NC State Sailing Qualifies Both Women’s and Coed Teams for Nationals
RALEIGH, NC (April 30, 2026): NC State Sailing will send both its Women’s and Coed teams to the 2026 College Sailing National Championships in St. Petersburg, Florida, following at-large selections that cap off another strong year for the program.
The Women’s National Championship will take place May 15–18, followed by the Coed National Championship from May 19–22. Each event will feature two days of semifinal racing and two days of finals, bringing together the top teams from across the country to compete for national titles. This marks the sixth consecutive year that NC State has qualified for the Coed National Championship and the fifth consecutive appearance for the Women’s team, continuing a sustained run of national-level performance for the program. Both teams built their case for selection through consistent results across a demanding fall and spring schedule. During the Fall 2025 season, NC State coed squad posted strong finishes in key events in SAISA, including a second-place finish at the SAISA North Fall Tournament, a third-place finish at SAISA Women's Top 9, and a home win at the Triangle Tango Intercollegiate Regatta.
The momentum continued into the Spring 2026 season, where NC State secured victories at the Thomas H. Stafford Jr. Trophy and the UNCW Trophy Regatta, along with additional competitive finishes across the conference at SAISA Women's Top 9. Against a deep national field at the Azalea Bowl, the Wolfpack squad finished a close 2nd out of 19 teams. The team also captured the overall win at the 10th Annual SailPack Oriental Intercollegiate Regatta against teams from across the country and Canada.
“These selections are the result of a full team effort over the entire year,” said head coach Dana Magliola. “From our top boats all the way down the roster, everyone contributed to putting us in position to return to Nationals. The commitment, preparation, hard work, and resilience this group has shown have been outstanding, and we’re excited for the opportunity ahead.”
The Women’s team enters Nationals following a season of growth and transition, with several younger sailors stepping into expanded roles after the graduation of key contributors last year. “This group has really come together over the course of the year,” said women’s captain Shea Hoffacker (Jr., Wilmington, NC). “We had a lot of new faces stepping into bigger roles, and it’s been exciting to see how quickly everyone has developed. The focus has been on learning, improving, and supporting each other, and we’re proud to have earned the chance to compete at Nationals again.”
The Coed team continues its streak of national appearances after another season of disciplined preparation and strong results across the schedule. “We’ve stayed focused on the process all season,” said coed captain Kevin Gosselin (Jr., Ft. Lauderdale, FL). “From practices to regattas, the team has put in the work and pushed each other to improve. We’re looking forward to carrying that mindset into Nationals and competing against the best teams in the country.”
With both teams heading to St. Petersburg, NC State Sailing will compete on one of the sport’s biggest stages, facing top programs from across the country over eight days of championship racing. As the team prepares for Nationals, SailPack is actively working to raise funds to offset entry fees, travel, and housing costs associated with the trip. Support from the SailPack community plays a critical role in making these opportunities possible for student-athletes. The program looks forward to representing NC State on the national stage and continuing a strong tradition of competition at the highest level of college sailing. Donations can be made online via: https://www.sailpack.org/donate or via Venmo @sailpackfoundation.
