ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell sailing is leaving the second week on the 2023-24 season with three first place finishes and a bid to the singlehanded national championships later this fall. The Big Red competed in the Faye Bennet MAISA Women's Singlehanded Regatta, the Jack Boehringer '52 Open Invite, and the Susan Rogers '75 Women's Invite.

The Faye Benner MAISA Women's Singlehanded Regatta, held in Annapolis, Md., was the first conference action for the Big Red this season. Lucija Ruzevic, Lauren Ehnot, and Pilar Cundey each represented Cornell at the regatta. The trio faced cahnging winds, but Ruzevic perservered, defending her title with a finish of 49 points. Her finish earned her a spot at the 2023 singlehanded national championships to be held at Tulane later this fall. Ehnot and Cundey placed sixth and seventh, respectively, out of the 18 different racers. Assistant coach Gabbi DelBello earned her first conference title as coach in her first conference regatta after traveling with the group to lead them in the regatta.

At home, the Ted Moore `71 Director of Cornell Sailing, Lior Lavie, hosted the Jack Boehringer '52 Open Invite and the Susan Rogers '75 Women's Invite. The Big Red fielded two boats at the Boehringer Open Invite and four in the Rogers Invite. Freshman Winborne Majette and sophomore Sophia Pearce placed first in the Boehringer Open with 65 points. Sophia Devling and Amelia Neumann secured two race wins on Sunday, September 17, to build up an eighth place finish.

In the Rogers Women's Invite, junior Bridget Green and freshman Kate Moran finished first overall, tallying the third Big Red win of the weekend. Behind them was J.J. Smith and Sophia Mulvania, who placed fourth, 25 points behind Green and Moran. Big Red 3 was skippered by Maya Conway and crewed by Clara Hewson for races 1-12, followed by Ava Grace Sannini and Maeve Katics for races 13-17. The four combined for a ninth place finish. Freshman Kit Harned and junior Sophia Fogarty wrapped up the weekend with a 14th place finish for the Big Red.

The Big Red return to the water begining Saturday, September 23, back in Kings Point, N.Y., when it competes in the Top 9 ILCA 7 and MAISA Top 9 Combined.