The New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA) is one of the seven conferences affiliated with the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) that schedule and administer regattas within their established geographic regions.ICSA overview
NEISA is one of the oldest and largest conferences, organizing intercollegiate sailing in New England, which includes 42 member schools including club teams and varsity programs. All conferences host their own 6 conference championships every year and gain berths to the corresponding national championships based on conference size. NEISA is managed by an executive board run primarily by student volunteers and team coaches.
History The New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts on March 26, 1949. This group of initially 21 teams joined with the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association, and later the Midwest College Sailing Association and Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association to form the Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association of North America. This Association worked to standardize rules and create entry and eligibility regulations, as well as broaden the scope of its competitions. From the beginning of college sailing, all regattas have been sailed in the host school's fleet of boats. Early on there was little consistency in the type of boat across different parts of the country and even between neighboring schools. Over time however, many schools have transitioned from various single-sail dinghies to use more durable and faster two-sail boats such as the FJ and Club 420.
Members
Leadership NEISA is largely run and regulated by in-conference coaches and sailors. Members of the Executive Committee are elected annually at the NEISA Annual Meeting held late Fall. There is currently no term-limit for Executive Committee members. As of Spring, 2019 the Executive Committee was as follows. CommissionerFrank Pizzo (2024)Bowdoin CollegePresidentKevin Coakley '17Harvard UniversityVice PresidentWalter FlorioConnecticut CollegeSecretaryCharlie Welsh '17Boston UniversityTreasurerAlden ReidBoston CollegeSchedule CoordinatorCarter Brock ‘22 (2024)Northeastern UniversityNorthern Regional DirectorDiana WeidenbackerUniversity of New HampshireCentral Regional DirectorMike OConnorHarvard UniversitySouthern Regional DirectorJohn MolliconeBrown UniversityDirector of Boats & SafetyFran CharlesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyDirector of Special ProjectsBrian SwinglyU.S. Coast Guard AcademyNorthern Regional RepresentativeCasey AstizMiddlebury CollegeCentral Regional RepresentativeTyler PaigeTufts UniversitySouthern Regional RepresentativeSarah MorinUniversity of Rhode IslandAt Large Representative/Social Media ChairAlly SchwerdtfegerBentley UniversityAt Large Representative/Scheduling AssistantPeter LynnBoston College
Championships NEISA runs and hosts six in-conference championships, as well as sends teams to national championship events managed by the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association.
In-conference Championships Source:
For Coed teams, these in-conference championships include:
Coed Dinghy Fleet Racing, NEISA Coed Championship/ US Coast Guard Alumni Bowl Men's Single-Handed Fleet Racing, NEISA Men's Singlehanded Championships Coed Team Racing, New England Team Race Championship/ Fowle Trophy Coed Match Racing, NEISA Match Race Champs/ Larry White Trophy
For Women's teams, these in-conference championships include:
Women's Dinghy Fleet Racing, NEISA Women's Championship/ Reed Trophy Women's Single-Handed Fleet Racing, NEISA Women's Singlehanded Championships
National Championships Source:
For full article on national sailing championships, see Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association National Championships
The number of berths NEISA teams are given to national championships depend on the event and are determined by ICSA at the beginning of every Year. As NEISA is one of the largest conferences, it is annually given more berths than the smaller conferences. The representing teams from NEISA are determined by the corresponding In-Conference Championships.
These national championships include: Coed Dinghy Fleet Racing, Gill Coed National Championships/ Henry A. Morss Memorial Trophy Men's Single-Handed Fleet Racing, Laser Performance Men's Singlehanded Nationals/Glen S. Foster Trophy Coed Team Racing, LaserPerformance Team Race National Championship/ Walter Cromwell Wood Bowl Coed Match Racing, ICSA Match Race Nationals/ Cornelius Shields Sr. Trophy Women's Dinghy Fleet Racing, Sperry Women's National Championship/ Gerald C. Miller Trophy Women's Single-Handed Fleet Racing, Laser Performance Women's Singlehanded Nationals/ Janet Lutz Trophy
Results and Rankings Since 2008, Inter-collegiate racing results are documented using College Sailing Techscore, a website which records live race results for current regattas, as well as documents past seasons. NEISA also creates in-conference team rankings every Fall based on the best regatta results of each team and the relative difficulty/ size of the regattas those results came from. A team's score is calculated by summing their top 5 scoring regattas and also their score at the New England Fall Championships. These scores are compiled to rank all participating teams. Teams that are not listed on the rankings did not sail a scored regatta during that Season. Coed Team End-of-Season Rankings by YearRankFall 2013Fall 2014Fall 2015Fall 2016Fall 2017Fall 20181stYale UniversityYale UniversityBoston CollegeYale UniversityYale UniversityYale University2ndBoston CollegeDartmouth CollegeYale UniversityTufts UniversityDartmouth CollegeHarvard University 3rdHarvard UniversityBoston CollegeHarvard UniversityDartmouth CollegeRoger Williams UniversityBowdoin College4thDartmouth CollegeTufts UniversityCoast Guard AcademyBoston CollegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyDartmouth College5thRoger Williams UniversityRoger Williams UniversityBoston UniversityMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyBoston UniversityRoger Williams University6thTufts UniversityHarvard UniversityDartmouth CollegeBowdoin CollegeTufts UniversityBoston College7thBrown UniversityBrown UniversityMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyBoston UniversityBoston CollegeBrown University8thConnecticut CollegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyRoger Williams UniversityCoast Guard AcademyHarvard UniversityBoston University9thUniversity of VermontUniversity of VermontBrown UniversityRoger Williams UniversityBrown UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology10thCoast Guard AcademyCoast Guard AcademyBowdoin CollegeHarvardBowdoin CollegeTufts University11thBoston UniversityBoston UniversityTufts UniversityBrown UniversityConnecticut CollegeUniversity of Rhode Island12thMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyBowdoin CollegeUniversity of Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode IslandCoast Guard AcademyCoast Guard Academy13thBowdoin CollegeUniversity of Rhode IslandConnecticut CollegeConnecticut CollegeUniversity of Rhode IslandConnecticut College14thNortheastern UniversityConnecticut CollegeUniversity of VermontUniversity of VermontSalve Regina UniversityUniversity of Vermont15thUniversity of Rhode IslandNortheastern UniversityNortheastern UniversityNortheastern UniversityNortheastern UniversityNortheastern University16thSalve Regina UniversitySalve Regina UniversitySalve Regina UniversityMcGill UniversityUniversity of VermontSalve Regina University17thMassachusetts Maritime AcademyUniversity of ConnecticutJohnson and Wales UniversitySalve Regina UniversityUniversity of New HampshireMassachusetts Maritime Academy18thBates CollegeMcGill UniversityUniversity of ConnecticutMassachusetts Maritime AcademyMassachusetts Maritime AcademyMaine Maritime Academy19thUniversity of New HampshireMassachusetts Maritime AcademyMassachusetts Maritime AcademyMiddlebury CollegeMcGill UniversityBates College20thMcGill UniversityUniversity of New HampshireMcGill UniversityJohnson and Wales UniversityBates CollegeMcGill University21stMiddlebury CollegeMiddlebury CollegeBates CollegeUniversity of New HampshireMiddlebury CollegeUniversity of Massachusetts/Amherst22ndProvidence CollegeJohnson and Wales UniversityMiddlebury CollegeMaine Maritime AcademyUniversity of Massachusetts/AmherstMiddlebury College23rdUniversity of ConnecticutBates CollegeUniversity of New HampshireBates CollegeMaine Maritime AcademyWentworth24thHoly Cross CollegeWesleyanProvidence CollegeUniversity of ConnecticutUniversity of ConnecticutBentley University25thMaine Maritime AcademyAmherstWesleyanWesleyanJohnson and Wales UniversityJohnson and Wales University26thJohnson and Wales UniversityWorcester Polytechnical InstituteSacred Heart UniversityUniversity of Massachusetts/AmherstWesleyanUniversity of Connecticut27thWesleyanSacred Heart UniversityUniversity of Massachusetts/AmherstProvidence CollegeFairfield UniversityEmmanuel College28thWilliams CollegeProvidence CollegeWentworthWorcester Polytechnical InstituteBentley CollegeFairfield University29thAmherstUniversity of Massachusetts/DartmouthUniversity of Massachusetts/DartmouthSacred Heart UniversityProvidence CollegeProvidence College30thBentley CollegeMaine Maritime AcademyWorcester Polytechnical InstituteBentley CollegeUniversity of Massachusetts/DartmouthSacred Heart University31stSacred Heart UniversityHoly Cross CollegeWellesley CollegeFairfield UniversityWorcester Polytechnical InstituteUniversity of Massachusetts/Dartmouth32ndTrinityFairfield UniversityBrandeis UniversityUniversity of Massachusetts/DartmouthSacred Heart UniversityUniversity of New Hampshire33rdBrandeis UniversityWilliams CollegeMaine Maritime AcademyEmmanuel CollegeAmherst CollegeWellesley College34thMitchell CollegeWellesley CollegeFairfield UniversityWellesley CollegeWilliams CollegeWesleyan35thUniversity of Massachusetts/DartmouthBrandeis UniversityEmmanuel CollegeEmmanuel CollegeWilliams36thWellesley CollegeBentley CollegeWilliams CollegeWorcester Polytechnical Institute37thWorcester Polytechnical InstituteColleges of the FenwayHoly Cross College38thMitchell CollegeUniversity of New England