In perhaps the best single season in program history, CBA Sailing had several major contributors to that success.

One senior, however, performed his best when it mattered the most.

Christopher Small ‘26 earns this fall’s Sailor of the Season, thanks to an exceptional few months on the water.

Small put an exclamation point on his season in early November, winning A Division at the highly-competitive Atlantic Coast Championship in Maryland. Sailing against teams from five regions and 10 different states, Small became the first CBA sailor to win any division at a national-level event. His efforts propelled CBA to a second place finish, which is the best result in team history.

“It doesn't change anything, just keep up the work we're doing,” Small said about his impressive fall. “[Our approach] worked at the ACCs and it was the best finish in program history. If we keep moving forward as a team, only better things will come.”

Earlier in the fall, Small won A Division at the NJISA Fall Fleet League Championship, helping CBA earn yet another league title. He followed that up with a third place finish in A Division at the Mid-Atlantic Fleet Race District Championship, which ultimately qualified the team for the Atlantic Coast Championship.

His leadership skills were on display at the Mid-Atlantic Team Race District Championship, sailing every race as CBA finished in a three-way tie for first place. While the Colts lost that tiebreaker, it was an impressive result for the team.

“Chris has been a reliable performer for us since his underclassmen days, but he took his sailing to new heights this fall,” Head Coach Jason Lutz said. “His teammates and I marveled at his determination to win A Division at the ACCs and I know he will bring that same intensity as we look towards major championships in the spring.”

Finally, Small was one of four sailors to qualify CBA for the Keelboat Nationals after a second place finish in the Mid-Atlantic Keelboat Championship. Small and his teammates will travel to Florida in December to compete in the Nationals.

As he looks to finish his CBA career strong, Small can’t help but to think about how positive his experience was when he first arrived on the sailing team.

“It's a pretty cool progression from being led to leading,” he said. “I think it's cool to have learned from the guys that were older than me when I was just coming in. I try to emulate the same respect and leadership that they showed me, making the experience as pleasant as possible for all the freshmen today.”

After December’s Keelboat Nationals, Small and the Colts will return to the water in March, looking to win the state championship and qualify for the overall national championship. Both those feats would be third consecutive achievements.