Queen's Sailing are national champions! The Gaels' had a 1, 2 finish in their final regatta of the year this past weekend to place first overall in the country, which crowned them the CICSA National Champions.
 
This past weekend, Queen's hosted the inaugural Queen's Spring Fleet Race Invitational at the Kingston Yacht Club. The event was the last of the CICSA season, and the first spring dinghy event in the history of CICSA. With 11 teams from across Canada in attendance, including some of the team's favourite rivals, this was an event for the books.
 
 
Queen's 1 had a phenomenal performance, sailing away from the competition to come out on top, placing first overall with a 33-point difference between the Gaels and the second-place team.
 
Queen's A fleet spent the weekend flying down the course thanks to the speed and skill in the light breeze of Julian van den Driessche (skipper) and Samantha Mastel-Marr (crew). The B fleet team continued to match this stellar energy with remarkable results from Julian Hill (skipper) and soon-to-be graduate and seasoned vet Lucia Pendolino (crew).
 
Queen's 2 also had an extraordinary regatta, placing second and earning a spot on the podium as well. The A fleet consisted of 420 master Luke Strickland (skipper) and his exceptional partner Jane Butler (crew). And the B fleet also brought the house down with outstanding speeds and results, Nathan Duffar-Calder (skipper, and Alfie Pierce Trophy recipient as Varsity Clubs Rookie of the Year) was unstoppable with his remarkable partner Maxine Haywood (crew).
 
The team would like to thank our sponsor for the event, Lancer Electric, not only for their support but also for brand new team visors! This event would not have been possible without the commitment and drive of the entire executive team but especially our newly elected co-presidents Samantha Mastel Marr and Thomas Elia. The team is also grateful for Queen's Athletics and the support they provided for allowing us to run the last Queen's event of the year. The team is now resting up and studying for exams and cannot wait for the fall to be back on the water together!