CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard is set to break from the team race format for three fleet race regattas this weekend (April 16-17) across the New England region. 
 
The Crimson will compete at the New England Women's Dinghy Championship, hosted by Bowdoin, the Thompson Trophy at Coast Guard and the Central Four Fleet Race at Tufts. The latter of the three races will be a one-day event taking place on Sunday. 

Forecast: 

New England Women's Dinghy Championship – Brunswick, Maine 
Up north in Brunswick, Saturday's forecast calls for considerable cloudiness and temperatures in the low to mid 50s. Showers are possible in the afternoon. Winds will be from the southwest at eight to 11 knots. Shifting to Sunday, partly sunny skies are expected with a high of just 50 degrees. A seven to 10 knot wind out of the northwest will greet sailors for the Championship's final day. 
 
Thompson Trophy – New London, Conn.    
On the southeast shores of Connecticut, Saturday will bring significant cloud cover with the potential for some sun peeking through later in the afternoon.  Temperatures are anticipated to reach nearly 60 degrees while a southwest wind is expected to top out at 13 knots. Sunshine is in store for Sunday with temperatures climbing just across the 50-degree threshold. Northwest winds will begin the day around 10 knots before growing to as high as 14 knots. 
 
Central Four Fleet Race – Medford, Mass. 
Weather reports for Sunday at Tufts indicate mostly sunny skies with a high of 52 degrees. Sailors will be tested by a northwest wind at 11-15 knots. 

What to know: 

• In last weekend's action, Harvard sailed to a second-place finish at the Fowle Trophy (NEISA Coed Team Race Championship), while also taking fifth at the Camel Women's Team Race. 
• The top two finishers at the New England Women's Dinghy Championship will earn automatic bids to the ICSA Women's Fleet Racing Championship, May 23-26 in New Orleans. Teams competing this weekend include Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, Coast Guard, Boston College, Bowdoin, Tufts, Roger Williams, Vermont, BU, Northeastern, Connecticut College and Salve Regina. 
• The field for the cross regional, Thompson Trophy is comprised of MIT, Dartmouth, Boston College, Tufts, Rhode Island, Yale, Brown, Coast Guard, Connecticut College, Roger Williams, Harvard, Fordham, Wisconsin, South Florida and Miami. 
• Teams competing at the Central Four Fleet Race: Brown, Harvard, Tufts, BU, MIT, Rhode Island, Northeastern, Salve Regina, Massachusetts Maritime, Middlebury, Wentworth, Olin, Williams, Wesleyan, and WPI. 

At the helm: 

Michael O'Connor is in his 25th season leading the Harvard sailing program. He was named the NEISA Coach of the Year for the 2019-20 shortened season and has presided over the program for a total of four national championships, including team race national championships in 2002 and 2003, a national coed championship in 2003 and a women's national title in 2005. 

Next up: 

The Crimson looks forward to the Women's Team Racing National Championship next weekend (April 23-24,) along with the Boston Dinghy Cup Fleet Race and Morris Trophy Fleet Race.