RALEIGH, NC (June 9, 2021): NC State finishes the 2021 ICSA College Sailing season nationally-ranked 17th following completion of the 2021 Gill College Sailing Coed National Championship finals regatta at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. NC State competed in this two-day, 36-race event across two divisions earning 17th place in A-Division, and 13th in B-Division for an overall 17th place finish. NC State finished just two points shy of St. Mary’s College of Maryland for 16th position. The finals regatta was won by the hosts, the U.S. Naval Academy, followed by Stanford, and Jacksonville University rounding out the podium. 2021 is the first time competing in college sailing’s national finals for NC State in the nearly 50 year history of their racing program. The Wolfpack compete this historic season nationally ranked 17th in college sailing.
“We came to Annapolis to compete against the leading programs in our sport like the College of Charleston, Naval Academy, Stanford, Brown, and others to better understand what is possible for our program,” said NC State head coach Dana Magliola. “Our players raced competitively with this field and although we have work to do to improve consistency, we’re in the mix today.”
On day one, sunny skies and a south-southeasterly breeze of 10-12 kts. welcomed sailors to the mouth of the Severn River and the host venue for the 2021 ICSA College Sailing Coed National Championships. Early in the regatta Brown and University of Rhode Island jumped out to an early lead but the tone for the day would be set in the second set at the USNA Midshipmen took control of the leaderboard and would not relent for the remainder of the regatta. In what quickly became a fight for second place, the Stanford Cardinal, Jacksonville Fins, and the University of California-Santa Barbara Gauchos traded position over the remainder of day one’s races. Early results for the Wolfpack were mixed with middle to back of the fleet finishes, but B-Division’s Adam Larson (So., Charlotte, NC) and Isa du Plessis (Fr., Ft. Lauderdale, FL) secured a first place in their second race of the day leading the race wire to wire from top mark through the finish.
NC State, B-Division, 2021 ICSA Gill Coed Nationals ©Chenard Visuals
"Crossing the finish with the bullet [first-place finish], it felt to both of us that all of our hard work this season and our training leading up to Nationals had paid off,” said NC State freshman and B-Division crew Isa du Plessis. "We knew what we were capable of and this only reinforced what’s possible for us."
Following a midday break, the Wolfpack started to consistently post better results, highlighted by a second-place finish in A-Division by team co-captains Scott Harris (Jr., Wilmington, NC) and Olivia Gregg (Jr., Cary, NC) in their seventh race of the day. With improved results, the Wolfpack finished day one in 16th place, three points ahead of St. Mary’s and twelve shy of URI.
NC State well ahead, race 2 B-Division, 2021 ICSA Gill Coed Nationals ©Chenard Visuals
Day two brought lighter conditions from the southwest, yet a starting line as fiercely competitive as ever. At the start of racing Navy continued to lead but were being challenged by the reining coed champs, the College of Charleston while Stanford and Jacksonville continue to track closer to the Midshipmen. For the Wolfpack, the battle for 16th with St. Mary’s intensified with 6 lead changes over the course of day two. In the end, the Wolfpack finished 17th, just two points shy of 16th and well ahead of the 18th placed University of Oregon Ducks. Alternates Olivia Sowa (Fr., Hollywood, MD), Jesse Price (Jr., Winston-Salem, NC), and Mack Brooks (Sr., Fayetteville, NC) also competed in several races throughout the day substituting for the starting skipper or crew.
NC State A-Division, 2021 ICSA Gill Coed Nationals ©Chenard Visuals
"Competing at Nationals was a great learning opportunity,” said NC State co-captain and A-Division crew Olivia Gregg. "Now we can build on this goal achieved, and with a strong team going into the fall, we’re ready to put the work in."
NC State co-captain and A-Division skipper Scott Harris echoed this sentiment, "Nationals was a great experience and a big steppingstone for the program. We look forward to being back next year."
NC State returns home to Raleigh for the offseason and will begin competing again in September at the start of the fall college sailing season. With only one member of the Nationals squad graduating, the Wolfpack will return a lot of talent and a strong incoming recruiting class will also position NC State as one of the most competitive teams in college sailing next year. The team has an extensive regatta schedule including travel to New England and the Midwest in addition to the packed SAISA home conference schedule. The SailPack will host two home regattas in the fall on October 9-10 and November 13-14, 2021 at their home venue of Lake Crabtree County Park.
The full press release is posted HERE.
