USA A-Class Midwinter Championship 2026 - Day 1
by WindDance Creative 29 Jan 04:14 PST
January 27-31, 2026
Almost as far south as you can sail in the continental U.S., tucked among the mangroves of the Upper Keys Sailing Club, with flamingos lifting off and turquoise water stretching in every direction, the annual A-Class Midwinter Championship is officially under way.
Day one delivered straight away. Breeze in the 15-20 knot range set an extra spicy tone and wasted no time testing nerves, gear setups, and decision-making across the fleet.
Four days. No hiding. No tears.
In the foiling fleet, Larry Woods (CAN) came out sharp, posting a 1-2 scoreline to take the early lead. Bruce Mahoney (USA) and Francisco Venetucci (ARG) are locked together just behind him, tied for second after a fast and physical opening day.
In the classics, Poland's Valdek Kwasniewski (POL) put together a solid, consistent showing with a 9-7. Haywood Cope (USA) sits just one point back, with Micky Todd (USA) three points further behind as the leaderboard tightens.
This is only day one. Tomorrow, we do it all again.