Maine Maritime Academy made program history October 24–25, competing in the Open Atlantic Coast Tournament at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. The Mariners finished sixth among 18 teams, marking the program's first appearance in the Atlantic Coast Championship Series and a significant milestone for the growing dinghy program.
The Mariners earned their place in the series with a strong performance at the Hoyt Trophy, hosted by Brown University on September 27. MMA finished ahead of several established collegiate sailing programs, including Boston University, the University of Vermont, Northeastern University, Salve Regina University, and the University of New Hampshire, earning a berth in the Open Atlantic Coast Championships Round 1A.
Round 1A, held October 10–11 at St. Mary's College of Maryland, brought together a competitive field of 17 teams vying for a place in the Atlantic Coast Championship Finals. The Mariners finished 13th, a strong showing in their first appearance at this level of competition. The top nine teams advanced to the Championship Finals, while the remaining teams moved on to the Atlantic Coast Tournament.
On Saturday morning, teams at the Tournament were greeted by a light northerly breeze on the Thames River that gradually faded. After the competitors' meeting, the Race Committee postponed racing ashore until a southwesterly filled in around 1 p.m. The breeze settled in at a steady seven knots, allowing both divisions to get racing underway.
A-Division sailors Finn Deprez, sophomore, and Jocelyn Widrick, first-year, found their rhythm as the afternoon progressed. The pair posted four finishes in the top five during the second set of races, including a first-place finish in the third race, climbing the standings as the day went on.
Sunday brought another northerly breeze in the morning, allowing one race to be completed in each division before racing was postponed. A southwesterly filled in around 2:15 p.m., and the Race Committee completed two additional races in each division to close out the regatta.
With sixth place still undecided, sophomore sailors Toby Clarkson and Isabel Dickson delivered when it mattered most. Going into the final B-Division race, Connecticut College held sixth place with 149 points, while Maine Maritime and Old Dominion University were tied, with Old Dominion holding the tiebreaker. Clarkson and Dickson won the final race, giving the Mariners the points they needed to break the tie with Old Dominion and move ahead of Connecticut College in the overall standings.
The final-race victory secured sixth place for Maine Maritime, capping the program's first appearance in the Atlantic Coast Championship Series with a strong finish against a national field.
The Path to Nationals
The Atlantic Coast Championship Series follows a format similar to the spring national championship. At nationals, 36 teams compete across two 18-team semifinal fleets, with the top nin finishers from each semifinal advancing to the national championship. Fourteen berths are awarded automatically to conference champions, while a selection committee chooses the remaining 22 teams based on their head-to-head performance throughout the season.
The Atlantic Coast Championship Series provides a similar opportunity for teams to compete against a national field. Following Round 1, the top nine teams from each semifinal advance to the Atlantic Coast Championship Finals, while the remaining teams compete in the Atlantic Coast Tournament.
The Atlantic Coast Tournament is an important opportunity for programs to compete on the national stage. For Maine Maritime, qualifying for the series for the first time provided valuable championship experience and an opportunity to demonstrate the program's competitiveness beyond its regular conference schedule.
That experience can also contribute to the Mariners' case for selection to the spring national championship. With 22 semifinal berths determined by a selection committee, performances against strong competition provide an opportunity for programs to make their case for an at-large selection.
For MMA Sailing, this year's appearance marks an important step forward. From earning its first qualification at the Hoyt Trophy to finishing sixth at the Atlantic Coast Tournament, the Mariners established a new benchmark for the program and gained valuable experience to build on as they continue their pursuit of a national championship appearance.
