Harvard Sailing is set to tackle a demanding five-regatta weekend as the Crimson open October with competitions spread across four states. The squad will split its roster among the Saturday-only Smith Trophy hosted by MIT and the BU Invitational hosted by Boston University, along with three two-day events: the Women’s ACC Round 1 hosted by Bowdoin, the Danmark Trophy hosted by the US Coast Guard Academy, and the Moody Trophy hosted by Rhode Island.
Weather conditions look promising across all venues. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the Smith Trophy and BU Invitational take place, sunny skies and mid-60s temperatures are expected with north to northeast winds between 7 and 9 knots. Up in Harpswell, Maine, the Women’s ACC Round 1 will enjoy sunshine on Saturday at 66 degrees with light 5-to-6-knot winds out of the north-northwest, while Sunday brings cloud cover, slightly cooler temperatures, and a wind shift to the southeast.
The Danmark Trophy in New London, Connecticut, will see Saturday temperatures nudging toward 70 degrees under sunny skies with northeast winds at 6 to 8 knots. Sunday turns mostly cloudy in the mid-60s, but the wind picks up to nearly 9 knots from the east-northeast to east-southeast. Down in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, the Moody Trophy promises a stellar Saturday with sunny skies, mid-to-upper 60s, and winds between 6 and 9 knots. Sunday shifts to partly cloudy with steady 7-knot easterly winds.
Harvard enters this weekend having navigated a disrupted schedule last week due to a nor’easter that hammered the East Coast. The Eagle Invitational hosted by Boston College and the Hood Trophy hosted by Tufts were both canceled outright. The Mrs. Hurst Bowl was limited to a single A-Division race, while the Hoyt Trophy became a Sunday-only affair.
Despite the abbreviated schedule, the Crimson made the most of their opportunities. Kate Danielson and JJ Drummond won the lone race of the Mrs. Hurst Bowl hosted by Dartmouth, which proved enough to claim the regatta title. Grace Montgomery and Skyler Reading were on site for B-Division sailing before weather shut things down.
At the Hoyt Trophy hosted by Brown, Harrison Strom and Zia Zucker competed in A-Division, while Zoey Ziskind sailed B-Division with William Bourell in races 1 and 2 and Amelie Zucker in races 3 through 10. Strom and Zucker posted an impressive string of single-digit finishes in races 3 through 7, going 4-6-7-3-3 to finish with a score of 80. Ziskind and Amelie Zucker recorded five single-digit finishes over the final eight races, including a win in Race 8, finishing with a 66. Ziskind and Bourell opened the regatta with finishes of 10th and 5th.
Looking at historical context, the Crimson contested the same five regattas last year. Harvard placed 11th at the BU Invitational and 13th at the Smith Trophy, both one-day events, then finished fourth at the Danmark Trophy, seventh at the Women’s ACC Round 1, and 11th at the Moody Trophy. The only venue change from 2025 is the Women’s ACC Round 1, which moves from Annapolis, Maryland, to Harpswell, Maine.
Harvard also recently competed at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta in Chicago, Illinois, the first event in a three-race offshore series. The remaining legs are the Long Island Sound Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta on October 9 through 11 and the Pacific Northwest Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta on November 13 through 15. Representing the Crimson in Chicago were Xavier Ayala-Vermont, James Bergstrom, Julia Downey, Pax Huybers, Theresa Straw, and Emily Chamish. The team finished seventh in the J105 Division with a score of 19, while the US Coast Guard Academy won with a score of seven.
Next up after this weekend, Harvard is scheduled to appear at the Open ACC Round 1 hosted by St. Mary’s, the Stu Nelson Trophy hosted by Connecticut College, and the Sister Ester Trophy hosted by Salve Regina, all set for Saturday, October 10 through Sunday, October 11.
