The University of South Florida women’s sailing team will begin its 2026-27 season with two South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association events in Florida on Sept. 12-13.
Ghislaine van Empel will represent the University of South Florida in the ILCA 6 class at the SAISA Singlehanded Conference Championship on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the U.S. Sailing Center in Miami. The championship will serve as a qualifier for the Singlehanded National Championships hosted by Fordham University later in the fall.
Van Empel returns for her senior season after winning the first race and finishing in the top eight in seven of 10 races at the ISCA Women’s Western National Semis last season.
University of South Florida Hosts SAISA South Tournament
The University of South Florida will host the SAISA South Tournament on Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Haney Landing Sailing Center in St. Petersburg. The team’s skippers will be Esme Pray, Sara Menesale, Grace Jones and Ghislaine van Empel.
Taylor Ashton, Dita Carlsen, Laura Koszeghy and Carlin Fretwell will compete as crew for the University of South Florida. Attendance at University of South Florida sailing events is free.
University of South Florida Builds on 2025-26 Results
Head coach Allison Jolly is beginning her 22nd season leading the University of South Florida women’s sailing team. The team finished second at both the 2025-26 SAISA Fleet Race Conference Championship and the SAISA Team Race Conference Championship, while six sailors earned SAISA all-conference honors.
The University of South Florida sailing program won a SAISA conference championship in 2025 and has reached the national finals in 13 of the last 14 years. The program has won eight SAISA conference titles, was formed in 1997 and is based in St. Petersburg.
Jolly has led the program since 2004. She is a former USA Olympian and 1988 gold medalist, a 2016 Florida Sports Hall of Fame inductee and a 2019 U.S. National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee.
Source: Original report