STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford's sailing team kicks off the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) National Championships Wednesday with the Sperry Women's Championships at the J. Stewart Walker Sailing Center in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
"Our goal is always to make the last set count -- we want to go into the last set of races with a chance to sail our way to the podium in all three championships," said head coach John Vandemoeor. "We have come a long way as a team, and unity was something we wanted to improve on from last year. Being a strong team that can withstand the ups and downs of nationals is so important to our success, and we are looking forward to putting what we have built as a group to the test."
Following the conclusion of the women's championship on May 26, the LaserPerformance Team Race Championships begin on Saturday, wrapping up on May 29. The season concludes with the Gill Coed Championships May 30 – June 2. The championships, hosted by College of Charleston, mark the end of the collegiate sailing season, which began for Stanford on September 28.
"Although it's sad to be heading to my final nationals, I am ready to go out with a bang and really give it my all to make this our most successful trip yet," said senior Maeve White, who captained Stanford for the 2016-17 season. "I think we have an extremely strong team this year, and there's no doubt in my mind we can achieve our goals."
The events will take place in the Charleston Harbor and the Copper River, settings which are quite familiar to Stanford but remain an immense challenge.
"Charleston is always a difficult place to sail, but we have some great sailors on our squad and we have spent a lot of time training in similar conditions," said junior captain Luke Muller. "The team that continues to learn throughout the event will be champions and I am confident that we can do that. At the end of the day, we'll be sailing for each other and that can be extremely powerful."
"We have been practicing for weeks in the biggest current we can find in San Francisco Bay, and have picked regattas with the most current to be prepared for nationals," added Vandemoer. "We feel ready for Charleston, and are excited for the challenge."
Sperry Women's Championships
In 2016, Stanford started the ICSA Nationals with a top-10 finish in the women's championship, finishing ninth. Stanford was led by All-America skipper Martina Sly, who guided the Cardinal's B-fleet boat to third place with senior crew Yuki Yoshiyasu.
"Since I have experienced nationals before, I know how high the level of competition is and how hard we have to work every day to stay competitive at the top," said Sly, one of four returning All-Americans from last season. "It's not always about winning races -- staying consistent with single-digit finishes in such a competitive fleet will be the key to success. The course in Charleston is a tricky one, but we have a good shot at being at the top and I am excited to compete against the best."
Stanford continued its supremacy in women's Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference racing with its 13th consecutive PCCSC Women's Championship (April 15-16). Sly and freshman crew Madeline Bubb finished third in the B-division, while senior skipper Maeve White and sophomore crew Meg Gerli dominated the A-division with 39 points for the win.
"I have been so impressed by the dedication and hard work from everyone on this year's women's team," said White, who has served as team captain for this season. "The women's team has had a great season, and we are really excited to ride this momentum into nationals, knowing that we have put in the work to succeed."
Gill Coed Championships
Stanford copped a sixth-place finish at last season's Gill Coed Championships, the fourth top-10 coed finish in the past five years. Among Stanford's returners from the 2016 edition are Will La Dow, Kathryn Booker, Kennedy Placek and J.P. Cannistraro. La Dow skippered Stanford for all 18 races in the coed finals, finishing fifth in the B-division alongside Booker and Placek. La Dow, Booker and Cannistraro are among Stanford's returning All-Americans, and experience will play a big role in the upcoming regatta.
"The national championships are like nothing else we do all year, so to have a strong unit returning with experience and success at the highest level is huge," said Vandemoer. "We see it in practice every day when the players who have done that can teach the younger players what will work and what won't, what matters and what doesn't. It gives our team confidence, which is so important going into a big event."
"I think the sailors feel more responsible for the team's overall success than I have seen in previous years," added Muller. "Our team has taken pride in the process and learning together, and we'll continue to do that through nationals."
LaserPerformance Team Race Championships
Stanford aims for its 10th consecutive top-10 finish at the LaserPerformance Team Race Championships, the final event of ICSA Nationals. Last season, Stanford finished sixth with a 13-9 record, led by returners La Dow, Cannistraro and Booker.
Senior Reinier Eenkema van Dijk, freshman Taylor Kirkpatrick and freshman Jacob Rosenberg rounded off the team of six at the PCCSC Team Race Championship two weeks ago. Stanford narrowly won the event with a 7-1 record, beating out Hawaii for its 10th consecutive PCCSC Team Race Championship.
Following the three championships, the Leonard M. Fowle Trophy will be awarded to the best overall collegiate team during the 2016-17 season. The trophy takes into account all six ICSA National Championships – men's singlehanded, women's singlehanded, match racing, women's dinghy, team racing and coed dinghy. Last season, Stanford finished third in the Fowle Trophy after finishing fifth in 2015.
All information for the ICSA National Championships can be found at the championship central page, while live results and streaming of finals rounds will be available at GoStanford.com.
