The stage is set for the ICSA Women’s and Open Fleet Race National Championships, which will take place May 20-23 and May 27-30 at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in St. Mary’s City, Maryland. 36 teams from across the country will descend on the St. Mary’s River for each championship for four epic days of racing each.
Both Women’s Nationals and Open Nationals see the initial 36 teams selected split into two fleets, the Eastern and Western Semifinals. Over two days of semifinal competition, teams will battle to be one of the top nine in each semifinal. The top nine teams move to the finals, where they compete for the title of Fleet Race National Champion.
Women’s Fleet Race Nationals
Women’s Eastern Semifinal: |
Women’s Western Semifinal: |
| Stanford University Cornell University Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Pennsylvania Dartmouth College Boston College Old Dominion University Hobart and William Smith Colleges St. Mary’s College of Maryland University of South Florida Bowdoin College Fordham University Boston University University of Hawaii North Carolina State University University of Wisconsin University of Texas |
Yale University Brown University Georgetown University Tulane University College of Charleston U.S. Naval Academy Roger Williams university Northeastern University George Washington University Tufts University U.S. Coast Guard Academy Jacksonville University University of Rhode Island Christopher Newport University Rollins College University of Vermont Clemson University Northwestern University |
Stanford University comes into the Women’s Fleet Race National Championship ranked #1 after winning the PCCSC conference championship by 18 points. The Cardinal have already proven their championship prowess in 2025, winning the Women’s Team Race Nationals at Brown last month. They also come in as the two-time reigning Women’s Fleet Race National Champions – and with some of the same sailors making up their 2025 roster, they’re in the hunt for a three-peat. Only three teams in the history of the ICSA have completed a women’s nationals hat trick – will Stanford be number four?
The Yale University Bulldogs arrive at St. Mary’s ranked second overall, winning the NEISA Conference Championship to receive an automatic berth to the national championship. They placed first at the Yale Women’s Interconference (fleet race), and second, behind Stanford, at the Women’s Atlantic Coast Championships (ACCs) this past fall. After placing a close second at the 2025 Women’s Team Race Nationals, and looking to redeem themselves after a fourth place finish at the 2024 Women’s Fleet Race National Championship, the Bulldogs are hungry for the championship title.
Filling out the top three teams is Brown University, who earned their berth by placing second at the NEISA women’s Conference Championship. The team is hot on the heels of Yale, taking third at the Women’s ACCs and besting the Bulldogs at the NEISA Fall Women’s Championship. While Stanford is looking like the dominant team, the Bears are in the mix looking to win their first Women’s Fleet Race title since 2019.
Open Fleet Race Nationals
Open Eastern Semifinal: |
Open Western Semifinal: |
| Harvard University Roger Williams University Brown University Tulane University U.S. Naval Academy St. Mary’s College of Maryland University of Rhode Island Cornell University Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Pennsylvania Hobart and William Smith Colleges Northeastern University George Washington University Eckerd College Webb Institute Florida State University Connecticut College University of Michigan |
Yale University Stanford University Boston College Dartmouth College U.S. Coast Guard Academy Georgetown University Bowdoin College College of Charleston University of Miami Tuft University Fordham University Jacksonville University Old Dominion University University of South Florida North Carolina State University University of California at Santa Barbara University of Wisconsin University of Texas |
Coming into the 2025 Open Fleet Race Championship, Harvard University are the favorites, ranked #1 after winning the NEISA Fleet Race Conference ChampionshipQualifier and 2025 Open Team Race National Championship last month. While they are ranked on top, their success isn’t a given, having traded wins with other highly ranked teams throughout the fall fleet race season, including taking second to Roger Williams University at the NEISA Fall Championship and fourth at the Open Atlantic Coast Championships, which serves as the fall season’s national competition. Will they duplicate their success off the Charles River and take back to back titles?
Right on their heels and ranked #2 is Yale University. They had a very successful team racing season, placing second at both the Open and Women’s Team Race Championship, but missed out on the automatic qualification spot at their conference championship, placing fifth. Despite this, Yale looks to finally break the “silver ceiling” in 2025. For the past four Open Fleet Race Championships (excluding 2021, where many New England teams were not able to compete because of COVID restrictions), the Bulldogs have always been the bridesmaid, never the bride – placing second in 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2019.
Stanford University rounds out the top three, winning their conference championship to secure their spot at the Open Fleet Race Nationals. The team had a successful fleet race season, ending 2024 with a win at the Open Atlantic Coast Championship against many of the same teams vying for this spring Fleet Race Nationals title. They come back to the championship hungry, having been knocked off the podium in 2024, finishing 7th overall.
Field of Play Areas
The ICSA has dedicated a restricted “Field of Play” area to credentialed regatta officials, team members and coaches only. This area will be closed to spectators. Each team will be issued credentials to be used for athletes and coaches.
Food Trucks
We will have food trucks on site including one from Real Food Studio.
Video recaps:
T2P will be producing a daily recap show of the championships that will be posted on ICSA championship website.
Ashley Love, Editor in Chief of T2PTV:
Love has been producing regatta coverage as a videographer, filmboat driver, commentator, writer and editor for events for 17 years. Being a life-long competitive fleet, team and match racer herself, in both dinghies and keelboats, brings a unique perspective on the story of an event. Love’s background as a former college coach, her studies in theater, and experience sailing and producing video has brought her to regattas all over the world alongside the founder and owner of the company, Bruce Nairn, and the many other talented story-tellers who work for T2P. Filming everything from junior sailing to the Pan American Games to regional, North American and World Championships, telling stories about sailors, where, how and why they sail has become a life-long passion for her.
