ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. —
Coast Guard sailing concluded the 2024-25 season with an 11th-place finish at the Open Western Semifinal, held May 27–28 in St. Mary's City, Maryland. The event featured 36 of the nation's top collegiate teams split into two groups of 18, with the top nine teams from each semifinal earning a berth to the finals.
Representing the Bears were senior Colman Schofield (Yorktown, Va.) and junior Charles Pohl (Euclid, Ohio) in A-Division, along with seniors Nicholas Reeser (Wilton Manors, Fla.) and Daniel Neville (Plantation, Fla.) in B-Division. Seniors Jack Derry (East Lyme, Conn.), Laura Slovensky (Brookhaven, N.Y.), Sarah Krajewski (Lewes, Del.) and junior Bradley Whiteway (Potomac, Md.), served as alternates while contributing to the team's efforts throughout the regatta.
Each division competed in ten races during the two-day event. Day one featured a light and shifty easterly breeze that rarely exceeded ten knots, challenging all teams with unpredictable shifts and inconsistent pressure. The result was high average scores across the fleet.
Day two brought slightly stronger northeast winds ranging from 5–12 knots, accompanied by torrential rain that lasted nearly the entire day. The downpour severely limited visibility, making it difficult to read wind shifts and pressure, further adding to the regatta's tactical complexity.
Heading into the final B-Division set, the Bears were sitting in ninth place - just inside the qualifying bubble - with a slim four-point lead over Jacksonville University. However, two tough final races that ended in 17th and 13th place finishes dropped the Bears to 12th overall, just ten points shy of a qualifying position.
Despite the narrow miss, the Bears can look back on a proud and competitive season. The Western Semifinal roster featured a core group of seniors whose leadership and commitment have been instrumental in the program's success over the past four years.
"We're incredibly proud of the work the team put in all season long," says head coach David Thompson. "This result doesn't define us — it reflects how competitive college sailing has become. We're thankful to our seniors and excited to build on this momentum in the fall."
Bears sailing will return to action this fall, focused and excited to get back on the water!
RESULTS
