Stage is set for VX One North American Championship on Lake Michigan
by Hannah Noll 24 Sep 08:47 PDT
September 23-26, 2026
2025 VX One North American Championship © Hannah Noll
43 VX One teams have arrived in Holland, Michigan for the 2026 VX One North American Championship, hosted by Macatawa Bay Yacht Club September 23-26. Racing begins Thursday, September 24.
The "Midwest Nice" factor is already in full effect, with local sailors welcoming the fleet with warm smiles and genuine hospitality. Holland, Michigan has an easy charm. The town center is buzzing, people wave as you pass, and the area's Dutch heritage is everywhere, including its classic windmill. Each morning, teams sail past the famous Big Red Lighthouse on their way out to Lake Michigan. Not a bad place to spend a few days racing VX Ones.
It is a strong turnout for a class entering a particularly exciting chapter. The entry list stretches across North America and beyond, with entries representing the United States, Canada, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong, Great Britain and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The host club has plenty of skin in the game, too, with 13 Macatawa Bay Yacht Club entries lining up for a home-water championship.
And if recent history is any indication, predicting who will leave Michigan with the trophy is not particularly useful. Doug Clark & Jeff Eiber won in 2022. Geoff Moore & Josh Yale took the title in 2023. Marc Farmer & Trevor Parekh followed in 2024. Then came Chris Alexander, Ricky Welch, and Chandler Self in 2025.
Last year's championship in Gulfport produced one of the class's most memorable finishes. Alexander's team began the final day in ninth place. Five races later, they had five bullets.
The team led at every mark on the final day, clawing their way back into contention until Alexander and overnight leader Geoff Moore entered the final race tied on points. Alexander's team controlled Moore at the start, sailed away, and completed a remarkable comeback to secure Alexander's third VX One North American title.
Now both Alexander and Moore are back, joined by former champion Doug Clark and a 43-boat fleet capable of making this championship anything but straightforward.
The venue presents a completely different challenge from Gulfport. Instead of the Mississippi Sound, the fleet heads onto Lake Michigan, with Macatawa Bay Yacht Club serving as the center of racing and shoreside activity throughout the championship.
Beyond the racing, this week is another marker of how far the VX One community has grown. The class has built its identity around high-performance sailing without losing the culture that keeps sailors traveling together from regatta to regatta: shared debriefs, competitive racing, longtime friendships, and plenty of time laughing together after the boats hit the dock.
And this championship is only the beginning of a much larger season. Following North Americans, the fleet turns toward the inaugural VX One U.S. National Championship at Lake Norman Yacht Club, followed by four Miami Winter Series events, the Bacardi Invitational Regatta, and ultimately the inaugural VX One World Championship, scheduled for April 7-10, 2027 in Miami, Florida.
This week, all eyes are on Michigan.
43 teams. Lake Michigan. A North American title on the line. Let's race.