd will conclude its autumn sailing season at the Fall SAISA Championship from October 31 to November 1.
