Betsy Alison (right) and her cockpit crew Nancy Haberland demonstrate the aggressive boathandling that won them this year's Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis.

ANNAPOLIS, MD — One of sailing's most-decorated stars put herself back in the spotlight last weekend by winning the annual Santa Maria Cup despite a very competitive field. Five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Betsy Alison and her team from Newport, RI (including Kris McClintock, Carol Newman-Cronin, and Nancy Haberland) rolled over the competition by outscoring the other 11 teams in each of two round robins and then defeating their semi-final and final opponents with aplomb.
Currently ranked as the No. 2 match-racer in the world, Alison and her crew were in what sportswriters call "a zone," losing only five races in 27 encounters. They dispatched the Dutch team led by Klaartje Zuiderbann 2-1 in the semi-finals and swept the finals against Bermudian Paula Lewin 2-0. Hosted by the Eastport Yacht Club and sailed in J/22s, most of the regatta took place in marginal conditions. Using aggressive tactics and applied kinetics, Alison and her crew made the most of the light air to garner their wins. For comprehensive scores and additional information, log on to the event's web site at www.santamariacup.org.