ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Navy intercollegiate sailing team concluded its 2025-26 campaign at the ICSA Open Fleet Race National Championship this week, posting a fourth-place finish on Friday at the national finals in St. Petersburg, Fla.
 
After finishing second in the eastern semifinal round Tuesday and Wednesday, Navy was one of the top 18 teams to advance to the finals. The finals regatta began Thursday with a light to moderate easterly breeze that lingered for a few sets of races before dying off.
 
Navy got off to a hot start, taking an early lead in the series. Following a short delay, a shifty westerly breeze filled in, allowing for eight total races per division on the first day. The Midshipmen were slightly more inconsistent in the afternoon and closed the day third overall.
 
The final day featured conditions very similar to the first, as Navy again posted a mix of strong and weaker finishes throughout Friday. Entering the last race, the Mids were in a tight battle with Yale for third overall, but were called over early at the start and wound up finishing fourth.
 
Senior Nathan Smith and sophomore Sarah McNelly finished sixth in the "A" Division, while juniors Henry Allgeier and Fiona Cullen placed seventh in the "B" Division.