J/70, J/88, J/105 and Offshore J/Teams Headline Helly Hansen Chicago Regatta

(Chicago, IL)- The 2026 Helly Hansen Sailing World Chicago Regatta series returns to Chicago Yacht Club with 100+ keelboat teams competing in various one-design and offshore handicap racing fleets, beginning an action-packed summer of sailboat racing on Lake Michigan. The regatta is one of the highlights of the summer for one-design classes, including J/70, J/88, and J/105, as well as ORC/PHRF handicap racing.

J/70 Class
The ten-boat fleet will feature a range of class newcomers and veterans. Sailing will be Bruno Pasquinelli’s legendary STAMPEDE team from Dallas, TX, Laura & Leif Sigmund’s NORBOY from Chicago YC, and John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA crew fresh off their successful J/70 midwinter campaign. Needless to say, Chicago J/70 class champion cheerleader Doug Fritz and his LIL BIT team and Martin Johansson’s AQUAHOLIKS fun-loving crew will be hoping to take a hit out of Popeye’s can of “whupass spinach” and give some of the good’ole boys (and girls) a run-for-the-money all weekend!

J/88 Class
The Chicago J/88 fleet continues to grow in strength and in the quality of competitive teams. Seemingly, any one of the top five teams in this fleet has traveled off to other J/88 events around the USA and either won or occupied most of the podium! Plus, a few have won the Chicago-Mackinac Race, too. Needless to say, our sailing friends at Prediction Markets probably wouldn’t handicap these crews for fear of losing too much money! Those teams that should factor at the top of the leaderboard include Ben Marden’s BANTER, John & Jordan Leahey’s DUTCH, Andy Graff’s EXILE, and William Purdy’s WHIRLWIND.

J/105 Class
The thirteen-boat fleet will feature a range of class veterans vying for class honors, many of them past regatta winners and Chicago-Mackinac race winners. Those teams include Rich & Lori Stearns’s FIVE, Mark Fruin’s NYCTOSAUR, Steve Kindra’s PURA VIDA, Judith & Ross McLean’s ESPRIT D’ECOSSE, Clark Pellet’s SEALARK, and Jon Weglarz’s THE ASYLUM.

PHRF Division
This nine-boat fleet will be sailing windward-leeward course races off the Chicago waterfront. The nine-boat fleet has a tight range of J/teams in the 35-36 foot range! Two J/109s (Peter Priede’s FULL TILT & Jim Caesar’s LIQUID LOUNGE II), Tod Patton’s J/112E BLONDIE, Rick Stage’s J/35 ALPHA PUPPY, and Peter Thompson’s J/110 MOOVIN.

ORC Offshore Division
In this twenty-one boat fleet is a host of hot offshore teams sailing J/111s and J/122s. There are three J/111s ready to do battle: Kevin Saedi’s MOMENTUS, Jeff Davis’s SHAMROCK, and Blane Shea’s STRIKING BACK. That group will be up against an equally impressive trio of J/122s: Matt Songer’s EVVAI, Doug Evans’s ELBOW ROOM, and Len Siegel’s LUCKY DUBIE. Joining this battle will be Tom Papoutsis’s J/133 RENEGADE and Kenny Kluckman’s J/44 CHEEP’N’DEEP II.

PHRF Offshore Division
In the seventeen-boat fleet is a range of J/crews from a J/7 daysailer up to a J/120. The fleet includes Alan Camarda’s J/7 J/BIRD, Vince Camarda’s J/9 daysailer YAHOO, Jim Nachtman’s J/99 RAMBLER, two J/105s (Branwell Lepp’s IT WASN’T ME and Tom Dickson’s WARLOCK), Jeff Schaefer’s J/111 SHMOKIN JOE, and Mark Olsen’s J/120 JAHAZI.

For more Helly Hansen Sailing World Chicago Regatta information
https://www.sailingworld.com/regatta-series-chicago/