NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane sailing team has finalized its 2019 spring schedule, which features three additional home regattas in the team’s inaugural varsity season, head coach Charles Higgins announced on Tuesday.
“I’m really looking forward to this season’s schedule,” Higgins said. “We have a preseason event to start at the same site as our Women’s Conference Championship later this spring in Austin. That will be followed by an excellent lineup at our home Nelson Roltsch Team Race, where preseason No. 6 Stanford along with defending national champion and preseason No. 9 College of Charleston will headline an incredibly strong field of competitors.”
The Green Wave are set to open their spring season on Jan. 26 and 27 in Austin, Texas, sailing in the SEISA Open. The team will then have a three-week break before opening spring action at home, hitting the water in the Nelson Roltsch Team Race on Feb. 16 and 17 on Lake Pontchartrain.
Tulane will travel to the College of Charleston the following weekend, competing in the Charleston Women’s Regatta on Feb. 23 and 24 before heading back home to host the Garner-Tullis Team Race on March 9.
The Olive and Blue then hit the road for four straight away trips, beginning with the St. Mary’s Women’s Regatta on March 16 and 17 in St. Mary’s, Maryland. The team stays on the East Coast the following weekend, participating in the Admiral Moore Regatta hosted by State University of New York Maritime College in the Bronx, New York.
Traveling to the West Coast one week later, the Green Wave are set to participate in the St. Francis Invite on March 30 and 31 in San Francisco before heading to Navy to compete in the Navy Spring Coed Regatta on April 13 and 14 in Annapolis, Maryland.
Tulane heads back to New Orleans for its final home regatta of the season, hosting the SEISA Team Race and Coed Conference Championships on April 20 and 21.
“Being able to host our Coed Team Race and Fleet Race Conference Championships at home is obviously a terrific advantage,” Higgins said. “In our conference, only the winner of the Team Race and the top two of the Fleet Race are guaranteed a berth to the National Championships. I know the team will be able to carry an extra bit of confidence that weekend, knowing what’s at stake.”
The Green Wave finish off their first complete season at the varsity level at the University of Texas on April 27 and 28, sailing in the SEISA Women’s Conference Championship.
“The spring championship season features women’s fleet racing, coed team racing and coed fleet racing, and therefore it was important that the team get a solid mix throughout the season,” Higgins added. “Traveling to various venues and having a large breadth of competition helps ensure we are as prepared as possible for our Conference Championships at the end of April, and obviously the National Championships in Newport at the end of May.”
The ICSA Women’s National Championship, Team Race National Championship and Coed National Championship will be held at Brown University from March 21-31.
Article of Tulane Sports Information Department.