Sunday racing at Yachting Cup 2026 delivered another strong day on the water, with eight classes spread across San Diego Bay and the Coronado Roads courses. With 48 boats on the line and a full range of conditions in play, Day 2 tested teams’ versatility as the regatta moved to its conclusion.
Three classes - J/24, Classics, and ORR - started inside San Diego Bay where the J/24s continued their buoy racing, and the shifting breeze and current made for strategic, high-concentration sailing. The Classics class sailed a 12.3nm course from the Bay out to the ocean and back to a Shelter Island finish. The ORR class raced a 20.3nm course covering much of the cityfront inside the bay and the second half of the race out in the ocean.
PRO Susi Graff managed the Bay course racing this weekend and shared her experience with three separate types of racing going on. “The Bay course with the J/24s, the Classics including 4 PCs and a 6m, and the go-fast ORR boats had a great time in the Bay this weekend. Today we were able to get in 3 good races for the J/24s. We started the Classic boats on an ocean race and the ORR boats who ended up coming back in the bay. That was thrilling to see those huge boats along with the J/24s. It was a great weekend for all.”
Class Winners:
J/111: Peter Wagner, Skeleton Key
Beneteau 36.7: Chick Pyle, Kea
J/105: Mike Hatch, J Almighty
J/24: William, Ramacciotti, Rylah
Classics: Rick Arneson, Nepenthe (PC)
ORR: Victor Wild, Fox (TP 52)
ORC 1: Mark Stratton, Cheeky (J/122)
ORC 2: John Laun, caper (J/120)
Yachting Cup 2026 – Overall Winner:
Mark Stratton, Cheeky (J/122)
Meanwhile, the offshore buoy racing fleets - ORC-1, ORC-2, J/111, J/105, and Beneteau 36.7 - took on the open ocean course off Coronado Roads, where more consistent pressure rewarded strong boatspeed and clean execution. Over the course of the weekend, six races were completed for the windward/leeward classes, three for the Classics fleet, and two for the ORR class.
PRO Bill Stump, who spent the weekend running races for the ocean course fleets, said “Today started out nice and clear out there, could see the Coronados and all the mountains. The wind was like yesterday at 11:30 when our first warning was, light 6 knots at 270, and started to move right and build a little bit. It felt like it was going to build up like yesterday and it never did. We got up to 8 knots at the very top. For the last race which was a 1.5 lapper finishing up by the point, the wind really let off and most boats had an hour long race, whereas the rest of the weekend races were averaging 45 minutes. Everybody is home safe and starting to get into the Mount Gay Rum and it’s been another great Yachting Cup.”
There has been an ongoing battle in the local Beneteau 36.7 class between Chick Pyle's Kea and Given-Ho, skippered by Erika Barth this year. While Kea often gets the best of the class, last year Given-Ho won the last two races to win the class by a point. This year, Kea gave up no ground, winning every race and dominating their class. Sailing with the Kea team this year was SDYC Staff Commodore Chuck Sinks who shared “It was just another spectacular weekend of sailing in beautiful San Diego. SDYC’s 2026 Yachting Cup shines brightly again with crisp race management, competitive sailors and fun fleets, off the charts on-shore festivities and hospitality galore. A little lighter breeze and the kelp showed up on the course today which added some new wrinkles to the race track. Good fun and challenging racing! The Etchells Worlds sailors will have their hands full in the Coronado Roads in a week or so! Huge thank you to Donica Ryder and her Yachting Cup team for making it all happen. Great time!”
Peter Wagner continued to excel in the J/111 class, taking the class win for the 3rd year in a row at the Yachting Cup. Peter shared that “Conditions were superb at this year’s Yachting Cup as was the tight competition in the J/111 class. 3 different boats won races which kept things interesting! Skeleton Key also loved participating in the [J/22] Ton Cup which is such a fun and unique event.”
Winner of the ORC-1 Class, Mark Stratton’s J/122 was selected the regattas overall winner. “Thank you very much for a wonderful weekend, good yacht racing, great winds. And we’re looking forward to seeing you again next year.“
Commodore Alli Bell who sailed with Staff Commodore John Laun’s class winning J/120 caper this weekend, said “It was a beautiful weekend on the water. The weather cooperated and the sailing was terrific. Thanks to everyone who came out, Regatta Chair Donica Ryder, Race Officers Susi Graff and Bill Stump, and their race committee teams. We look forward to welcoming you all back for the 2027 Yachting Cup!”
Racing concluded with an awards presentation and after party hosted at San Diego Yacht Club, where racers gathered to celebrate a competitive and well-sailed regatta.
Donica Ryder volunteered as the Yachting Cup chair for the 2nd year in a row and spent months putting together one of SDYC’s premier annual regattas. “It’s been my privilege to chair the Yachting Cup in 2026, the 52nd year of this amazing event. It’s one of my favorite events and favorite regatta of the year. It brings boats from all over Southern California, some coming home on their way back from the Newport to Ensenada Race. I want to thank our sponsors, we could not run this regatta without you. Huge thanks to Driscoll Boat Works for sponsoring our professional photographer Colin Grey. Thank you to Mount Gay Rum, Maui Brewing Company, North Sails, Sun Bum, First National Bullion who sponsored our band on Saturday night, it was a great party. And I would be remiss if I forgot to mention our world class race committee. Thank you to Susi Graff and Bill Stump for being our PROs on both an ocean course and a bay course. I’m truly impressed every time I get out on the water. We really do have the best yacht club in the world, there’s no place I’d rather be. Thank you to Catering staff Alison, Sophia, Hop, Jason, Commodore Alli Bell and everybody else on the SDYC staff and Board for supporting this incredible event. Hope to see you all next year.”
