CYCS 2026 bids adieu to Maine after stunning stretch of regattas
by Classic Yacht Owners Association 7 Aug 17:22 BST
CYCS 2026 © Patrick Sikes
After three exciting distance regattas, the 2026 CYCS season in Maine has come to a close. The Castine Classic Yacht Race, Camden to Brooklin Race, and the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta had some of the season's biggest classics fleets and featured yet another weekend of champagne sailing conditions.
The 2026 CYCS Maine stretch lasted for three weekends of spectacular weather, spirited competition, and trademark classic sailing camaraderie amongst CYOA members and friends. Across the five regattas that took place since late July, only a single day of racing was cut short due to winds too strong to sail safely.
In addition to a gorgeous three days of classics sailing, the Maine distance regattas saw the return of the Herreshoff NY-50 Spartan to American waters. The stunning vintage raced in all three events winning its classes in the Camden to Brooklin Race and Eggemoggin Reach Regatta.
"The wind filled in each day, allowing us to sail every course in full. It was three incredible days of racing on Penobscot Bay—something we are always grateful for," said Laurel Gaudet, captain of Spartan. "Bringing Spartan back to Maine's waters felt like stepping back in time, to an era when the sea breezes were steady and life was simpler."
CYOA members enjoyed a highly competitive weekend across the divisions. Øivind Lorentzen's The Hawk swept all three races in the Modern Classic Division, while Peter Cassidy's Siren delivered the most consistent performance among the Vintage entries, posting finishes of 3-3-4 in large fleets. David Kriegle's Easterly also put together a strong and consistent weekend in the Classic Division.
An especially impressive milestone belongs to Black Watch, which has now competed in all 10 races held in the Classic Yacht Challenge Series—including every event in Maine. The team also earned second-place finishes in both the Brooklin Feeder Race and the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta. A huge shout-out to the entire crew for continuing to show up and compete—we know what an extraordinary commitment that takes.
That commitment is exactly why the CYOA created the Jesse Terry Memorial Award last year: to recognize the team that travels to and competes in the greatest number of events throughout the season. The season is far from over, however, with six regattas still to come and plenty of opportunities for other teams to join the competition.
With the last of the Maine regatta's now scored, the region's winners have been posted. A reminder the criteria is must be a member of the CYOA, and sail in at least 3 races across 2 events in Maine. Boats are scored using corrected speed by the Divisions on their CRF Certificate, not necessarily the ones they sailed against on the course for that regatta.
- Vintage Division: Bijou II, Chris Bouzaid
- Spirit of Tradition: Pleione, Kenneth and Ginny Colburn
- Modern Classic: The Hawk, Øivind Lorentzen
- Contemporary: Hopgrasser, Drew and Mackenzie Lyman
- Classic: Thunderhead, Steve Ross and Oliver Lee
Awards will be handed out Friday, Oct 23rd at the Herreshoff Maritime Museum as part of the CYOA Annual Meeting.
The CYCS fleet is moving south to Marblehead, Mass. for the upcoming Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta. Hosted by the Corinthian Yacht Club, this regatta is known for its open ocean racing against the backdrop of the beautiful and historic Marblehead Harbor.
Corinthian is the second of the Massachusetts District events and will be followed by the Nantucket Regatta and the Opera House Cup later this month. After the Mass District wraps, the CYCS will then head to Southern New England and New York for the final events of the 2026 season.
Scoring for this year's CYCS is updated on ClassicYachts.org/results. Safe passage to all the yachts heading to Marblehead and good luck in the Corinthian Classics Regatta!
2026 CYCS Results and Standings
Vintage Division
1. Black Watch, Black Watch Alliance - 490.89 points
2. Spirit, Lars and Peter Forsberg - 307.08 points
3. Kirawan, Jim Wetherald and Ted Huffman - 222.05 points
Spirit of Tradition Division
1. Ponyo, Paul Koch - 375.64 points
2. Cavallino, William Kahane and Mike Toppa - 360.27 points
Save the Date! 2026 CYOA Annual Meeting and CYCS Awards - October 23 at the Herreshoff Museum
Summer may still be in full swing, but it's not too early to save the date for one of CYOA's biggest events of the year! The Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony is set for October 23 at the Herreshoff Museum in Bristol, RI. More details and RSVP options to come!