USA A-Class Midwinter Championship 2026 - Day 3
by Hannah Lee Noll 30 Jan 17:42 PST
January 27-31, 2026
This crowd? Rain doesn't stop them.
Three more races are in the books on Day Three at the A-Class Midwinter Championship, hosted by the Upper Keys Sailing Club in Key Largo. This is a true sailors' club. No blue blazers. Just sailors bellied up to the bar talking mast bend, replaying drone footage, and arguing setup choices.
As Ben Hall put it earlier this week, "There are no professional sailors here. Everybody helps everybody." And on an uncharacteristically cold Florida day, that looks like hot soup waiting dockside, a whole contingent of volunteers, reggae on the speakers, and bourbon flowing as boats come back in.
On the water, Bruce Mahoney continued to turn pressure into points, posting a pair of bullets today to extend his lead. Francisco Venetucci surged into second overall after an impressive 1-2-2 scorecard, with Axel Issel rounding out the foiling podium.
In the Classic fleet, Bob Hodges extended his lead over Haywood Cope, while Poland's Valdek Kwasniewski remains firmly in the hunt.
Tomorrow is the final day. A front is rolling through, so we'll see if we'll get an opportunity to shake up the scoreboard or if the results will hold as-is.