Yale Athletics

Yale’s Sailing teams had a remarkable weekend of competition, securing two victories and a critical qualification for the Open Atlantic Coast Championship Final.

At the U.S. Naval Academy, Yale’s co-ed team competed in the Open Atlantic Coast Championship Round 1A. Skippers Jack Egan ’25 and Stephan Baker ’26, with Elle Sykes ’27 and Ashley Highland ’27 as crew, faced challenging conditions on the water. 

Even with the weekend’s unusual wind, the team finished in eighth place after 18 races. This strong performance qualified them for the Championship Final, which will take place on Oct. 19 and 20 at Boston College.

“The wind came from a direction that was uncommon for the Severn River. It provided for lots of movement within the fleet due to the frequent and unexpected shifts. As a result, consistency was key,” Sykes said. “In addition, the chop provided by the many pleasure crafts made the venue even more difficult. Our team got progressively better as the weekend went on and practice at this location will be immeasurably helpful for us at nationals.”

Meanwhile, the women’s team was dominant at the Stu Nelson Regatta hosted by Connecticut College — by an impressive 78-point margin. 

The A division team, led by Emma Cowles ’25 and crews Ximena Escobar ’25 and Jessi Avila-Shah ’25, finished in second by a thin two-point margin. Skipper Carmen Cowles ’25 and Carmen Berg ’26 and Escobar as crew continued Yale’s momentum in B division with another decisive victory, finishing 26 points ahead. Freshman skipper Audrey Foley ’28 and crew Julia Miller ’26 shined in the C division, coming in first by a margin of 48 points. 

“Sailing at Conn this weekend was definitely tricky with the breeze being so unstable,” Cowles told the News. “Our goals as a team were to start clean and clear to be able to execute our plans. I’m really happy with how we worked as a team to continue to be successful on such a variable day.” 

The Yale team clinched another consistently assertive victory at the Sister Esther Trophy at Salve Regina University. Skipper Alex Adams ’26 and crew Ariana Borut ’27 took gold in the B division, while skipper Mathias Reimer ’27 and crew Annabel Woodworth ’28 secured second place in A division – together, Yale sailors navigated to first place overall.

Last year, Yale came in second for this trophy, just 13 points behind the University of Rhode Island. This year, their overall victory came with a wide 36 point-margin before second place.

“My skipper Alex and I focused on communication throughout the regatta,” Borut said. “The current was a big factor on the first day and something we used to our advantage.”

Next weekend, the Yale teams are cutting course for more upcoming regattas. They’ll compete in the Captain Hurst at Dartmouth, the Nevins at the Merchant Marine Academy and the Dave Perry Trophy on home waters at Yale — but the focus remains on preparing for the Open Atlantic Coast Championship Finals on Oct. 19 and 20.

Last year, Yale Sailing came in sixth out of 18 teams in the Open Atlantic Coast Championship Final.

ELEANOR LOCKHART