RALEIGH, NC (April 28, 2022): Wolfpack Sailing achieved two major milestones in the 2021-2022 season. NC State returns to College Sailing’s National Championship regatta with a win at the 2022 South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (SAISA) Conference championship regatta. Winning the SAISA Conference, a first for the Wolfpack, secures its second-ever berth to the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Co-ed National Championship regatta. 2021 marked the first trip to Nationals for the Wolfpack.
NC State Sailing's Women's team earns first-ever berth to ICSA College Sailing Women's National Championships following an outstanding season. The Ladypack received the at-large berth to Nationals after strong showing at interconference regattas, conference events, and even a win at home this fall in Raleigh. Started in the fall of 2013, the women's team has grown steadily and continues to develop competitiveness and depth putting NC State in the mix with the best of women's college sailing.
In the SAISA Conference Championship regatta held on April 9-10 at the College of Charleston (SC), NC State secured a first-place podium finish in the two-day, two-division event against conference rivals and the best teams in the South Atlantic conference. NC State will now compete at ICSA Coed Fleet Racing National Championship regatta held May 19-20 hosted by Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
"Winning the SAISA title outright and returning to ICSA Nationals is a great accomplishment for our team which has been tracking towards this top spot all season long," said NC State team captain Isa du Plessis (So., Ft. Lauderdale, FL). “We’ve worked so hard as a team to realize this goal and the effort has paid off. Now we’re dialed in for training and getting ready to perform in New Orleans.”
“Conditions ran the gamut from big breeze to light air and our team adapted. We made good decisions and put ourselves in a position to win no matter what the wind decided to do,” said NC State Sailing head coach Dana Magliola. “Earning the SAISA conference title and securing our return to College Sailing Nationals is a major accomplishment for the program and our team has worked so hard all season to make it happen."
Next NC State will compete in the ICSA Coed Fleet Racing National Championship regatta, a four-day event hosted by Tulane University on May 19-22, 2022 followed by ICSA Women's Fleet Racing National Championship regatta, also at Tulane from May 23-26th. With limited funding from the university, 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.
