MDISA Fleet Qualifier Spring 2026

Fourteen teams split into A and B Divisions gathered on the St. Mary’s River for a full weekend of racing, hosted by Leonardtown and Great Mills High Schools. Competitors sailed in recently acquired FJs, launching from a new pier and floating docks provided by Historic St. Mary’s City giving the event a fresh feel both on and off the water.

Race start was delayed on shore one-hour as the breeze struggled to fill. Once it arrived, a light northeast wind slowly built and clocked right throughout the afternoon, settling into the southeast by the end of the day. The shifting pressure and oscillations demanded constant adjustments, rewarding teams who could stay in phase and keep their boats moving in the lighter air.

A total of 14 races were completed using W4 and W5 rotations to accommodate efficient boat swaps at the pier. At the close of Day 1, the Key Zags held a slim lead over the Severn Admirals, setting up a tight battle heading into Sunday.

A front moved through overnight and delivered a completely different racecourse on Sunday. Sailors were greeted by rain, strong northwest winds in the 12 to 15 knot range, with gusts pushing into the mid to upper 20s. The shift in conditions turned the day into a test of boat handling and control, with frequent capsizes, overpowered upwind legs, and fast, planing downwind rides.

Eight additional races, all W4s, were completed to bring the weekend total to 22. Gusts seemed to arrive right on cue at the starts and again on the downwinds, keeping teams on edge throughout the day.

Severn made their move early in the heavy air and never relinquished control, ultimately securing the regatta victory by 15 points over the second place Key Zags. The host teams also showed well on their home waters, with Leonardtown finishing 7th edging out Great Mills, who placed 10th.

Many thanks to the race committee for managing two very different days of racing, to Southern Maryland Sailing Foundation board member Ted Warren for providing the committee boat, and to all the volunteers who helped deliver a well-run and competitive regatta.

The following chart shows the relative rank of the teams as of the race indicated. Note that the races are ordered by number, then division, which may not represent the order in which the races were actually sailed.

The first place team as of a given race will always be at the top of the chart. The spacing from one team to the next shows relative gains/losses made from one race to the next. You may hover over the data points to display the total score as of that race.