Ronning Takes Early Lead as Melges 24 U.S. Nationals Open in Pensacola
Pensacola, FL (November 14, 2025) — The opening day of the 2025 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship, hosted by Pensacola Yacht Club delivered picture-perfect conditions on Pensacola Bay. Light air in the 5–7 knot range, gentle shifts, and a strong early-day current kept every team on their toes. Despite the challenging conditions, Race Committee PRO Hal Smith and his team executed a textbook day on the water, delivering three premium races and setting the tone for an outstanding championship weekend.
At the top of the leaderboard is new owner Joel Ronning, at the helm of Catapult, who made an emphatic entrance into the Melges 24 arena. With a powerhouse crew consisting of Victor Diaz de Leon, Tomas Dietrich, Will Ryan, and Lorenzo de Felice, the Catapult team showed poise and polish from the start. Their boat handling, decision-making, and overall execution reflected their collective experience, allowing them to post a near-perfect scoreline. The margins weren’t massive in each race, but they were consistent, controlled, and confident—an impressive statement given the depth of talent racing in Pensacola.
Sitting second overall is Cuyler Morris racing Dark Horse, fresh off the World Championship in Trieste. Morris and his team looked sharp, clearly carrying momentum and race rhythm into the regatta. In third overall is Anthony Kotoun’s Wahgwan, who rebounded admirably after a challenging first race to post a 2-1 in Races Two and Three, securing a strong opening-day podium position.
The Corinthian division saw equally compelling performances. John Shockey, at the helm of Wombmates Racing, leads the amateur ranks and currently sits 11th overall, delivering a standout 7-13-12 for the day—an exceptional showing in a fleet of this caliber.
“We had three tough, really challenging races, but we came away with some good results,” said Shockey. “We sailed consistently and got off the line okay. But we were usually fighting back on the first beat and had to be pretty aggressive to earn back what we lost early on. It was tricky out there; you really had to pick a side and stay in phase. This fleet is just spectacular. From our perspective, we came away with all keepers and had a great overall day. We feel like we’re doing well so far and are looking forward to keeping it going.”
Not far behind is John Poulson’s Long Shot, also recently back from Trieste, followed by former Corinthian National Champion Steve Suddeth, racing Three and a Half Men, rounding out the top three among 18 Corinthian teams.
Teams across the fleet praised PRO Hal Smith and his race committee for their preparation and responsiveness, particularly in managing the building afternoon breeze.
“The overall package of coming to Pensacola is getting Hal and his team’s awesomeness,” said Kotoun. “I had totally forgotten about it, and then when I heard that voice on the radio, I thought, ‘Oh yes, we’re in for a great time this week.’ This club is great—the facility, the people, the race committee, the bay—everything. You can’t go wrong here. It’s top-notch.”
As the fleet heads into Day 2, another light-air forecast awaits. If today’s performances are any indication, the battle at the top is only just getting started, and the Corinthian contest is shaping up to be one of the most interesting and competitive in recent memory.
Fans can follow the action in real time through the Official Live Tracking provided by Vakaros. Stay up to date with every tack, rounding, and finish of the 2025 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship by visiting the Vackeros live race tracking page.
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