ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Highlighted by punching its ticket to the ICSA Match Race National Championship in November, the Navy intercollegiate sailing team was on the road this past weekend for three competitions at two separate locations in New York State.
 
This year's MAISA Match Race Championship in Kings Point, N.Y., featured three teams and was hosted by the Merchant Marine Academy in a new fleet of J/70s, with a smaller field allowing the event to be completed in one day. In the round robin, Navy beat Merchant Marine twice and lost to Georgetown twice, advancing to the finals with a 2-2 record. In the finals, the Midshipmen were able to solve some earlier issues from the round robin phase against Georgetown and used strong starts to sweep the finals in two-straight races and claim the Intrepid Trophy.
 
With the conference championship, Navy's team of junior Nathan Smith, senior Tanner Kelly, sophomore Darby Dryden and freshman Kyle Reinecke earned an automatic berth in the Match Race Nationals, set to be held at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club on Nov. 15-17.
 
Additionally, the Top Nine Regattas were held in Ithaca, N.Y. on Saturday and Sunday, with the event featuring an open regatta and a women's regatta taking place simultaneously amongst the top nine teams in MAISA. On the women's side, the Mids wound up third overall with senior Evie Blauvelt and sophomore Mary Dwyer finishing fourth in the combined division and juniors Ava Farley and Eleanor Niehoff taking ninth. In the open regatta, Navy finished as the runner-up, with sophomore Henry Allgeier and junior Ellie Alex coming in third in the combined division and juniors Jack Welburn and Darby Graham placing fourth.
 
Navy will next compete in the Carl Van Duyne MAISA Men's Singlehanded Championship this weekend in Annapolis, while the Mids will also send sailors to the Danmark Trophy and the first round of the Women's Atlantic Coast Championships, with both events being held in New London, Conn.