J/70 North American Championship 2026 at Annapolis Yacht Club - Day 3
by Julie & Christopher Howell 31 Oct 20:14 GMT
October 29 - November 1, 2026
J/70 North American Championship Day 3 © Hannah Lee Noll
Golden's Local Team takes the lead
Halloween brought a spirited day of racing to the 2026 J/70 North American Championship on Saturday, hosted by Annapolis Yacht Club. Under bright sunshine, beautiful fall temperatures and a 7-15 knot breeze that gradually faded, the fleet completed two more races on the Chesapeake Bay, bringing the total to eight.
Annapolis Yacht Club's own James Golden and Sagara (USA) made the biggest move of the day, taking over the overall lead with 33 points. Golden posted a seven and a first in Saturday's races to edge ahead of Brazil's Haroldo Solberg's OceanPact, who are now second overall with 35 points. Sweden's Per Roman and GARM hold third with 45 points.
Saturday's race winners included Arthur Edwards' Wicked (USA), who took Race 7 ahead of John Heaton's Empeiria (USA) and Bruno Pasquinelli's Stampede (USA). In Race 8, Golden and Sagara claimed the top spot, followed by Solberg's OceanPact and Ralph Rosa's Mindset (BRA).
The Corinthian division continues to deliver its own close competition, with Alec Cutler's Hedgehog (BER), Ryan Cox's DJ (USA) and Adam Burns' What? NoooWaaay! (USA) occupying the top three positions. In the Mixed-Plus division, Sandy Askew's Tangerine maintained its lead.
The 54-team fleet represents seven countries and 15 U.S. states, bringing an international field to Annapolis for a championship being sailed at the same venue and during the same timeframe as the 2027 J/70 World Championship.
After racing, competitors traded their sailing gear for Halloween festivities at the Sailing Center, capping off a superb day on and off the water. One final day remains, and with just two points separating the top two teams, Sunday's racing promises plenty of suspense before the 2026 J/70 North American Champions are crowned.