Paloma Arrigo wins the 2026 ILCA 6 Pacific Coast Championships at Coronado Yacht Club
by Paloma Arrigo 28 Apr 14:43 BST
17-19 April 2026
Paloma Arrigo wins the 2026 ILCA 6 Pacific Coast Championships at Coronado Yacht Club © Michael Arrigo
On April 17-19, I competed in the 2026 ILCA 6 Pacific Coast Championships at Coronado Yacht Club. It was a really fun three days with a nice breeze (12-18 knots).
Representing Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, and Coconut Grove Sailing Club, I'm excited to share that I won the ILCA 6 class overall (including 1st female).
Tactical intelligence
A big part of this result came from better decision-making on the water. Over the past two years, I've focused on improving my tactics and race decisions to better position myself and leverage the fleet.
Throughout the weekend, the conditions were very tricky and shifty. It was breezy with flat water, so while boat speed was very important, being on top of the shifts was even more so. My coach John Bertrand (USA) pioneered the concept of Tactical Intelligence on the race course. I'm learning from him in a variety of conditions. Coronado was perfect with good breeze, eight races and a flat water race track where tactics in shifts and fleet position became more important than sailing through chop and waves.
My main focus was staying on the numbers (compass), looking ahead on the course, and maintaining awareness of the fleet to keep my positioning under control. The shifts were unpredictable a lot of the time. There were races where I felt like I was playing a side really well, only for the other to get a massive shift at the top of the course that I couldn't capitalize on.
Moments like that were definitely frustrating, but my boat speed on the reaches and downwinds allowed me to recover quickly and minimize losses.
Fitness and endurance
At Coronado, in flat water and breeze, boat speed was key. That kind of condition really rewards consistency & technique, which is where fitness plays a big role.
Over the course of the regatta, my conditioning helped me maintain strong hiking, stay technically sharp, and avoid any drop-off in performance, especially later in the day. It allowed me to keep pushing the boat at full speed while still staying mentally focused on the race.
Thank yous!
Thank you to my coach, John Bertrand, for all the support and guidance. He's been a big part of my progress.
Thanks to my family for encouraging me, as well as NHYC, CBYC, and CGSC for helping me attend these regattas.
Thanks to Coronado Yacht Club + the race committee for running a great event, and to everyone behind the scenes who helps make this possible. Also, to my competitors for making the event super competitive but fun!
Full Results
Looking forward to building on this as the season continues.
Paloma Arrigo
ILCA 6 | USA 226942
Newport Harbor YC - Cabrillo Beach YC - Coconut Grove SC
Corona del Mar High School, class of 2026 | Tulane University Class of 2030