The South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association recognizes co-ed sailor Alfonso Garcia Bringas of Jacksonville University for an outstanding performance at the helm during this past weekend’s SAISA Match Racing Conference Championship Regatta. Together with Jacksonville teammates Andre Guaragna, Telmo Basterra, and Ana Carrasco, Bringas completed the first and second round with wins over fellow SAISA South division rivals Florida State, U. Miami, Univ. of South Florida, and Eckerd College, as well as SAISA North’s Vanderbilt. Sailed in J/70s and hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the St Petersburg Sailing Center and University of South Florida, this year’s event was especially competitive in challenging, light conditions. Finishing with a 7/2 record, Bringas led the Fins to qualify for ICSA Match Race National Championships for the first time in program history. They will be joined by the College of Charleston, representing SAISA on November 1-3, 2018 hosted by Corinthian Yacht Club of Marblehead, Massachusetts.
In women’s college sailing, SAISA recognizes the pair of skipper Alie Toppa and crew Annabel Carrington of the College of Charleston. Competing in the first women’s showcase of the fall season, the Jen Harris Women’s Showcase Regattahosted by the United States Naval Academy, Toppa and Carrington were near the front of the fleet in what would be the best wind of the weekend early on Saturday, and as the breeze died down on the Severn River, they solidified their lead in a very talented and competitive A-fleet division. Over the course of the two-day regatta, Toppa and Carrington earned 4 race win bullets and no race finished higher than 6th for the event, winning their division by a comfortable 12 point lead. The Cougars finished the regatta in 5th overall.
Each week of the season, we’ll recognize outstanding performances by sailors across SAISA, as well as by SAISA sailors in competition out of conference. The selection process includes a nomination period each week ending on Sunday. A committee of SAISA coaches from both divisions selects sailors from the nominations received and will announce the SAISA Sailors of the Week early each week following the close of the nomination period. If you’d like to submit a nomination, email the sailor’s name, school, position, and what events or circumstances they demonstrated outstanding performance to SAISAsotw@gmail.com. Nominations close on Sunday at midnight EST and selections will be based on performances for the preceding week and that weekend. Selection categories may include co-ed skipper, co-ed crew, women’s skipper, women’s crew. Pairings or individual sailors may be nominated or selected.