Sailors from across the country will converge on Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas, November 4–7, for the 2026 U.S. Adult Sailing Championship. Teams will compete for two trophies: the Clifford D. Mallory Trophy, awarded to the winning team, and the Staton J. Peele Sportsmanship Trophy, awarded to the team selected by race officials and fellow competitors.
Eleven teams were selected from the applicants by the U.S. Adult Sailing Championship Committee. “We’re always excited to see sailors from all over the country and from a wide variety of fleets come together to compete at this high-level, one-design event,” says Committee Chair Sandra Svoboda. “I encourage anyone interested in competing next year to contact their Regional Sailing Association – even this far in advance – to apply. RSAs play a key role in helping publicize the application process.”
Registered skippers (home state) and the RSAs they will represent:
- Barney Harris (Virginia) – Chesapeake Bay YRA
- Jasper Van Vliet (California) – YRA of San Francisco Bay
- Brian Doyle (New Hampshire) – Northeast Sailing Association
- Terry Flynn (Texas) – Texas Sailing Association
- Mike Mergenthaler (North Carolina) – South Atlantic YRA
- Ed Feo (California) – Southern California Yachting Association
- West Riggs (Massachusetts) – Southern Massachusetts Sailing Association
- Carter White (Maine) – Northeast Sailing Association
- Ben Robbins (Texas) – Texas Sailing Association
- Rudi Arntson (Colorado) – Sailing Association of Intermountain Lakes
- Patrick Hitchins (Texas) – Texas Sailing Association
Skippers and their teams can look forward to a full schedule at Lakewood. After check-in on Wednesday, competitors will take part in practice racing, followed by an opening ceremony and welcome party. Championship racing begins Thursday.
Each team, made up of three or four sailors, will sail Lakewood Yacht Club’s fleet of RS21s on Upper Galveston Bay. Eleven races are planned over three days, Thursday, November 5, through Saturday, November 7. “Lakewood Yacht Club always delivers top-tier hospitality, and the club-owned, fully matched fleet is ideal for championship events. Competitors should come prepared for high-level competition on the water and a stellar experience on shore,” says Marie Wise, Lakewood Yacht Club commodore.
Thank you to our US Sailing sponsors – Pacific Life, Goslings, and Zhik – for supporting this championship. Pacific Life, presenting partner of the US Sailing Team and an official partner of US Sailing, is a proud sponsor of all US Sailing Championships as part of its broader commitment to supporting the sport and sailing community and promoting national-level competition. Competitors can look forward to Dark ’n Stormys after racing, courtesy of Goslings. Zhik, US Sailing’s technical apparel partner, will award gift cards to the Adult Championship winners.
Results and race documents can be found on the Official Notice Board.