The Harvard varsity sailing team came from behind to win the New England States Intersectional Regatta last weekend at Tufts, but in the process it had to sacrifice the Ivy League Championships, held the same days at Cornell.

"We decided that the Intersectional were a good tune-up for the New England Championships May 9 and 10," sailing coach Mike Horn said yesterday. "We sent our strongest team to Tufts and it paid off."

Trailing M. I. T. all weekend, the Crimson needed All-American Robbie Doyle's victory over Pete Nesbedda in the last race of Division A to pull out a two-point decision over the Engineers, Abbott Reeve preserved the lead with a victory over his M. I. T. counterpart in Division B's race.

Doyle and Charlie Koch, alternating at skipper in Division A, placed third overall, while Reeve was second in his division.

Harvard's 69 points placed it a head of M. I. T. with 71, New York State Maritime with 731/2, and Tufts with 108.

At the Ivy League Championships, captain Joe Worth and Jeff Storer could only manage a sixth overall-a last place. Yale took top honors.

The Crimson will compete in the New England Championships next weekend at the Coast Guard Academy. The two top finishers there will represent New England at the North Americans, and Harvard and M. I. T. are heavy favorites to take these two places. Robbie Doyle and Abbett Reeve will sail for the Crimson.

Radcliffe sailors continued their domination of New England women's regattas with a first in the Radcliffe Spring Invitational-the Sloop Shrew Trophy-on the Charles last weekend.

Sandy Storer gathered five firsts in seven races to run away with Division A, while a capsize held Lisa Fulweiler to a second in Division B.

The Cliffies had 33 points to 43 for second-place M. I. T. and 48 for third-place Jackson.