McClennen Claims 2026 Quantum Sails MELGES 24 Great Lakes Cup in Harbor Springs Finale

HARBOR SPRINGS, Mich. — After a season that carried the Melges 24 fleet across some of the Great Lakes’ most celebrated sailing venues, the 2026 Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup came to a fitting conclusion in Harbor Springs, where five months of racing culminated alongside the 2026 Melges 24 World Championship, hosted by the Little Traverse Yacht Club (LTYC) on Little Traverse Bay.

Beginning in Muskegon and continuing through Detroit, Traverse City and ultimately Harbor Springs, the five-event series attracted 75 teams throughout the season, including 30 Corinthian programs. Along the way, the Quantum Great Lakes Cup became an important thread running through the 2026 Melges 24 season, with four of its five events also contributing to the North American Sailing Series and the final events steadily building toward the Worlds, which concluded on September 26.

The series arrived at Worlds with Bora Gulari’s Mavi holding the advantage after victories in Muskegon and Detroit, but with the championship still very much within reach. By the time the final race was complete, it was Peter McClennen and Gamecock who had turned a third-place finish at the Worlds into the points needed to move ahead and claim the 2026 Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup title by just two points.

The Corinthian competition produced an equally compelling season-long battle, with Eddie Gary’s Troublemaker ultimately emerging at the top of a deep field of all-amateur teams. Gary’s road to the title led him up against some of the Great Lakes’ most established and competitive Corinthian programs, including Mike Dow’s Flying Toaster, Fred Rozelle’s Rustler, Mike Gozzard’s Rush, Connor Baker’s Outlier and Rob Terry’s Kraken, along with newcomers such as Lindsey Duda aboard Sin Duda, who joined the Melges 24 fleet this season.

With 30 Corinthian teams competing across the five-event series, the depth of that field was an important part of the 2026 Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup story. The division brought together longtime Melges 24 competitors, new owners and developing programs, all racing at an exceptionally high level while remaining true to the Corinthian foundation of amateur competition. Their participation and continued investment in the fleet are every bit as important to the strength of the Great Lakes circuit as the championship battle at the top of the overall standings.

The victory is especially fitting for a sailor whose contribution to the Melges 24 Class extends well beyond results on the racecourse. McClennen has been a longtime supporter of the Class and of opportunities that introduce and develop the next generation of sailors. His commitment to competition, education and fleet development reflects much of what the Great Lakes Cup itself was created to encourage.

Waiting in Harbor Springs was the Quantum Great Lakes Cup trophy, delivered specially for the occasion thanks to 2025 Series champion Dan Berezin aboard Surprise. With the conclusion of Worlds, the trophy officially passed from one champion to the next, closing an exceptional season of Great Lakes racing.

QUANTUM’S SUPPORT GOES BEYOND THE RACECOURSE
Throughout the 2026 season, Quantum Sails’ involvement extended well beyond its title sponsorship of the series.

Quantum representatives and sailmakers supported competitors throughout the Great Lakes campaign, providing expertise, service and sail repair assistance during some of the most important events of the season. That commitment was particularly visible in Harbor Springs during the Worlds.

Adding an extra special layer of Class involvement, at the Worlds Opening Ceremony, Quantum Sails donated a new V4 spinnaker specifically awarded to a participating Corinthian program.

Aaron Elder’s Huzzah takes home the Quantum Sails V4 Spinnaker awarded at the 2026 Worlds opening ceremony, with crew members Seamus Wilmot, Matt Gingo, David Krausz and Scott Kozinchik.

The lucky recipient was Aaron Elder and his Huzzah team, a relatively new addition to the Melges 24 fleet and precisely the kind of team the Class and Quantum hoped the giveaway would support. The reaction from Elder and his team made the moment one of the highlights of the opening festivities and underscored the importance of supporting teams as they establish themselves within the fleet.

For the U.S. Melges 24 Class Association (USM24CA), that investment in individual sailors and teams is what makes Quantum’s partnership particularly meaningful.

Across five events, the 2026 Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup brought together 75 different Melges 24 teams, including 30 Corinthian programs. It connected established champions with developing teams, local Great Lakes sailors with programs traveling from across North America, and regional racing with the biggest Melges 24 championship of the year.

It also demonstrated exactly what a strong regional series can become when great venues, committed sailors, host clubs and a dedicated industry partner come together.

The USM24CA extends its sincere thanks to Quantum Sails for its continued commitment to the Class, the Great Lakes racing community and, most importantly, the sailors themselves.

Congratulations again to Peter McClennen’s Gamecock, the 2026 Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup Champions — and thank you to every team that made the journey through the Great Lakes this season.

With an extraordinary 2026 Great Lakes Cup now complete, the Class and Quantum Sails are already looking ahead to what comes next in 2027.

TOP TEN RESULTS (Final, After 5 Events)
1.) Peter McClennen, Gamecock Sailing; 112 pts.
2.) Bora Gulari, Mavi; 110 pts.
3.) Cuyler Morris, Dark Horse; 106 pts.
4.) Steve Boho, The 300; 101 pts.
5.) Dick Kalow, Mustang; 99 pts.
6.) Sandy Askew, Flying Jenny; 98 pts.
7.) Geoff Fargo, Sentinel; 95 pts.
8.) Peter Duncan, Shiitake!; 92 pts.
9.) Alexander Korakis, Boogieman; 85 pts.
10.) Andrew Picel, Take Off; 84 pts.
Full Results