ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy intercollegiate sailing team started its spring home schedule this past weekend and finished in first place in the fleet race and team race portions of the Navy Spring Regatta.
 
The Midshipmen hosted Charleston and Tulane where the fleet race featured three teams for all three programs to make up an 18-boat fleet. In a competition that was evenly matched and produced tight racing, five races were completed in 8-15 knots of breeze. After a three-week pause, Navy looked a little rusty at first but the Midshipmen settled in throughout the morning and Navy's boats rose through the standings. In the end, the Midshipmen finished first, third and eighth overall in the combined division.
 
Within the fleet, JC Hermus and Kimmie Leonard finished first out of the 18 boats, followed by Gray Benson and Madeline Pruzan in second. Connor Bayless and Fiona Lobon placed sixth and Trenton Shaw, Caden Scheiblauer, Sean Linden and Madeline Smith combined for a ninth-place finish. Olivia de Olazarra and Jonah Hatt finished 14th and Carlyn Blauvelt and Colin MacGillivray rounded out Navy's boats in 16th.
 
In the team racing portion of the event, Navy had two teams competing. Once again, the Midshipmen showed some rust early on but improved throughout the weekend, where winds ranged from 10-25 knots. Against stiff competition, Navy finished first and fifth overall. Navy's winning team included Benson, Bayless, Hermus, Pruzan, Linden, Lobon and Leonard, and they lost their opening race before winning the final nine to close out the event with a 9-1 mark. The Midshipmen's second team of Scheiblauer, Gavin McJones, de Olazarra, Shaw, Smith, Blauvelt, Hatt and MacGillivray finished 3-7 for the weekend.
 
"It was great to get on the water again racing against other teams and it was awesome to cap it off with two wins," head coach Ian Burman said.
 
Navy is now slated to hit the road on Saturday for the Old Dominion Meet in Norfolk, Va.