Feb 22, 2026 @ 19:48:42 EST
Into every life, a little rain must fall and Sunday morning's Duke Spring Invite found sailors rigging at the tail end of a passing squall. Conditions were blustery with temperatures in the mid-50s and stong breeze evident from the moment teams launched and the course was set. In it's more usual direction, wind on Lake Crabtree was blowing South-Southeast at 10-12 mph with more aggressive gusts across the lake throughout the morning. Racing began following a short skippers' meeting at 10AM and the race committee was able to complete the first set without issue. Rotations went smoothly from the waterfront and despite the chilly rain and wind, several spectators braved the elements to watch the regatta from shore.
Early in the contest, Palm Beach Atlantic, the University of Tennessee, and the University of South Carolina traded early shots while Clemson began to climb after a strong first set in B-Division with Florida Tech showing at the vanguard of the fleet. Midday the rain stopped and the wind continued to build 12-15 and stronger gusts clocking into a nearly full easterly over the course of the afternoon. The second set for A-Division saw Clemson continuing to climb, Palm Beach and Tennessee protecting their lead. With the rainstorm building stronger, yet no easing of the wind, the final B-Division set saw South Carolina deliver back-to-back bullets, pulling into third overall place, yet not enough to overcome Clemson, and by that point, the unreachable Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish.
Congrats on the regatta victory to the PBA Sailfish on your first trip as a program to Lake Crabtree, the hidden gemstone of SAISA North, and well-done to all of the competitors for a well-sailed regatta with great camraderie on shore, and sportsmanship and corinthian values on full display on the water. Only one protest was granted, three capsizes, and no breakdowns. Thanks to SAISA Reps Kirsten Delaney and Esteban Forrer for their service at the event and thanks to the also-host NC State Wolfpack volunteers for supporting the Duke Spring Invite on Race Committee and onshore, and congrats to the current Duke team for hosting their second regatta in as many years, a first since the late 1970s for the Blue Devil program. Photos from the event are online: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ziD9X0wJvmyH_bofuHvD6GkptGYvbwYs?usp=sharing.
| School | Team | A | B | TOT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Palm Beach Atlantic University | Sailfish | 14 | 22 | 36 | |||
| 2 |  | Clemson University | Tigers | 29 | 17 | 46 | |||
| 3 |  | University of South Carolina | Gamecocks | 26 | 22 | 48 | |||
| 4 |  | University of Tennessee | Volunteers | 15 | 34 | 49 | |||
| 5 |  | North Carolina State University | Wolfpack | 34 | 26 | 60 | |||
| 6 |  | Duke University | Blue Devils | 38 | 30 | 68 | |||
| 7 |  | Florida Institute of Technology | Panthers | 52 | 20 | 72 | |||
| 8 |  | University of Georgia | Bulldogs | 37 | 53 | 90 | |||
| 9 |  | University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Seahawks | 37 | 54 | 91 | |||
| 10 |  | University of North Carolina | Tar Heels | 49 | 52 | 101 |
The following chart shows the relative rank of the teams as of the race indicated. Note that the races are ordered by number, then division, which may not represent the order in which the races were actually sailed.
The first place team as of a given race will always be at the top of the chart. The spacing from one team to the next shows relative gains/losses made from one race to the next. You may hover over the data points to display the total score as of that race.
