AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Hawai`i coed sailing team successfully completed the first day of round-robin competition at the ICSA Team Racing Championships at Lake Travis with a 5-4 overall record. The Rainbows opening-day performance advanced them to the "winners" bracket of eight teams.

The day started with the 14 teams split into two groups of seven. Each group sailed a "qualification" round-robin. UH's team of Scott DeCurtis, Matt Stine, Becky Mabardy, Shandy Buckley, Cassandra Harris , Jennifer Warnock and Bryan Lake, finished with a 4-2 mark and were one four teams from their group to advance to the "winners" bracket. The remaining six teams were eliminated from championship competition and have been designated to sail in a "consolation" single round robin.

Conditions were good enough for competition to begin in the "winners" bracket in the late afternoon, a double round-robin of eight teams. UH carried over a 1-2 mark from the "qualification" round and by day's end had a 2-4 mark in the "winners" bracket. The double round-robin continues Monday.

"I'm proud how the team did in the morning round," head coach Andy Johnson said. "Hopefully the wind picks up tomorrow and we get rolling. It will take our best effort for us to advance."

The top four teams of the "winners" round robin shall sail a single "final four" round robin on Tuesday to determine the overall champion of the event and the winner of the Walter C. Wood Trophy.

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