TAMPA, FLA., FEB. 22, 2026 – The South Forida sailing team claimed first place as the Bulls hosted the USF Women's Team Race in home waters off St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday.
 
The Bulls went 10-2 in the event, which saw the University of Hawaii finish second with a 7-5 record, followed closely by Rollins College (6-6) and Jacksonville University (1-11).
 
South Florida claimed the inaugural Ashley Reynolds Reali Memorial Trophy presented to the winning team. The trophy honors Reynolds Reali, the first member of the USF women's sailing program to receive All-American accolades, who recently passed away after a long, courageous battle against lung cancer.

The Bulls lineup featured skippers Ghislaine van Empel, Kailey Warrior, Grace Jones and Sara Menesale, and crews Cate Brennan, Madisen Hamai, Melissa Janes and Dita Carlsen. Champagne conditions greeted the four teams competing, with bright blue skies, temperatures approaching 80 degrees, and a southerly breeze starting at six knots. The wind slowly veered to the west and built to 12 knots, with gusts to 17.

In all, 24 races were sailed, averaging 8-9 minutes in length. USF went 3-0 in rounds 1, 2 and 4 and finished 1-2 in round three of the round-robin competition. The Bulls went 4-0 vs. Jacksonville and 3-1 vs. both Rollins and Hawaii.

Up Next:
The Bulls head to Charleston, S.C. for the Mendelblatt Team Race, Feb. 28 to March 1.
 
Championships Coming to St. Petersburg This Spring:
Championship season begins April 10-12 as South Florida will host the SAISA Women's Team Race and Fleet Race Championships in St. Petersburg. The Bulls won the SAISA conference championship last year, securing the Ann Boyd Trophy in winning the Fleet Racing Championship and finishing second in the Team Racing Championship hosted on their home waters.
 
The season culminates May 15-18 as the Bulls will also serve as the hosts for the College Sailing Women's Fleet Racing National Championships for the first time since 2013. South Florida will compete against the nation's elite for a national title at the SkyBeach Resort in St. Peterburg.
 
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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 12 of the last 13 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.