ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Palm Beach Atlantic sailing team finished sixth at the SAISA South Top 6 Invitational hosted by the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, marking the Sailfish's first appearance at the qualification-based event.

PBA earned its spot at the Top 6 through its performance at last spring's SAISA Championships. The regatta brought together six of the top programs from the SAISA South, with A, B and C divisions racing together to create a competitive 18-boat fleet.

Representing the Sailfish were Dawson Kohl '27 and Kaylee King '28 in A Division, Nathan Hjort '27 and Madelyn Smith '27 in B Division, and Priscilla Foster '27 and Grace VanGessel '29 in C Division. Jordon Hetchler '30 and Felicity Jones '29 traveled as reserves.

Racing began at 10 a.m. in a light SSE breeze of approximately five knots. As the day progressed, an incoming tide strengthened down the course and created light chop, adding another tactical challenge for the fleet. The opening two races were sailed in roughly five knots before the breeze dropped to four knots and became increasingly shifty.

Conditions continued to evolve during the second set, with winds ranging from four to six knots and shifts of approximately 20 degrees between SSE and SSW. The final three-race set brought the strongest breeze of the day, with puffs reaching 11 knots as the wind shifted west and race officials made several course adjustments.

PBA's A Division team of Kohl and King led the way for the Sailfish, totaling 72 points across nine races. The pair recorded seven top-10 finishes, highlighted by a fourth-place result in race five and a fifth-place finish in the opening race.

Hjort and Smith finished the day with 135 points in B Division, while Foster and Van Gessel totaled 148 points in C Division. The Sailfish finished sixth overall with a combined score of 355 points.

The fleet returned to shore for a break around 2:30 p.m., but approaching storms and lightning prevented racing from resuming for the remainder of the day.

For PBA, the program's first appearance at the Top 6 provided an opportunity to compete against a strong regional field and gain experience in a large, highly competitive fleet. The changing breeze, current and challenging conditions provided valuable lessons for the Sailfish as they continue into the heart of their fall schedule.

PBA will look to build on that experience next week at two SAISA events. The Sailfish women travel to Charleston for the SAISA Women's Top 9, an ACC qualifying event, while PBA will also return to St. Petersburg for the SAISA South Trophy.

PBA Sailing thanks SAISA representative Jon Faudree and the USF Bulls for hosting the regatta.