WINTER PARK, Fla. (Oct. 27, 2022) – This weekend, Rollins College will host the culminating competitions for collegiate sailing in the Southeast – the SAISA Fall Women's Championship and the SAISA Fall Open (Co-Ed) Championship. Both events will take place on the waters of Lake Virginia, with the women's competition being held Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, followed by the co-ed competition Saturday afternoon and Sunday.
A total of 19 schools will converge on the Rollins campus for this event, a field that boasts some of the country's top collegiate sailors. Eight schools will compete in the women's event and 18 will participate in the co-ed competition, with seven schools having qualified for both events.
The women's championship will feature Rollins, South Florida, Miami, Georgia, North Carolina State, Jacksonville, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Embry-Riddle, Eckerd, and the College of Charleston. The open championship field consists of the following schools, listed in order of the current SAISA rankings:
- Miami
- College of Charleston
- Jacksonville
- Clemson
- North Carolina State
- South Florida
- Eckerd
- Auburn
- Florida Tech
- The Citadel
- Duke
- South Carolina
- Georgia Tech
- North Carolina
- Rollins
- Florida State
- North Carolina – Wilmington
- Embry-Riddle
This will mark the first time that both SAISA championship regattas will be held back-to-back at the same venue on the same weekend. For the Tars, this is the team's third appearance in the open championship since 2015 and their first appearance in the women's championship since 2019. This will also be the first time since at least 2009, and perhaps the first time ever, that Rollins will host an SAISA conference championship.
The Tars are coming off a solid performance at the Lake Virginia Invitational where 16 Rollins sailors competed in a strong field of teams from as far away as the Carolinas.
"We're a little like that football team that gets into the playoffs on the last Sunday of the season," said coach
Dave Herbster. "On one hand, we're just glad to have made it in. On the other, our team has sailed better every week, and this weekend, we'll have our moments out there."
The Tars' starting lineup for the women's championship features four freshman. In the open championship, Rollins features the leadership of two seniors, along with two sophomores.
The balance of the Tars roster will be ready to sail while playing a part in putting on the big events. This weekend will conclude the fall portion of the 2022-23 season for Rollins.
The spring schedule commences on February 11 with the Halifax River Invitational hosted by Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach.
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