41st Annual Rose Bowl Regatta – Record turnout forecast

High school CFJ starting action from a previous Rose Bowl regatta staged in Long Beach Harbor, CA © United States Sailing Center

One of the largest and longest running combined collegiate and high school regattas returns for the 41st edition of the Rose Bowl Regatta. Hosted by the United States Sailing Center - Long Beach, CA and the Sailing Team at the University of Southern California (USC), this regatta will feature over 400 sailors from schools throughout the United States. Sailing will take place on two race circles inside Long Beach Harbor off the beach which will result in easy viewing from the shore. These same waters will likely be in the general racing area for the 2028 Olympics IQ Foil and Formula Kite classes.

The 2026 edition of the Rose Bowl regatta will feature the largest turnout in the event's history. 24 college teams and 84 high school teams (from 67 different schools) are registered including 16 college teams and 18 high school teams from outside California. According to long time event organizer and Principal Race Officer Mike Segerblom; "The 41st 2026 Rose Bowl Regatta will be the largest in history and remains the largest College/High School Regatta in the world." Mike was recently announced as the winner of the Southern California Yachting Association Mort Bloom award, recognizing his decades-long tenure as the Rose Bowl Regatta college and high school Gold Fleet Principal Race Officer.

The regatta's origins go back to 1984 when the Long Beach Golison brothers (Jay, Bruce, and Mark Golison) staged the first ever "Hangover Bowl" which featured college sailing. Mike Segerblom came on board to help run the regatta in the second year and brought in his USC sailing team to help run the event. Over time, the regatta gradually grew and was hosted for several years by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and the regatta name transitioned to the Rose Bowl Regatta. In the mid 1990's, high school teams were added to the mix and around 2010 the regatta outgrew the Alamitos Bay venue and the US Sailing Center - Long Beach, CA took over host duties with sailing moved to the larger Long Beach Harbor venue.

Boats will be stored and launched off the Granada Ramp in Belmont Shore. One race circle run by Mike Segerblom will host the college and high school Gold fleets. The second race circle run by Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association (PCISA) President Aaron Feves will host the high school Silver and Bronze fleets. Boats and teams will rotate every two races with the exchange taking place off the Granada Ramp beach. The Club/Collegiate Flying Junior (CFJ) two-person dinghy is the long-time boat used at this regatta and is prevalent throughout college and high school sailing. Tents representing the different schools will line the shore adding to the spectacle of the event. All 108 teams will enjoy a Saturday evening dinner featuring Mexican cuisine at the US Sailing Center - Long Beach, CA under a large party tent. Participating colleges will then present an overview of their college and sailing programs to the high school students following dinner. This tradition has proven to be one of the highlights of the regatta.

For further information, please contact Rose Bowl Regatta chair Todd Smith at .

For College results go to: www.scores.collegesailing.org.

For High School results go to: www.scores.hssailing.org.