TAMPA, FLA., MARCH 27, 2026 – Coming off a second-place finish in Jacksonville last weekend, the USF sailing team heads south to compete in the SAISA Women's Top 9 Fleet Race hosted by the University of Miami this weekend.
 
The Bulls will compete against teams from Clemson, Florida State, Jacksonville University, NC State, Rollins College, North Carolina and host Miami.
 
South Florida will be represented by skippers Grace Jones and Sara Menesale with crews Melissa Jones, Cate Brennan and Esme Pray.
 
Setting The Stage:
Head coach Allison Jolly's team has been posting strong finishes, placing second among four teams last weekend at the St. John's Women's Team Race and fourth among 18 teams at the St. Mary's Women's Team Race the previous weekend in Maryland.
 
The Bulls have had great success in Florida waters this year, including winning the  four-team USF Women's Team Race in St. Petersburg back in February. USF is rounding in to form as three events remain on the schedule ahead of the SAISA Women's Team Race and Fleet Race Championships, which the Bulls will host in St. Petersburg, April 10-12.
 
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.
 
Event Attendance:
Attendance at USF sailing events is free. USF home sailing events are held at the Haney Landing Sailing Center on the University of South Florida campus.
 
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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.