Yale, BC, U.S. Coast Guard Claim ICSA Women's National Podium

Yale, BC and Coast Guard claim ICSA Women’s National Podium, wrapping up the first event of College Sailing Nationals

The ICSA College Sailing Nationals kicked off on this week in Charleston, SC with the Women’s semi-finals, where 32 universities competed for the top nine positions in the Eastern and Western conferences. Nine races in each division rounded out a rainy series on the Cooper River. Winning the Eastern semi-finals was the University of Rhode Island, and claiming the Western semis was Yale University.

The 18 teams in the finals sailed a total 18 races in a variety of conditions, spanning from yesterday’s 15 knot Southwest pressing into a three-knot current, to today’s contrast of minimal wind yet still plenty of current. Yale has proven to be the most consistent on the water, with the Boston College Eagles a near match. Yale’s secret weapon was the pair of freshman skipper Louisa Nordstrom and crew Claire Huebner ’18, who held a strong hold on B-division for most of the week. The first day of finals (Thursday, May 25th) closed with Yale 13 points ahead of Boston College, who were 29 points ahead of the US Coast Guard Academy in third place.

Four races were sailed in Friday morning’s light breeze and, perhaps too many sailors’ relief, the wind picked up a bit for tricky, oscillating conditions in the afternoon. With Yale and Boston College holding strong in first and second place, the battle for third was on. The University of Rhode Island, Stanford University and U.S. Coast Guard Academy all put up a good fight. It ultimately came down to the last race in B Division, with U.S. Coast Guard able to pull ahead of URI by just two points, rounding out the podium for the 2017 Sperry College Sailing Women’s Nationals.

North Sails is a proud sponsor of College Sailing. Still to come in the week ahead are the team racing nationals (May 27-29) and the coed fleet racing nationals (May 30-June 2). Follow live results and tune into live stream coverage of the finals here. Congratulations to the Women’s fleet for a competitive week of racing, and hats off to the finalists for fighting to the very end!

Sailing for Yale is Casey Klingler ’18 with Natalya Doris ’17 and Christine Klingler ’20 in A-division, and Louisa Nordstrom ’20 with Claire Huebner ’18 in B-division.

Sailing for Boston College is Erika Reineke ’17 with Fiona Walsh ’17 in A-division, and Allyson Donahue ’17 with Tara Ferraris ’19 and Madeleine Loosbrock ’17 in B-division.

Sailing for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy is Nikole Barnes ’17 with Anna Maria Vaccaro ’19 and Anna Morin ’19 in A-division, and Dana Rohde ’18, Madelynn Widmeier ’19, and Maddie Ekin ’20 in B-division.