After an impressive undefeated performance on the final day of competition, the Boston College Eagles (BC) earned The 2024 College Sailing Match Race National Championship! Competition for The Cornelius Shields Sr. Trophy was fierce this year as ten collegiate teams battled in dynamic conditions over the course of a three day competition hosted by Oyster Bay, New York’s Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club. 

“Having to do a five-way tiebreaker just to get into the quarter finals was challenging,” said regatta organizer Robyn Philip-Norton. “But it meant the competition was great and at a really high level.” 

A Historic National Title for the Webb Institute and Sophia Montgomery Secures a Second Singlehanded National Championship

Event Website | Open Results | Women's Results | Photos

According to PRO Todd Fedyszyn, the racing was incredibly close, but Daniel Escudero ‘25 of the Webb Institute and Sophia Montgomery '25 of Harvard University came out ahead to secure the 2024 College Sailing Open and Women’s Singlehanded National Championship titles. 

“It was awesome to see the 18 boats finishing within a minute of each other in nearly every race,” said Fedyszyn, Race Director at St. Petersburg Yacht Club. “There were a lot of race winners in the field this weekend. A testament to the level of competition here.”

The selections have been made for the College Sailing Fall National Championships. The Open and Women’s Singlehanded National Championships will be hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club on November 9-10, 2024. The College Sailing Open Match Race National Championship will be hosted by Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club on November 15-17, 2024.

The National Championship Selection Committees are charged with selecting the most competitive field of At-Large Candidates for the National Championships. To be eligible, candidates must have competed in a corresponding Conference Championship in any ICSA conference. Selectors must honor the finishing order at any respective conference championship; to select the fourth-place sailor in a conference, they must also select the second and third place candidates. 

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 have several names that College Sailing fans might recognize. While competing in college, these athletes were All-Americans, athletes of the year recipients, and leaders on their teams. Now, they are flagbearers and making history! Connections to College Sailing go beyond just the athletes. Coaches, support staff, and other key team members participated in College Sailing. Additionally, siblings of college sailors are representing their countries.