NOVEMBER REGATTAS
Fall Champs @ Michigan (11/2-11/3)
Kennedy Cup @ Navy (11/2-11/3)
OCTOBER REGATTA RECAPS
PERE MARQUETTE @ MARQUETTE
This past weekend Adam Pickhardt ('27), Jake Leismer ('28), Caden Harrison ('28), Isabella Leiva ('28) and Ava Buchholz ('28) traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to compete in the Pere Marquette regatta hosted by Marquette on October 5-6. Saturday was very windy and wavy, with gusts of up to 25 knots. In the one race sailed our team won! The boats were then sent in due to safety concerns. The following day, Sunday, had significantly calmer seas, but the westerly curled through the Milwaukee skyline leading to some tricky sailing. Wisco pushed through and secured second in A-fleet and first in B-fleet, which combined to earn us first overall! We had a great time sailing, thank you to Marquette for hosting! Special thanks to Brittany and Kendall for hosting! Go go Wisco!
OPEN ACCs ROUND 1B @ ST. MARY'S COLLEGE
On October 5th, Ryan Tatelbaum ('25), Jackie Ruggieri ('27), Nigel Yu ('27), and Caitlin Costello ('28) traveled to southern Maryland to compete in the Open ACCs Round 1B regatta, hosted by St. Mary’s College of Maryland. On Saturday A fleet sailed in FJs and B in 420s, then swapped fleets to sail on Sunday. The first day proved challenging with shifty, oscillating northern winds at 8-12 knots, but the steady breeze allowed for the day’s maximum of 10 races per fleet. The second day began with little to no wind, sending the regatta into AP for around 2 hours. The breeze picked up just enough to squeeze in 2 races per fleet at around 3-4 knots before dying again. After another long postponement throughout most of the afternoon, race committee quickly sent both fleets out for one more race per fleet, getting the start for A fleet off with only about 5 minutes before the cutoff. Across two days in a competitive fleet with highly variable conditions, the regatta was a great opportunity to race with some of the top teams and identify areas of improvement. Special thanks to the Costello family for dinner on Saturday, and the Tatelbaum family for their hospitality on the drive back!
MCSA MATCH RACE CHAMPIONSHIP @ BAYVIEW YACHT CLUB
On the weekend of October 5th and 6th, Seamus Hendrickson ('26), David Tofer ('24), Maddy Netzer ('26), and Carter Harms ('27) sailed on Ultimate 20s in Detroit, MI for the Match Race Qualifier! The first day had prime conditions with a steady breeze of 7 knots out of the East with gusts up to 10-12 knots. The PRO raced us until sunset and got in two full round robins. After racing, we enjoyed a homely dinner at a restraint called Gilbert's with the St. Thomas team. On Sunday, the wind was too strong for us to sail, so the team got a head start on their drive home. Lots was learned at this event because it was our first time sailing U20s, with little experience in match racing. Our hard work paid off and in the end we got 3rd. A huge shout out and thank you to our hosts, Brad and Amber Kimmel, Bayview Yacht Club, the PRO Scott Corder, and the umpires Jeff, Patrick, Caroline Bielski, and others.
INTERCOLLEGIATE OFFSHORE REGATTA @ LARCHMONT YACHT CLUB
During the weekend of October 11th, 12th, and 13th Seamus Hendrickson ('26), Cal Lutton ('26), Finn Tait ('25), Carmen Lineer ('26), Ryan Tatelbaum ('25), Dylan Gorman ('25), Marley Barrett ('27), and Carter Harms ('27) went to Larchmont Yacht Club in New York to sail J109s. Friday we arrived at the yacht club early and set out for a pracitice day. Leveraging our boat coach, Buttons, we practiced tacks, gybes, sets, and douces. "Races are won in the corners!" was our motto as we got ready to race. Saturday was the first day of racing, wind was directly off the shore causing it to be very shifty with oscilating breeze strengths. We saw breeze go from 18 knots all the way down to 5 as the day went on. This played into our strengths as we have plenty of practice in crazy breeze, thank you lake Mendota. After Saturday we were in a close battle for first place with Brown. Sunday's breeze was much more consistent as it was traveling down the Sound and ranged from 15 to 9 knots. We had two races on Sunday and finished the day in 1st place. Unforturnately, there were rule complications on shore after racing and after penalties were levied, we ended up getting second place. During the weekend, we were lucky enough to stay at Adam Trigg's Family home which was walking distance from the venue and able to accommodate all of us comfortably. IOR was a great event and we can't wait to go again next year!
REBECCA BLANK @ NORTHWESTERN
During the weekend of October 12th-13th Joshua Bourassa ('26), Brian Cook ('28), Jack Cropper ('28), Phoebe Milhollin ('28), Maddy Netzer ('26) traveled to Chicago to race in the Rebecca Blank Regatta at the Columbia Yacht Club, hosted by Northwestern University. On the first day of sailing, the team sailed in the harbor due to the 10 knot westernly winds bringing in large waves. The wind lowered later in the day to 7 knots and shifted slightly north. The team successfully finished up the day and got some good rest to prepare for day two. During the second day of racing, the wind was incredibly shifty coming from the city in the west. The wind speed started out at a nice 12 knots but started to die down as the day went on to around 8 knots. After only 10 races in total Joshua, Phoebe, and Maddy, racing in A division, ended up in 11th, while Jack and Brian, in B division, ended in 12th. Overall the team finished 11th, and were proud of our effort! We had an amazing time learning and gaining on the water experience since this was the first college regatta for everyone expect for Maddy. We would like to give a big thanks to Micheal and Suzanne Cohen for being increadibly gracious hosts for us over the wekend. We would also like to thank Columbia yacht club and the Northwestern sailing team for having us!
WOMEN'S ATLANTIC COAST TOURNAMENT @ ST. MARY'S COLLEGE
Mary Castellini ('25), Marissa Tegeder ('25), Kerstin Hyer ('25), Paige Kurtenbach ('27) and Jenna Princing ('28) represented the team on October 13th and 14th at the Women's Atlantic Coast Tournament hosted by Saint Mary's College. The Honey Badgers had a great showing this weekend with impressive scores including a second place finish in both A and B division! The girls finished 10th overall, just 1 point behind 9th place. Conditions on the Saturday were light and shifty with a long postponement to begin the day. The Sunday conditions were similar in the morning around 3-6 knots, with big breeze for the last set of the day. We estimated the final set to have sustained 12 knots with puffs up to 15 knots. The Honey Badgers enjoyed their stay at the La Quinta Inn at Lexington Park, where they took advantage of the complimentary breakfast to fuel their on the water performance. In the evenings the honey badgers explored Lexington Park, dining at Pho Delight and Plaza Azteca Mexican Restaurant! Overall this was a fun regatta for the girls and a great opportunity to compete at the 2025 College Sailing National's venue.
DAVID LEE ARNOFF @ HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH
Charlie Herrick ('26), Cansin Ozsoy ('26), Penelope Whiteside ('28), William Styslinger ('28), and Katherine Ahlquist ('28) all competed this weekend for the Wisconsin Sailing Team at the David Lee Arnoff Trophy hosted by Hobart and William Smith Colleges on October 12. The weekend began with a road trip to New York. Upon arrival, the team faced some unexpected housing issues, but thanks to Cansin's quick thinking and assistance from ChatGPT, they were able to resolve the situation. The team worked together to find a place to rest up for the night, ensuring everyone was ready for the challenges ahead.
The first day of racing kicked off with heavy winds ranging from 15 to 20 knots. Charlie and Cansin, sailing in A Division, were a heavy boat that could power through these conditions, maintaining their balance and speed. In B Division, William and Katherine took on the first four races, securing some solid finishes to start the regatta strong. After a lunch break, Penelope stepped into the B Division fleet and delivered a notable performance, securing a 5th-place finish in one of her races. Charlie and Cansin continued to perform well in the heavy conditions, earning several podium finishes, including a standout 1st place in one of their races. As the day progressed, the wind conditions varied from 15 knots down to near calm at 0 knots, making for a challenging series of 12 races. Despite the shifts in weather, the team adapted well and sailed consistently throughout the day. After completing the full round robin of 12 races, Hobart announced the conclusion of the regatta. The team wrapped up their eventful day by driving back home on Saturday night, proud of their efforts and excited about their performance in a competitive fleet.
EMMA B @ HOPE COLLEGE
During the weekend of October 19th and 20th, William Styslinger ('28), Katherine Ahlquist ('28), Lauren Salmi ('26), Claire Poremba ('27), Charlie Herrick ('26), and Gavin Dempsey ('26) competed at Macatawa Bay Yacht Club for the Emma B Regatta hosted by Hope College. The team was hosted by the Herrick's at their lake house that was conveniently nearby the venue. The Herrick's were great hosts and prepared many delicious meals that helped fuel the sailors throughout the weekend. The first day of racing started with a long postponement before first warning where sailors enjoyed breakfast prepared by the Hope College sailors. Once racing began the Badgers started off strong with a first place finish by Charlie and Lauren in the first race of A division. As the day progressed the sailors were met with challenging shifty winds of 10-12 knots. Battling large left shifts and a very boat-favored starting line the sailors continued to have strong finishes but were having trouble consistently breaking into the top 3. Around mid afternoon a large freighter came through the bay and sailors were once again placed into postponement. After the barge passed Gavin and Claire rotated in for A fleet and had a brief disagreement with the PRO, but racing continued without incident and the Badgers ended the day in 3rd place. That evening the sailors recuperated in the hot tub with and had a wonderful steak dinner prepared by the Herrick's. Day 2 started with winds 12-15 knots with shifts still mostly coming from the left with a few from the rights. Gavin and Claire sailed the first set of A for the morning before Charlie and Claire rotated in for the next A set. After lunch the Badgers had dropped to 4th place behind the University of Chicago. Luckily, as the day progressed and the winds picked up to 15-18 knots the sailors started having much better finishes. To end the second day of racing William and Katherine went head to head against UChicago and were able to finish the regatta with a 1st and 2nd finishes in the last set. The Badgers were able to finish in 3rd place overall and 3rd place in B and won wooden clogs as trophies!
OPEN ATLANTIC TOURNAMENT @ CONN COLLEGE
Nigel Yu (’27), Meg Sorensen (’25), Erin McDonagh (’28), Ella Engel (’27), and Cansin Ozsoy (’26) all competed this weekend for the Wisconsin Sailing Team at the Open Atlantic Tournament hosted by Connecticut College over October 19th and 20th. After a bit of confusion regarding the venue of this regatta, the team set off for the East Coast. They started the weekend off Thursday departing after classes. The team took a mid-drive pitstop in New York City to pick up bagels, visit the 9/11 memorial, and stretch their legs. Cansin, with the help of ChatGPT, created an excellent itinerary of a these stops around the city. They then continued on towards Rhode Island where the group would be staying over the weekend. Huge thanks to Jackie and the Ruggieri family for hosting! Saturday's racing started off slow. The wind at scheduled start was very light delaying racing. The winds began to pick up a bit to around 10 knots early afternoon. Nigel and Meg began their races in the FJ fleet while Erin and Ella spent their Saturday in 420s. Both fleets competed hard. That evening, we headed back to Rhode Island where they got a taste of lobster and a few rounds of Uno in. Sunday's conditions began similar to that of Saturday. Racing was postponed until around 12:30PM where it then picked up to a steady 8 knots with puffs around 10. Each pairing swapped boats with A division starting in 420s and B division in FJS. Racing packed up around 3:00PM and the team headed back to Madison proud of the performance they put up at the Atlantic Coast Tournament in a very competitive environment. At 1846, the team stopped for a much needed dinner break at shake shack.
WISCO WOMEN'S
This weekend, the Wisconsin Honey Badgers sent two berths to the Wisco Womens Regatta. Berth one with Mary Castellini (‘25), Paige Kurtenbach (‘27), Sydney Mandell (‘26), and Dylan Gorman (‘25) raced very well, placing 3rd in A division, 1st in B and 3rd overall! Berth two with Marissa Tegeder (‘25), Caitlin Costello (‘28), Penelope Whiteside (‘28), and Jenna Princing (‘28) also sailed with the Honey Badger team spirit placing 2nd in A, 3rd in B, and 1st overall!
On Saturday, we had a traditionally shifty southern breeze on Lake Mendota, making for an interesting regatta as every competitor tried to predict where the next puff was going to come from. The day started slowly, with a short postponement because of the light wind, but as the day progressed, the wind picked up and the regatta kicked off!
Due to the shifty conditions, it was a close and competitive regatta. Not one team was placing consistently in first. The Honey Badgers were especially competitive against the Purdue Boilermakers’ B fleet and the Indiana Hoosiers’ A fleet. The teams battled to the very end of the regatta, with the top three overall teams finishing within 2 points of each other.
Thanks to our phenomenal PRO, AJ Schweda, a complete round robin of eight races in A and eight races in B was completed on Saturday. All of our out-of-state competitors could set off for home Saturday night!
All-in-all, this regatta was a huge success. A special thanks to our in-person judging committee, our PRO, and our fantastic regatta coordinators for making this event happen. This is the end of the Honey Badgers’ fall season, but look out for the Wisconsin Badgers’ coed team at Fall Champs November 2nd and 3rd. We are already counting down the days for the spring season!
GO GO WISCO!
SAILOR OF THE MONTH
Mary Castellini
Our sailor of the month is Mary Castellini! Mary is a senior skipper from Evanston, Illinois and is a mechanical engineering student graduating in spring of 2026!
Mary started sailing at the age of 7 up in Harbor Springs, Michigan, sailing on her family's Ensign. She was absolutely obsessed, and started attending LTS sailing camp. From 2014-2018, Mary lived in Sydney, Australia and started racing in the Sydney Harbor out of Vaucluse Sailing House. She eventually moved back to the states, and continued her passion for sailing on Evanston Illinois high school sailing team!
With so many years of passion and effort put into sailing, Mary has learned some remarkable skills and made some amazing accomplishments. She has represented the Wisco Sailing Team in both the women's and open division, she has learned team racing and fleet racing, and her most notable accomplishment has been proving that female skippers can compete with male skippers. Mary is a big advocate for the women on this team, and has helped every woman sailor feel empowered and equal!
Mary has made so many great memories during her years on the water. Some of her best being from her years sailing with her family on their Ensign. Another was her once in a life time chance to sail on the Charles River at Women's ACC when Hurricane Ian was passing through with hurricane winds. She is also very fond of her first college sailing regatta on the Charles when she capsized 4 times.
On top of being an astounding sailor, Mary is also an impeccable student. She is working on finishing her mechanical engineering major, and has a co-op lined up next fall at Plastic Ingenuity. Her hopeful plans after graduation are to work as a mechanical engineer in a city on the water, so she can continue sailing. She also hopes to start sailing more keelboats post graduation! As much as we will miss Mary once she graduates, her impact on the team will remain and continue to enrich this team for years to come.
Go Go Mary!
ENDOWMENT
Our Endowment fund is now LIVE on our website. As a club-run team, we have to organize much of the funds ourselves, and with your help, we aim to ensure the success of the Wisconsin Sailing Team for years to come. Linked below is the donation link!