San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) and US Sailing are preparing to welcome 10 teams to the 2026 U.S. Match Racing Championship, October 15–18.
This year’s championship will be sailed in SDYC’s fleet of J/22s, bringing three days of high-level match racing to San Diego Bay.
“We’re very excited to host the 2026 US Match Racing Championship,” says JR Young, 2026 Event Chair and San Diego Yacht Club member. “San Diego hosts a lot of racing, but match racing is something special. San Diego Bay’s City Front is a dynamic venue, offering spectators a front-row view of the action from the waterfront. At the same time, commercial and recreational boat traffic, tidal currents, and often-shifty winds create challenging conditions for competitors.”
Sailors from across the country will go head-to-head for the Prince of Wales Bowl. The 2026 field features skippers representing yacht clubs and sailing organizations from across the United States:
- Caroline Bayless — Something Chill YC / Annapolis YC
- Shawn Bennett — St. Francis YC / San Francisco YC
- Nicole Breault — St. Francis YC
- Molly Carapiet — St. Francis YC / San Francisco YC
- Cameron Feves — Cabrillo Beach YC
- Jack Jennings — Coconut Grove Sailing Club
- Peter Joslin — San Diego YC
- Reid McLaughlin — Eastport YC
- Christian Prendergast — Chicago YC
- William Stratton — Del Rey YC
The championship is the culmination of the U.S. Match Racing Qualifier Series, a national circuit designed to expand access and elevate competition across the country. Karen Butler, chair of the U.S. Match Racing Championships Committee and an SDYC member, says the series is having an impact: “The approach has definitely worked, especially drawing more female and youth match racers to the championship arena than we saw before introducing the qualifier series structure.”
Competitors earn invitations through performances at qualifier events, previous national titles or submitted résumés. Teams may sail with three or four crew members, with a maximum combined crew weight of 579 pounds.
Chief Umpire Kevin Hawkins and Principal Race Officer Randy Smith, supported by umpires and race officials from across the country and SDYC volunteers, will oversee the racing. The format begins with a single round robin, followed by a quarterfinal knockout series. The top four skippers will advance to the semifinals, followed by the petite finals and finals. A consolation round robin for skippers ranked fifth through 10th after the quarterfinals will run concurrently.
In addition to winning the Prince of Wales Bowl and the title of U.S. Match Racing Champion, the winning skipper will be nominated to represent the United States at the 2027 World Sailing Nations Cup. The event returns after a seven-year hiatus and is scheduled for September 6–11, 2027, in Cherbourg, France. Selection procedures are available on the Official Notice Board.
The championship opens with a welcome party on Thursday evening, October 15, following team registration and practice in the J/22s. The full schedule is available on the event page.
US Sailing thanks its event sponsors: Pacific Life, Goslings, Sextant Wines, Polar Seltzer, Zhik and SailFlow.
Results: https://www.matchracingresults.com/2026/usa-national-championships/
Event page and Official Notice Board: https://sailing.sdyc.org/racing/event/us-match-race-championship26/