Smooth Sailing for R-FH at Battle of Monmouth Regatta

The varsity sailing team was sailing to victory most of the day at the Battle of Monmouth Regatta this past weekend ... until Red Bank Regional overtook the team.

The event, on Saturday, May 12, at the Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club (SSYC) in Oceanport, was a venue for tough competition from 10 other teams and RBR won by a slim 1-point margin in the last race after trailing Rumson-Fair Haven and Christian Brothers Academy most of the day.

The RBR varsity team sailors were Kendall Van Winkle, Caroline Garth, Max Neubelt, Dominique Neubelt and Gabrielle Neubelt.

The RBR freshman team of Derek Arnheiter, Robby Gearon and Andrew O'Brien finished a very respectable seventh place overall.

The regatta was sailed in FJ sailboats owned by the Monmouth and Rutgers Universities sailing teams, both of which are based at SSYC.

Monmouth University President Paul Gaffney was the special guest at the competitors' meeting. President Gaffney shared his vision for growing the Hawks team into a major college sailing program and becoming a host for major collegiate and high school regattas at SSYC.

The regatta was run by Stuart Van Winkle, Gail Van Winkle, Cathy O'Brien, Phil Arnheiter, John Gearon, Skip Swikart, Mike Neubelt and Jeff Jacobi. Several schools were allowed to send multiple teams due to last-minute cancellations by other schools whose sailors were out due to illness or injury.

Results:

1) RBR Varsity 32 points
2) CBA (1) 33 points
3) RFH 48 points
4) CBA (2) 54 points
5) Monsignor Donovan 58 points
6) Holy Ghost Prep 68 points
7) RBR Frosh 81 points
8) MonDon (2) 90 points
9) Southern 98 points
10) Summit 109 points
11) MonDon (3) 125 points

Do you have any photos of or comments about R-FH sailors? Be sure to share them with us in the comments section below or by uploading photos or sending them to Rumson-Fair Haven Patch at elaine.develde@patch.com