MELGES 24

After three days, eight races and nearly every condition Grand Traverse Bay could deliver, Cuyler Morris’ Dark Horse and Eddie Gary’s Troublemaker emerged as the 2026 Melges 24 U.S. National Champions.

After a hard-fought, come-from-behind victory over Laura Grondin’s Dark Energy, Morris successfully defended his title, while Gary delivered an equally determined final-day performance to overtake Lindsey Duda’s Sin Duda! and capture the Corinthian title.

Sunday morning began beneath heavy cloud cover, and although it appeared increasingly certain that racing would happen, what kind of racing Grand Traverse Bay might offer remained very much in question.

Once on the water, competitors watched the breeze rise, retreat and shift across the course. Patches of blue sky and brilliant sunshine broke through the clouds as the wind fluctuated from six knots to three in the morning, then surged toward 10–12 knots by midafternoon.

Principal Race Officer Leif Sigmond and his Race Committee continually adjusted the course to take advantage of every usable window. That said, three additional races were completed, bringing the championship total to eight and activating the discard everyone knew could transform the leaderboard.

Peter Duncan’s Shiitake opened Sunday with a victory. Morris answered by winning Race Seven, while Sandy Askew closed the regatta just as she had closed Saturday—at the front—claiming Race Eight with Flying Jenny.

Grondin began the day leading the fleet, and she refused to give up the top spot easily. She remained in control after Race Six and again after Race Seven as one of the weekend’s most closely contested battles continued into the final race.

It came down to the last one.

With the title hanging in the balance, Morris and his Dark Horse team—with tactician Manu Weiller and crew Alec Anderson, Charlie Smythe and Mark Ivey—converted a third-place finish in Race Eight while Grondin finished ninth. That final exchange moved the defending champion ahead for good.

After applying each team’s discard, Morris secured his second consecutive Melges 24 U.S. National Championship, four points clear of Grondin, who completed an exceptional regatta in second overall.

Duncan’s Sunday scoreline of 1-2-6 elevated Shiitake to third overall. Askew’s second victory of the weekend moved Flying Jenny into fourth, while Peter McClennen’s consistently competitive Gamecock rounded out the top five.

The final standings reflected the demanding and varied nature of the championship. Teams encountered light air, building breeze, moderate chop, flat water, unstable pressure and major shifts over three distinctly different days.

For the many programs progressing toward the Pre-Worlds Regatta in Harbor Springs later this month, and ultimately the Melges 24 Worlds in September, Traverse City provided an invaluable test. Every team left with a clearer understanding of its speed, preparation and ability to respond when conditions change without warning.

For the Corinthians, the racing proved equally intense.

Lindsey Duda entered Sunday holding a four-point lead over Gary after guiding Sin Duda! through two impressive days of racing. Sunday’s difficult and unpredictable conditions, however, reshaped the standings.

Gary and his Troublemaker team—John Goller, Katherine Booker, Curtis Woodworth and Steve Liebel—produced finishes of 9-5-22, with the discard throwing out their 29th-place finish from Saturday.

The resulting swing moved Troublemaker into the Corinthian lead, earning Gary the 2026 Corinthian Melges 24 U.S. National Championship. Duda finished second after a breakthrough performance in only her third Melges 24 regatta.

Rob Terry’s Kraken and Mike Dow’s Flying Toaster finished tied, placing third and fourth, respectively. Jaime Torres’ Smile and Wave completed the Corinthian top five.

The championship also marked an important moment for women in the Melges 24 Class. Entering the final day, Grondin held the Open lead, Duda led the Corinthian Division and Askew owned the most recent race victory—an unprecedented combination.

Their performances remained among the defining stories of the weekend. Grondin finished second overall after taking the championship fight to the final race. Askew won two of the final four races and finished fourth overall. Duda completed her third Melges 24 regatta as the runner-up in one of the deepest Corinthian fields ever assembled in North America.

The Nationals also served as Stage Three of the 2026 Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup, adding valuable regional series points as teams continue through the North American sailing season.

Off the water, Grand Traverse Yacht Club delivered an equally memorable experience. Saturday evening’s regatta party kept teams dancing late into the evening to the sounds of DJ Zim Zim—Katy Zimmerman, who also raced aboard Bad Idea. The Melges 24 fleet proved it has rhythm from within.

Following Sunday’s racing, the commanding officer of the local U.S. Coast Guard station joined the awards ceremony to help present the Guardians of the Great Lakes and U.S. National Championship trophies, adding a special distinction to the prize-giving.

Behind the racing was an extraordinary local effort. Regatta Chair Scot Zimmerman; his wife, Liz; Tom Roop; and the entire Grand Traverse Yacht Club Melges 24 fleet pulled out every stop to welcome competitors and deliver a first-class championship. From race management and logistics to hospitality and celebration, their fingerprints were everywhere—and the fleet felt it.

Now, attention turns north to Harbor Springs. The Pre-Worlds Regatta awaits on August 29–30, followed by the 2026 Melges 24 World Championship on September 19–26. Teams can still enter by September 1.

After eight races and three dramatically different days in Traverse City, Morris, Gary and their teams leave as national champions—and the rest of the fleet leaves knowing exactly how high the standard has been set.

TOP TEN OPEN RESULTS (Final, After 8 Races)
1.) Cuyler Morris, Dark Horse – 21 pts.
2.) Laura Grondin, Dark Energy – 25 pts.
3.) Peter Duncan, Shiitake – 28 pts.
4.) Sandra Askew, Flying Jenny – 34 pts.
5.) Peter McClennen, Gamecock – 36 pts.
6.) Bora Gulari, Mavi – 53 pts.
7.) Travis Odenbach, Big Cat – 54 pts.
8.) Steven Boho, The 300 – 56 pts.
9.) Geoff Fargo, Sentinel– 57 pts.
10.) Alex Korakis, Boogieman – 72 pts.

TOP TEN CORINTHIAN RESULTS (Final, After 8 Races)
1.) Eddie Gary, Troublemaker – 87 pts.
2.) Lindsey Duda, Sin Duda! – 100 pts.
3.) Rob Terry, Kraken – 119 pts.
4.) Mike Dow, Flying Toaster – 119 pts.
5.) Jaime Torres, Smile and Wave – 130 pts.
6.) Fred Roselle, Rustler – 131 pts.
7.) Duane Yoslov, Looper – 133 pts.
8.) Kent Sisk, Pulse – 161 pts.
9.) Tom Roop, Fire Horse – 184 pts.
10.) Mark Snyder, Honcho – 184 pts.
Full Results