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NC State Sailing Team Qualifies for ICSA College Sailing National Championship for First Time in Program History
RALEIGH, NC (April 26, 2021): For the first time in the nearly 70-year history of the program, the NC State sailing team has qualified for the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Co-ed National Championship regatta. In the qualifying SAISA Conference Championship regatta held on April 17-18 at the College of Charleston (SC), the NC State SailPack secured a third-place podium finish to qualify against conference rivals and the best teams in the South Atlantic conference. NC State will now compete at ICSA National finals in June at the US Naval Academy as one of the top 18 teams in the country.
"Qualifying for Nationals has been a program goal ever since I came to NC State," said coed team captain Scott Harris. “This season we’ve worked so hard as a team to realize this goal and the effort has paid off. Our focus now shifts to training and getting ready for Nationals.”
At the SAISA Conference Championship regatta, racing began on Saturday afternoon on the Cooper River in Charleston harbor with strong tidal currents and a southerly wind. From the very first race, NC State showed their competitive mettle finishing the first race in A-division in third place after rounding the windward mark in first. Downwind struggles plagued the entire fleet with strong waves and chop in the harbor and a ripping current making progress slow. Skipper Scott Harris (Jr., Wilmington, NC) and crew Olivia Gregg (Jr., Cary, NC) would continue their strong performance with a win in the second race and finish day one in second place overall for their division. In B-division, skipper Adam Larson (So., Charlotte, NC) and crew Isa du Plessis (Fr., Ft. Lauderdale, FL) handled the challenging conditions well with early finishes mid-fleet but improving over the course of the day. As racing wrapped up on Saturday evening, NC State’s B-division was just one point back from fourth-place USF and momentum to start day two. NC State would finish day one of the regatta in third place overall.
Day two of the regatta brought a delay until wind conditions improved enough to race. Around midday as the sea breeze filled in, teams launched boats and sailed to a part of Charleston harbor known as Crab Bank where afternoon racing would commence. With just a 7-point lead over University of Miami and a 9-point lead over 4th place University of South Florida, NC State had no margin for error. Wolfpack sailors in both divisions started to put breathing room between themselves and the Miami Hurricanes over the first few races of the day while USF continued to nip at the Wolfpack’s heels. As Miami moved further down the leaderboard, and with the College of Charleston and Jacksonville University well-situated in 1st and 2nd, it quickly became a two-way battle for the third and final berth to ICSA Nationals. As the afternoon racing progressed, NC State continued to hold strong and protect their lead over USF even as the Bulls surged. With the final race starting at 3:00pm, and just points to give, NC State’s strong start and smart decisions on the racecourse enabled the Wolfpack to secure their lead in both divisions, earning the third and final berth to the ICSA Coed National Championship regatta.
"We are so proud of these student-athletes and our whole team who have made so many sacrifices and handled the adversity of COVID testing, protocols, and cancellations this year, and at the same time stayed focused on our goals,” said NC State Sailing head coach Dana Magliola. "Our performance in Charleston showed just how far we’ve come and what’s possible for this program."
Up next NC State will compete in the ICSA Coed National Championship regatta, a two-day event hosted by the US Naval Academy on June 7-8, 2021. With no funding from the university due to COVID restrictions, the program is fundraising to finance this campaign. Tax-deductible contributions to support the team can be made to the SailPack Foundation. For more information visit: go.ncsu.edu/Sailing or contact Dana Magliola at [email protected], or 919.946.5445. High resolution images for use by press are available for download online: https://www.sailpack.org/images_for_press_use.
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About College Sailing: With more than 250 colleges and universities competing in the United States and Canada, college sailing is organized through the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), and through regional conferences. Active in Raleigh since 1954, NC State is North Carolina’s oldest college sailing program. NC State Sailing is a club-based program competing against both varsity and club-based teams. NC State is a proud member of US Sailing.
