Hello Seahawks! Beautiful Newport, Rhode Island has a storied sailing history but do you truly understand all that the sport has to offer? Salve Regina University sailing captain Kate Johnson '25 is here to provide you with exactly what you need to know about SRU sailing!
What division is Salve's Sailing Team?
Salve Regina University's team is part of the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA), which is the largest and arguably one of the most competitive out of the ICSA's six conferences. Currently, Salve is a cross-regional team and is ranked 19 out of 54 teams in NEISA. Our team's goal is to finish in the top 14 at NEISA fleet race championship.
When does the season start?
Sailing has two seasons: Fall season (September - October) which tends to focus on fleet races and Spring season (March - April). The majority of regattas often run from Saturday at 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Sunday 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. On average, our sailors spend a total of 14 hours out on the water and about four hours minimum on the road each weekend.
How do practices work?
From Tuesday through Friday, the team meets up at SailNewport for practice. We go over the drills in the classroom and execute them on the water. After the on-water practice, the team de-rigs, checks equipment, and heads back to the classroom to debrief and look over video footage.
What boats do the Seahawks sail?
At home, the Seahawks practice in FJs (Flying Juniors) and Larks. These are about thirteen-foot two-person boats operated by a skipper and crew.
What does each person do in the boat?
The skipper drives the boat and controls the main sheet (larger sail). The crew is in charge of the smaller sail known as a jib, adjusts controls, ensures boat stability, and feeds the skipper essential information about the course conditions and surrounding competition.
What boats do our competitors sail?
Most of our competitors use FJs, but some universities use various forms of the 420. The only competitor that uses a single-sailboat would be MIT with their MIT Tech Dinghies. These boats rely more on the crew's body weight adjustments and are often an interesting learning experience for the Seahawks.
What are competitions called?
Competitions are known as "Regattas" which are a series of back-to-back 20-minute races. To be considered a regatta, the race committee (RC) must try to get off a minimum of 14 races per fleet. The fleet of 18 identical boats is provided by the host school.
How do regattas work?
The race course is set by several anchored buoys and the RC's boat. Similar to golf, a low point scoring method is used which is based on the finish position that each boat receives for each race. At each regatta, two boats constitute one team, each sailing in a different fleet (A & B).
What is the Sport's Demographic Composition?
When it comes to gender, college sailing provides the most equal opportunity because there is an Open Division and the Women's Division. One of the main reasons for the establishment of the Women's divisions was to take advantage of the lighter weight in the boat; lighter boats and proper boat handling result in faster boat speed.
How does Salve's Team Compare?
Overall, 51% of ICSA athletes identify as women. Salve's team of 23 athletes is composed of 78% women and 22% men. The majority of our sailors come from either the Mid Atlantic (35%) and New England (30%). The other half of current sailors come from the Midwest (13%), Hawaii (9%), and the Southeast (4%). Our international students make up 9% of our team. The largest portion of our sailors are sophomores making up 40% of the team's athletes.
Find the Salve Regina sailing schedule here.
