2026 J/24 U.S. National Championship in Portland - Day 1
by Julie & Christopher Howell 12 Sep 00:42 BST
September 11-13, 2026
The 2026 J/24 U.S. National Championship, sponsored by Portland Yacht Services, opened Friday in Portland, ME with 33 boats facing a demanding day on the water that tested crews with everything from light air to a dramatic 180-degree wind shift.
The Championship fleet features an impressive 26 Corinthian teams, along with three female helms — two racing with all-female crews — and four teams under the age of 30.
The day began with a postponement as Race Committee waited for the predicted light breeze to develop. Once competition got under way, competitors completed one race before the seabreeze arrived and freshened the conditions. The second race was initially started but had to be abandoned after the wind shifted 180 degrees. Race Committee then relocated the course and successfully completed a second race, giving the fleet two races for the opening day. With conditions changing throughout the day, crews faced a constant challenge of adjusting their strategy. These dramatic shifts resulted in plenty of gear changes — and various changes on the leaderboard.
After two races, Rossi Milev's Clear Air (CAN) leads the Championship with finishes of 1-2 for 3 points. Aidan Glackin's Mental Floss (USA) is second with 2-3 for 5 points, while John Mollicone's Sparcraft (USA) sits third with 5-4 for 9 points. Milev's Clear Air led the opening race, followed by Glackin's Mental Floss and Mike Stasko's Corinthian Redline. Joseph Murphy's Rockstar claimed the second race, with Milev and Glackin following in second and third. The Corinthian competition is also tightly contested, with Stasko's Redline leading, followed by Steve Callison's Whiskey River and Ted Wiedeke's Caramella.
With a challenging opening day in the books, the fleet will return to the waters of Casco Bay through Sunday.
Results may be found at the event website: yachtscoring.com/emenu/50488