ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Claiming a team win in the nation's capital, the Navy intercollegiate sailing team kicked off the spring season with a trio of team-race regattas, hosting the Navy Team Race Invitational in Annapolis while also sending crews to the GW Team Race in Washington, D.C., and the Old Dominion Spring Women's Team Race in Norfolk, Va.
 
With George Washington and Georgetown co-hosting the first regatta of the MAISA team racing season, the event featured the conference's 10 teams split into two evenly-seeded regattas sailing on the same course. Navy was placed in the GW Team Race along with Penn, Hobart, Fordham and SUNY Maritime, but Saturday's weather started out very rainy and cold with light wind out of the north.
 
After a short delay, racing began but all three Navy boats were called over early at the start of the first race against Hobart. The Midshipmen quickly gained ground back, going on to win that race convincingly en route to sweeping the first round's four races. A second round-robin was completed on the first day as well, as Navy sailed fast and clean all day to compile an 8-0 record. Despite nicer weather on the Potomac Sunday, a lack of wind forced the third round to be abandoned and the regatta was ended. The win gave Navy maximum conference points for the weekend, setting the Mids up well for the rest of the season. Navy's team consisted of sophomore skippers Nathan Smith and Jack Welburn and freshman skipper Henry Allgeier, along with senior Madeline Smith, sophomore Ellie Alex and rookie Darby Graham as crews and Hunter Anderson on site in reserve.
 
At home, Navy hosted six teams for the Navy Team Race Invitational, as the event also saw rainy and cold conditions on Saturday as well, but two round-robins were completed and a third round was started. At the end of the first day, Navy found itself tied with Hobart and St. Mary's for the lead with each team holding a 9-3 record. After a delay on Sunday, racing began in a light southeasterly breeze, as the Midshipmen won their first two races of the day to set up a winner-take-all final race against Hobart at the end.
 
Navy won the start, but a foul on the first leg made the race very close at the first marks.  Navy seized the lead on the run and seemed in control with a 2,3,4 heading into the leeward marks, but one of the Navy boats fouled while trying to take the 1, setting up a close battle up the last beat. It was back and forth, but Hobart snuck out of the pack with a 1,2 and held to the finish to take the win. Navy's team of skippers in senior Trent Shaw, junior Tanner Kelly and freshmen George Carty and Teddy Martin were paired with sophomore Eleanor Niehoff and freshmen Fiona Cullen and Mary Dwyer, as the Mids ended up tied with St. Mary's at 11-4, but lost the tiebreaker to finish in third place.
 
Navy's third event at Old Dominion saw light and shifty wind that made for challenging racing, but three rounds were completed over the course of the weekend. The Midshipmen got off to a tough start and were never able to get momentum, finishing fifth out of six teams with a 3-12 record. Navy's team consisted of senior Aubin Hattendorf, sophomores Ava Farley and Margo Cicero and freshman Kate Zurinskas as skippers, with crews being senior Catherine Aitken, juniors Linnea Forsberg and Maggie Schuler and freshman Josie Sherry.
 
Navy returns to action March 9-10 with the Jen Harris Spring Team Race in Annapolis and the St. Mary's Team Race in St. Mary's City.