By Delaney Conlogue (ICSA Communications Committee) 

After two packed days of competition on Lake Pontchartrain hosted by Tulane University at the Southern Yacht Club, the Stanford University Cardinal delivered yet another commanding performance going 21-1 to secure their third consecutive College Sailing Women’s Team Race National Championship. 

The Yale University Bulldogs finished second with an 18-4 record and the Brown University Bears went 13-9 to take third.

“The team sailed really well,” said Stanford Head Coach Chris Klevan. “The competition was extremely prepared and polished, the conditions made every race a challenge until the finish. Despite this, we maintained our poise and managed the challenge with grace.”

Racing for the women’s team race championship began late-morning Sunday after thunderstorms delayed the opening day of competition and teams fought to gain ground in a lumpy sea state that challenged all fifteen teams before going South. Stanford and Yale went undefeated through the first day ending with an 8-0 record.

Racing resumed an hour earlier than originally scheduled on Monday to make up for the storm delay as the race committee and teams looked to get through the remainder of the round-robin, round of six and round of four before the 5 p.m. (CDT) cutoff. 

“While fifteen teams added some consternation about getting all 126 races in for the women’s event, the team assembled by College Sailing and Tulane meant completing the format was never in doubt,” said PRO Kyle Asaad. “The challenging conditions made for excellent racing, and no team was ever completely out of a race.”

Behind the leaders, racing in the middle of the fleet remained tightly contested throughout, with frequent lead changes and close finishes across the board.

“We had so many close races. Back and forth races. Races that came down to the finish line,” said Roger Williams Head Coach Amanda Callahan. “The racing was amazing. In the middle of the pack, anyone could take a race off of anyone else. What more could you ask for? It’s a testament to how far women’s team racing has come.”

Final Record: 

1. Stanford University (21/1)
2. Yale University (18/4)
3. Brown University (13/9)
4. Harvard University (12/10)
5. Tufts University (10/9)
6. Dartmouth College (9/10)
7. Cornell University (8/6)
8. College of Charleston (8/6)
9. Georgetown University (7/7)
10. Roger Williams University (7/7)
11. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (5/9)
12. Bowdoin College (4/10)
13. Tulane University (2/12)
14. St. Mary’s College of Maryland (1/13)
15. University of Michigan (1/13)