TAMPA, Fla. – Rollins sailing competed in two events at USF over the weekend, earning third-place finishes in both Saturday's team race regatta and Sunday's fleet race competition.
Saturday - Ashley Reynolds Reali Memorial Trophy
Ideal conditions greeted the four teams competing for the Ashley Reynolds Reali Memorial Trophy, a cross-regional team race regatta sailed in FJs. Under bright blue skies and temperatures nearing 80 degrees, sailors opened the day in a light southerly around six knots. As forecasted, the breeze gradually veered west and built to a steady 12 knots with gusts reaching 17, creating near-perfect team race conditions.
Originally scheduled for three full round robins, the fleet elected to add a fourth, completing 24 total races. Races averaged 8–9 minutes in length. With just four teams in rotation, brief pauses between sets allowed for coaching and adjustments throughout the afternoon.
Host South Florida claimed the trophy with a 10–2 record, followed by Hawaii at 7–5. Rollins finished close behind at 6–6 to secure third place.
Round one saw Rollins earn wins over Jacksonville (2-3-4) and Hawaii (1-2-6). The Tars repeated those results in round two, defeating Jacksonville (1-2-4) and Hawaii (1-3-5). In round three, Rollins added a win over South Florida (1-2-5) and again topped Jacksonville (2-3-5).
Annie Samis (skipper) and
Jane McKenzie (crew), along with
Shay Bridge (skipper) and Maggie Burnham (crew), remained consistent pairings throughout the day. The third boat rotated
Adelaide Matzky and
Julia Scott at skipper with
Mollie Wood as crew, while KA Hamner skippered alongside
Soleil Aurignac.
Sunday - USF Women's Promotional Fleet Race
Sunday presented a different test at the USF Women's Promotional Fleet Race regatta, featuring 14 teams from four schools racing FJs in a one-division scoring format. With a cold front approaching, racing was moved inside Bayboro Harbor to utilize deeper water in anticipation of heavier breeze.
Four races (a mix of W4 and W5 courses) were completed in a westerly breeze of 11–15 knots before a squall line moved through during race four, bringing a heavy downpour. After a brief break ashore, the fleet returned to gusty northerly winds ranging from 13–25 knots. Races five through ten were completed in the blustery conditions, averaging 8–10 minutes in length.
The breeze led to multiple DNS and DNF scores across the fleet, though protests filed during the day were ultimately withdrawn. Hawaii handled the heavy air well, finishing first, second, and fourth overall, with Rollins placing third.
Rollins' Tars 4 boat finished third overall with 59 total points and five top-five finishes, including two race wins from
Julia Scott (skipper) and
Adelaide Matzky (crew). Tars 2, featuring
Annie Samis (skipper) and
Mollie Wood (crew), added five more top-five results, highlighted by a win in race seven. Tars 1, with KA Hamner (skipper) and
Jane McKenzie (crew), recorded a second-place finish, while Tars 3,
Shay Bridge (skipper) and Maggie Burnham (crew), contributed a third-place result.
Rollins returns to the water at the Mendelblatt Open Team Race on February 28, hosted by the College of Charleston.
