Harvard wins Open Dinghy Nationals

The 2023-24 College season came to a close with the top 18 schools competing in the 2024 Open Fleet Race National Championship. After the Finals on May 26-27, Harvard University emerged victorious, mastering the notoriously unpredictable winds on the iconic Charles River in Boston, MA.

The first day of the regatta faced challenges with light air conditions causing a delayed start. The morning’s inconsistent breeze even forced the abandonment of Race 1A. However, the wind picked up to 5-10 knots East Northeast, allowing ten races to be conducted. By the end of day one, Yale led with 106 points, followed by Harvard with 118 points and Dartmouth College with 134 points.

“The Charles threw a lot of curveballs at us, and we held strong with the home team the whole time,” said Bill Healy, Yale’s Associate Head Coach. “We’re really proud of that.”

Cloudy skies and light winds marked the start of the second day, but as the day progressed, conditions improved to 6-10 knots East Northeast. Race 17B had to be abandoned due to a lull, but the race committee quickly adapted to the incoming southerly breeze, resetting the course to squeeze in two more races in B division and one in A division.

In a stunning turn of events, Harvard won race 17B, propelling them ahead of Yale. The Crimson sailors secured their victory with a tenth place in 18A and a seventh place in 18B, finishing with an eight-point lead over the Bulldogs. Dartmouth maintained their third-place position with 247 points. This is Harvard’s sixth open national title.

Colman Schofield ’25 and Lauren O’Neill ’24 won A Division for US Coast Guard Academy while Harvard’s Justin Callahan (Class of ’26) and Kennedy Leehealey (Class of ’26) won B division overall.

“It feels absolutely amazing – it is something special to have the points that close and then have classic Charles conditions for those last two races,” noted the Crimson duo. “We had to win it on the Charles, but we seriously could not have done it without our shore crew, coaches, and team. We feel like it couldn’t be more perfect.

“We were scared we were not going to be able to get the last couple of races in and then it stabilized, which is just classic Charles conditions. We said before the last two races this is what we came for; this is what everyone came for. To have the last two races we did was incredible. We just put our heads down because you never know what will happen on the Charles. It could be anyone’s game. All we can do is sail our own race and do our best.”

Final Results:
1. Harvard University
2. Yale University
3. Dartmouth College
4. Brown University
5. U.S. Coast Guard Academy
6. Boston College
7. Stanford University
8. U.S. Naval Academy
9. Bowdoin College
10. College of Charleston
11. Roger Williams University
12. Tufts University
13. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
14. University of Rhode Island
15. Georgetown University
16. St. Mary’s College of Maryland
17. Tulane University
18. Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Open Fleet Race National Championship – May 24-27
• Open Semi-Finals at MIT and Harvard: May 24-25
• Open Finals at Harvard: May 26-27

Event details – Results – Facebook

2023-24 Season

Fall National Championships:
November 3-5: Match Race Nationals – Charleston, SC
November 11-12: Women’s and Open Singlehanded Nationals – New Orleans, LA

Spring National Championships:
April 25-27: Open Team Race Nationals – Boston, MA
April 28-29: Women’s Team Race Nationals – Boston, MA
May 20-23: Women’s Dinghy Nationals – Boston, MA
May 24-27: Open Dinghy Nationals – Boston, MA