The breeze on the Severn wasn't the only thing ready to go at 10AM on Saturday as College of Charleston's Ali Toppa and Hannah Kinder started the Jen Harris Women's Showcase Finals with a bullet and a second putting the Cougars in the early lead. At the top fall showcase finals for women's sailing, the fleet was extremely deep and talented with some of the best women sailors in college competing. Charleston's Toppa and Kinder took the regatta lead into the first rotation and kept pace with the talented field finishing the event with their Cougar teammates just four points south of the podium in fifth. With the outstanding performance in Annapolis, Toppa and Kinder earn women's Sailors of the Week for Week 6.
In their first appearance at the Storm Trysail Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta hosted at Larchmont, New York, the Jacksonville University Fins took home first place in the very competitive J/109 division of this annual keelboat regatta and fall tradition. With Telmo Basterra on the helm, and teammates Sam Baker, Grace Benzal, Logan Brickhouse, Ian Hunter, Jarret Monroe and Stephen Streater aboard the J/109 Guardian J, the JU squad started the event with a 1st place finish. Fighting with URI Rams and USCGA Bears for the remainder of the event, the Fins dialed in a bullet to finish the regatta and secure the J/109 division win, and this week's SAISA co-ed Sailors of the Week.
About the SAISA Sailors of the Week
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.
For more information, visit the SAISA website at www.saisasailing.com/sotw