College Nationals comes to Newport

After the 2018-19 season for the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) held the Match Racing Nationals and Singlehanded Nationals during the fall season, the competition calendar comes to a close as top schools from across the USA compete in the final three national titles on May 21 to 31 in Newport, RI.

2019 Spring Nationals
May 21-24 – Women’s Dinghy
May 25-27 – Team Race
May 28-31 – Coed Dinghy

The three events will be sailed out of Sail Newport and hosted by Brown University with the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA) also supported by the University of Rhode Island, Harvard University and Dartmouth University.

All teams have qualified from one of seven ICSA conferences with racing to be sailed on Newport and Narragansett Bay in LaserPerformance Club Flying Juniors (FJs) and Z420s.

The Sperry Women’s Nationals begins with the first two days of racing to be the Semifinals, which is divided into two 18-team regattas. The top nine teams from each group will then advance to the Finals Round – an 18-boat regatta, which will take place on the last two days of the championship.

“This year, all of the events will be out of Sail Newport, which is great to have the regattas in one location, but it’s a lot of work to host them all,” says John Mollicone, director of sailing for host school Brown University. In past years the championships have been spread to other venues and schools within the conference.

“NEISA has really stepped up to help us out with the events,” says Mollicone. “The last time that Brown hosted the spring championships was in 2015 and 2008 with Salve Regina University and the New York Yacht Club.”

The LaserPerformance Team Race Nationals begins with a single round robin with all 16 teams competing against each other. The top eight from this round will advance to a single “championship” round robin followed by a “final four” round robin. The top three teams and national champions will be determined from the final four.

Lastly, the Gill Coed Nationals begins with the first two days of racing to be the Semifinals, which is divided into two 18-team regattas. The top nine teams from each group will then advance to the Finals Round – an 18-boat regatta, which will take place on the last two days of the championship.

Live online coverage will be provided which typically covers the final day of the women’s, the final round of eight and final four of team racing, and the last day of coed semifinals along with both days of the finals. Specific details about the broadcast TBA.

Source: Jennifer Mitchell |Toile à Voile