Melges 24 Pre-Worlds sets the stage for September showdown
by U.S. Melges 24 Class Association 27 Aug 11:46 PDT
August 29-30, 2026
Chelsea Simms sends Straightarrow charging downwind at 2024 Melges 24 Worlds in San Francisco. After finishing 9th overall & stepping away from race for 2 years, Simms returns to fleet with proven world-level speed, and a team no one should underestimate © Zerogradinord / International Melges 24 Class Association
If the 2026 Melges 24 U.S. Nationals revealed anything, it's that not one specific team is coming to Harbor Springs with a clear-cut, easy path to the International Melges 24 Class' most prestigious trophy—the Melges Performance Sailboats Trophy, a.k.a. the Worlds.
Across three fiercely contested days in mid-August on Grand Traverse Bay, a deep collection of evenly matched teams traded places, played the pressure, and demonstrated what is required to contend at the highest level. Nearly a dozen or more boats emerged with the pace and potential to win races, lead the fleet, and challenge for a major championship title.
Now, with the 2026 Worlds less than one month away, the question is no longer whether the fleet is ready.
It is which team will rise to win it.
The next clues may emerge this weekend, August 29-30, when the fleet arrives for the 2026 Pre-Worlds Regatta, hosted by Little Traverse Yacht Club (LTYC), event number four of five on the Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup Series.
More than a tune-up, the two-day event will bring competitors, race officials, organizers, and local marine partners into full operational rhythm on Little Traverse Bay.
For the teams, it is an opportunity to experience the racecourse, test boat speed, sharpen crew coordination, and begin interpreting a venue that can reward both patience and good decision-making. For LTYC's race committee, it will provide a valuable full-scale rehearsal before the international fleet arrives in September.
Around the harbor, the club, Irish Boat Shop, volunteers, and event partners will begin settling into the cadence required to welcome the boats, manage shoreside logistics, support technical preparations, and ultimately send the fleet racing.
Throughout Harbor Springs, anticipation is building.
The Pre-Worlds will also introduce several high-powered teams that did not compete at Nationals, adding even more depth to an already formidable field of competitors.
Ten-time Melges 24 U.S. National Champion and former World Champion (2013) Brian Porter will bring Full Throttle back into the mix. One of the most successful programs in the history of the International Melges 24 Class, Full Throttle arrives with decades of experience, an extensive championship record, and an unmistakable ability to perform when the pressure is high.
A portion of Porter's 2013 winning team will join him, which includes his sons RJ and Bri Porter, and Matt Woodworth.
"I'm very excited," said Porter. "I really haven't sailed much all summer, so now we've got Pre-Worlds, E-Boat Nationals and then the Worlds. I'm getting a lot of time in here, and hopefully we can get our rhythm down. To see 45 boats coming to Harbor Springs is fantastic. The Melges 24 is such a great boat and so much fun, no matter where you are in the fleet."
Chelsea Simms, at the helm of Straightarrow, will also return to Melges 24 competition after finishing ninth overall at the 2024 Worlds in San Francisco. Following an almost two-year break from racing, Simms returns with proven world-level pace and an impressive team that includes USM24CA Midwest District Governor George 'Bear' Peet, along with Skip Dieball and Dan Kaseler.
Simms will be one of several accomplished women helming at the Worlds—and underestimating any one of them would be a serious mistake. As the U.S. Nationals recently demonstrated, the women leading programs within this fleet are not simply joining the championship conversation. They are helping define it.
Anthony Kotoun's Wahgwan brings an equally imposing level of firepower. A podium finisher at the 2025 Melges 24 U.S. Nationals and sixth overall at the Worlds in San Francisco, Kotoun will arrive in Harbor Springs with a crew that blends extensive international experience with some of the brightest young talent in American sailing.
Among them is Riley Gibbs, recently named as one of the first six sailors selected for ARC Team USA's campaign for the 38th America's Cup in Naples, Italy. A Tokyo Olympian in the Nacra 17, former member of the U.S. SailGP Team, and veteran of the 2024 America's Cup cycle with American Magic, Gibbs brings elite-level foiling, speed, and technical experience to the program.
When the World Championship begins in September, the lineup will change, with Stu McNay stepping into Gibbs' position aboard Wahgwan. Another high-caliber addition with a remarkable record across the sport, McNay is a five-time Olympian in the 470 Class, 2015 European Champion and 2022 505 World Champion. He also helmed Conor Clarke's Embarr to victory at the 2016 Melges 24 World Championship. From America's Cup and SailGP experience to Olympic campaigns and world titles, the talent moving through Wahgwan reflects the elite-level competition that has long been part of the Melges 24's DNA.
Jordan and Grant Janov, currently campaigning together in the men's 49er with their sights set on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, add youthful energy and high-performance skill, while Franny Schulte, a "10-out-of-10 crew member" rounds out an extraordinary lineup on the bow.
The introduction of Porter, Simms, Kotoun, and their teams only intensifies the lesson delivered in Traverse City: the 2026 Worlds will not be controlled by one obvious favorite. It will be decided among a deep group of well-prepared teams, and the eventual champion will need to adapt quickly to the conditions, minimize mistakes, and remain relentlessly consistent throughout the event.
Before the world title is decided, however, another important season-long contest will move one step closer to its conclusion.
The Pre-Worlds serves as the penultimate stage of the Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup. Now in its sixth consecutive season, the regional series has continued to build participation and strengthen high-level Melges 24 racing throughout the region.
That sustained growth also makes this an especially exciting time to become part of the Melges 24 fleet. From established regional series and professionally managed regattas to technical expertise, local fleet support, and committed partners such as Quantum Sails, owners and teams can enter the Class knowing that a strong racing network is already in place to help them compete, improve, and become part of the family.
The 2026 Quantum Sails Great Lakes Cup champion will be crowned during the World Championship in Harbor Springs, placing greater importance on every race sailed during the Pre-Worlds weekend. Teams will not only be learning the venue and preparing for September; they will also be competing for valuable points before the series reaches its championship finale.
Quantum Sails' continued support has helped the Great Lakes Cup develop into a meaningful and highly competitive pathway through the heart of the U.S. racing season. Its presence in Harbor Springs will extend well beyond the racecourse, with Quantum serving as a major supporter of the Melges 24 experience.
Up to five races are scheduled for the Pre-Worlds, beginning Saturday, August 29. Official practice racing will take place Friday, followed by two days of competition on Little Traverse Bay.
The Worlds remains on the horizon, but Harbor Springs is already beginning to hum. Boats are coming. Teams are sharpening their programs. The nerves have already started. The race committee is preparing, and Little Traverse Yacht Club is buzzing.
The countdown is on—and the race toward a world title is about to become very, very real, if it has not already.
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