2026 California Dreamin' Series now accepting Requests for Invitation
by Long Beach Yacht Club 22 Nov 2025 23:19 GMT
California Dreamin' Series © Long Beach Yacht Club
The Organizing Authority is now accepting requests for invitation from skippers wishing to compete in the 2026 California Dreamin' Series. This popular match racing series, now in its 15th consecutive year, features events at four prominent clubs on the West Coast.
The series begins at San Diego YC in J/22s on January 24-25, followed by Balboa YC in GovCup 22s on February 7-8. The third stop will be held at St. Francis YC in J/22s on March 7-8, and the final event in the series will be at Long Beach YC in modified Solings on April 11-12. See the Notice of Series here.
Skippers may apply for individual stops by submitting the Request for Invitation. The OA's Invitation Committee will review requests received by December 20, 2025 and start issuing invitations until each event is full.
Priority will be given to skippers opting for three of the four events, but there are often spots available to those who can only make one or two. New in 2026, the Long Beach stop will be held in the fleet of Club Solings rather than the traditional Catalina 37s in an effort to keep crew sizes consisitent across all four events.
The top prize for the series winner will be an invitation to LBYC's 2026 Butler Cup, held during the fall of the same year. Butler Cup will then serve as as a direct feeder to the Grade 2 Ficker Cup the following spring, where skippers will have a shot at earning an invitation to the granddaddy of them all, the Grade WC Congressional Cup.
The California Dreamin' Series events are traditionally the nation's first match racing regattas of the year and serve an important role in the development of up-and-coming match racers. The series has ushered numerous skippers and crew members into the specialized discipline of match racing, many of whom have gone on to find success at higher-graded national and international events across the globe.
Interest has poured in from around the country for this series, which has garnered well over thirty requests for invitation each of the last several years. These events are also highly sought after by race committee volunteers and umpires thanks to non-stop action and high level competition. Each venue provides vantage points for spectating, and many skippers continue seeking invitations year after year.