KINGSTON, R.I. – Gavin McJones led the Midshipmen at the ICSA Open Singlehanded National Championships this weekend with his eighth-place finish to lead Navy's four individuals at the national championship.
 
The four Midshipmen competed at the first-ever ICSA Open Singlehanded National Championships contested in the spring. The singlehanded championship is usually held at the end of the fall season and limited to a small field – who have qualified through their conferences. However, with no fall season and a compressed spring slate, this year's event was an open competition and featured 41 boats in the men's division, which is more than double the typical fleet size. Along with the challenge of the large fleet, the field encountered extreme weather conditions.
 
On the first day of racing, the wind started out from the northwest at 15-22 knots with relatively flat water and some current. As the day progressed, the wind shifted to the west and backed down to 10-20 knots with large puffs and shifts. The current also increased throughout the afternoon, sweeping across the course from right to left. The shifts and current made for a dynamic and everchanging racecourse, where patterns were difficult to discern. Navy's boats struggled to find consistency, trading off strong finishes with forgettable races where eight 30-40-minute races were completed on the day.
 
During the final day of racing on Sunday, the wind shifted around to the southwest and kicked up 2-3 foot waves. The wind started at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 knots but increased throughout the day until it was 20-30 knots for the last two races. The fleet completed six more races in a steady wind that served as a true test of heavy-weather boat speed. Having dedicated most of their time recently training in different disciplines, Navy's sailors spent most of the day sailing just behind the lead pack.
 
In the end, McJones managed solid finishes on both days to wind up eighth overall in the 41-boat fleet. Caden Scheiblauer won a race along the way to his 13th-place finish. Connor Bayless – who raced outside his doublehanded comfort zone – finished 15th and Louis Margay finished 29th.
 
"In all, this was definitely a unique and memorable event and the midshipmen should feel proud of how they performed," head coach Ian Burman said.
 
Navy returns to action at the ICSA Women's National Championship in Annapolis on May 19-20.