2026 Melges 24 Season Off to a Strong Start

Two of four major 2026 Melges 24 Ranking Series in the USA are officially underway, and while it’s still early, a high-powered trio — Peter McClennen’s Gamecock, Jaime Torres’s Smile and Wave and Alex Korakis’ Slippery, are already asserting control across both leaderboards.

With 42 teams having already posted scores across the both Series, the depth and engagement of the fleet is on full display to start the season.

McClennen holds the early North American Sailing (NASS) and Southeast Racing Series (SERS) lead, just ahead of Corinthian standout Torres, followed by Korakis. Recently crowned Bacardi Cup champion Cuyler Morris at the helm of Dark Horse, and Laura Grondin’s Dark Energy round out a tightly packed top five.

As the calendar progresses, next up, teams head inland for the Southeast Inland Championship at Lake Lanier, where they will have another opportunity to gain critical points before the spotlight shifts to Charleston Race Week at Patriot’s Point on April 16-19. With 21 Melges 24s registered, Charleston is shaping up to be a major battleground.

The road to the overall titles are indeed long, but if the opening rounds are any indication, this season is on a path to delivering the best high-caliber sportboat racing and whole lot more fun.

View: 2026 North American Sailing Series (PRELIMINARY - After 2 Events)
View: 2026 Southeast Racing Series (PRELIMINARY - After 3 Events)