M32 Miami Winter Series Round 3: Rated X rises above the rest
by M32 World 16 Mar 07:09 GMT
March 13-15, 2026
M32 Miami Winter Series 2026 © Hannah Lee Noll
Consistency ruled the day on Biscayne Bay as Charlie Julien's Rated X claimed victory at the March edition of the M32 Miami Winter Series, navigating a tricky light-air regatta with a disciplined scoreline of 4-3-2-2-2 to win the event.
In a fleet where race wins often come and go, Rated X persisted near the front. The steady performance was enough to lead the pack and secure victory. Hats off to Julien and his world champion roster of Keith Swinton, Rhys Mara, Julius Hallström, and Andy Axelsson.
Miles Julien's Youngblood finished second overall after another remarkably consistent weekend, while Ryan McKillen's Surge, the reigning M32 World Champions, rounded out the podium in third.
The Miami forecast proved volatile throughout the weekend, with intermittent squalls, dicey lightning, and periods of heavy rain sweeping across Coconut Grove. Racing was ultimately called off on both Friday and Sunday as unstable weather moved through the area. Fortunately, a sunny window opened on Saturday, allowing the race committee to complete five light-air races in quick succession. The shifty breeze and passing clouds made for a delicate tactical challenge, rewarding patience and clean maneuvers as teams navigated the patchy pressure across the course.
A Brotherly Battle for the Series Lead
The result adds another chapter to what is becoming one of the defining storylines of the season: Julien versus Julien. With three events now complete in the Miami Winter Series and only one remaining, Miles Julien's Youngblood leads the season standings with 43 points, propelled by his victory at the January opener and back-to-back second-place finishes in February and March. Close behind is his younger brother Charlie, whose victory today moves him into second place overall with 40 points.
The battle between the two brothers has become a compelling arc. Last season, Rated X claimed the Newport Summer Series while Youngblood finished mid-fleet. This winter, the roles are shifting. Youngblood has emerged as the most consistent program on the circuit: First place in January, second in February, and now second in March. Miles's team with tactician Carlos Robles, Bernardo Freitas, Moritz Spitzauer, Leonard Takahashi, and Dan Morris is looking strong.
Depth Across the Fleet
While Rated X and Youngblood controlled the top of the leaderboard this weekend, several other teams showed flashes of brilliance:
Ryan McKillen's Surge posted a race win and several strong finishes to claim third overall. Larry Phillips's Midtown Racing opened the day with a bullet of their own, and Bill Ruh's Pursuit showed explosive speed with two consecutive race wins. Bobby Julien's Dingbat remained firmly in the mix with steady finishes across the board, reinforcing the depth and competitiveness of the fleet.
After winning the February Winter Series event, Tuuci had a more challenging regatta but finished Saturday with a decisive final-race victory, a reminder of the team's ability to strike back quickly.
Håkan Svensson's Cape Crow Vikings made their return to Miami this weekend after digging out from the Swedish winter: "It's great to be back with this group," said Svensson. "Our plan is to race every event this season as we build toward the World Championship in Newport. There are some new, different, and very exciting plans taking shape for the winter of 2027 as well. This class is heading into a very exciting chapter."
Connecting with the Next Generation
Off the water, the M32 fleet also hosted a youth night at Shake-A-Leg Miami for local Opti, ILCA, and C420 sailors. Moderated by Hannah Noll and Dave Doucett, the evening featured a Q&A with SailGP and M32 professionals Mac Agnese, Taylor Canfield, Stewart Dodson, Bernardo Freitas, Julius Hallström, Peter Kinney, Harry Melges, Max Salminen, Leonard Takahashi, and Will Tiller, who shared insights on the pathway from junior sailing to the professional circuit.
"The kids thought it was incredibly cool to hear about the different types of boats and racing, and especially how fast the boats can go," said junior coach Aisling Sullivan. "They were also really interested in the teams behind the scenes, like the engineers and support crews that help make a program successful."
Summer Racing in Newport Awaits
With three events complete, the Miami Winter Series now heads toward its April 17-19 finale before the fleet migrates north to Newport, Rhode Island, for a full summer of racing. The schedule features three distinct styles of competition: one-design fleet racing, casual Pro-Am Thursday night beercan racing, and coastal around-the-island racing.
M32 Fleet Racing
June 12-14 — New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta
July 17-19 — M32 U.S. National Championship (during NYYC Race Week)
Aug 14-16 — M32 North American Championship
Sept 28 - Oct 3 — M32 World Championship
Kingspoke Thursday Night M32 Pro-Am Series
June 11, June 25, July 2, July 16, July 30, Aug 13, Aug 20, and Sep 3
Coastal Racing
June 6 — Rhody Around-the-Island Race
June 12 — NYYC Around-the-Island Race
July 5 — IYAC Around-the-Island Race
July 25 — Edgartown Yacht Club Around Martha's Vineyard Race
Sept 26 — Sail for Hope Around-the-Island
International Events
Picasso Cup in supplied boats July 10- 11 in Kristinehamn, Sweden
Tjörn Runt Aug 15 in Stenungsund, Sweden
Centomiglia Sept 5-6, around Lake Garda, Italy
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