Melges 24 North American Championship - Day 1
by International Melges 24 Class Association 24 Jan 12:19 UTC
January 23-25, 2026
Opening day of the Melges 24 North American Championship, held in conjunction with Bacardi Winter Series Event No. 1, delivered near-ideal conditions, setting a perfect tone for the start of the regatta.
Racing took place in an area of Biscayne Bay not typically used for championship competition, but one that proved well-suited for the fleet, offering a steady breeze, manageable seas, and a classic skyline backdrop.
Former Melges 24 World Champion Drew Freides aboard Pacific Yankee, and fleet newcomer, Corinthian entry Eddie Gary racing Troublemaker finished the day at the top of the standings.
Teams launched into warm, sunny conditions shortly after 1400 hours. Conditions shifted from blue skies to overcast throughout the afternoon, and Race Three concluded with a stunning sunset finish.
"We were very fortunate with the conditions today," said Principal Race Officer Carol Ewing. "We sailed in an area we don't normally use, so we got lucky. Everything came together perfectly, and we were able to turn things around quickly and put three solid races on the board-the ideal start to a North American Championship."
Teams enjoyed the day on the water, including Dick Kalow at the helm of Mustang. "We had an absolute blast out there today. The team is really starting to get settled and comfortable with the boat, and everyone had a lot of fun on the water."
The day produced three different race winners and an exceptionally tight leaderboard. Freides closed the day with a decisive win in Race Three to lead the fleet overall. Bora Gulari, at the helm of Mavi, claimed victory in Race Two and sits in second place, followed by Monaco's Nika, helmed by Christian Schwoerer, tied on points with 2024 U.S. National Champion Geoff Fargo on Sentinel. Harry Melges IV rounds out the top five aboard Zenda Express.
An early highlight of the day came in Race One, when Canadian Corinthian Dan Berezin at the helm of Surprise captured an opening-race victory. Gary followed with a consistent series of finishes that moved him ahead of Berezin in the overall Corinthian standings, finishing ninth overall to Berezin's 11th. Stuart Simpson, at the helm of Team Barbarians holds firm in third, while Jaime Torres' Smile and Wave and John Poulson's Long Shot sit fourth and fifth, respectively. With multiple Corinthian teams embedded deep in the overall standings, the division is shaping up to be one of the most interesting storylines of the event.
Another fleet newcomer, Corinthian Doug Bird aboard Joy Ride, praised the race management and modern approach to sportboat racing, which integrates the Vakaros RaceSense system with MarkSetBots.
"The race management was amazing, and to get three races in with a consistently shifting breeze was incredible," said Bird. "We had a lot of fun, but as a new team, we know there's plenty to work on. Our starts weren't perfect, and it's clear that building boat speed takes time. We're just excited to be racing in the Melges 24 class and look forward to improving."
On Saturday, racing continues with a 1100 start.