In a weekend where both the coed and women’s sailing teams entered as the No. 1 ranked squads in the country, Yale came away with a significant victory as the coed team claimed the coveted Danmark Trophy, and, representing the women’s team at the NEISA Women’s Singlehanded competition, Urska Kosir ’15 nabbed a third-place finish to earn a spot at the Singlehanded Nationals.

Overall, Yale competed in five regattas over the weekend with the coed team racing in four while the women’s team featured in one. Of the four, Yale focused on the Danmark Trophy, hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on the tricky Thames River, as the premiere event of the weekend.

“The Danmark Trophy was definitely the big regatta of the weekend heading in,” skipper Graham Landy ’15 said. “Winning there was pretty big. The Thames River is one of the more challenging venues in college sailing, so to show a consistency through both positions was something to be proud of.”

Landy sailed the A division alongside crew Katherine Gaumond ’15, where the duo dominated despite the strong current and gusts of wind that resulted in multiple delays over the weekend. Skipper Ian Barrows ’17, with crews Charlotte Belling ’16 and Meredith Megarry ’17, ended the event fourth in B division, finishing outside the top ten just once in 10 individual races.

The A division win paired with the B division consistency aided Yale to only its second victory in the Danmark Trophy in recent history.

“Right now, we are focused on using each regatta as a learning experience both individually and as a team,” Belling said. “The goal is to come out of each fall regatta with an understanding of what worked and what we can improve on, and this is what will keep us at the top of our game. Successful results are definitely motivating, but it’s just as important to look at the big picture and just use each regatta to learn and improve.”

The coed team also brought home a fifth place finish at the Jesuit Open at Fordham University, where skippers Mitchell Kiss ’17 and Clara Robertson ’17 made their regatta debuts for Yale. A sixth-place finish in A division, led by Kiss, and a seventh-place showing in B division, led by Robertson, carried the Bulldogs to fifth overall.

Bulldog underclassmen were also prominent at the Gardnier Invitational, hosted by the University of Rhode Island, while a more veteran group competed at the Women’s Olympian’s Regatta at Salve Regina. Yale placed seventh in the eight-team field at the Gardnier, as multiple Bulldogs were able to put some collegiate sailing experience under their belts.

At the Women’s Olympian’s Regatta, Morgan Kiss ’15, along with Max Nickbarg ’14 and Mary Isler ’16, put together a strong second-place finish. To make the performance even more impressive, it was the trio’s first time sailing Ynglings, which are 21-foot long keelboats crewed by three sailors. The experience should prove crucial as this year’s New England Match Race Championship will also be raced in Ynglings.

As for the newly No. 1 ranked women’s sailing team, Kosir triumphed after two prior seasons of falling just short of reaching the ICSA Women’s Singlehanded National Championships. Finishing seventh two years ago and sixth last year, Kosir needed to finish in the top five to claim a spot at Nationals. She did just that with a third-place finish, coming in right behind conference champion Erika Reineke of Boston College and Sky Adams of Brown.

“I am very pleased that I qualified, I felt ready, and I had fun and sailed a good regatta,” Kosir said in an email. “There is room for improvement and I will keep working hard until the nationals, which will be happening in Newport.”

Both sailing teams will resume action next weekend, highlighted by the NEISA Match Race Championships hosted by Salve Regina. The coed team is seeking to defend its title in the event and advance to Nationals. The women’s team will compete in the Women’s Navy Fall Intersectional, which is set to take place at the U.S. Naval Academy. The Bulldogs are looking to improve upon their second place finish in the Navy regatta last season.

JAMES BADAS