HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i's women's sailing team takes to the waters this weekend for the Pacific Coast Sailing Conference Women's Championship, April 19-20, at Keehi Lagoon. The host Rainbow Wahine will compete against five other schools for a chance to qualify for the Intercollegiate Sailing Association national championship.

Two berths to the nationals will be up for grabs during this weekend's regatta. Stanford, ranked fourth in the nation, headlines the field. The Rainbows Wahine, who finished second in the PCCSC Women's Fall Championship will be sailing in its home waters and hungry for a berth into the nationals after failing to qualify last season. UH has appeared in the women's nationals in eight of the last 10 years. The ICSA women's championship will be held in Newport, R.I., May 25-27.

The Rainbow Wahine finished 12th out of 31 teams in its last regatta, the St. Francis Intersectional, April 5-6, in San Francisco, Calif.

The coed sailing team already sewed up a bid to ICSA dinghy national semifinals earlier this week and will travel to Long Beach, Calif., April 26-27.

Quick Facts
What: 2008 Pacific Coast Sailing Conference Women's Championship
Where: Marine Education and Training Center at Keehi Lagoon. Heading east down Sand Island Access Road, make a right turn after the bridge.
When: April 19-20, 2008. Races will begin at approximately 10 a.m. each day, weather permitting.
Who: Six schools including California, Hawai`i, Stanford, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, will compete for two berths into the women's nationals.

-UH-