Toppa Keys Cougar Sailors To Weekend Sweep

Saturday, April 7

St. Petersburg, Fla.

College of Charleston

SAISA Team Race Championships

4/8/2018 9:13:00 PM | Sailing

NEW LONDON, Conn. --- Alie Toppa (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Annabel Carrington (White Stone, Va.) delivered a dominating performance to win A-Division and lead the College of Charleston sailing team to victory at the Emily Wick Women's, as the Cougars grabbed a pair of team victories at the SAISA Coed and Team Race Championships in St. Petersburg, Fla. to complete the weekend sweep.

The Cougars cruised to a comfortable win at the SAISA Team Race Championships on Saturday to begin the weekend. After Charleston posted an unblemished 4-0 record in round one, the Cougars went a perfect 3-0 in round two to book their ticket to the ICSA Team Race National Championships, to be hosted by Old Dominion on May 26-28 in Norfolk, Va. Christophe Killian (Newport Beach, Calif.), Augie Dale (Pewaukee, Wis.), and Stefano Peschiera (Lima, Peru) skippered, with Elizabeth Pemberton (Osterville, Mass.), Katie Lounsbury (Jensen Beach, Fla.), and Grace McCarthy (San Diego, Calif.) serving as crew.

Charleston's women's team faced one of the most competitive fields of the season at the Emily Wick Women's and showed no fear, finishing the weekend with 97 points to edge Brown by three points for the team championship. Alie Toppa and Carrington totaled 42 points to win A-Division by 15 points, while Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.), Liza Toppa, and Elizabeth Mignon (Bay Head, N.J.) placed third in B-Division with 55 points.

The Cougars capped the weekend with an emphatic 26-point win at the SAISA Coed Championship. Dale skippered Charleston to a 19-point victory in B-Division, as he combined with crew of Lounsbury and Carter Cameron (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) to post 17 points from 12 races. Peschiera teamed with McCarthy and Pemberton for a seven-point win in A-Division with 29 points to help the Cougars book their ticket to the ICSA Coed National Championships in Norfolk, Va. on May 29 – June 1.

Charleston will sail in two regattas next weekend in addition to Charleston Race Week, which takes place April 13-15 at the J. Stewart Walker Sailing Complex. The Cougars will travel to the Navy Spring Coed Intersectional in Annapolis, Md. on Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15, and the Thompson Trophy on Saturday and Sunday in New London, Conn.