SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - The University of Hawai`i coed sailing team returned to form with a second place finish at the St. Francis Regatta hosted April 8-9 by Stanford University. After finishing no better than fifth in their previous two mainland meets, the preseason favorite Rainbows finished a strong second, just 10 points behind regatta champ USC.

The UH sailing program had an impressive showing in as the women also were entered in the 31-team field and finished sixth overall.

California's never-ending winter rains held off for Saturday and most of Sunday allowing for a great weekend of racing. After a wind delay Saturday morning, the fleet sailed in 10-12 knots Sunday saw 5-10 knots from the southwest, and a few rain howers. A total of 20 races, 10 in each the A and B divisions were completed over the weekend.

The Trojans won the regatta with a total of 99 points while the Rainbow coed team finished just 10 points behind. Eric Oppen, Bryan Lake, Meredith Adams and Caitlin Hill sailed in the A division where they placed third, while Joey Pasquali and Becky Mabardy took home the B division with a 55-point performance.

Meanwhile, the Rainbow Wahine totaled 185 points, good for sixth place overall and tops among the eight other women's teams in the field. Tinja Anderson-Mitterling and Cassie Harris sailed in the A division for UH, while Shandy Buckley and Crystal Bronte competed in the B division.

The coed team is ranked 12th in the latest Sailing World poll and return to the Bay Area in less than a month when they compete in the PCIYRA Team Race and Dinghy Championships, April 28-30. The Rainbow Wahine, ranked sixth in the country, next participate in the PCIYRA Women's Championships, April 22-23 in Long Beach, Calif.

Complete Results

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