Only 16 sailors from across the nation will have the chance to jockey for position in Laser-class dinghies for the Collegiate Singlehanded National Championships. Thanks to results from this weekend’s New England Singlehanded Qualifiers, two of those matching finely honed skill and sheer athleticism with the best in the nation will sail under a Crimson aegis.

Both sophomore Clay Johnson and freshman Kyle Kovacs earned berths to the nationals, to be held Oct. 22-24 in Minnetonka, Minn., by finishing in the top four in the qualifiers, held at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I.

Johnson won individual honors as top male sailor in New England, while Kovacs took fourth.

“We all had to qualify to go to the actual qualifiers, so everyone at the regatta was really good,” said Johnson. “It really came down to consistency. My goal was just to be in the top five every single race.”

Johnson’s regatta was a maritime family feud, as he dueled for top position with his brother Reed, a Boston College freshman.

Reed Johnson had a seven-point lead going into Sunday’s racing, during which he built his lead up as high as 10 points.

When with two races to go, both Johnson brothers were assured of qualifying for the national championships, Clay struck.

“I decided to go after him a little,” said Clay Johnson. “I was able to hold him off and put some points between us....We had a little match race for the entire [final] race. We actually ended up being last and second to last, but it was all in good fun.”

The younger Johnson finished second, with 92 points to his brother’s 85.

Clay Johnson finished third in last year’s singlehanded nationals.

Kovacs rallied from a nearly insurmountable deficit to take fourth for the last qualifying berth.

With only one day left on the water, he was down 25 points, languishing at seventh in the regatta rankings. “I had six races to get my act together on the second day,” said Kovacs. “I got more aggressive with tactics and strategy....I had nothing to lose at that point. It was qualify or go home.”

After posting solid finishes in five of six final races, Kovacs entered the final race of the regatta tied for fifth with Yale’s Matt Berry and nine points behind Dartmouth’s Mike Wilde. Kovacs led the pack into the finish, edging out Berry by taking his third first-place finish in the regatta, and Wilde retired after the race’s finish in penance for questionable sportsmanship to take sixth overall.

Alexander Kirkland of Tufts University also qualified, finishing third with 97 points.

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