The Independence Cup 2026 - the Nation's Oldest Adaptive Sailing Regatta in Chicago
by The Independence Cup 30 Jul 13:37 BST
July 23-26, 2026
The Independence Cup 2026 © Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
The Independence Cup, the nation's premier and longest-running regatta for adaptive sailors, took place July 23-26 in Chicago's Burnham Park Harbor.
The Independence Cup is sponsored by Shirley Ryan AbilityLab's Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program. Through the event, now in its 34th year, sailors with a range of functional impairments — from spinal cord injury to vision loss — compete on Lake Michigan in specially designed, accessible sailboats.
Following are highlights from this year's event:
- Winds ranged from 7-10 knots during the first few days before easing to 4-5 knots on the final day.
- Competitors traveled from 10 states and Canada to participate in the event.
- The regatta featured three classes of boats, all owned by the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program and provided to competitors at no cost.
- The doublehanded competition came down to the final day, when skipper Gary Pierce of Hebron, Indiana, and crew Zak Kordick of Chicago, who were in an Independence 20, won over Chris Murphy and Rob Hazen of Charleston, South Carolina. Eight boats competed in the fleet.
- In the triplehanded competition, Bridget Bodo of Chicago successfully defended her 2025 title in the Sonar. She and her crew — her son, Sebu, and Brian Pebbles of Cleveland — captured first place in an eight-boat fleet. Finishing second were Rachid Merzouk of Ottawa, Canada, with crew Barbara Bielinski of Boston and Tony Bowker of Chicago.
- Matt Koblenzer of Milwaukee was the singlehanded (2.4mR) winner, marking his sixth victory in the past seven years.
- This year also marked the inaugural Cookie Cup, a new event held the day before the Independence Cup. Designed as a fun, instructional opportunity, the Cookie Cup pairs experienced racing sailors with adaptive sailors to provide coaching, strategy and racing guidance.
The Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program has a longstanding mission of expanding access to sailing on Lake Michigan for people with physical impairments. Justin "Judd" Goldman was 17 when he experienced a bone disease that resulted in significant physical impairments. After realizing there were few sports he could participate in, Judd discovered sailing. After a lifetime of sailing, Judd passed away in 1989 at age 75.
In 1990, his wife, Sliv, son, Peter, and daughter, Judy, established the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation as a public/private partnership with the Chicago Park District. Over the next 35 years, the foundation offered a unique, learn-to-sail program to bring the joy and independence of adaptive sailing to thousands of participants. In 2026, a generous giftfrom the foundation and family of Peter and Carol Goldman helped to establish the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.