“We need to ramp up our strength training because we need to be stronger and quicker in our boats,” O’Connor said. “We need to execute more consistently in the starting line so that we are racing in the early part of the fleet more often as opposed to coming back against good competition. We really need to learn how to start more consistently across the board.”

Junior captain Ben Lamont believes that his team will not spend any time dwelling on this weekend’s disappointing performance.

“The result we will look at is really the qualifier for ACCs because that’s the best regatta that we sailed this fall,” Lamont said. “This weekend was a bit of a letdown with ACCs not happening.”

Although the team did not record many high finishes, Lamont emphasized the many positive changes that have taken place this fall.

“We are a young team, focused on improving and getting better, so we have been pretty happy and proud of the work everybody has been doing,” Lamont said. “From the freshmen to the seniors, from folks who were committed junior sailors to folks [who] walked on to the team in college having never sailed before, everyone improved over the course of the fall through their hard work.”

“We are not yet where we want to be,” he continued. “But I think we are in a good position going forward into the spring to where we want to be. Our goal is to qualify for nationals in Florida and have a strong showing there.”

—Staff writer Blake Sundel can be reached at bsundel@college.harvard.edu.