GL52 Pensacola Cup 2026 - Day 1
by Caroline Rochford 20 Mar 14:22 GMT
19-22 March 2026
Pensacola Bay made us wait just a little bit longer to get out sailing, but boy was the wait worth it. After a several hour delay, the 2026 Pensacola "Kraken" Cup kicked off at 3pm CST.
While there are only three 52s competing, racing was tight. There were times it felt more like a match race event than a standard buoy race; leads changed multiple times a race and tacking duels were abundant. Adding to the excitement was a fleet of WASZPs buzzing around the Bay, occassionally coming to check out the action and getting a little too close for comfort. They quickly found out that while they are fast, probably best to avoid a chicken fight with a 52.
Race 1 saw Peter Askew's Wizard come storming down the course with Windquest and Katana hot on their heels. Wizard kept their foot on the gas and finished with another win in race 2. Windquest jumped the gun and an OCS forced them back. However, with Dalton DeVos on the helm, never count them out. Though they finished in third behind John Huhn's mighty Katana, they shrunk their gap to less than 20 seconds. Wizard was unfortunately forced to retire from the third race, leading to a truly spectacular match race between Windquest and Katana. Windquest came out on top of Katana for the race win.
Preparations are already under way for Day 2. While the breeze looks like it's once again going to tease us until later in the afternoon. Joining the 52s on their circle are the ClubSwan28s for their inaugural US event. With so much going on we can guarantee it will be an exciting day out on the water!