2026 Worlds Day 3 Recap - One point between first and second

published 05/13/2026

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. — Day 3 of the 2026 Etchells World Championships is in the books and we officially have a championship as six races have been contested. Morning cloud cover burned off just before the 11:30 warning signal, yielding a “Chamber of Commerce” day, with steady winds blowing around 10 to 12 knots. The yacht America served as a spectator boat and provided a gorgeous backdrop following the fleet around the course.

Following tomorrow’s race 7, teams will be able to drop their highest score. That could mean shakeups in the standing are in the cards. However as of Wednesday evening, just one point separates first place Jim Cunningham’s Lifted USA 1504 and 2023 World Champion John Sommi’s Encore USA 1529. Cunningham led the fleet going into Day 3 and held onto that position even with a 15 in race 6.

“We came into this regatta knowing we had to be really consistent given the depth of talent here,” Cunningham said. “It is truly fantastic competition here with 76 teams from all over the world pushing us to sail our best. We are staying in the top 15, and with a field of this caliber that’s how you get ahead.”

The first race of Day 3 saw Craig Mense and the Freedom crew onboard USA 1456 build a lead early and reach the first mark well ahead of the pack. They only added to their commanding position as the race progressed—reminiscent of JC Strong’s dominating win in race 4 yesterday. Behind Freedom, the fleet remained tight throughout the race. Aussie teams came across the finish line second, third, and fourth one behind the other behind the other seconds apart—AUS 1514 taking second, AUS 1526 third, and AUS 1226 fourth.

Race 6’s start was postponed twice due to shifting wind direction. When the race did get underway, the fleet crowded the committee boat on the right side of the line attempting to gain a slight advantage getting to the first mark. War Canoe USA 1363 made a bold move off the line, port tacking the fleet. The boat skippered by Michael Goldfarb had their regatta-best finish in fourth in race 6.

The day’s final race came down to the wire with a leading group of four boats jostling for the top spot. In the end it was Austin Sperry’s RayGun USA 1527 who crossed first giving them a bullet and a third place overall position. James Mayo on board Magpie AUS 1526, seeking his third straight Etchells World Championship title, was just behind for second place and currently sits in fourth overall with only two points separating him and Sperry.

The sheer amount of talent present in this regatta have made dramatic swings in finishing positions the norm. With two days left and throw outs coming into play tomorrow, it is still anyone’s game going into the final three races.