ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Top-seeded Harvard Sailing advanced to the finals of the ICSA Open Fleet Racing National Championship after winning the Eastern Semifinal on Wednesday. The Crimson posted a score of 52 through seven races and finished ahead of other top-5 finishers in Navy (76), Tulane (90), Boston College (102) and Roger Williams (108).
 
A day after four A-races were contested on Tuesday and just two on the B-side of the draw, the field started early in an effort to get as much racing in as possible. The intent was there, but the weather only allowed for three more A-Division races and five in the B-Division, which allowed all teams, across both divisions, to get to seven races.
 
Justin Callahan and Jacob Posner continued its run of single-digit finishes, placing eighth, fourth and second in Races 5-7, respectively. The duo posted an A-Division-best score of 27. Over in the B-Division, Mitchell Callahan and Rosella Irfan were equally impressive, registering a 3-2-9 in Races 3-5, before winning Race 6. The pair ended its day with a seventh-place performance, giving them a 7-race total of 25, which was also the best effort among their peers.
 
With the semifinals behind it, the Crimson will begin its journey toward a second open fleet race national crown in the last three seasons. The first of the two-day final is set for Thursday morning in The Sunshine State.