The kickoff of the 2025 College Match Racing Championships in St. Petersburg, FL is scheduled for this morning. Unfortunately, the breeze has not been cooperating. Teams were spotted floating near the starting line as recently as 11:30 this morning waiting for enough breeze to get off a race.
The Brown University Bears, scheduled for the first race, arrive at the helm this weekend with strong momentum: seniors Guthrie Braun and Katherine McNamara, junior Camren Spriggs and sophomore Charlie Gish make up the core squad, and they entered this championship after finishing second in the NEISA Match Race Championship earlier this fall. In 2024 they also secured a runner-up finish at this very national event. Harvard, led by Justin Callahan, is largely seen as the favorite to win the regatta.
The event is hosted by University of South Florida at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, and the racing was set to begin at 9 a.m. today.
Wind & Conditions Update
Current wind strength at the 2025 College Match Racing Championships is light — today’s breeze is modest, meaning crews aren’t facing strong, steady winds but rather a gentler breath of air.
The wind direction is shifting: Earlier in the morning the breeze came from the ENE/NE, and as the day warms, the forecast shows it veering toward the W/WNW.
While there’s no strong sustained breeze yet, the models suggest the wind will build slightly into the late morning and afternoon, likely reaching ≈4-9 knots if sailors are lucky.
Because the sea state is calm and the wind is modest, small local effects—shoreline thermal shifts, land/sea breeze interaction, current distortions—will be especially important.
Update: Sea Breeze Starts To Fill In And Races Kickoff
An early sea breeze of about 10 knots filled in later in the day. The course was moved out further into Tampa Bay near the Skyway Bridge. After several bullets Harvard heads into Day 2 in first place.
