Conditions on Lake Mendota were all over the place for the second and penultimate day of competition at the 2010 ICSA/Gill National Championship.  There was a light breeze from the WNW when the first race got underway that climbed up to six knots, and then clocked around to north and then east before a severe thunderstorm warning – indicating the possibility of golf ball-sized hail and damaging winds – kept the fleet ashore for most of the afternoon.  Just before 7:00 p.m. CDT, B-Division headed out for race 8B in a northeasterly breeze of 13 knots and light rain.  The waning daylight put an end to racing for the day with the scoreboard now reflecting 10 races for A-Division and nine for B-Division.  There will be an early start tomorrow as the Notice of Race has been amended to move the competitor’s meeting up to 8:30 a.m., with the first warning signal given as soon as practicable thereafter.

Despite a rough end to their day with three double-digit finishes in A-Division, Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) retains the lead in the overall standings.  With 88 A-Division points plus 39 from B-Division, the Eagles have 127 points and a five-point edge over Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.) with 132 total points (74 + 58).  Brown University (Providence, R.I.) started the day in fifth and moved up to third overall with 142 points (82 + 60).  The Bears are tied on points with St. Mary’s College (St. Mary’s, Md.), who moved up three spots in the standings.  Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) keeps their top standing in A-Division after they offset double-digit finishes in races 7 and 8 with wins in races 9 and 10.   With 143 points (53 + 90), the Hoyas are fifth overall.

With the fifth-placed team only 16 points out from the series leader, there are no easy bets as to who will claim the title when racing for the 2010 ICSA/Gill National Championship wraps up tomorrow Thursday, June 3.  The championship is being hosted by the University of Wisconsin, utilizing their fleet of 420s, from the regatta base at Memorial Union Terrace.

The Format: At the ICSA/Gill National Championship each of the 18 schools entered – after qualifying via one of two semi-final events held in early May – fields a separate A and B division team.  Weather permitting, each division sails 20- to 30-minute fleet races in rotation and a team’s final score is determined by the combined results of its sailors in both divisions.  For results and additional information on the championships, visit:  http://2010nationals.collegesailing.org/

Catch the Replay: Noted sailing commentator Gary Jobson (Annapolis, Md.) will produce a program on the ICSA/Gill National Championship for ESPNU that will air Friday, July 9 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
(Current Standings After Two Days of Racing:  School, Hometown, A + B + Total Points)

June 1-3, 2010 – ICSA/Gill National Championship
Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.), 88 + 39 = 127
Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.), 74 + 58 = 132
Brown University (Providence, R.I.), 82 + 60 + 142
St. Mary’s College (St. Mary’s City, Md.), 78 + 64 = 142
Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.), 53 + 90 + 143
Yale University (New Haven, Conn.), 79 + 76 = 155

U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, Md.), 91 + 72 = 163
University of Vermont (Burlington, Vt.), 65 + 106 = 171
College of Charleston (Charleston, S.C.), 112 + 63 + 175
Tufts University (Medford, Mass.), 83 + 99 = 182
Hobart & William Smith Colleges (Geneva, N.Y.), 123 + 65 = 188
Salve Regina University (Newport, R.I.), 107 + 86 = 193
Roger Williams University (Bristol, R.I.), 96 + 98 = 194
Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.), 119 + 95 = 214
University of South Florida (St. Petersburg, Fla.), 98 + 127 = 225

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, N.Y.), 115 + 110 = 225
SUNY Maritime College (Throggs Neck, N.Y.), 118 + 115 = 233
Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.), 119 + 118 = 237

Vermont Historic Sites Now On Facebook

MONTPELIER, Vt. – As opening day for most of Vermont’s State Historic Sites approaches, the state is looking to boost attendance by using the most modern method: Putting them on Facebook.

The Vermont State Historic Sites fan page was launched on last month, and officials hope that the interactive social networking site will help promote the state’s 11 historic sites to a broader audience.

“Getting the historic sites on Facebook gives us a way to connect with new customers, and communicate with all of our fans,” said John Dumville, historic sites operations chief at the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. “It’s an economical way to spread the word about these beautiful sites that were so important to Vermont’s history.”

The Facebook fan page includes links to all of the sites; a calendar of events; and picture and video galleries for each site, as well as places for visitors and fans to post their own pictures and videos.

The Bennington Battle Monument site opened for the season on April 17. Most of the state-owned historic sites – President Calvin Coolidge, Mount Independence, Justin Morrill Homestead, Hubbardton Battlefield, Eureka Schoolhouse, Old Constitution House, and Chimney Point State Historic Sites – open for the 2010 season on Saturday, May 29.

The Chester Arthur Birthplace and the Hyde Log Cabin sites will open on July 3. The state’s underwater preserve – consisting of five shipwrecks in Lake Champlain – is open May 29 through mid-October depending on weather conditions.

The push to increase visitors – and revenues – at the historic sites in a tight budget year means the state is doing everything it can to generate free publicity for the sites, Dumville said.

Officials at the Division for Historic Preservation are also partnering with the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, which will promote the sites as part of their in-state advertising campaign.

Last year, there were 65,888 visitors to the sites – not including divers who visited the underwater preserve – down slightly over the previous year’s totals.

“We are working hard to increase traffic at the sites by offering a broad range of special events,” Dumville said. “And the renewed interest in the sites generated by the discovery of what may be the remains of an early French fort at the Chimney Point site as the result of the demolition of the Champlain Bridge is very encouraging.”

For more information about hours of operation or for a calendar of events, visit www.HistoricVermont.org/sites; on Facebook visit: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Montpelier-VT/Vermont-State-Historic-Sites/312675181273

Source: Agency of Commerce and Community Development
Last Updated at: May 14, 2010 12:14:08

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