Two titles awarded at Melges 24 Worlds

Anthony Kotoun’s Wah Gwan (USA) dominated the 2026 Melges 24 World Championship, held September 22-26 in Harbor Springs, MI. With crew Grant Janov, Jordan Janov, Franny Schulte and Stu McNay, their scoreline of all top seven finishes in the 49-boat fleet allowed them to sit out the final races with a 29-point lead.

Entries from Canada, Great Britain, and Norway joined 41 USA teams in the 12-race series.

“I first sailed a Melges 24 in the early 1990s, and at some point the thought entered my head that maybe I could own one and try to win this championship,” Kotoun said. “The project began two or three years ago with an idea, a boat, and a lot of practice. Then we brought this team together, and it kept getting better and better. Sometimes dreams really do come true.”

Duane Yoslov’s Looper (USA) with crew Ellise Smolenyak, James Golden, Ian Mathiesen, and Shane Tillson finished 13th, taking the Corinthian World title in the 25-boat sub-fleet.

“This is a little overwhelming,” Yoslov said. “Winning the Corinthian World Championship is a very big deal, and it still doesn’t seem real. I never thought I would accomplish this goal.

“We have James Golden as our tactician, Shane Tillson on the bow, Ian Mathiesen trimming the spinnaker, and Ellise Smolenyak, who has been part of the Looper program for 12 years,” Yoslov said. “That loyalty is what keeps the program going.”

Smolenyak, who grew up near the venue added, “I have been sailing in the Melges class for almost 20 years. Winning this championship with this team in Harbor Springs is incredibly special.”

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