ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy intercollegiate sailing team competed at a pair of away events this past weekend in Connecticut.
 
The first regatta of the weekend was the finals of the Open Atlantic Coast Championship series, hosted at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., where the top-18 teams in the country had advanced though the first round earlier in the month to earn a spot on the Thames River. After a brief postponement, racing began in light wind and current flowing against the wind, as Navy got off to a strong start and was among the top teams throughout the first day.
 
Day 2 saw winds coming with the current and only one way to go on the course, putting execution at a premium. The Midshipmen faltered early in the second day to fall out of the lead group, but rallied at the end to finish fifth overall.  Senior Gavin McJones and freshman Ellie Alex placed 11th in the "A" division, while freshman Nathan Smith, junior Madeline Smith and sophomore Ryan Wahba took fifth in the "B" division.
 
"This was the most challenging regatta of the fall season for us," said head coach Ian Burman. "Our Mids learned a ton of valuable lessons and proved that they are capable of great results the rest of the year."
 
Navy's other regatta was the Yale Women's Regatta, but light winds prevented any races from being completed on Saturday and the event was decided in only eight races on Sunday. Navy again got off to a great start and was leading after the first race, but inconsistency the rest of the day led to a seventh-place finish in the 16-team field.
 
Sophomore Evie Blauvelt and junior Julia Christie were in contention for the "A" division lead throughout the day, but settled for second and trailed the winner by just two points in the end, while sophomore Izzy Fadullon, freshman Ava Farley and senior Elizabeth Linsdell finished 12th in the "B" division.
 
The Mids continue the fall slate on Oct. 29-30, hosting the MAISA Fall Women's Regatta in Annapolis and sending a contingent to the War Memorial Regatta in Throggs Neck, N.Y.