Eckerd College overhauls nine-point deficit to secure runner-up silverware in 17-team fleet
Bermudian sailors PJ Rodrigues and Jordan Vieira played pivotal roles as Eckerd College staged a dramatic final-day surge to finish second overall at the Atlantic Coast Tournament.
Competing in a 17-team collegiate fleet, the Tritons overhauled a nine-point deficit on Sunday afternoon, climbing two spots on the leaderboard to secure the runner-up silverware with 98 points.
Light breezes and a tricky up-course current tested the fleet on day one. Rodrigues partnered Peyton Seidle in the A Division aboard 420s, while Vieira teamed up with Avery Guck in the B Division sailing FJs. A race win by Vieira and Guck in the day’s final rotation kept Eckerd in the hunt, sitting fourth overnight on 73 points.
The crews swapped boats for Sunday’s racing amid a cold westerly breeze and wind postponements. Trailing third place heading into the closing stages, both Eckerd pairings delivered back-to-back top-five finishes to propel the team onto the podium.
Rodrigues and Seidle took second in the A Division on 54 points, while Vieira and Guck claimed third in the B Division on 44, each combination finishing inside the top half of the fleet in nine of their 10 races.
