HONOLULU- The University of Hawai'i Rainbow sailing team took the top two spots, including a first-place finish by the Rainbow 1 squad in the Peter Wenner Rainbow Invite held this weekend at Keehi Lagoon.
 
Sixteen teams representing 11 schools competed in the regatta. A total of 24 races — 12 in the A division and seven in the B division – were completed in shifty conditions over the weekend. UH fielded four teams in all, three coed and one women's squad, and finished in four of the top six places.
 
The Rainbow 1 team, led by Michael Pacholski and Kelly Sojka in the A Division and Patrick Wilkinson and Danielle Ahir in the B division, topped the competition with a regatta-low 68 points, 12 ahead of Rainbow 2. The Rainbow 1 squad finished in the top three in 18 of 24 races, and took first on six occasions.
 
Rainbow 2 finished in second (80 points) and Rainbow 3 in sixth (158). The Rainbow Wahine squad, guided by Caitlin Schadt, Gianna Bailey, Annika Garrett  and Megan Zamzow, was the regatta's top women's squad and finished fifth overall with 157 points.
 
Next up, the UH women's team will compete in a non-collegiate event, the HYRA Women's Invite, next Sunday in Kaneohe, before traveling to Redwood City, Calif., for the Bryson Women's Intersection, Feb. 10-11. The coed team will compete in the McIntyre Team Race on February 24-25 in Northern California.