RYE, N.Y. - Old Dominion sailing’s Esther Ireland earned a fifth-place finish at the 2026 Women’s College Sailing Singlehanded National Championship. Fifteen schools and 18 boats competed for the national title hosted by Fordham this past weekend.
“Esther had a great national championship regatta, representing the Monarchs well,” said ODU Head Coach Mitch Brindley. “Her strength really showed in the heavy air conditions; she was fast and strategically smart throughout the regatta. Going into the last race, she was in a podium position in third, five points up on fourth and six points up on fifth place. It was very tight.”
“Unfortunately, Esther played the last upwind leg differently, splitting with the opponents. And the Yale and Stanford sailors were able to take advantage of her tactical error. It is very challenging to hold a podium position in the last windward leg against multiple close competitors. I was very proud of her execution throughout the championship.”
Harvard’s Kate Danielson earned the Janet Lutz Trophy with a first place finish of 42 points. Tulane’s Ava Anderson finished 16 points behind Danielson in second place (58). Yale’s Audrey Foley captured the final podium spot in third with 71 points.
Stanford’s Avery Baldwin and ODU’s Ireland were both within striking distance of capturing a podium spot. But the Cardinals finished with 73 and the Silver and Blue had 74 to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.
Harvard’s second boat manned by Marion Montgomery finished in sixth (79) followed by Bowdoin (81) in seventh. Tulane’s second boat was helmed by Oakley Cunningham and placed eighth (105). South Florida (139), Dartmouth (14), Charleston (150), California (158), Rollins (175), and Georgetown (186) finished in places 9-14.
Charleston’s second boat ended the weekend in 15th (187) and host Fordham finished in 16th (192). Hope College (236) and Queen’s University (266) placed 17th and 18th, respectively.