Connecticut College Graduate Bob Willis Finishes 22nd In Olympic Windsailing

A 2009 graduate of has finished his first Olympic windsailing regatta in 22nd place.

Bob Willis, 25, completed the final preliminary RS:X race in London on Sunday. The finish places him outside of contention for the medal race, scheduled for Tuesday.

According to his website, Willis has sailed since he was eight years old with the Columbia Yacht Club in his hometown of Chicago. He took his fall semester of college off to go for a spot on the United States sailing team in the 2008 Olympics, placing third in the Olympic Trials held in California. According to SB Nation Chicago, Willis ultimately did not travel to Beijing for those games.

Willis completed his studies at Connecticut College in December of 2009, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics.

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Sailing events at the Olympics involve 10 preliminary races in which athletes are given points corresponding to their place. At the end of these races, the best and worst scores are discarded and the 10 best athletes advance to the medal race. Their scores are doubled, and the points from the medal race are added for a grand total. The athletes with the lowest scores are awarded medals.

Willis had 218 points total and a net score of 179 points after the best and worst scores were discarded. He finished 22nd out of 38 competitors. His best placement came in the first race on July 31, when he finished seventh with a time of 31:40.

Another Connecticut College graduate, Amanda Clark, is also competing in the Olympics. Clark, a member of the Class of 2005, is competing in the women’s 470 sailing race with partner Sarah Lihan. Clark, 30, of Shelter Island, N.Y., competed in the same event in the 2008 Olympics, finishing 12th overall.

The women’s 470 has completed six of the 10 preliminary races, with Clark and Lihan currently in eighth place. The final preliminary will take place on Wednesday.

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