Windy Finale Tests J/Teams at 2026 Helly Hansen Annapolis Regatta

(Annapolis, MD)- The Helly Hansen Regatta 2026 took place in Annapolis last weekend from May 2-4, 2026. More than 160 teams were hosted by Annapolis Yacht Club; their annual spring regatta is considered the premiere local sailing event of the year on the Chesapeake Bay.

“The whole weekend was just amazing,” said one breathless sailor, echoing a sentiment shared across the regatta’s many teams. “Friday’s racing was a spectacular sea breezy day, Saturday’s winds were lighter, and Sunday’s blustery northerlies tested the boat-handling chops of many teams racing for the first time this season!! Totally awesome weekend!”

This year’s event was heavily attended by J/Boats aficionados, with EIGHT one-design classes for J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, J/88s, J/29s, J/30s, and J/105s! Plus, a few J/Boats were sailing in PHRF Spinnaker division.

Annapolis YC had its hands full on its Division 3 circle, set just north of the iconic Thomas Point Lighthouse. They were managing Annapolis’ hyper-competitive J/105 fleet with 23 entries, and a pro-laden 33-boat J/70 fleet, both of which were using the Vakaros RaceSense starting system. When most everyone gets a decent start using the Vakaros system, the racecourse is congested, especially on the first leg. With a strong current running all weekend, however, missed calls on windward-mark laylines often created gaps for the front-runners to get away.

J/105 Class
Doug Stryker’s team on the J/105 MAYHEM managed the often chaotic course the best, winning two of eight races and posting only one finish out of the top-five (and eighth in Race 2). It was impressive stuff for Stryker and his team who managed to win by only 5 points over the defending champions of Ray Wulff’s PATRIOT. Bill Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO from Houston, TX rounded out the podium in third place just two points in arrears of PATRIOT. The balance of the top five included Kristen & Brian Robinson’s VELVET HAMMER in fourth place and Peter Bowe’s GOOD TRADE in fifth position.

J/70 Class
Kevin Morgan’s J/70 team on WILDCARD— with tactician, multiple class world champion and America’s Cup helmsman Lucas Calabrese calling the shots— topped that fleet by only 3 points over the J/70 Corinthian World Champions of Alex Cutler’s HEDGEHOG, which were one of the two fastest teams by far in the final day’s big breeze. The other was Brian Keane’s SAVASANA that took the bronze medal step on the podium; splitting the last two races with HEDGEHOG with 1-2 each. The balance of the top five included Hanson Bratton’s T2 in fourth place and Sandy Askew’s TANGERINE in fifth position (her first major regatta in the J/70 was also top woman helm!).

J/30 Class
The five-boat J/30 fleet was won by Dan Watson’s AVITA, counting six 1sts in his tally for 16 pts total. Second was the Valhalla Sailing Team sailing VALHALLA’s SHAMROCK with 22 pts. Then, third place was James McGinnis’s BLITZ (themselves a past winner of the regatta).

J/29 Class
The five-strong J/29 class was racing for its J/29 East Coast Championship title. That honor went to Alan Campbell’s NOTHING ARTIFICIAL, which won five of eight races over three days for 12 pts total. Taking the silver medal was Mike Baugh’s PERSEPHONE, winning two races ending with 19 pts. Third place was determined by a tiebreaker at 31 pts each. Jon Burnham’s DEFIANT was awarded the bronze medal on countback over Elizabeth Principe’s THE DOGHOUSE.

J/88 Class
The eight-boat J/88 class saw Jack McGuire’s MI2 finish the regatta 5 points ahead of Andy Graff’s Chicago-based team on EXILE. Then, just one point behind to take the bronze medal was Bill Purdy’s WHIRLWIND.

J/80 East Coast Championship
The J/80s, 21-boats deep, were contesting their J/80 East Coast Championship as well, with several out-of-town boats giving the eventual winners on J.R. Maxwell’s SCAMP a true test of fleet management on the crowded racecourse. SCAMP and the defending champions on Mike Beasley’s BLACK SHEEP, runners-up this year, were never far from each other. But, it was SCAMP that put in the better series to win by an impressive margin of 7 points. Rounding out the podium for the bronze medal was Jesse Thompson’s TUBBY. The balance of the top five included Thomas Kopp’s KOPP-OUT in fourth and Dan Wittig’s TURBO SLOTH in fifth place.

J/22 Class
The race officials of SSA had their hands full with a packed circle of J/22s. With a race course set in the fast-running waters near the middle of the bay, here too competitors found the Chesapeake’s swift-running outbound current a major factor. On the breezy final day of racing, Brad Julian’s J/22 YARD SAIL excelled, winning the first and finishing second in the next, which ultimately put them 4 points atop Jeffrey Todd’s HOT TODDY. Rounding out the podium was Mike Gemperline’s DEFIANCE with 39 pts.

J/24 Class
For the regatta’s eight J/24s, the blade jibs hoisted for their final blustery day on the water. Their racing along the shoreline was plenty exciting with puffy, shifty conditions and blistering spinnaker runs making for dramatic races. KJ Wolaver and Madeline Henry’s team on SISU won all three races handily to win the series over Peter Rich’s BUXTON. Taking the bronze medal was Patrick Fitzgerald’s RUSH HOUR.

PHRF Coastal Race
PHRF of the Chesapeake was the chosen rule for this year’s Distance Race fleet, and diverse as the fleet was, the perennial champions on James Sagerholm’s J/35 AUNT JEAN won again. Gary Jobson, with Will and Marie Crump, were third overall onboard the J/7 daysailer called BLUEBIRD. The threesome had never sailed the boat until the morning of the first race, and sailed jib and main only!! Then, taking fourth place was Keith Cole’s J/124 LUCKY EIGHTS.

Sailing photo credits- Walter Cooper/ SAILING WORLD
https://sailingworldphotography.photoshelter.com/index

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