The Eckerd sailing team delivered a standout showing at the Atlantic Coast Tournament in New London, Connecticut, finishing second out of 17 teams with 98 points. The Tritons climbed two spots in the standings on the final day of competition to clinch the impressive runner-up result.
Eckerd opened competition on Saturday following a wind delay that pushed the first race start to 12:45 p.m. Winds ranged from 6-8 knots with a strong current running up the course, creating challenging conditions across the fleet.
PJ Rodrigues and Peyton Seidle represented the Tritons in the A Division aboard 420s, while Jordan Vieira and Avery Guck competed in the B Division sailing FJs.
Racing continued through the afternoon before shifting winds halted competition around 4:45 p.m. Seven races were completed on the day, highlighted by a first-place finish from Vieira and Guck in the final race of the session.
Eckerd closed the opening day in fourth place with 73 points, sitting just three points behind third. Both divisions were also in fourth individually, with Rodrigues and Seidle totaling 39 points and Vieira and Guck collecting 34.
The divisions switched boats on Sunday, with the A Division moving to FJs and the B Division competing in 420s. Conditions brought a cold westerly breeze and a weaker current than the previous day.
Each division completed one race before the current overtook the wind, forcing officials to abandon the next set of races and send sailors back to the dock for a delay. Racing resumed around 1:45 p.m. as the breeze began filling in from the mouth of the river. With a 3 p.m. cutoff approaching, only one additional set of races could be completed.
The Tritons entered the final stretch in fourth place, nine points behind third. Both divisions delivered strong performances, recording two top-five finishes apiece on Sunday to help Eckerd climb the standings. Entering the final race, Eckerd had moved into third place, just two points behind second, before making one last push to secure the runner-up finish with 98 points.
Rodrigues and Seidle placed second in the A Division with 54 points, finishing in the top half of the fleet in nine of 10 races. Vieira and Guck finished third in the B Division with 44 points, also recording top-half finishes in nine of 10 races.
The Tritons conclude their fall 2026 season at the Fall SAISA Championship on October 31 through November 1.
