Sept. 12, 2003
NORFOLK, VA - The Old Dominion Sailing team will host the Riley Cup and ODU BYO Radial this weekend to start off their 2003-04 season. Three Monarchs will travel to the Naval Regatta in Annapolis, MD.
ODU won their 13th national championship last year, winning the Women's Singlehanded Championship, the second such in program history. Corrie Clement (Metarie, LA) was named the Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year last season. The Lady Monarchs had four All-Americans: Corrie Clement, Elizabeth Bower (Fairport, NY), Anna Tunnicliffe (Perrysburg, OH) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, NY).
The Riley Cup will feature 18 teams competing in two divisions in a series of races. The team with the lowest total score wins. Last year, the ODU Silver team placed 3rd in their division, while the ODU Blue team finished 8th in theirs.
The ODU BYO Radial will feature between 17 and 20 women, including three Lady Monarchs. Last year, Anna Tunnicliffe won the Radial. Debbie Capozzi finished 2nd and Corrie Clement finished 7th. Capozzi and Clement graduated last year.
The Navy Laser Opener is one of two qualifying events for the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association district men's singlehanded championships. There will be 18 men competing, with the top six qualifying for the championships. Neil Ford (St. John's, Virgin Islands), who graduated last year, led the way last year, finishing 11th. Charles Higgins (Arlington, TX) and Jack Kerr (Redmond, WA) finished 12th and 14th respectively.
The Riley Cup and ODU BYO Radial will start Saturday at the ODU Sailing Center and will finish Sunday. The Navy Laser Open will also be a Saturday and Sunday event.