CRANSTON, R.I. - No. 2 Stanford sailing won its second consecutive ICSA Women's Team Race Championship on Monday afternoon, putting on a dominant display with a 16-1 record across two days of competition
The Cardinal outpaced the 12-team field, edging out top-seeded Yale by one win, while Harvard (9-8) and Cornell (8-9) rounded out the top four.
The win marks Stanford's fourth women's national title and sixth overall championship in program history. The Cardinal has been particularly dominant in recent years, winning five titles over the past three seasons (2024: Women's Fleet and Women's Team; 2023: Open Fleet and Women's Fleet).
“I could not be more impressed with the level of sailing and composure the team put forth at this championship," head coach Chris Klevan said. "Only three of our eight sailors competing sailed in last year’s championship, one of whom made an unprecedented switch from crew to skipper, yet we defended the title with grace under immense pressure from great competition.“
Stanford established itself as a title contender early, posting an 11-1 record in the Round of 12 to share the lead with Yale after the opening round-robin, highlighted by a crucial 1-4-5 victory over the Bulldogs and a pair of sweeps over Charleston and Pennsylvania
Stanford continues its strong showing by going unbeaten in the Round of 6, securing a second win over Yale to gain sole possession of first place and claim any potential tiebreaker over the Bulldogs.
Holding a one-win lead entering the Final Four, Stanford secured the championship with a 1-2-4 victory over Cornell before light wind conditions halted competition, and the Cardinal was officially crowned national champions.
Sophie Fisher, Ellie Harned, and Vanessa Lahrkamp handled skipper duties, while Piper Blackband, Kit Harned, Alice Schmid, Ashtyn Tierney, and Shay Wood each served as crew.
The Cardinal continues to add to its extensive list of national team championships, now totaling 169 with this victory. Sailing is the second Stanford program to win a national title during the 2024-25 campaign, joining Artistic Swimming.
Stanford will return to the water for two more national championship opportunities next month, beginning with the ICSA Women’s Fleet Race Championship on May 20-23, followed by the ICSA Open Fleet Race Championships on May 27-30.