Melges 24 World Championship 2026, Late Breeze, Big Rewards on Day 4 in Harbor Springs

It took patience, four postponed starting sequences and a long wait for the breeze, but Day 4 of the 2026 Melges 24 World Championship ended with a good late-afternoon race on Little Traverse Bay.

Peter Duncan’s Shiitake (USA 864) won Race 10, followed by local team Straightarrow (USA 830), helmed by Chelsea Simms, in second. Championship leader Wah Gwan (USA 865), skippered by Anthony Kotoun, crossed the line third.

In the Corinthian division, Eddie Gary’s Troublemaker / Gill Race Team (USA 811) finished fifth overall, won the day and moved into the Corinthian lead with one day remaining.

The Worlds are hosted by Little Traverse Yacht Club (LTYC) in conjunction with the International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA) and the US Melges 24 Class Association (USM24CA).

A long wait for one good race

The fleet remained ashore under postponement until 2 p.m. before heading onto the water. Another three hours of waiting followed as the wind shifted back and forth and the race committee worked to set a fair course.

“We postponed four starting sequences before we finally got Race 10 underway on the fifth attempt,” Principal Race Officer Mark Foster said.

Once the race began, the breeze held at around 7 to 9 knots for most of the course.

“We adjusted the course after a shift on the first downwind leg, but the wind moved again during the second beat,” Foster said. “There was plenty of passing and a lot of position changes throughout the fleet. It was definitely a challenging race for both the competitors and the race committee.”

Shiitake wins, local team Straightarrow shines

After a difficult end to Day 3, Shiitake bounced back with a win in Friday’s only race. The victory moved Duncan and his team back into second overall with 46 points.

The day's local story came from Chelsea Simms and Straightarrow. Sailing with George Peet, Chris Steele, Paris Porter and Charlie Vink, Simms led the race around the first windward mark and remained in front for most of the course.

“We started between the middle and the pin end, expecting the new breeze to arrive from the left while still leaving ourselves the option to use the lift on the right,” Simms said. “It worked in our favor, and we rounded the first windward mark in the lead.”

StraightArrow held off the fleet until the final downwind leg, when Shiitake found a way past.

“We were neck and neck with Peter Duncan’s Shiitake, but we couldn’t quite hold them off and finished second,” Simms said. “We’re very happy with that.”

The result was especially rewarding for a team that had sailed together for only three days before the championship.

“There are so many reasons to love the Melges 24,” Simms said. “It takes off downwind, handles like a big dinghy and performs across such a wide range of conditions. This class gives me the chance to race alongside incredible world champions, push myself and learn from the very best.”

Wah Gwan remains firmly in control

With a third-place finish in Race 10, Kotoun’s Wah Gwan increased its score to 22 points and continues to lead the championship.

Shiitake is second with 46 points, while Nick Rogers’ WarCanoe (USA 876) is only three points behind in third. Peter McClennen’s Gamecock (USA 871) sits fourth with 52 points, and Bora Gulari’s Mavi (USA 874) completes the top five with 57.

While Wah Gwan holds a strong advantage, only 11 points separate second through fifth. The battle for the remaining podium places remains wide open heading into the final day.

Hero or zero for Troublemaker

The Corinthian standings changed again on Friday as Troublemaker / Gill Race Team delivered when it mattered.

Gary and his team began the day 17 points behind the Corinthian leader. Their fifth-place finish overall and Corinthian race win moved them into first place with 131 points.

“We went out with nothing to lose,” Gary said. “It was going to be hero or zero, and luckily everything fell our way.”

The key was a clean start from the favored pin end. “The pin was heavily favored, and although it’s never easy to win it, we managed to get away clean,” Gary said. “We couldn’t be happier with the result.”

Troublemaker / Gill Race Team now leads Duane Yoslov’s Looper (USA 855) by four points. Stuart Simpson’s Team Barbarians (GBR 691) is another six points back, leaving the top three Corinthians separated by only 10 points.

“The Corinthian division is very close, with several boats still in play,” Gary said. “Tomorrow we’ll take it one start at a time, stay in the moment and see what happens.”

One final day and plenty at stake

The championship now comes down to Saturday, but the weather forecast remains uncertain.

The Quantum Sails Weather Briefing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. The race committee plans to update the fleet at 9:30 a.m. with the day’s plan.

The deadline for starting the final race is 3 p.m.

The forecast may not look promising, but Friday showed how quickly things can change. After hours of waiting, the breeze arrived and produced a competitive race. The same may happen again on Saturday.

There is plenty at stake. The overall podium remains open behind Wah Gwan, while only a handful of points separate the leading Corinthian teams.

Racing can be followed through Vakaros Live Tracking.

The Melges 24 World Championship is supported by

Great Lakes Sports Commission,Gill Marine, Arntson Marine, Running Water, Quantum Sails, Irish Boat Shop, City of Harbor Springs, Nub's Nob, Lulu’s Cottage, Graceful Pathway, Fabiano Brothers, Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, Little Traverse Yacht Club Corinthian Foundation and Melges Performance Sailboats.

Top 10 Overall after ten races (one discard)

Wah Gwan, USA 865, Anthony Kotoun; 2-3-6-(7)-1-1-1-3-2-3; 22 points
Shiitake, USA 864, Peter Duncan; 4-8-3-3-11-5-4-7-(DSQ 50)-1; 46 points
WarCanoe, USA 876, Nick Rogers; 11-(24)-11-5-4-2-2-2-6-6; 49 points
Gamecock, USA 871, Peter McClennen; 3-5-2-1-13-6-8-6-8-(21); 52 points
Mavi, USA 874, Bora Gulari; 6-(18)-5-8-3-10-7-1-13-4; 57 points
Dark Horse, USA 870, Cuyler Morris; 9-6-1-10-9-7-(13)-11-4-10; 67 points
Sentinel, USA 856, Geoff Fargo; 5-2-4-2-5-(DSQ 50)-5-21-18-13; 75 points
The 300, USA 839, Steven Boho; 14-7-13-(17)-17-3-6-8-3-14; 85 points
Mustang, USA 853, Dick Kalow; 8-12-15-12-8-14-(24)-4-5-17; 95 points
Flying Jenny, USA 869, Sandy Askew; (21)-10-8-18-14-13-20-9-1-7; 100 points

Top 5 Corinthian after ten races

Troublemaker / Gill Race Team, USA 811, Eddie Gary; 10-14-12-15-24-25-9-17-(43)-5; 131 points
Looper, USA 855, Duane Yoslov; 13-19-19-9-(28)-11-17-5-15-27; 135 points
Team Barbarians, GBR 691, Stuart Simpson; 12-17-22-4-18-16-23-(25)-14-15; 141 points
Team Bagdad Prospects Helly Hansen, NOR 866, Tomas Mathisen; 15-4-17-22-26-(30)-14-19-23-11; 151 points
Zhik Race Team, GBR 777, Geoff Carveth; 25-20-18-11-23-12-19-(31)-9-18; 155 points