ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy intercollegiate sailing team opened the 2016-17 season by competing in four events this past weekend. Navy hosted two singlehanded regattas that served as qualifiers for the MAISA Singlehanded Championships.

At the Radial Open, 20 women from all over the conference battled in a wide variety of conditions. With winds ranging from 3-22 knots, seas between flat and four feet and winds from the southeast, south and northwest, many different sailors had times when they were strong and the best all-around Radial sailors came out on top in the end.

Navy's Jessica McJones sailed very well in her first collegiate event, finishing second overall. Hannah Hughes finished eighth while Brittney Slook was 12th. All three will represent Navy at the MAISA Women's Singlehanded Championship in Annapolis on September 24-25.

The Laser South Regatta also featured 20 boats, a very strong field and the same variable conditions as the women's event. In this one, however only six sailors would advance to the conference championship. Navy's Gary Prieto finished fourth overall to move on to the MAISA Men's Singlehanded Championship at Navy on October 8-9. Tyler Fleig finished 12th, Spencer Nora was 13th and Patrick Snow came in 16th.

Four of Navy's freshmen travelled to Norfolk, Virginia this weekend for the always competitive Riley Cup Regatta. Navy wound up fourth out of 18 overall. Max Brill and Emma Remis came in sixth in A division while Parker Loftus and Kent Mathes were third in B.

Cornell University hosted the Jack Boehringer Memorial Regatta this weekend and another young Navy team made the trip up to Ithaca, New York to compete. They were greeted with breezy and shifty conditions and a lot of challenging racing. Navy finished seventh overall out of 18 teams. Nicholas Gartner and Karma Richards were seventh in A division while Hamrick Morgan and Carlyn Sawdy-Bowes were eighth in B.