ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy intercollegiate sailing team had its busiest weekend of the fall, competing in four events away from Annapolis.
 
Reaching the final weekend of the Atlantic Coast Championship Series, the Midshipmen headed to St. Mary's City, Md., for the Open ACC Finals after qualifying for the championship earlier in October. One of the most challenging events of the fall season, this year's ACC Finals featured puffy and shifty 12-25-knot winds that increased the degree of difficulty, while the high caliber of the fleet made for heavily-crowded races and every team was forced to accept deep finishes. In the end, Navy wound up 11th overall in the 18-team field. Sophomore Nathan Smith, senior Julia Christie, junior Ryan Wahba and sophomore Ellie Alex finished 15th in the "A" division while junior Evie Blauvelt, sophomore Jack Welburn, senior Madeline Smith, Christie and Wahba were ninth in the "B" division. 
 
Another event affected by heavy winds, the Yale Women's Regatta kept the FJ dinghy fleet onshore for most of the regatta, as both the "A" and "B" divisions took turns racing the 420 fleet instead in New Haven, Conn. Navy wound up 12th overall in the 18-team regatta, with sophomore Ava Farley, junior Linnea Forsberg and freshman Josie Sherry finishing 13th in the "A" division while sophomores Margo Cicero and Eleanor Niehoff and freshman Darby Dryden took 14th in the "B" division.
 
Recently selected to participate in the ICSA Match Race Championship next month in Charleston, S.C., Navy sent sailors this weekend to compete in Charleston-based J/22 East Coast Championship to get some added experience in the J/22 boat. Against a talented and experienced 20-boat fleet and despite a relative lack of J/22 experience, Navy's team of freshman Hugh Carty, juniors Tanner Kelly and Maggie Schuler and senior Hunter Anderson were able to sail consistently for an eighth-place finish.  
 
Hosted by Georgetown in Washington, D.C., the Tom Curtis Memorial Regatta saw its all races held on Saturday afternoon, with the Washington Sailing Marina's lagoon creating a tough sailing experience in a windy NW breeze. Most of the racing was held in 20-30 knots with one puff up to 45, as the huge puffs and auto tack shifts made for very difficult sailing. Navy had four teams competing in the 17-boat field. A pair of Navy freshmen took home first place, as Henry Allgeier and Mary Dwyer sailed an excellent event to claim the regatta victory. Additionally, seniors Trent Shaw and Catherine Aitken wound up fifth and freshman Spencer Dominguez and sophomore Alex Brenia finished ninth in the field, while freshmen Teddy Martin and Fiona Cullen came in 11th overall.
 
Navy competes in two more regattas on Oct. 28-29 before heading to the ICSA Fall Championships, racing at the MAISA Fall Women's Regatta in Kings Point, N.Y., and the War Memorial Regatta in Ithaca, N.Y.