The 2019 season has come to a close in SAISA and our sailors finished up the fall semester with a bang. Of the three national championships decided in the fall, SAISA sailors took one title and two podium finishes. For the final Sailors of the Week for 2019 we recognizing the Kennedy Cup winners and ICSA Keelboat National Champions from College of Charleston, as well as two star laser sailors from Jacksonville University and the University of Miami for their outstanding performances at ICSA Singlehanded Nationals.
For the Cougars, skipper Jordan Wiggins and teammates Willy Comerford, Sam Tobio, Chance Slack, Emily Essi, Graham Post, Burke Anvari, and Emily Potter proved their dominance in keelboat competition at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD on Navy 44 sloops during the first weekend of November. Conditions were light and spotty as racing began, but Charleston stayed sharp and kicked off the regatta by winning the pin end of the first start and making a beeline to the favored left side. The second race kept spectators on the edge as Charleston rounded the windward mark last out of nine boats. Late race heroics enabled the Cougars’ comeback as the College of Charleston recovered, making their way to a second place finish to cap off the day. On Sunday conditions improved and the Cougars kept control of the fleet delivering a solid scoreline, distancing themselves from their nearest competitior by 7 points, and earned the 2019 ICSA College Sailing Keelboat National Championship.
In Santa Barbara, California, sailors Charlotte Rose of Jacksonville University and Marshall McCann of the University of Miami found the groove against a stacked field of competitors from across college sailing. Arriving to glassy conditions, patience paid off and breeze filled in, averaging at 10-12 kts with a peak of 15 for the day. The Canes’ Marshall excelled as the wind grew stronger, trading the lead with the Coast Guard Academy throughout the event, finishing day one tied for first.
In the women’s division, Jacksonville’s Charlotte Rose made it clear from the start she was there to win when she took bullets in races two and three, and ended the day tied for first with third place just one point behind after nine races. Sunday conditions were less than optimal as light air and shifty conditions made for a drastically different experience. It was anyone’s game, and an exciting one at that. In the end, Jacksonville University’s Charlotte Rose claimed third place and University of Miami’s Marshall McCann took home second. Congratulations to Charlotte and Marshall for incredibly impressive sailing across a variety of conditions and for representing SAISA on the national stage.
# # #