HAMPTON, Va. - The Hampton University sailing team won its third straight regatta, capturing the Grant Trophy on April 13-14 at Strawberry Banks in Hampton.

The Chesapeake Bay race against colleges and universities including Christopher Newport, Drexel, Washington College, Princeton, UVA, Rochester, William and Mary, Syracuse, and Stony Brook was the Pirates’ first home regatta in five years.

The two-day regatta had a rough start on Saturday as strong winds over 30 knots canceled the race, although multiple starts were attempted. Sunday’s conditions improved to winds of eight knots.

Hampton’s A division consisted of skipper Tyler Brown and crew Asia Warren. Mr. Brown and Ms. Warren competed in two races, winning the first. The skipper went overboard due to the high winds.

The team opted to change to a heavier paring with Mr. Brown moving to crew and Valerio Palamara becoming the skipper. The Pirates A division won two out of the three reaming races.

The Pirates B division, consisting of skipper Stefano Palamara and crew Tommaso Ciaglia, won all five races.

Mr. Palamara and Mr. Ciaglia’s late first-place finishes helped Hampton pull away from Christopher Newport University.

Hampton University, a trailblazer in the world of collegiate sailing, stands as the sole Historically Black College or University (HBCU) with a sailing team. It represents the Middle Atlantic (MAISA) conference of the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), the governing authority for sailing competitions across the United States and parts of Canada.

“We’ve won three regattas in a row this year,” said Coach Alessandro Ambrossi, who has led the Pirates’ coed sailing since 2009. “And we’ve beat some outstanding teams.”

The Grant Trophy win qualifies the team for this week’s MAISA Conference Championship in New York. The MAISA conference includes notable teams such as Georgetown and the Naval Academy.

The Hampton Pirates have won seven national championships since the Hampton sailing program was established in 1995. National championship events culminate a season of qualifying regattas held by the

various ICSA conferences and regions. The top teams from each region advance to the national championship to compete for the prestigious titles.

College sailing is a highly competitive sport that allows students to travel and network.