ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The winter racing season on Florida’s Gulf Coast hit full stride this past weekend as the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series returned to St. Petersburg, transforming Tampa Bay into a multi-circle championship arena. Long regarded as one of the premier early-season stops on the U.S. calendar, the St. Pete regatta blends Midwinter championships, one-design class showdowns, and handicap fleets into a single, high-energy waterfront spectacle centered around the St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
For many classes, this event is not simply another regatta — it is a measuring stick. Teams arrive fresh off winter training blocks, new sails, new crew combinations, and early-season momentum on the line. Across three days, nearly twenty divisions battled for podium finishes in conditions that evolved from tactical light-to-moderate breeze into a decisive, pressure-filled Sunday finale.
IMAGE GALLERY
FULL CLASS RESULTS RECAP
29er Midwinters
- 1st – Olympia Barelli
- 2nd – Wylder Smith
- 3rd – Julia Stewart
A razor-thin two-point margin separated first and second in one of the most athletic fleets of the weekend. The 29er class, a key development platform for future Olympic skiff sailors, saw dramatic position changes downwind as pressure lines rolled across the course.
Hobie 33
- 1st – Holy Toledo (Timothy Andrews)
- 2nd – Hoof Hearted (Craig Wilusz)
- 3rd – MYRAGE (Christian Schaumloffel)
A tie at the top forced the championship to be decided on tiebreakers. The Hobie 33 fleet — known for its powerful, planing hull and physical downwind legs — thrived as Sunday’s breeze built.
J/22 Midwinters
- 1st – Baby Doll (Glenn Darden)
- 2nd – The Jug 41 (Chris Doyle)
- 3rd – Defiance (Mike Gemperline)
The J/22 Midwinters has long been a bellwether event for Corinthian and pro-am talent alike. Darden’s consistency across the opening races proved decisive.
J/24
- 1st – Evil Twin (Jasper Van Vliet)
- 2nd – Ice Cube (Michael Quaid)
- 3rd – Bogus (George Braddon)
A dominant scoreline in a class that remains one of the most globally competitive keelboats in existence.
J/70
- 1st – Level5 (Al Minella)
- 2nd – 7th Heaven (Kelly Hansen)
- 3rd – Frequent Flyer (Paul Wollmann)
The J/70 fleet once again drew high-level competition, including seasoned professionals and experienced owner-drivers. Tight mark roundings and heavy mid-fleet compression defined the series.
L30 North American Championship
- 1st – Morning Breeze (Michael Norris)
- 2nd – L30 #14 (Zakhar Dikhtyar)
- 3rd – #30 (Mitchell Padnos)
The L30 class — a modern sportboat designed for international competition — continues to gain traction in North America, and this championship served as an early-season proving ground.
Lightning
- 1st – Team PatStrong (David Starck)
- 2nd – Danilu (Augie Diaz)
- 3rd – 14935 (Brian Hayes Jr.)
A one-point margin underscored the depth of talent in the Lightning fleet, a class renowned for its tactical precision and legacy champions.
Melges 15
- 1st – MoneyLine (Sean Cornell)
- 2nd – Trash Panda (Phil Tanner)
- 3rd – Dorian Gray (Mike Funsch)
The fast-growing Melges 15 fleet showcased youth-and-master mixed teams, with Cornell separating early and protecting the lead.
Melges 24
- 1st – Gamecock (Peter McClennen)
- 2nd – TAKEOFF (Andrew Picel)
- 3rd – Slippery (Alexander Korakis)
The Melges 24 fleet featured a blend of established pros and international contenders. Gamecock’s low scoreline reflected disciplined starts and sharp downwind execution.
Nacra 15
- 1st – Orlando Botha
- 2nd – Phantom (Benjamin White)
- 3rd – TRES3 (Maxwell Weaver)
High-speed foiling and wire-to-wire trapeze work added visual drama to the bay. Another tie at the top required countback resolution.
ORC Midwinters
- 1st – Fireball (Bill & Jackie Baxter)
- 2nd – Two Trailer Park Girls (Adam Prettyman / Katie Laes)
- 3rd – Peacemaker (Jeff Sampson / Rob Scoville)
ORC racing brought together offshore-caliber programs navigating tactical wind bands across larger race circles.
S2 7.9 Midwinters
- 1st – Rebel (John Spierling)
- 2nd – Ginger (Andrea Hill)
- 3rd – K2 (Jeff Padnos)
The S2 7.9 fleet leaned heavily on crew coordination and mark-rounding precision in fluctuating pressure.
Sonar Midwinters
- 1st – Fawkes (Kevin Holmberg)
- 2nd – USA 1 (Rick Doerr)
- 3rd – PINGrrrrr (Sue Davidson)
The Sonar class once again demonstrated why it remains a favorite for tactical purists.
WFPHRF – Cruising
- 1st – Tattersall (Harvey Ford)
- 2nd – Libélula (Fritz Kloepfel)
- 3rd – Wind Caller (Joe McClash)
WFPHRF – Racer Cruiser
- 1st – Va Bene (Michael Cichon)
- 2nd – Liquid Time (Gail Heausler)
- 3rd – Mother Ocean (David Lemke)
WFPHRF – Spinnaker
- 1st – Fire & Ice (George Cussins)
- 2nd – Agility (Tim Landt)
- 3rd – Heron (Hannes Leonard)
Windmills Midwinters
- 1st – Silly Wabbit (Ethan Bixby)
- 2nd – oreo speedwagon (Nathaniel Plant)
- 3rd – Zephyr (Roy Sherman)
WEATHER & WIND — THE SUNDAY DIFFERENCE
Friday opened with classic winter Gulf Coast oscillations — 8 to 12 knots, shifting through modest ranges that rewarded sailors who stayed in phase. Saturday saw slightly steadier pressure, with afternoon chop building as thermal influence combined with gradient breeze.
Sunday proved pivotal.
A northerly flow strengthened through late morning, filling unevenly across the bay before stabilizing in the mid-to-high-teens. By noon some courses saw consistent breeze in the 20-25 knots range with gusts in the mid-30s, which made hiking lines hum and spinnaker sets more consequential. The breeze created distinct pressure lanes, and boats that found the stronger bands often vaulted forward in the standings.
Some sailors were too busy in survival mode to worry too much about the best side of the course to catch the shifts.
In several fleets, podium positions shifted during the final races as teams who had protected leads were forced to defend aggressively in heavier air.
Competitors posted publicly throughout the day:
That was classic St. Pete. Big shifts, big puffs, and you had to stay in phase all day.”
From another team:
“Sunday was survival mode at times. You couldn’t get lazy on the helm.”
And from a sportboat crew:
“Finally got the breeze we were waiting for.”
The Sunday conditions elevated the regatta from tactical to physical, particularly in trapeze and asymmetrical fleets.
FOR SOME, A GREAT WARM UP
The St. Petersburg stop has become one of the defining events of the winter sailing circuit. Organized under the broader Sailing World Regatta Series banner, the event is structured to provide professional race management, high race counts, and championship-caliber competition across disparate classes.
For many programs, results here set the tone for:
- Spring national championships
- Summer continental regattas
- Crew lineup decisions for the season
The diversity of fleets — from youth skiffs to offshore-rated keelboats — also reinforces St. Pete’s role as a cross-section of American competitive sailing.
TAKEAWAYS
Across nearly twenty divisions:
- Multiple fleets were decided by one point
- Several classes required tiebreakers
- Sunday’s building northerly reshaped podium battles
The 2026 edition reinforced what sailors return for year after year: deep fleets, reliable winter breeze, and championship-level racing in one of the country’s most sail-friendly venues.
With Midwinter titles awarded and early-season momentum established, the broader U.S. racing calendar now accelerates toward spring. But for one long weekend on Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg once again stood at the center of American one-design sailing.
HIGHLIGHT REEL
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
