CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Palm Beach Atlantic women's sailing team made its first appearance at the SAISA Women's Top 9 on Sept. 19-20, earning its place in the competitive field after finishing eighth at last year's SAISA Women's Championship at the University of South Florida.
Hosted by the College of Charleston, this year's event put the Sailfish up against eight other SAISA programs in two days of challenging conditions. PBA finished ninth overall with 444 combined points while gaining valuable experience on the Charleston waterways.
Saturday began with the race committee heading out despite a forecast calling for limited wind. The decision paid off briefly, as enough breeze filled in to get racing underway. After one race for the co-ed fleet, however, a major wind shift created competing wind patterns that brought further racing to a halt.
The race committee then attempted to find more consistent breeze in the river, but diminishing wind and building current made it impossible to establish a workable course. The fleet returned to the dock around noon for a lunch break before heading back out to Crab Bank.
Conditions improved in the afternoon, allowing the women's fleet to complete seven races in each set before thunderstorms moved into the area and forced an early end to the day.
The first day also gave the Sailfish an opportunity to challenge themselves in new roles. Competing in FJs, Priscilla Foster '27 and Grace VanGessel '29 served as skippers for the event, taking on added responsibility as they adjusted to the different demands of the position.
Foster teamed with Madelyn Smith '27 in PBA's A Division, finishing the weekend with 215 points across 14 races. VanGessel sailed the B Division with Kalia Peterson '28, collecting 229 points. VanGessel and Peterson recorded the Sailfish's best individual race finish of the weekend with a ninth-place result in race 12.
Sunday brought a different challenge as the women's fleet moved into 420s. The race committee was able to begin racing quickly in the river, where a more consistent breeze allowed seven races to be completed before the fleet finished early for the day.
As racing progressed, large shifts and oscillations made the river course increasingly difficult to read. The strong currents in Charleston added another layer of complexity as sailors adjusted to constantly changing conditions.
Across 14 races, PBA finished with 444 combined points, completing its first Women's Top 9 appearance and gaining valuable experience ahead of the championship portion of the fall schedule.
Up Next
The Sailfish Women's Team will return to the College of Charleston for the SAISA Women's Championship on Oct. 30-31. PBA will look to carry the experience gained from its first Women's Top 9 appearance into the conference championship.
