Saturday, September 12
U.S. Sailing Center, Miami, FL
University of South Florida
vs
SAISA Women's Singlehanded Champs
South Florida Sailing Starts 2026-27 Season with a Pair of Events This Weekend
September 10, 2026 | Women's Sailing
Van Empel to compete in SAISA Singlehanded Conference Championship while several Bulls will compete in St. Petersburg
TAMPA, FLA. (SEPT. 10, 2026) – The University of South Florida Sailing team will begin its 2026-27 season this weekend with a pair of events in Florida.
Highlighting the weekend will be competition at the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (SAISA) Singlehanded Conference Championship in Miami.
South Florida top skipper Ghislaine van Empel returns for her senior season. Van Empel will represent USF in the ILCA 6 class on Saturday at the US Sailing Center in Miami. The event will serve as a qualifier for the Singlehanded National Championships hosted by Fordham University later this fall.
Van Empel finished last season with a strong performance at ISCA Women's Western National Semis by winning the first race and finishing in the top eight in seven of the 10 races.
Several Bulls will start their season Sunday at the SAISA South Tournament hosted by USF at Haney Landing Sailing Center in St. Petersburg, Fla.
South Florida will be represented by skippers Esme Pray, Sara Menesale, Grace Jones, and van Empel, with crews Taylor Ashton, Dita Carlsen, Laura Koszeghy, and Carlin Fretwell
Setting The Stage:
Head coach Allison Jolly starts her 22nd Season leading the USF Women's Sailing team. The Bulls have had great success over the years. They finished the 2025-26 season in second place at the SAISA Fleet Race Conference Championship and the SAISA Team Race Conference Championship. Six sailors earned SAISA all-conference honors.
Home Sailing 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.
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 –
Highlighting the weekend will be competition at the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (SAISA) Singlehanded Conference Championship in Miami.
South Florida top skipper Ghislaine van Empel returns for her senior season. Van Empel will represent USF in the ILCA 6 class on Saturday at the US Sailing Center in Miami. The event will serve as a qualifier for the Singlehanded National Championships hosted by Fordham University later this fall.
Van Empel finished last season with a strong performance at ISCA Women's Western National Semis by winning the first race and finishing in the top eight in seven of the 10 races.
Several Bulls will start their season Sunday at the SAISA South Tournament hosted by USF at Haney Landing Sailing Center in St. Petersburg, Fla.
South Florida will be represented by skippers Esme Pray, Sara Menesale, Grace Jones, and van Empel, with crews Taylor Ashton, Dita Carlsen, Laura Koszeghy, and Carlin Fretwell
Setting The Stage:
Head coach Allison Jolly starts her 22nd Season leading the USF Women's Sailing team. The Bulls have had great success over the years. They finished the 2025-26 season in second place at the SAISA Fleet Race Conference Championship and the SAISA Team Race Conference Championship. Six sailors earned SAISA all-conference honors.
Home Sailing 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.
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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