After two days of intense racing on the Charles River, Yale University emerged victorious in the Western division and Stanford University claimed the Eastern division at the 2024 Women’s National Semi-Finals, hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
The final day of the Semi-Finals presented challenging conditions, with a long postponement while waiting for the breeze to establish from the southwest. On the previous day, the sailors contended with a 4-9 knot easterly wind.
Reflecting on Yale's performance, Associate Head Coach Bill Healy expressed his excitement for the win and praised the team's resilience and skill: “It was great to get two totally different days on the Charles and take those lessons on to the finals. The first day was about as steady as the Charles can get, while today was quite shifty.”
In the Eastern Semi-Finals, Stanford University was firmly in the lead after the first day with only 69 points, followed by Cornell University with 132 points. Brown University and the US Naval Academy were tied for fourth with 172 points each. Over in the Western Semi-Finals, Yale University mirrored Stanford’s dominance, holding a strong lead with 98 points. Boston College was in second place with 120 points, and Dartmouth trailed with 130 points. Day one ended with twelve races in each division, with three protests heard—one disallowed and two resulting in disqualifications. By the end of the Semi-Finals and five more races, Stanford led their division with 116 points, and Yale secured first place with 132 points. The top nine teams from each division advance to the finals starting tomorrow.
Stanford's Gwendolyn Donahue, class of 2024, reflected on the racing experience: “We learned so much these past two days and are grateful to the race committee and umpires for putting on a great regatta in some challenging conditions. It was wonderful to see our team coming together, and we look forward to continuing to work hard in the finals.”
Eastern Teams Advancing to Finals:
- Stanford University
- Cornell University
- University of Pennsylvania
- US Naval Academy
- Brown University
- North Carolina State University
- College of Charleston
- George Washing University
- Roger Williams University
Western Teams Advancing to Finals:
- Yale University
- Boston College
- Harvard University
- Dartmouth College
- Bowdoin College
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Northeastern University
- Georgetown University
- Tulane University
Tune in to the live-streamed events, College Sailing Instagram, and College Sailing Facebook page! Streaming starts on ESPN+ on May 23.
Samberg Center Viewing: From 12-4pm on May 21 and May 24, MIT and Harvard Sailing have created a very special viewing opportunity for our spectators at the Samberg Conference Center, 7th floor of the Sloan Business School overlooking the Charles River Basin. This event is being sponsored by MIT and Harvard Sailing at significant cost. The heavily subsidized ticket price of $25/person for 4 hours is the lowest we can offer. Get tickets here!