Top-level college sailing has descended on the Chesapeake Bay this week, with the St. Marys River as the center of the action. The 2025 College Sailing Open and Women’s Fleet Race National Championships are underway right now through Friday, May 30. For the fourth time in its history, St. Mary’s College of Maryland is hosting Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) national championship races. And this 1,600-student college in rural Southern Maryland qualified for both the women’s fleet (which were held May 20-23) and the open (or co-ed) fleets (being held May 27-30).
St. Mary’s College was chosen to host nationals after ISCA leadership asked them to put in a bid. The college hosted College Sailing National Championships in 1993, 2000, and 2014, so ISCA had institutional knowledge of the past successful championships (along numerous national-level regular season events) that St. Mary’s has successfully put on. Each national event brings an opportunity for the college and the St. Marys River to shine—and an economic boost to St. Mary’s County.
Beginning last week, top sailors from Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, Georgetown, the U.S. Naval Academy, and many others prepared to race. 36 teams competed in the women’s fleet and 36 are racing in the open fleet. Between the sailors, their coaches, families, and sailing fans, St. Mary’s athletic department spokesperson Nairem Moran estimates 2,000 people are in St. Mary’s City over the course of the two race weeks.
Photos by James Ronayne
In a town of just over 930 permanent residents, that kind of event fills local restaurants and hotels. St. Mary’s College has also brought in local food trucks for both weeks of competition. Nearby Historic St. Mary’s City and its exhibits receive the benefit of additional visitors. And of course, with the sailing world’s eyes on St. Mary’s, the college gets great exposure to prospective students across the U.S. St. Mary’s Seahawks sailors come from California, Toronto, and Massachusetts along with Maryland and Virginia.
As a racing venue, St. Mary’s team leaders say the college’s location makes it both competitor-friendly and spectator-friendly, with great vantage points along the river. Race courses can be set up and shifted as necessary. “The riverfront campus and sense of camaraderie here keep our alumni coming back year after year, not only to support the sailing program but the school as a whole,” said Adam Werblow, waterfront director and head varsity sailing coach. Former St. Mary’s sailor Catherine Shanahan ’15 served as the principal race officer for the College Sailing Women’s Fleet Race National Championship last week.
“The St. Mary’s College sailing program is a national contender year in and year out,” Moran says. Their 17 national championship titles over the years include three Open Fleet Race national titles and two Women’s Fleet Race National crowns.
In this year’s women’s national championship, it was Stanford who took the title, followed by Tulane and Harvard rounding out the top three. See the full results here. You can still catch the Open Fleet races between now and Friday.
We look forward to more college national championship racing on the Chesapeake Bay in 2027: The Naval Academy in Annapolis has already been announced as a 2027 host. Their hosting tradition goes way, way back. The Naval Academy first hosted the Open Dinghy fleet in 1948.
