Nov. 28, 2006

San Francisco, Calif., - In an annual event hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club and the bay area alums of the rival schools, Cal and Stanford faced off on the San Francisco Bay today in three divisions of Match-Racing.

Over five hundred spectators came to see three generations of Stanford Sailing Battle three generations of Cal Sailing. Although the event came to a tie in point totals, the victory of the Stanford Varsity sealed the victory for the Cardinal in their Second Big Sail win.

The event was sailed in identical 35' J-105 keelboats, loaned by members of the St. Francis Yacht Club. The Match-race format pits boats one-on-one against each other, using rules, tactics and strategy to cover the 20 minute race course ahead of the other team.

Sailing in the Master's Division for Stanford was Alum and America's Cup Hall of Fame legend, Malin Burnham. On Burnham's crew was John Scarborough, Keith Milne, John Claude, Joe McCoy and Jaren Leet. The Stanford Master's lost a challenging match to the Cal's very young Master's team.

In the Young Alumni Battle, Skipper Scott Sellers came off the start line in the lead, and proceded to lead around the course. On the last downwind leg, the Cardinal crew had trouble with the spinnaker, losing precious inches that gave the Bears a slight lead. Despite efforts, the Stanford team lost the match to the Bears. Sailing with Sellers; Adam Lowry, Geoff MacDonald, Rolf Kaiser, Matt Hooks and Al Sargent.

With the score at Cal 2, Stanford 0 the Varsity Teams took to the water. "I wanted to put the pressure on the Varsity Team," Malin Burnham explained of his loss to the Bears to new Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby, on hand to get a crash course in Match-racing and to cheer on the Cardinal. The Varsity programs sail a best two-out-of-three series to decide the event.

Stanford Team Captain, Brian Haines lead from the start of the racing sequence, controlling Cal's Chris Wenner in the pre-start. When the gun went off, the Cardinal sat in the controlling position, and never gave it up, increasing their lead in each leg by pushing the Bears into unfavorable current. Sailing on the Stanford boat, tactician Evan Brown, Trimmer Emery Wager, Pit man Graham Brandt-Zawadzki, Mast-woman Taylor Grimes, and Bow Diva Leigh Hammel.

The Varsity Team's second race went smoothly, with an even start. A close port-starboard resulted in a penalty to Cal, who, in taking their penalty turn on the second upwind leg, gave Stanford a solid lead that insured Cardinal victory. With a tied score of 2-2, Stanford sealed victory with the Varsity win. The Sailing "Axe" will again reside in the Stanford Boathouse in Redwood City for the next year.