Perfect Start to the Inaugural ORC Sportboat North American Championship

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17. Apr 2026

April 16, 2026 - Charleston, SC, USA - Race conditions were excellent for the start of racing in the ORC Sportboat North American Championship today, with 10-15 knots of combined synoptic and sea breeze winds getting boats in both classes around the Distance Race course quickly, well ahead of the 4-hour time limit. Sailing mostly in a strong ebb current that enhanced the southeasterly breeze, the fastest boats in Class A were assigned a 20-mile course of beating, reaching and running in the harbor, while Class B raced a similar but shorter 16-mile course.

Using ORC ratings and the Medium wind All-Purpose scoring model, the race results in corrected time were close in both classes even after 2.5 hours of racing. 

In Class A, for example, Joost-Olan Sheehan’s Cape 31 WARRIOR WON had a commanding boat-for-boat lead around the race track, but being one of the fastest-rated boats in this class they had to give a time allowance to all but one competitor in this class.

Joost-Olan Sheehan’s Cape 31 WARRIOR WON - Charleston Race Week 2026 at Patriots Point © Ty Baird
Joost-Olan Sheehan’s Cape 31 WARRIOR WON - Charleston Race Week 2026 at Patriots Point © Ty Baird

And one of these - Chris Duhon’s Cape 31 TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD - crossed the finish line about 1.5 minutes astern yet managed to win the race in corrected time by only 12 seconds. Ten minutes astern in both corrected and elapsed time was Ryan Ruhlman’s Cape 31 HOBBES in third, with John Cooper’s Cape 31 COOL BREEZE only 14 seconds behind in fourth.

Mike Beasley’s J/80 BLACK SHEEP - Charleston Race Week 2026 at Patriots Point © Priscilla Parker
Mike Beasley’s J/80 BLACK SHEEP - Charleston Race Week 2026 at Patriots Point © Priscilla Parker

With an even wider spread of boat types in Class B, the racing was similarly tight in corrected time, with the slowest-rated boat in the class - Mike Beasley’s J/80 BLACK SHEEP - last around the race track but finishing first in corrected time. The margin of victory after 2.5 hours of racing was only one minute over the class runner-up, Luca Hynnek’s Farr 30 MAGGIE. About 40 seconds back in corrected time was Mark Shortz’s GP 26 RATTLE N RUM, finishing third.

ORC Class A at Charleston Race Week 2026 at Patriots Point © Ty Baird
ORC Class A at Charleston Race Week 2026 at Patriots Point © Ty Baird

For the remainder of the event in the next three days, the ORC Sportboats will be racing on Windward/Leeward courses on Race Circle 3.

Results are at https://www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_detail/50472/1.

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