Melges 24 U.S. Nationals Delivers a Spectacular Opening Day

Traverse City, MI —If you are going to host a Melges 24 U.S. National Championship, this is how you do it.

Forty-six Melges 24s charged onto Grand Traverse Bay for a spectacular start to the 2026 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship, hosted by Grand Traverse Yacht Club. Day One exceeded every expectation, delivering four races and building breeze with a moderate chop that kept the fleet totally energized from start to finish.

With a light forecast anticipated, there was some concern that teams would awake to an onshore postponement. Instead, Grand Traverse Bay delivered. The opening breeze of six to eight knots steadily strengthened, building to a steady 10–12 knots before reaching 12–15 knots of perfection as the afternoon progressed.

The result was a long, physical and wildly exciting day that showcased the depth of this championship fleet.

Former Melges 24 World Champion Peter Duncan at the helm of Shiitake, struck first, taking the opening race of the regatta. Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Laura Grondin and her Dark Energy team answered with an impressive and satisfying victory in Race Two.

Then came Bora Gulari at the helm of Mavi, collecting the wins in Race Three and Four.

The two-time U.S. National Champion launched off the starting line in Race Three and never looked back. With every leg, Gulari and his team extended their advantage, delivering a commanding, nearly flawless performance. By the final mark rounding, Mavi had left the building.

When commenting on the team’s performance, Gulari immediately directed the praise toward his crew. “It’s all my guys,” he said. Those guys—Kyle Navin, Norman Berge, Trevor Burd and Nick Ford—are more than just an accomplished crew. They are close friends who genuinely enjoy racing together, and that connection translated into exceptional speed and precision on the racecourse.

After four races, Gulari’s Mavi holds the overall lead with 16 points, tied with second-place defending U.S. National Champion Cuyler Morris at the helm of Dark Horse. Grondin sits third with 19 points, tied with Duncan in fourth. Sandra Askew’s Flying Jenny rounds out the top five with 28 points.

Beyond the leaders, Andrew Picel’s Take Off, Steve Boho’s The 300 and Peter McClennen’s Gamecock were consistently present among the leading group, adding further depth to an already crowded championship conversation.

The tightly compressed leaderboard leaves no margin for error. In a fleet this deep, individual race victories tell only part of the story. Consistency wins championships, and with two more days of racing ahead, the teams capable of repeatedly converting strong starts, good decisions, and clean maneuvers into top finishes will ultimately rise.

The Corinthian Division produced an equally compelling contest. Lindsey Duda, at the helm of Sin Duda!, emerged as the early leader, followed by Eddie Gary’s Troublemaker and Duane Yoslov’s Looper. All three spent much of the day competing near the top tier of the overall fleet, reinforcing why this 26-boat all-amateur division is expected to produce some of the championship’s most exciting stories.

“We had so much fun today,” said Duda post racing. “This is only our third regatta, and I have to give credit for today’s performance to my crew. There are so many extraordinary sailors competing here, and we’re incredibly excited to be racing at Nationals. The conditions completely exceeded our expectations. We’re very happy with how we sailed today.”

Duda’s crew of Kyle Vowles, Tyler Woodworth, Nathan Hollerbach and Abie McLaughlin helped Sin Duda navigate the building conditions and establish the early Corinthian lead.

Gary, the reigning Melges 24 North American Corinthian Champion, looked equally at home in the conditions. Troublemaker, Sin Duda and Looper (14th, 12th and 16th overall respectively) demonstrated that the Corinthian title fight will unfold not only within their division but also near the sharp end of the overall standings.

Friday provided four demanding races, multiple winners and plenty of evidence that this regatta will go down to the wire. The fleet remained tightly connected throughout the day, producing the close-quarters, high-level racing expected from one of the strongest Melges 24 gatherings this year.

For teams preparing for September’s World Championship in Harbor Springs, opening day provided exactly the kind of test they came to Traverse City to find: challenging conditions, crowded mark roundings and 46 boats ready to capitalize on the slightest mistake.

Racing resumes Saturday on Grand Traverse Bay with four additional races planned. Whether the strengthening conditions return or new challenges emerge, there is everything left to play for.

TOP TEN OPEN RESULTS (Preliminary, After 4 Races)
1.) Bora Gulari, Mavi - 16 pts.
2.) Cuyler Morris, Dark Horse - 16 pts.
3.) Laura Grondin, Dark Energy - 19 pts.
4.) Peter Duncan, Shiitake - 19 pts.
5.) Sandra Askew, Flying Jenny - 28 pts.
6.) Peter McClennen, Gamecock - 30 pts.
7.) Travis Odenbach, Big Cat - 31 pts.
8.) Andrew Picel, Takeoff - 34 pts.
9.) Geoff Fargo, Sentinel - 37 pts.
10.) Steven Boho, The 300 - 39 pts.

TOP TEN CORINTHIAN RESULTS (Preliminary, After 4 Races)
1.) Lindsey Duda, Sin Duda! - 46 pts.
2.) Eddie Gary, Troublemaker - 51 pts.
3.) Duane Yoslov, Looper - 75 pts.
4.) Jaime Torres, Smile and Wave - 77 pts.
5.) Fred Roselle, Rustler - 81 pts.
6.) Rob Terry, Kraken - 89 pts.
7.) Mike Dow, Flying Toaster - 91 pts.
8.) Kent Sisk, Pulse - 101 pts.
9.) Mike Gozzard (CAN), RUSH - 107 pts.
10.) Mark Snyder, Honcho - 111 pts.
Full Results

Melges 24 racing fans can follow the action in real time at the official live tracking provided by Vakaros below. For news, photos, results and updates throughout the event, follow the U.S. Melges 24 Class, International Melges 24 Class and Grand Traverse Yacht Club official channels.

LIVE TRACKING: Vakaros
2026 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship Photo Gallery / Anna Suslova

2026 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship Yachtscoring Website

2026 North American Sailing Series
2026 Quantum Great Lakes Cup Series

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