UP NEXT » Stanford closes the 2025-26 regular season this week, heading to South Florida for the ICSA Fleet Race National Championships. The women's competition starts first, running from Friday to Monday. Then the open competition gets underway on Tuesday, and runs until next Friday.
ICSA REFRESHER » The Cardinal has already picked up an ICSA National Championship this season, winning the Open Team Race title last month. Last season, the Card swept both Fleet Race crowns.
FLEET RACE SUCCESSES » Stanford boasts five fleet race titles in program history, including three-straight women's crowns. In open competition, the Cardinal has won in 2023 and 2025.
STANFORD IN THE RANKINGS » The Card is in the top two of both the ICSA Women's and coed rankings. The Stanford women earned the top spot, while the coed squad landed second nationally.
STRONG SEASON SO FAR » Stanford was strong in the fall season, and only improved the pace once the calendar flipped to 2026. The Cardinal finished in the top three of 37 out of 40 regattas, including 26 first-place finishes.
ADDING TO THE TROPHY CASE » The Card has already picked up a number of titles this season, winning the:
- PCCSC Women's Singlehanded Championship (Sept. 21)
- PCCSC Match Race Championship (Oct. 5)
- Women's ACC Finals (Oct. 12)
- PCCSC Women's Fall Championship (Oct. 26)
- PCCSC Open Fall Championship (Nov. 16)
- PCCSC Open Team Race Championship (Apr. 5)
- PCCSC Women's Fleet Race Championship (Apr. 12)
- PCCSC Women's Team Race Championship (Apr. 12)
- ICSA Women's Team Race National Championship (Apr. 27)
2024-25 IN REVIEW » Cardinal sailing enjoyed the most successful season in program history during the 2024-25 campaign, capturing three national titles and earning the program's second Leonard M. Fowle Trophy.
Stanford now boasts eight national championships with 5 women’s and 3 coed crowns, seven of which have come in the last three seasons under head coach Chris Klevan.
RETURNERS WITH HARDWARE » The successes of 2024-25 resulted in a long list of individual accolades for the Card, nearly all of whom are back for the 2025-26 campaign.
Vanessa Lahrkamp was unanimously named the Quantum Women’s Sailor of the Year to win the award for the second consecutive season, joining Dartmouth’s Dierdre Lambert (2013–14) as the only multiple-time recipient of the award.
Alice Schmid was honored as the Mitchell M. Brindley Crew of the Year, while Thomas Sitzmann was one of two finalists for the Everett Morris Memorial Trophy, awarded to the 2025 Open Sailor of the Year.
A total of eight Stanford sailors earned ICSA All-America recognition, with both Lahrkamp and Ellie Harned receiving multiple honors. Lahrkamp was named an All-American skipper in both the Women’s and Open divisions, while Harned earned nods on the Women’s Skipper and Crew teams.
Sitzmann earned his second All-American award as an Open Skipper, while Sophie Fisher became the third Cardinal to be named to the Women's Skipper team for her first career All-America honor.
Schmid and Piper Blackband rounded out the First Team All-America crews for Stanford, while Kit Harned and Ashtyn Tierney earned honorable mention nods.