Close finishes and exciting competition in Marblehead at Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta
by Classic Yacht Owners Association 14 Aug 06:05 AEST
2026 Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta © Bruce Durkee
Last weekend, the 2026 CYCS made its return to the waters of the Bay State with the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta hosted by Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
This summer's streak of favorable weekend weather continued and made for two days of Chamber of Commerce conditions.
The first day of racing started with a brief wind delay, but soon the sea breeze filled in, averaging 10 knots, and a 11.1 mile pursuit race got under way. CYOA member yachts Africa B Squad (Cindy and Jud Smith) and Viola (Kostia Belkin) were the first and second finishers of the race, respectively.
Sunday's featured slightly heavier wind, allowing for the larger boats to have a lot of fun on the 14.75 mile course. Towards the end of the race, it became very gusty and "spicy" under chute, yielding a tight reach to the finish. Many competitors opted to douse their chutes for better efficiency and angle to the finish line. The famed 12 Metre Intrepid (Jack Curtain and Ted Moore) took line honors, with Africa B Squad close behind.
When the fleet returned to Marblehead following the Sunday's pursuit race, the division leaderboards were set:
- Vintage: Viola, Kostia Belkin
- Classic: Rozi, Quin Vaillancourt
- Modern Classic: Intrepid, Jack Curtain & Ted Moore
- Spirit of Tradition: Mistoffolees, Jennifer Aspinall
Making evident just how exciting the racing was, both the Modern Classic and Spirit of Tradition Divisions—as well as the non-CYCS International One Design Division—were decided on a tiebreaker, with the better score in the second race deciding the ultimate winner.
"What an incredible weekend of sailing," said regatta organizer and CYOA Chair Timmy Dittrich. "The competition was fierce with multiple classes going to tiebreaks, but the camaraderie and social atmosphere was spectacular."
The aforementioned Viola secured its qualification in the overall CYCS rankings by completing both races in the Corinthian Classics Regatta. Viola made its CYCS debut in the Maine distance regattas earlier in August and has quickly found its place among the top competitors.
This summer is the first season the 49-foot gaff cutter has graced American waters, making the trip from France to honor America's 250th anniversary of independence. Sailing under the Yacht Club de Monaco burgee, owner Kostia Belkin focuses on enhancing the yacht's racing performance while preserving its graceful lines and historic character.
Belkin is Viola's 14th owner since the yacht was launched in Scotland in 1908. Following up on previous owner's restoration efforts, Belkin's work includes a new rig, reinforcement of critical structural points, a redesigned deck layout without winches, and countless refinements below deck. "We enjoyed the format of the pursuit racing at Corinthian, and had a lot of fun sailing along with the entire fleet," said Belkin. "The festivities around the regatta were incredibly friendly and had a lovely spirit. Everyone really enjoyed themselves."
The classics fleet is now moving south to Nantucket for two CYCS events in the waters of the famous Massachusetts island: the Nantucket Regatta and the Opera House Cup. The back-to-back regattas are part of Nantucket Race Week, which benefits Nantucket Community Sailing. The events serve as the grand finale to Nantucket Race Week and feature a Classic Yacht Exhibition, a parade of the island's rainbow fleet, and several high-spirited social events.
These will be the last two events in the Massachusetts District. Winners of overall and district awards will be celebrated at the CYOA Annual Meeting and CYCS Awards Ceremony on October 23 at the Herreshoff Museum in Bristol, RI.
Scoring for this year's CYCS is updated on ClassicYachts.org/results. Good luck and fair winds to all sailors this weekend in Nantucket!
2026 CYCS Results and Standings
Vintage Division
1. Black Watch, Black Watch Alliance - 490.89 points
2. Viola, Kostia Belkin - 419.12 points
3. Spirit, Lars and Peter Forsberg - 307.08 points
4. Kirawan, Jim Wetherald & Ted Huffman - 187.33 points
Spirit of Tradition Division
1. Ponyo, Paul Koch - 375.64 points
2. Cavallino, William Kahane and Mike Toppa - 360.27 points