NEWPORT -- In the 41 years that college sailors have fought to win the three national championships held every spring under the umbrella of the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association, only the U.S. Naval Academy has earned all three. That was in 1991. Now, the Boston College Eagles are the series leaders heading into the final day of the ICSA/Gill National Championship, today. If they hold on to their lead, the Eagles will join the Middies in having won three national titles in one year.

On day one of the championship Monday, light air allowed only two races to be completed in both A- and B-Divisions, resulting in some very tight standings at the top of the 18-college field, said Jan Harley of Media Pro International. Harvard University was first with 20 points, followed by Georgetown University with 21, College of Charleston with 22, MIT with 25 and Boston College with 26.

For yesterday's racing, a southwesterly that built from a morning low of 6 knots into the low teens was overshadowed by the current, which was a factor in several general recalls.

By the time four sets of races had been completed, the Eagles had made their move and held a slim two-point lead over St. Mary’s College. The work by skipper Brian Kamilar, of Miami, and crew Andrew Schneider, of Newport, both juniors, took them to the top of the A Division. Their 1-12-1-6 scoreline was added to Monday's results of 7-3 at the end of yesterday's sixth set. In B-Division, BC graduating seniors, skipper Reed Johnson of Toms River, N.J., with crew Julie Howe of Grosse Point City, Mich., were sitting ninth overall after they added 15-4-6-16 to their finishes of 6-10 from yesterday.

With four more races counted for A-Division, Georgetown edged ahead of BC in the standings while tied on points at 128. St. Mary’s was then third with 139. Juniors Adam Roberts, of San Diego, and Carrie Amarante, of Wayne, N.J., took over the B-Division task for BC, and once the score from race 10-B was added, the Eagles were back in the lead with 132 points to Georgetown’s 135.

Racing wrapped up after the 12th race was completed in both divisions as BC, with 150 points, increased the spread to 17 over Georgetown. St. Mary’s remains third with 182 points, followed by Roger Williams University with 202, and Connecticut College with 205. The caliber of the competition is evident in the standings through 10th place: MIT is sixth with 210 points, College of Charleston has 211, Yale is at 220, and the University of Vermont (making its first-ever appearance at the national championship) with 223, followed by Brown University with 227.

The final four races for A- and B-Division will complete the championship today. The storm that moved in this morning is expected to bring more rain and a SSE breeze.