Top 18 set for College Women’s Nationals

The first stage of the 2025 College Women’s Fleet Race National Championship had 36 team compete on May 15-16 in St. Petersburg, FL. Divided into groups, the top nine in each group now advance to the finals on May 17-18 at the University of South Florida.

At the close of day one, which saw wind build to the teens, Stanford University led the Western Semifinal, while Brown University topped the Eastern Semifinal. Day two of the Women’s Fleet Race National Semifinals brought lighter conditions as the groups switched boats, with teams rotating from 420s to FJs. Stanford remained on top while Bowdoin displaced Brown College for the win.

The final races came down to the narrowest of margins, particularly in the Eastern Semifinal, where the ninth and final qualifying spot ended in a tie between the University of Rhode Island and Fordham University, with URI making the cut.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the team for pulling it off,” said URI head coach Joakim Karlsen. “We needed to put up some good races at the end, and they pulled through. Great team effort all around.”

“It took effort and grit from all our ladies, whether it was filling water bottles or trimming sails,” said co-captain Ariana Schwartz ’27. “It’s a surreal feeling to be one of the few club teams competing at this level, and it feels awesome to be here. I appreciate all the work these ladies have done, and I’m looking forward to finals.”

The Western Semifinal was nearly as close, with Tulane securing the ninth and final qualifying spot by three points.

“We’re relieved to have made it through to the finals of this year’s championship,” said Tulane head coach Charles Higgins. “It was a tough battle in our semifinal. Fortunately, going into the final race, we had a buffer, and the ladies did a good job of staying in touch with the competition to ensure we advanced.”

“Entering the spring season, we knew this team had depth and experience,” said Cori Radtke, associate head coach at Bowdoin College. “To see these athletes put together a historic season with the program’s first Women’s Team Race Nationals appearance and first semifinals win leaves us wanting more. They’ve done the preparation to compete at this level, and they trusted each other to get it done. We also had a great shore crew that kept the vibes steady all day. Now that exams are behind us, we’re excited for more great sailing here in the Sunshine State.”

Event details – Eastern semifinal results – Western semifinal results

Finals results: https://scores.collegesailing.org/s26/women-fleet-race-national-championhips

2025-26 Season

2025 Fall National Championships:
November 8-9 – Women’s and Open Singlehanded Nationals – Old Dominion Univ / Norfolk, VA
November 15-16 – Match Race Nationals – St Petersburg Yacht Club / St Petersburg, FL

2026 Spring National Championships:
April 23-25 – Open Team Race Nationals – Tulane Univ / New Orleans, LA
April 26-27 – Women’s Team Race Nationals – Tulane Univ / New Orleans, LA
May 15-18 – Women’s Dinghy Nationals – Univ of South Florida / St. Petersburg, FL
May 19-22 – Open Dinghy Nationals – Univ of South Florida / St. Petersburg, FL

Source: Cori Radtke, ICSA Communications Committee

Photography by Hannes Leonard