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The third and final day of the championship was an intense and dramatic affair for all involved. In the final six races in each division, there were eight lead changes. Boston College started the day in the lead, but Georgetown University moved out front after race 14A. Tufts pulled into a tie with the Hoyas after race 14B, but Boston College re-claimed the lead after races 15 and 16 in the A-division. Harvard took their first lead of the regatta after race 16B, but Boston College again moved into the top spot in race 17A. Dartmouth was prepared to pull an upset and tied with Tufts for the lead after race 17B, but Tufts seniors Adam Deermount (Upper Montclair, N.J.) and Lisa Keith (Marblehead, Mass.) placed ninth in the final race, 18B, securing the Jumbos fifth Coed Dinghy Championship.

The three-day event was hosted by the University of Rhode Island at Wheeler Beach State Park in Narragansett, R.I. The championship was sponsored by Gill North America Ltd. and supported by Vanguard Sailboats (Portsmouth, R.I.), a partner in the ICSA Growth and Development Project. Vanguard Flying Juniors (FJs) were sailed in moderate sea breezes that persisted throughout the regatta.

Tufts last won the Coed Dinghy title in 1997, but ãwasn't even supposed to be here," according to Coach Ken Legler (Medford, Mass.). The Jumbos secured entry into the regatta through an at-large berth. Legler attributed his team's performance to ãbetter boatspeed in steady air," conditions which weren't present at the New England qualifiers. Peter Levesque (Portland, Maine) and Caroline Hall (Tiverton, R.I.), both juniors, sailed together in the A-division for all but the final race, when senior Laurin Manning (Mystic, Conn.) crewed for Levesque. With 100 points, Levesque, Hall and Manning won the A-division by a slim one-point margin. Deermount and Keith' s 115 point total placed fifth in B-division, but was good enough for Tufts to win the overall title.

Harvard University, who placed second in the ICSA/Ronstan Team Racing Championship, completed Tuesday, also finished second in the Coed Dinghy Championship with 217 points. Head Coach Michael O'Connor (Foxboro, Mass.) summed up the Crimson's success as ãthe effort of a large group of talented sailors throughout the year." Junior skipper Sean Doyle (St. Petersburg, Fla.) sailed with sophomore crew Michelle Yu (Mountain View, Calif.) in the A-division for the first twelve races. On the final day, freshman Cardwell Potts (New Orleans, La.) sailed with Yu in races 13 through 16, and junior Laura Knoll (Freedom, N.H.) in races 17 and 18. Harvard's 139 points in A-division placed the Crimson in sixth for that division. Juniors Margaret Gill (Weston, Mass.) and Susan Bonney (Westford, Mass.) dominated the B-division with just 78 points, 19 points ahead of the nearest competitor.

Dartmouth College's 220-point total was good for third place in the regatta. Assistant Coach Brian Stanford (San Diego, Calif.) was thankful for ãlots of alumni, family and teammates here today keeping the team psyched." Referring to the close action, he said ãthe regatta was five teams all within striking distance." Senior Patrick Hogan (Newport Beach, Calif.) and freshman Scott Hogan (Newport Beach, Calif.) skippered in the A-division, while seniors Carly Prior (Huntington, N.Y.) and Katie Lyndon (Riverside, Conn.) crewed. The Big Green placed fifth in the A-division with a 123-point total. With 97 points, seniors Erin Maxwell (Stonington, Conn.) and Leslie Sandberg (Colchester, Conn.) placed second in the B-division.