The College Sailing season effectively flips script, switching from a predominantly team race centered season, lasting about 7 weeks, to a short sprint to conference fleet race championships as the national championship picture becomes clear. However, last weekend offered something unique and perhaps pointed to what college sailing will look like in the future.
Week 10 in SAISA means championship week - at least for Team Racing and Co-Ed Fleet Racing (Women's Fleet Racing Champs is on Week 12) - and some teams were also carrying the SAISA banner competing out of conference. As team racing kicked off from Wrightsville Beach on Saturday morning, it was clear that Jacksonville University was in the mix for an invite to Nationals. As the regatta progressed, the Fins were able to hold strong and qualify for one of the two team racing berths for SAISA at ICSA Team Racing National Championships in Newport, Rhode Island later this spring. This is the first time in program history that Jacksonville University has earned a team race berth. Congratulations to JU and this week's co-ed Sailors of the Week, the JU Team Race Squad of Alfonso Garcia Bringas, Andre Guaragna, Ana Carrasco, Caroline Bourgeois, Daniel O’Farrill, and Stephan Verhulst.
Last week, 12 of the 16 team race teams featured at the Laser Performance Team Race National Championship were confirmed as conference championships were sailed in New England, the Mid Atlantic, South Atlantic and the Pacific Coast. Meanwhile, the nation’s top women who aren’t sailing on the team race circuit get into gear with Conference Championships looming and the informal fleet race section of the national schedule turns on.
Haig, McGoldrick and Caso are NEISA Women’s Sailors of the Week
Kaplan, Filter, Stafford, Lindgren, Bergsund, Gonzalez, and Adams are NEISA Coed Sailors of the Week
SEISA Racing Schedule
