CHARLESTON, S.C. – After a very exciting day, the Yale women's sailing team has won the 2017 Sperry College Sailing Women's National Championship. This is their second time winning in three years, with their prior win at the 2015 nationals in Newport, R.I. The team was comprised of seniors Natalya Doris and Isabelle Rossi de Leon, juniors Claire Huebner, Casey Klingler, and KB Knapp, and freshmen Chrissie Klingler and Louisa Nordstrom. Although this group of seven sailors represented the Bulldogs, this victory was a result of the hard work of all sixteen women on the team, as well as the members of the coed team.
Heading into Friday with a 13-point lead over Boston College, the Bulldogs entered the day with a great attitude, focusing on minimizing mistakes and concentrating on the factors that they could directly control.
With winds blowing from the west at 5-12 mph, Friday's racing showed some the hardest conditions of the regatta, with a strong tide creating bias towards one side of the course, accompanied with large wind oscillations and velocity changes. The Bulldogs were able to keep their heads on in these shifty winds, clawing back from several deep roundings.
Sailing for the Bulldogs in A-division was junior skipper Casey Klingler with senior crew Natalya Doris. The duo sailed an extremely conservative day, placing with all scores within the top 6 in all but two of eight races. In their final set of the regatta, Klingler and Doris did an excellent job handling the pressure, adding a third and second place finish to their score line. After Boston College's fifteenth place finish in race 17A, the Bulldogs sealed the victory before the final race of B-division was even sailed. Casey Klingler, Natalya Doris, and Chrissie Klingler finished third in a very competitive A-division. This is also Klingler and Doris's second time winning the Sperry College Sailing Women's Nationals. Casey Klingler was a finalist for the Quantum Women's Sailor of the Year Award. With all other finalists graduating this year, Klingler has great potential to win the award next year.
Sailing for the Bulldogs in B-division on this light wind day was freshman skipper Louisa Nordstrom and senior crew Isabelle Rossi de Leon. Nordstrom continued her streak, adding several top five finishes throughout the day. Already having a 30-point lead going into Friday's racing, Nordstrom was able to extend on the competition, ending the regatta in first by 40 points. This is one of the best performances by a freshman skipper in the history of college sailing. Much of Nordstrom's success also came from the great skill of her crews Isabelle Rossi de Leon and team captain Claire Huebner.
Emerging with a 23 point lead over Boston College to win the national title, the Bulldogs are "on cloud nine" according to Bill Healy, the McNay Family Assistant Director of Yale Sailing. "The women were focused every race and our game plan stayed the same; check the current, watch lay lines, breeze lines and find clear lanes," says Healy. "Everyone on the team was supportive even those who did not get to race, the team focus all around was great."
With all but two members of the nationals groups returning to the team next year, the Bulldogs hope to continue their success in the fall season. The loss of senior crews Natalya Doris and Isabelle Rossi de Leon will definitely be felt, with both sailors performing at the top level throughout their time at Yale. Doris was named to the 2015 All-American team, 2016 All-American Honorable Mention team and was a First Team NEISA crew multiple years. Rossi de Leon was a NEISA Second Team crew in 2015 and 2017. Both have been instrumental to the team's success.
Report filed by KB Knapp, Yale Sports Publicity
