United States A-Class Sailing Association (USACA)

01/02/2026

🗞️ Bruce Mahoney and Bob Hodges Capture North American A-Class Midwinter Championship

Press Release for Immediate Release

KEY LARGO, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2026) — Bruce Mahoney (USA) and Bob Hodges (USA) captured top honors at the 2026 North American A-Class Midwinter Championship, hosted annually by Upper Keys Sailing Club. Extreme wind and weather conditions on the final day forced racing to be abandoned, locking in results from Friday as final.

The four-day Midwinter Championship served as the most important North American checkpoint in the lead-up to the 2026 A-Class World Championship, set for November 9-14 at Davis Island Yacht Club. With the Worlds returning to the United States this fall, the Key Largo regatta offered a clear look at who is finding speed early in the season.

Foiling Fleet
Bruce Mahoney delivered a commanding performance in the foiling fleet, translating pressure into points across the series. Multiple race wins and consistently low scores allowed Mahoney to secure the Midwinter title before racing was halted by weather.

Francisco Venetucci (ARG) made a late-series charge to claim second overall, while Axel Issel (ARG) rounded out the foiling podium. Several teams used the regatta to debut new boats and updated systems, treating the Midwinters as a proving ground ahead of the World Championship.

Classic Fleet
In the Classic division, Bob Hodges demonstrated the value of consistency, extending his advantage over Haywood Cope (USA) to secure the Midwinter title. Valdek Kwasniewski (POL) remained firmly in contention throughout the week, highlighting the depth and international strength of the Classic fleet.

Once again, Classic boats finished well inside the overall top ten, reinforcing the class’s reputation for rewarding smart sailing and clean ex*****on across configurations.

Weather Shapes the Outcome
Midwinters delivered a full range of conditions over four scheduled days. Early racing featured classic Florida Keys flat-water foiling conditions, while a powerful front brought extreme breeze that ultimately shut down racing on the final day.

Despite the weather, the fleet remained fully engaged on shore, reviewing drone footage, comparing setups, and sharing ideas, hallmarks of the A-Class culture.

As longtime A-Class sailor Ben Hall noted earlier in the week, “In this class, it’s about fifty percent camaraderie and fifty percent racing. Everybody helps everybody, and that’s what keeps people coming back.”

A Proven Formula
Upper Keys Sailing Club once again showcased why it is one of the premier venues for high-performance sailing in North America. The sheltered waters off Key Largo provide an ideal foiling racecourse, while the club’s sailor-first culture and generous hospitality continue to define the Midwinters experience. Easily accessible from Miami, the venue offers both elite racing conditions and a welcoming community.

The A-Class Catamaran is a singlehanded, box-rule development class that encourages innovation within a defined measurement framework. Sailors compete in both foiling and Classic configurations, refining designs, rigs, and systems through experimentation and on-the-water testing. The class attracts Olympians, engineers, lifelong tinkerers, and dedicated amateurs united by a shared pursuit of performance. Take a tour of Olympic medalist and America’s Cup champion Randy Smyth’s Classic A-Class boat with a few unique features including bow rudders: https://fb.watch/EZb73qkseU/

Eyes on Tampa
Several sailors competing in Key Largo raced this fall at the 2025 A-Class World Championship in New Zealand, including Mickey Todd, Bailey White, and Axel Issel. With new designs debuting and speed gaps narrowing, the focus now turns to Tampa Worlds.

The 2026 A-Class World Championship at Davis Island Yacht Club is expected to draw a deep fleet and showcase the class at its highest level on Florida waters.

Event Media & Results
Photos: gallery.hannahleenoll.com
Drone footage and interviews: United States A-Class Sailing Association (USACA)
Results: upperkeyssailingclub.com/regatta/CpTrhx1mgK/results

Media by Hannah Lee Noll

31/01/2026

A-Class Catamaran Boat Tour 🏎️💨

Olympic medalist Randy Smyth gives us a tour of his unique A-Class Catamaran at the 2026 Midwinter Championship at Upper Keys Sailing Club. Two details stand out immediately: canard rudders mounted on the bows, and a mast with leading-edge cutaways designed to allow more controlled mast bend.

This is box-rule thinking in action. What do you think?

🎥: Hannah Lee Noll

31/01/2026

This crowd? Rain doesn’t stop us.

Three more races are in the books at the A-Class Midwinter Championship, hosted by the Upper Keys Sailing Club. This is a true sailors’ club. No blue blazers. Just sailors bellied up to the bar talking mast bend, replaying drone footage, and arguing setup choices.

As Ben Hall put it earlier this week, “There are no professional sailors here. Everybody helps everybody.” And on an uncharacteristically cold Florida day, that looks like hot soup waiting dockside, a whole contingent of volunteers, reggae on the speakers, and bourbon flowing as boats come back in.

On the water, Bruce Mahoney continued to turn pressure into points, posting a pair of bullets today to extend his lead. Francisco Venetucci surged into second overall after an impressive 1-2-2 scorecard, with Axel Issel rounding out the foiling podium.

In the Classic fleet, Bob Hodges extended his lead over Haywood Cope, while Poland’s Valdek Kwasniewski remains firmly in the hunt.

Tomorrow is the final day. A front is rolling through, so we’ll see if we’ll get an opportunity to shake up the scoreboard or if the results will hold as-is.

Drone footage & interviews: facebook.com/USAClass/
Photos: gallery.hannahleenoll.com
Results: upperkeyssailingclub.com/regatta/CpTrhx1mgK/results

📸: Hannah Lee Noll

30/01/2026

30/01/2026

“Everybody helps everybody.”

That’s what makes the A-Class different. Forty-plus boats in Key Largo, all kinds of setups, all kinds of sailors, and a fleet where information is shared as freely as tools in the boat park. Someone puts a hole in their boat, and five people are already figuring out how to fix it before sunset.

As Ben Hall puts it, this class is equal parts racing and camaraderie. An eclectic mix of sailors from every background, drawn together by speed, curiosity, and a love for figuring things out. Think DN iceboating energy on soft water instead of ice.

It’s a box-rule. Try things. Break assumptions. Learn fast. You can show up with a stock boat and go racing, or spend your nights tinkering and testing. Both belong here.

Hall’s got fourteen world championships under his belt and a few grandkids already lining up as the next generation.

That’s the A-Class. Full spectrum sailing. Full commitment. And a community that keeps people coming back.

29/01/2026

Midway in the Mangroves: Momentum Building at A-Class Midwinters 👀

We’re at the halfway point of the A-Class Midwinter Championship, and it’s becoming clear that Bruce Mahoney (USA) is putting on a show! A-Cat sailors were treated with another day of 10-18 knot breezes.

After five races, with one throw-out, Mahoney is sitting pretty with 5 points. Larry Woods (CAN) sits close behind with 9 and Francisco Venetucci (ARG) with 14. The top classic sailor is in sixth overall – Bob Hodges holds a one-point edge over Haywood Cope. It’s tight, tight, tight!

This regatta feels like a family reunion. Singlehanded sailors from the USA, Canada, Argentina, Poland, and the Virgin Islands are trading blows on the turquoise, flat-water racecourse at Upper Keys Sailing Club, longtime host of the North American A-Class Midwinter Championship.

The dock talk today was all about the asado Argentino - an annual tradition that draws all the sailors to gather at the yacht club sharing stories over a glass of wine and beautifully grilled Argentinian steaks.

With the A-Class World Championship coming to the United States this November at Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, this week is about more than just results. New boats are debuting. Gear is being refined. Hypotheses are being tested in this box-rule development class. Momentum is real, and it’s building fast.

Racing continues Friday and Saturday.

Drone footage & interviews: United States A-Class Sailing Association (USACA)
Photos: gallery.hannahleenoll.com
Results: upperkeyssailingclub.com/regatta/CpTrhx1mgK/results

Media by Hannah Lee Noll

29/01/2026

Race Five drone footage at A-Class Midwinter Championship 🚁

Another Bruce Mahoney race win! He's now won three of five races in the foiling fleet and leads overall. Haywood Cope tops the classic fleet in this race, finishing fifth. Full results: upperkeyssailingclub.com/regatta/CpTrhx1mgK/results

29/01/2026

Race Four drone footage at A-Class Midwinter Championship 🚁

Race winners: Axel Issel (foiling) & Bob Hodges (classic fleet - third place overall in this race)

Results: upperkeyssailingclub.com/regatta/CpTrhx1mgK/results

29/01/2026

Race Three drone footage at A-Class Midwinter Championship 🚁

Bruce Mahoney (foiling) & Bob Hodges (classic) take the win. Results: upperkeyssailingclub.com/regatta/CpTrhx1mgK/results