Tulane University
Big Easy Fleet Race
Sailing Wins Big Easy Fleet Race, Continues Competition in Charleston
Feb 29, 2020 | Sailing
CHARLESTON, South Carolina — The Tulane sailing team was victorious in the Big Easy Fleet Race on Saturday, winning the regatta in New Orleans while simultaneously competing against a challenging slate of opponents in the Bob Bavier Team Race in Charleston.
"At home I'm especially pleased with how well our team did in the Big Easy," head coach Charles Higgins said. "Katherine [Byrnes] and Josie [Larkin] put up an incredibly consistent scoreline with Luke [Schumann] and Isabella [Bentz] not far behind. We almost swept the podium, with Eli [Eckhouse] and Brinton [Hoover] ending up fourth, but overall I'm still very happy with how well the whole team continues to push, improve and progress."
The Green Wave were successful against their conference opponents at home in the Big Easy Fleet Race, finishing first, second and fourth among teams from Texas, North Texas and Loyola.
Tulane's skipper and crew pair, in Katherine Byrnes and Josie Larkin, won the regatta, totaling five first-place finishes while earning top-three results in all nine races to finish with 14 points.
Skipper Luke Schumann and crew Isabella Bentz were second, notching three first place finishes to total 22 points at home on Lake Pontchartrain.
Next up for Tulane was skipper Eli Eckhouse and crew Brinton Hoover, who were victorious in one race and totaled seven top-five finishes to total 35 points.
In the first round of the Bob Bavier Team Race, Tulane defeated Eckerd and USF before coming back out to defeat USF for a second time in round two.
"We knew coming into Charleston this weekend that we were going up against stiff competition, and we certainly had had our eyes opened a bit with just how much further we have to go," Higgins added. "Against such good competition, a single mistake can make or break a race. That was certainly the case with easily half of our losses. The great thing is we are so young that we learn each time and get right back at it. We have a hungry bunch, and after we get some much needed rest tonight, we'll get back after it tomorrow."
Skipper Quinn Keenan and crew Caroline Benson teamed up in boat one, skipper Cameron Giblin and crew Kit Stoll were paired in boat two and skipper Ciara Rodriguez-Horan sailed alongside crew Stephen Hahn in boat three in the team races.
The Green Wave are ready to head back out on the water to sail the remaining five races Sunday morning, looking to move up from their eighth-place spot. The Olive and Blue are currently ahead of Eckerd and USF, while No. 9 College of Charleston leads the way, followed by No. 3 Harvard and No. 5 Yale.
Fans can stay updated with the team on Sunday by tracking the regatta's live score here.
Remaining Race Schedule
Race 24 - Tulane vs. Harvard
Race 28 - Tulane vs. College of Charleston
Race 32 - Tulane vs. Yale
Race 36 - Tulane vs. UC Santa Barbara
Race 41 - Navy vs. Tulane
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