Magpie three-peats at Etchells Worlds

History was made as Magpie (AUS 1526) with James Mayo, Paul Cayard, and Ben Lamb claimed their third consecutive Etchells World Championship, with the 2026 edition on May 11-15 in San Diego, CA. Seventy-six teams representing 11 countries competed in the 9-race series.

It had been over 40 years since Dave Curtis achieved the three-peat, and the Magpie team dominated when it counted. After starting the series with a 28-1-30-16, they finished with a 3-2-3-2 before winning the final race. Scott Kaufman (USA) finished 17 points back in second, with 2023 World Champ John Sommi (USA) in third, 24 points off the lead.

“I stepped into a very good team,” said Cayard—who has only sailed Etchells for 20 days—reflecting on his time at the helm this regatta. “A lot of great teams were here, so it is an honor to win and have my name on the same trophy as some of my idols like Dennis Conner and Vince Brun.”

A sailing legend in his own right, Cayard, the current Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, says “for sure” there are more Etchells regattas in his future.

“The last five races, we could not have sailed any better,” said Lamb. “I’m so proud of how the team pulled together, just attacked the race course the whole time,” who has won two previous Worlds. “This is probably the hardest Etchells Worlds I’ve ever done. Just to be mixing it up with the countless Olympians, America’s Cup winners, and World Champions feels good—but to win is just incredible.”

Mayo added, “This has honestly been a very challenging six months for our team. At the end of the day you have to trust the people around you and the pieces of the puzzle come together. This is a dream come true, it’s very emotional. Together everyone achieves magic.”

The Corinthian Class was won by Andrew Lawson, Graham Vials, and Billy Russell on No Dramas (GBR 1490). “To win the Corinthian prize is such an incredible that we are really proud of, especially with how talented our competition in this regatta has been,” said Vials. “Genuinely, I feel that there isn’t a better fleet out there when it comes to strength of talent.”

The 2027 Etchells World Championship will be held in Hong Kong, while the United Kingdom’s Etchells fleet will host the 2028 World Championships in Cowes.

Event information – Race details – Results

Source: Kate Somers