RWU Media Room

Posted on: May 5, 2009; In: Community, On Campus

When looking at the national rankings one might easily conclude that New England is one of the most fiercely competitive regions for collegiate sailing in the United States. This weekend twelve of the best college sailing teams from across New England will be competing for the coveted Fowle Trophy during the New England Team Racing Championship being held at the coastal campus of Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI.

The competition will kick off with the first regatta, or sailing race, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 9, and will continue until 6:30 p.m., weather permitting. The competition will resume at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 10, until all regattas are completed and a winner is declared.

The event is free, and members of the general public are invited to attend. Spectators may gather near the Learning Platform in the dock area of Roger Williams University’s Bristol Campus at One Old Ferry Road. Parking for this event can be found at the Visitor’s Lot located behind the University’s Recreation Center Gymnasium. Since this event is on the water, spectators are encouraged to bring their own folding chairs, blankets and refreshments. A commentator will be on hand to cover the live action for all in attendance.

The top three teams from this competition will continue on to the National Team Racing Championship being held in San Francisco on May 29-30, 2009. There are already several teams pre-qualified for this weekend’s championship, including number one nationally-ranked Boston College, Tufts University (12th), Brown University (16th), Yale University (5th), Connecticut College (10th), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (not ranked), Harvard University (8th), Boston University (13th) and the Coast Guard Academy (not ranked). Roger Williams University, presently ranked third nationally, and will be competing in this weekend’s competition.

Members of the media are also encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Kathleen Lowe in University Communications at (401) 254-5206.

About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 39 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. Under the leadership of President Roy J. Nirschel, Ph.D., the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes. In 2008, U.S. News & World Report named RWU the eighth-ranked baccalaureate college in the north.