ANNAPOLIS, Md. â€" The Navy intercollegiate sailing team kicked off the 2017 season this past weekend with two regattas, the Bob Bavier Team Race and the Old Dominion Interconference Regatta. A third event, the Tom Noble Team Race, was scheduled but cancelled due to unfinished construction at the host site.

The Midshipmen posted strong showings at both events they did sail though, and set the stage for a strong spring.

The first major team race regatta of the season was the Bob Bavier, hosted by the College of Charleston. While this event is always tough, it was especially appealing this year as the racing was held on the course that will host this year's Nationals, so top teams from all over the country were in attendance looking to get a bit more comfortable in the shifty winds and strong currents of the Cooper River.

The field and the Cooper didn't disappoint, as the racing was extremely tight all weekend. Navy got going a bit slow, but came on strong at the end to secure a 12-9 overall record and finish third overall out of 10 teams. Patrick Snow, Michael Madigan, Molly Robertson, Gary Prieto, Peter Hogan, Mary Morocco, Ana Mier and Sarah Barkley all competed in the Bavier.

Navy's other event of the weekend was the inaugural ODU Women's Interconference Regatta. This regatta drew 13 teams from around the country and all competitors were really excited to see another strong women's event added to the schedule. Even though it was a cold weekend, nice winds allowed for some good racing. Navy finished sixth overall. Hannah Hughes, Molly Hanson and Brittney Slook finished fifth in A division while Jessica McJones, Emma Remis, Molly Hanson and Karma Richards came in seventh in B.