Detroit Sets the Next Stage in the Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup

Detroit, MI - The U.S. Melges 24 Class Association heads to Bayview Yacht Club this weekend for the Helly Hansen Sailing World (HHSW) Regatta Series Detroit, where 17 teams are set to continue the early-season momentum of the 2026 Quantum Sails Melges 24 Great Lakes Cup.

While the HHSW Regatta Series spans three days, Melges 24 competition will take place exclusively on Saturday and Sunday, concentrating the fleet into two high-intensity days of racing on one of North America’s most historically significant and tactically demanding venues.

Detroit has long held a unique place within Great Lakes sailing culture. The venue rewards discipline, awareness, and adaptability as much as outright boatspeed. Shifting freshwater pressure, current management, compressed fleet positioning, and narrow tactical margins routinely create racing where patience become just as important as aggression.

For the Melges 24 fleet, it is an environment that tends to expose both strengths and weaknesses quickly.

And with the season still in its formative stages, Detroit arrives at an important moment within the broader championship calendar.

This weekend marks the second stop of the five-event Quantum Great Lakes Cup series, with Bora Gulari’s Mavi arriving as the current series leader following victory at the opening event in Muskegon. Close behind sits Dick Kalow’s Mustang, setting up what could become one of the defining rivalries of the Great Lakes season.

The absence of Peter McClennen’s Gamecock adds another layer of intrigue. McClennen and his team have shifted focus eastward toward summer training camps and preparations for the East Coast Championship, which will be held in conjunction with the Sail Newport Regatta on July 10-12 in Newport, Rhode Island.

That temporary opening at the front of the fleet creates opportunity, in particular for experienced programs like Sandy Askew’s Flying Jenny and Andrew Picel’s TakeOff, both of whom are fully capable of inserting themselves into the fight at the front of the fleet.

One of the most significant storylines of the weekend may once again come from the strength and depth of the Corinthian division.

Potentially 11 of the event’s 17 entries are expected to qualify as Corinthian teams, continuing a longstanding tradition of strong amateur participation within the Melges 24 Class.

These are sailors balancing careers, businesses, families, and everyday responsibilities while continuing to compete at an exceptionally high level in one of the sport’s most physically demanding and tactically complex one-design classes. Every Corinthian team competing in Detroit has been checked through the World Sailing Sailor Categorization system as Group 1 competitors via the U.S. Melges 24 Class Association.

The Corinthian lineup in Detroit includes several programs that have become deeply established within the Melges 24 landscape, including Jaime Torres’ Smile and Wave, Dan Berezin’s Surprise, Eric Vigrass’ Tomfoolery, Tom Ritter’s Tramp, and Mike Gozzard’s RUSH, just to name a few.

As rivalries continue to develop throughout the Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup season, the Corinthian division remains one of the defining elements of the Class — highly competitive racing rooted in sportsmanship, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to fair play.

With the Canadian National Championship approaching in June, followed by the U.S. National Championship in August and the 2026 Melges 24 World Championship in September, Detroit is an important point in the season as teams continue building rhythm, refining boat handling, all while fulfilling their need for speed.

The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series Detroit is supported by title sponsor Helly Hansen alongside longtime Melges 24 Class partner Quantum Sails, whose continued involvement remains an important part of the event experience and the broader culture surrounding the Class.

View Full List of Entries

USM24CA Approved Corinthian Teams
1.) (USA) Aaron Elder/Scot Kozinchik, Huzzah
2.) (CAN) Chris Woodall, OxCart
3.) (CAN) Mike Gozzard, RUSH
4.) (USA) Fred Rozelle, Rustler
5.) (USA) Lindsey Duda, Sin Duda!
6.) (USA) Jaime Torres, Smile and Wave
7.) (CAN) Dan Berezin, Surprise
8.) (USA) Eric Vigrass, Tomfoolery
9.) (USA) Tom Ritter, Tramp

Official Sailing World Regatta Series Website
Official Event Website
 / Detroit
Online Registration + Other Race Info