Full Results:
Riley Cup
Laser South
Navy Women's

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Christopher Newport sailing team embarked on the 2022-23 season this weekend with a trio of regattas as the Captains sent a team to Old Dominion University for the Riley Cup and a group to the Naval Academy for the Navy Women's and the Laser South. The Captains' best finish of the weekend came at the Laser South where senior David Grace pulled in for a ninth place finish in the singlehanded event. 

Grace finished ninth and the other CNU competitor, rookie Aston Atherton, captured a 13th-place showing in his first collegiate event. Facing a fleet of 20 of the region's top single-handed sailors, the Captains duo combined for ten top-ten efforts in the nine completed races. Grace had a particularly strong showing outside of one breakdown that saw him slip slightly in the standings. In the other eight finishes, he finished in the top half all eight times with a regatta-high finish of fifth in the final rotation. 

Atherton recorded 118 total points and Grace closed with 73 for the top-ten individual finish. 

While the men were sailing in Laser's, the CNU Women took the same water for double-handed sailing in the Navy Women's Regatta. With just seven teams in the event, the entire fleet sailed together in both A and B division, where the Captains finished 13th and 14th, respectively. Featuring a pair of freshmen skippers steering the Captains for the first time in a collegiate event, the A division boat finished with 117 points and the B division with 118 points. Grace Watlington paired with junior Ellie McFall in the A division boat while rookie Laura Smith sailed with junior Grace Keene. 

Rounding out the sailing events for the weekend was the Riley Cup, where Christopher Newport captured a 12th-place finish in the fleet of 16 teams. With better sailing conditions than in Maryland, the Captains were able to complete 13 total races in both A and B division. 

The B division pairing of freshmen Joshua Bendura and Sebastian Beavers finished 11th with 138 points. They raced to six top-ten finishes in the 13 total runs. In A division, the Captains also finished 11th, tying with St. Mary's (Md.) and winning a head-to-head tiebreaker with 125 total points. Seniors Brian Fox and Carson Rozell were in the boat for the Captains and had a pair of fourth- and a pair of fifth-place showings to lead the way. They finished the weekend with seven top-ten finishes. 

Next weekend, the Captains will be back in action with a pair of events as they sail at the Chesapeake Invitational hosted by St. Mary's (Md.) and at the Kingsmill Cup, hosted by the College of William & Mary.