Underdogs No Longer - TUUCI wins M32 North American Championship
by Hannah Lee Noll 28 Aug 2025 15:52 PDT
August 22-24, 2025
TUUCI Wins M32 North American Championship © Hannah Lee Noll
TUUCI Racing was crowned 2025 M32 North American Champion. "We just showed everybody that you can start at the bottom and work your way to the top," said C.T. Olander. "Tears came to my eyes."
After a year and a half of building, battling, and learning, Olander, Cy Thompson, Phil Robertson, John Wallace, and Charlie McHugh put it all together in Newport for an emotional, hard-earned title.
"We've gotten last. We've done well. We really just put it together this summer," Olander said. This event was the grand finale of a summer full of M32 one-design and coastal racing in the United States and across Europe. "A little extra time in the boat here in Newport made a big difference."
And they earned it. This weekend, the team had excellent starts, sailed clean, capitalized on shifts, and held off a stacked fleet across three days of championship racing. 15 champagne races in glorious Newport conditions: sunshine, sea breeze, mostly heavy air with a few light air races, and moments with a bit of spice.
At the same time, Charlie Julien's Rated X claimed the overall title in the M32 Newport Summer Series, which spanned three regattas across June, July, and August. The J Racing helmsman has teamed up with tactician Keith Swinton, helmswoman Christina Sakellaris, Rhys Mara, Julius Hallstrom, and Jeff McCooey this summer.
With 41 races scheduled and completed, Rated X's season-long consistency paid off. M32 Principal Race Officers Mattias Dahlstrom and Carol Ewing delivered top-level, professional race management throughout the series.
TUUCI Racing's partnership with The Ultimate Umbrella Company Incorporated (TUUCI) began before the pandemic. "TUUCI wanted to be part of a high-performance sailing team. They're in the shade business, which it's all about wind and the environment - so it just fits," said Olander. "They've given us a ton of support throughout the journey, and now we look forward to the World Championship in Miami."
A Summer of Speed
This summer, the M32 Class packed a full calendar across formats and continents.
U.S. Coastal Races:
M32s lit up two iconic American coastal courses: the New York Yacht Club Around-the-Island Race and the Edgartown Round-the-Island Race around Martha's Vineyard where Doug Newhouse's Yonder took line honors. This upcoming weekend, TUUCI, Yonder, and Jon Desmond's Final Final will compete in the Conanicut Yacht Club 98th Annual Around-the-Island Race in Newport.
European Coastal Races:
Peter Warrer raced Denmark's Fyn Rundt. Johnie Berntsson's team took line honors at Tjörn Runt in Sweden with a crew of Olympians and Volvo Ocean Race vets. Bruno Zorzan's Blue Beast has its sights set on September's Lake Garda Centomiglia, one of Europe's most legendary distance races.
Picasso Cup:
A key highlight of the M32 summer, the Picasso Cup featured seven teams sailing supplied M32s in the Swedish archipelago. With both course and distance racing, the event ended in a dramatic comeback win for Harold Vermeulen's Leeloo. Oscar Engström, Sweden's Youth America's Cup skipper, also joined the action.
Newport Pro-Am Series:
Thursday nights in Newport brought the M32 Pro-Am Summer Race Series presented by Kingspoke, mixing newcomers with seasoned pros in golden hour breeze - always followed by food, drinks, and community on the docks.
New Faces, Big Momentum
Several new teams joined the M32 community this summer:
- Doug Newhouse's Yonder, a coastal racing force who took line honors in Edgartown
- Jon Desmond's Final Final, debuting in Newport with a fresh paint job following their Admiral's Cup campaign
- Kyle Kandt's GT11, joining Pro-Am races with his son
- Charlie Barmonde's Arranque, a local Rhode Island crew bringing new energy
M32 North American Championship Results:
M32 Summer Series Results:
The Roster
- Convexity Don Wilson, Adam Minoprio, Kinley Fowler, Ted Hackney, Ava Wilson
- Dingbat Bobby Julien, Tom Burton, Ed Powys, Will Tiller, Lewis Brake
- Final Final Jon Desmond, Tom Loughborough, Mac Agnese, Severin Gramm, Joey Mello
- Midtown Racing Larry Phillips, Sam Hallowell, Mark Spearman, Malcolm Lamphere, Ian Barrows
- Pursuit Bill Ruh, Scott Ewing, Chris Steel, Kyle Navin, Ricky McGarvie
- Rated X Charlie Julien, Keith Swinton, Rhys Mara, Jeff McCooey, Julius Hallström
- Surge Ryan McKillen, Taylor Canfield, Sam Loughborough, Stewart Dodson, Luke Payne
- TUUCI Racing Cy Thompson, Phil Robertson, John Wallace, C.T. Olander, Charlie McHugh
- YoungBlood Miles Julien, Jeremy Wilmot, Bernardo Freitas, Dan Morris, Moritz Spitzauer