ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell women's sailing team will attempt to qualify for the  Women's National Championships when the Big Red hosts the MAISA Women's Team Race Conference Championships on Cayuga Lake. The two-day regatta will be raced on Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16 out of the Merrill Family Sailing Center. 

The Big Red will host the conference championship, with the winning team earning a bid to nationals in late April at Stanford. The Big Red finished tied for first last spring in the inaugural regatta, but lost a sail-off to Georgetown for the automatic bid.

Along with the Big Red, other competing schools will be: George Washington, Georgetown, Hobart & William Smith, Navy, Old Dominion and Penn.

In addition to the home championship race, the Big Red will have members head to Kings Point for the Owen Trophy over the weekend. It will be the sixth time in program history that Cornell sails in the event, placing as high as fourth in 2016.