Register now for 21st edition of Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week
by Michelle Slade 14 Jun 02:23 AEST
June 26-28, 2026
Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week © Bruce Crary
Ullmans Sails Newport Beach is thrilled to bring back three days of fabulous racing at Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week 2026, the 21st edition of this beloved West Coast event.
Racers come to enjoy a variety of conditions across a diverse range of exciting courses with flat water offerings inside of the Long Beach breakwater and spicing it up on the outside with big waves and big breeze. Fun post-race parties hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club (LBYC) and Alamitos Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) consolidate the camaraderie for this special West Coast regatta which always delivers. Registration is open for all classes through June 25, 6:00 PM - sign up now at www.lbrw.org.
The regatta breaks down the PHRF and One-Design fleet action into specific classes with a focus this year on the addition of the PHFR Southern California Regional Championship where the 3-day regatta offers a dynamic format of buoy and random leg races, including some with pursuit starts.
Race Day one begins Friday June 26, with a weather briefing at 10:15 AM by Ullman Sails Newport Beach, and skipper's meeting at 10:30 AM at LBYC. The first race warning will sound at 12:55 PM on Friday, and at 11:55 AM on Saturday and Sunday. Conditions permitting, it is expected that two races will be sailed in most classes on Friday, three races on Saturday, and two races on Sunday.
LBRW is open to multiple classes and in addition to the PHFR Southern California Regional Championship, in 2026 the event is proud to host the Catalina 37 National Championship, the J/109 West Coast Championship, the J/111 Pacific Coast Championship, the Beneteau 36.7 High Point Series, and the J/70 West Coast Championship. A perpetual trophy, the Campbell Cup will also be awarded to the PHRF Random Leg A Winner.
The event is grateful to the generosity and support of its 2026 sponsors including Ullman Sails, Clarke Marine Insurance, Cabrillo Boat Shop, Durant Design and Construction, Mt Gay Rum, Pirates Lair, The Oriana Shea Group, and Tom Walker Photography.
Bruce Cooper, owner of Ullman Sails Newport Beach, maintains that if you do one regatta, it should be the Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week.
"LBRW is the special Southern California regatta where skippers and crew can compete in the best SoCal conditions and show off what they have got, it's where skippers and crew can really test themselves against the top racers from across the region," Cooper says. "The regatta attracts a diversity of fleets, many who choose LBRW as the venue for their class championship. With typically champagne conditions to enjoy, racers can look forward to the usual prevailing conditions for LBRW - clearing westerlies every day and about 75-78 degrees - there is something for everyone."
Ed Feo, ABYC Regatta Co-Chair and former Club Commodore, is on double duty this year helping with regatta management and racing his Soto 40 Loco.
"Ullmans Sails Long Beach Race Week is the highlight of the Southern California summer racing calendar with perfect Long Beach breezes, the best competition, parties every night," Feo says. "The event succeeds because of the longtime collaboration of the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and Long Beach Yacht Club, two clubs which share a long history of promoting sailboat racing from dinghies to fifty-footers. This year the event includes the PHFR Southern California Regional Championship and we are expecting a record fleet for that class; I'm excited to be participating with Loco in that class, although with some trepidation— there are a lot of great sailors out there. We will have one day of windward/leeward buoy racing, one day of a long random leg race, and a one-day pursuit race."
Parties featuring music and dancing will be hosted by ABYC on Friday night, and at LBYC on Saturday and Sunday. Prize-giving will be held at LBYC on Sunday at 5:00 PM. Competitors are invited to enjoy both clubs' services and amenities including the ice machine, and free water taxi service between the clubs until 9:00 PM Friday and Saturday. For details on entry, schedule, mooring requests and more, visit www.lbrw.org