Hoyas’ Buckingham wins Carl Van Duyne Trophy

At this time of the year, Charlie Buckingham is not riding waves, as he used to for Newport Harbor High, he’s sailing the seas for Georgetown University, and he’s excelling, too.

Buckingham, a freshman with the Hoyas’ sailing team, continued his impressive first month, winning the Carl Van Duyne Trophy Tuesday and advancing to the Intercollegiate Sailing Assn. Single-handed National Championship Nov. 3-4 at Seattle Yacht Club.

Buckingham became the first Hoya to win the Carl Van Duyne Trophy, which is awarded to the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Assn. champion, since Andrew Campbell won his last of three straight titles in 2005.

Buckingham, who was a four-year varsity captain of the sailing and surf teams at Newport Harbor, won the trophy with 79 points over the weekend’s 14 races, topping Hobart’s Jay Mills by 14 points.

After a tough first race, Buckingham improved his standing by winning three of the next nine races and placing among the top four in seven of the final 13 starts.

Georgetown junior Carly Chamberlain, also a Newport Harbor product, finished ninth in the A division to help the Hoyas take eighth in the Danmark Trophy competition.

— From staff reports