October 27, 2026 | Women's Sailing
Ghislaine van Empel earns at-large bid after three straight race wins at SAISA Singlehanded Conference Championship
TAMPA, Fla. (October 27, 2026) – South Florida sailor Ghislaine van Empel has earned a spot in the Singlehanded National Championship, which will be hosted by Fordham University in Rye, New York, on November 7-8.
Van Empel raced in the ILCA 6 for the first time in more than eight years at the SAISA Singlehanded Conference Championship, and it took a few races to get going. Once she found her rhythm, she was tough to stop, winning three consecutive races and finishing third overall after nine races. She was just one point behind the second-place sailor and five points behind the winner.
Only the winner of each conference championship automatically qualifies for nationals. A selection committee then adds 12 more sailors through at-large bids based on previous college sailing results, and van Empel's résumé earned her one of them. "I am super happy to have qualified for the national championship," van Empel said. "I look forward to racing at a new location and representing South Florida on the national stage."
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About USF Sailing
The USF sailing program won a SAISA conference championship in 2025 and has reached the national finals in 13 of the last 14 years. The Bulls finished in the top 10 during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The sailing team, which has won eight SAISA conference titles, was formed in 1997 and is based out of St. Petersburg. The program has been led since 2004 by head coach Allison Jolly. One of the most successful women in U.S. national sailing history, Jolly is a former USA Olympian and Gold Medalist (1988), a 2016 Florida Sports Hall of Fame inductee, and a 2019 U.S. National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee.
– #GoBulls –
Van Empel raced in the ILCA 6 for the first time in more than eight years at the SAISA Singlehanded Conference Championship, and it took a few races to get going. Once she found her rhythm, she was tough to stop, winning three consecutive races and finishing third overall after nine races. She was just one point behind the second-place sailor and five points behind the winner.
Only the winner of each conference championship automatically qualifies for nationals. A selection committee then adds 12 more sailors through at-large bids based on previous college sailing results, and van Empel's résumé earned her one of them. "I am super happy to have qualified for the national championship," van Empel said. "I look forward to racing at a new location and representing South Florida on the national stage."
Follow us:
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF Sailing news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
About USF Sailing
The USF sailing program won a SAISA conference championship in 2025 and has reached the national finals in 13 of the last 14 years. The Bulls finished in the top 10 during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The sailing team, which has won eight SAISA conference titles, was formed in 1997 and is based out of St. Petersburg. The program has been led since 2004 by head coach Allison Jolly. One of the most successful women in U.S. national sailing history, Jolly is a former USA Olympian and Gold Medalist (1988), a 2016 Florida Sports Hall of Fame inductee, and a 2019 U.S. National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee.
– #GoBulls –
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