MCSA News

Harvard University captured the 2025 College Sailing Match Race National Championship, capping the fall season in another weekend of light-air racing. The Crimson went undefeated to secure the title.

“Winning College Sailing Match Race Nationals was a rewarding conclusion to a successful fall season after winning [Open] ACCs and the NEISA Fall Championship,” said Justin Callahan ’26. “This team means everything to me. Having my twin brother, Mitchell, by my side made the victory all the more meaningful, along with Kate and Harrison, who competed with me in Poland this summer where we earned bronze for the USA at the World Championship.”

Results

A weekend defined by patience and light‑air mastery produced standout performances across the fleet as Cornell’s Gilda Dondona ’28 captured the women’s title and Harvard’s Robby Meek ’27 secured the open championship at the College Sailing Singlehanded National Championships.

Athletes arrived and rigged in 8–13 knots from the west-northwest, but the breeze shifted right and faded, leaving the first race to conclude in very light air. Harvard opened strong with wins from Meek and defending champion Sophia Montgomery ’25. Meek earned an automatic berth this year after winning The Monotype Trophy: NEISA Open Singlehanded Championship, taking the title by 27 points over 11 races.

The selections have been made for the College Sailing Fall National Championships. The Open and Women’s Singlehanded National Championships will be hosted by Old Dominion University on November 8-9, 2025. The College Sailing Open Match Race National Championship will be hosted by The Saint Petersburg Yacht Club on November 15-16, 2025.

The 2024-2025 ICSA All-Academic team has been reviewed and selected. This year, an impressive number of student athletes have been named to the team. The ICSA All-Academic Sailing Team recognizes Juniors and Seniors who have participated as a competitor or alternate in seven regattas (2024-2025) and have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

The stage is set for the ICSA Women’s and Open Fleet Race National Championships, which will take place May 20-23 and May 27-30 at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in St. Mary’s City, Maryland. 36 teams from across the country will descend on the St. Mary’s River for each championship for four epic days of racing each. 

Both Women’s Nationals and Open Nationals see the initial 36 teams selected split into two fleets, the Eastern and Western Semifinals. Over two days of semifinal competition, teams will battle to be one of the top nine in each semifinal. The top nine teams move to the finals, where they compete for the title of Fleet Race National Champion. 

The selections have been made for the College Sailing Open and Women's Fleet Race National Championships. The Fleet Race Nationals schedule is as follows:
Women's Fleet Race National Championship: May 20-23
Open Fleet Race National Championship: May 27-30

The National Championship Selection Committees are charged with selecting the most competitive field of At-Large Teams for the National Championships. To be eligible, teams must have regional or cross-regional status, and must have competed in at least one ICSA Regatta in the corresponding discipline. Selectors shall consider exemplary performance throughout the season in that discipline. Selectors shall not consider geographic diversity, or a team's record in any discipline in previous years.

Conditions were challenging at the 2025 College Sailing Women’s Team Race Championship. Racing had to be cut off on Saturday as gusts measured above 40 knots and multiple capsizes made continuing the Round of 12 too dangerous. The Yale University Bulldogs and the Stanford University Cardinal ended the day with a perfect record of 9-0 and 8-0 respectively–putting Yale in the lead and Stanford in second, leaving Harvard University and Tulane University tied for third with a 6-3 record.

The spring season is well underway for College Sailing. There are 4 national titles up for grabs and teams have been vying for berths. Brown University is set to host the Women’s and Open Team Race National Championship (April 24-26 & 27-28) before St. Mary’s College of Maryland welcomes teams for Women’s Fleet Race and Open Fleet Race National Championships (May 20-23 & 27-30).

The ICSA announced the organization's new Executive Director: Retired Rear Adm. Peter J. Fanta.

Fanta is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (‘83), where he sailed on the varsity offshore team and was a member of the US Sailing Offshore Champion winning team. In his 37-year Naval career Fanta worked in senior levels of the military at sea in command of a multitude of forces, ashore on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in civilian government, and in the corporate shipbuilding industry. While commissioned, he earned a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University as a Moreau Scholar, and a Master of National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) is seeking a passionate and highly organized Executive Director to lead the administrative operations of collegiate sailing in the United States. This is a full-time, remote position (East Coast preferred) with required travel to major collegiate sailing events. The ideal candidate will have strong operational experience, a deep passion for collegiate sailing and/or collegiate sports, and the ability to drive efficiency while collaborating with committees, sponsors, and event hosts. If you're excited about shaping the future of collegiate sailing, we encourage you to apply!

Please send cover letter and resume to ICSA President Greg Wilkinson.

View Job Description