| KINGS POINT, NY (2 June 2023) – Stanford University took a historic win at the 2023 Open National Championship out of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy after four days of racing on the Long Island Sound. The Open National Championship was the last of three high-caliber spring College Sailing National Championships that took place over a marathon 11 days back to back. The Cardinal won with a 13-point lead above Yale University, and Harvard University rounded out the podium in third place behind Harvard by six points.
“We’re super overwhelmed,” said Stanford A Division Skipper, Michelle Lahrkamp. “We are a predominantly female team, and we did a great job these last few days getting everything out of every day; we never gave up, we had our heads in the game the whole time. We really wanted it, and I am wearing my pink shirt for all the girls out there – you can win a National Championship!”
She told all the girls out there, “Never give up, don’t tell anyone you can’t do it, and always see yourself as equal.”
For the first time in the championship’s 77 -plus year history, an all-female team won lowpoint in both A and B Divisions, achieved by Stanford University in A Division and Yale University in B Division. 2023 is also the first time the overall championship has been won by a team of all-female sailors.
- Sailing for Stanford: Michelle Lahrkamp ’23 (A Skipper), Ellie Harned ’26 (A Crew), Vanessa Lahrkamp ’26 (B Skipper), Abigail Tindall ’23 (B Crew)
- Sailing for Yale: Jack Egan ’25 (A Skipper), Catherine Webb ’23 (A Crew), Carmen Cowles ’25 (B Skipper), Anisha Arcot ’23 (B Crew)
- Sailing for Harvard: Lachlain McGranahan ‘24 (A Skipper), Christopher Wang ‘23 (A Crew), Justin Callahan ‘26 (B Skipper), Kennedy Leehealey ‘26 (B Crew)
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