HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University sailing team, — the only HBCU in the nation with a varsity co-ed sailing program, won its third straight regatta winning the Grant Trophy. With the Pirates finished in the top six they have qualified for next week’s MAISA Conference Championship.
The field consisted of 10 teams racing in the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. Races were canceled on Saturday due to strong gusty winds over 30 knots. Multiple starts were attempted but the winds proved to be too much. However, Sunday’s conditions say average winds of eight knots out of the south.
Hampton’s A division consisted of skipper Tyler Brown and crew Asia Warren. Brown and Warren competed in two races winning the first race but then the skipper went overboard due to the high winds. The team opted to change to a heavier paring with Brown moving to crew and Valerio Palamara becoming the skipper. The Pirates A division won two out of the three reaming races.
The Pirates B division consisting of Stefano Palamara (skipper) and Tommaso Ciaglia (crew) won all five races. Palamara and Ciaglia’s late first-place finishes helped Hampton pull away late from Christopher Newport University.
The Grant Trophy was the Pirate’s first home regatta in five years due to Covid and scheduling issues. Hampton Sailing would like to thank the volunteer race committee for all of their hard work this weekend for a great regatta.
Thank you so much for the work of the race committee boat Jonathan Romero, PRO Dave Jennette, Dawn Weber, Jacob Raymond, Sarah Raymond John Bowers. Hampton Sailing would also like to thank mark boat crews Malcolm Brady, Gordon Brown, and Dave Hannah along with the on-shore support crew Jennifer Wise and Mary Brown.
The sailing program at Hampton University started in 1995 and remains the first and only HBCU with a varsity co-ed sailing program.
The Pirates will be back in action next weekend at the America Trophy.