Brendan FeeneyDon't bet against Callahan bros. They are going to be tough to beat in 2026. Favorite to do it again.
Chris KlevanThe Crimson is the team to beat. The Callahan brothers look to finsih their colleeg sailing careers as 3x Team Race Champions, 2x Fleet Race Champions,, 3x Hinman Trophy Champions and 2x Wilson Trophy Champions. If you had a time machine, you couldn't hope to create the chemistry and experience this duo has. The only question here is whether the supporting cast is up to the task.
Charles HigginsRetaining 5/7 of the championship roster from a year ago, and all 3 skippers likely tells you all you need to know as to where this team stands going into this season. At a time when the 2025 graduation hit so many teams, Harvard looks poised to repeat.
Brendan FeeneyEvery driver they have can compete at the top level. Sitzmann can and will go toe to toe with Callahan. That rivalry will be something to watch all season. They have the speed to be on the podium at the nationals. They also have a coaching staff busting with former Sailors of the Year, who get in boats and sail against this team daily. This is a powerhouse that is always a player. The key will be finding discipline and cohesiveness to dominate the biggest moments.
Charles HigginsOne of the few teams to not be hit by graduation, this team has the talent and coaching to knock off Harvard. I think it will come down to consistent execution, something they are more than capable of.
Brendan FeeneyAs Chris said, Roger is a team race factory. Team always delivers and peaks at the right time. There are certain organizations in sports that year after year, no matter who exactly is on the roster, is a force. Think Pittsburgh Steelers or Green Bay Packers. Roger is one such organization. They have an embedded culture of team racing success which delivers results regardless of the exact athletes on the roster. Early in the season, they sail a lot of events. Their sailors build confidence. By nationals, they are scary to race against. Disciplined, aggressive, and un-matched in boathandling, Roger will run with the best.
Chris KlevanI cannot sing the Yale coaching staff praises without talking about Amanda and Colin. Roger Williams is and has been a team race machine. Did they lose a starting driver? Yes. Did they lose several multi-all-american crews? Yep. Will it hurt them? I'd bet no. One thing has been true in College Sailing since Cy Thompson graced the campus in Bristol, Rog is good at team racing. Rog will beat you off the line, they will convert to a play 2 before you've added windward sheet and they will beat you to the finish. They were champions in 2024. They were bested in 2025, I'm sure everyone is looking at Harvard to repeat. But no champion will be crowed this year without hearing from this team.
Charles HigginsIf Rog does one thing well, it's team racing. It's well coached and well executed. I'm not so worried about graduation with this team, or honestly how well they might do in the fleet race season. When it comes to team racing this team is a perennial power. Hard to see them not making it back to the Final Four at least!
Brendan FeeneyGuthrie entering his senior spring. Leader of this program. Lots of young talent. John always has this team competing at a top level. They have shown a remarkable ability to consistently reach the finals at the biggest event year-after-year. They may come off as slightly unorthodox. However, their formula works. They sent sailors to the Hinman and they had great success. Don't be surprised when they take races off of Harvard and Roger throughout the season. Will they have the consistency and discipline to come through under the brightest lights?
Chris KlevanOn the up and up.
Charles HigginsThis is a strong returning roster with an excellent cast of skippers and crews. When they're on the same page they can compete with anyone
Brendan FeeneyCoach Higgins, a strong roster, and a Nats on home waters; this team is a dark horse. Last year they had some great runs, letting their boat speed work its magic. For further success, they will need to be more disciplined, which we should expect to see given another year of experience and maturity. They will travel to big events, get better and better, and develop trust with each other.
Chris KlevanNo major losses to their roster. Last year they were inconsistent, this year expect them to be much more solid.
Charles HigginsGraduated only 2 crews from the roster that made the Top-8 round last year, and a roster that keeps strengething should help this team continue to rise.
Brendan FeeneySmith will be the core of this team. They are returning their full complement of athletes from last year. They have proven that they can play with the best of the best, but not always with consistency. Everyone here is a year mor mature, faster, sharper, and motivated. Excited to see what they can do.
Chris KlevanLast year they were the surprise story but sort of fizzled at the championship. They were young, aggressive fast and hungry. I expect that to be the same all but the young part. Now they look to approach the spring season weathered and experienced. A lot of teams lost an important contributor. Navy did not.
Charles HigginsA very hot and cold performance last season. When they were doing well, they were winning regattas. But when it was coming together, they were dropped from the late stages. With the core returning I look to this team to be a Gold round team at the very least, with hopefully the discipline to go even further.
Brendan FeeneyLost some Open Skippers to campaigns and graduations. For the first time in a while, there is no College Sailor of the Year on this roster. Ladies will have to step up. Younger team, but with Leo on the coaching staff, team will be ready. Zach Leonard has been here before, and he will make sure they are competitive.
Chris KlevanThe Bulldogs graduated Jack Egan- someone who was a force immediately upon entering college, and continued to be a major influence as this team contionued to defy doubters when it mattered most. That hurts. Moreover, they graduated three women who regularly competed t the highest level of open team racing, including Mia Nicolosi who secured the starting spot seemingly as the team reached their peak, finishing second at TR nationals last year. It is easy to forecast a major fall-back. However, Leonard, Healy and their revolving door of talented assistant coaches always seem to estill the foundation needed to show up. Yale has won half of the Team Race National championships since 2013. That's probably the most important stat to consider.
Charles HigginsThe class of 2025 was a special one for the bulldogs, and graduation arguably hit this team harder than anyone else. This team may be the hardest to predict at this stage simply due to the fact that we don't truly know who will lineup for them. But they have talent, and the coaching staff has been getting top performance out of it's roster for years. I expect them to figure things out by the end of April and see them in New Orleans.
Charles HigginsI think this team will be in good shape. Tough graduating an experienced senior, but this team has a history of development and getting everyone on the same page. I think with the arrival of some top freshmen this fall the Eagles will be a very good team by April.
Brendan FeeneyThey lost their Head Coach and Senior Michels, but this team will be relevant. Historically, they struggle early in the season. It takes this team some time to thaw which conveniently coincides with this same happening to their lake. By April, they hit their stride and enter the nationals ready to push for the Final Four. But there are no guarantees in sport. They have unanswered questions that need answering. Very excited to see Rebecca told hold of this program. Watch out.
Chris KlevanChase Decker will ensure this team cannot possibly miss being top-8 worthy. Last year they earned a 7th and were likely disappointed. Despite the loss of some All-American talent, I would doubt they finish worse than last year.
Charles HigginsSeems pretty predictable who will be in 2/3 of the boats. How well a 3rd boat can be developed and brought up to speed will determine how far this team can go.
Brendan FeeneyThis team is fast. Very fast. Plus, the entire Northeast is frozen while these guys are practicing away and already sailing regattas. Expect great early season results. The expect other teams to close the gap. Late in the year their early season practice advantage in hours may just have them poised for a run like this organization was doing with consistency a few years back.
Chris KlevanDark horse?
Charles HigginsThis team has had some flashes in the past, and they've got some slippery skippers. Time will tell if they have enough to progress faster than the teams around them.
Brendan FeeneyThey graduated several seniors, but is hard to say if it will matter. They make so many roster changes, even during nationals, it's hard to get an accurate read on this team. Meditto showed tremendous promise at the Nationals in '24, getting this team past Yale to punch into the top 8 where they went on an impressive run largely thanks to his boat speed. However, his playing time was unexpectedly largely curtailed last year and junior Barnard, a strong yachty, has had very limited regatta experience. They have added a new assistant coach and a strong freshman skipper. On paper this roster should have this team running side-by-side with Navy to win the conference, but experience, frequent roster changes, and a thin regatta schedule might prevent this team from besting a disappointing nationals finish a season ago.
Chris KlevanLots of turnover, I am not sure what to expect.
Charles HigginsVery difficult to predict. Undeniable that there's talent and potential, it just hasn't been consistent enough, and with so many graduating seniors it will be tough to get back to where we've been accustomed to seeing the Hoyas in previous seasons.
Brendan FeeneyThey have the talent and the coaching to win big races. Their success will be a function of their focus and their lake melting in time to let Coach Norfleet work his magic.
Chris KlevanCoach Norfleet will surely whip them into shape.
Charles HigginsAnother year under Coach Norfleet and this team should continue to rise.
Brendan FeeneyThey have talented and very motivated sailors. I expect this team to be one level off MAISA's best early in the year, winning races and getting better. Look for them to make a strong push to get back to the Nationals.
Charles HigginsLike some other teams, we know they have 2 solid boats. Is there a 3rd and can they develop in time?
Brendan FeeneyCoaching, resources, heart, and a strong team culture make this team relevant year-after-year. Their sailors love sailing, and that alone is a recipe for success. They will be contending with Gtown and the NADS for this conference. Performing at Nationals will be another question.
Brendan FeeneyTheir roster is stronger than it has been in recent years. They will push the to MAISA teams. Don't rule these guys out of anything.
Charles HigginsI feel like this team is a bit of a dark horse. They have a core that's been able to work together for a little while now, and this could be the occasion for them to start gaining some serious momentum in a conference with only 1 standout team.
Brendan FeeneyCold weather will hurt their early-season prep, sparring with the nation's best weekend after weekend in NEISA might have this team ready for a nationals birth and the ability to win some big races.
