The 2026 Etchells World Championship tightened dramatically on day three in San Diego, with just one point separating the top two crews after six races. Steady 10 to 12-knot winds and clear skies greeted the 76-boat fleet as the regatta officially became a championship with six races completed.
Jim Cunningham’s Lifted USA 1504 retained the overall lead despite posting a 15th-place finish in race six. Just one point behind is 2023 world champion John Sommi aboard Encore USA 1529. “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.”
Encore USA 1529 sits just one point off the Etchells World Championship lead in San Diego. Photo: Mark Albertazzi
The opening race of the day was dominated by Craig Mense and the Freedom USA 1456 crew, who built an early advantage and controlled the race from the front. Australian teams filled the next three places, with AUS 1514 second, AUS 1526 third and AUS 1226 fourth.
Race six was delayed twice as shifting winds tested the race committee and crews alike. When racing resumed, the fleet heavily favoured the committee boat end of the line. War Canoe USA 1363, skippered by Michael Goldfarb, produced one of the boldest starts of the regatta by port-tacking the fleet and went on to finish fourth.
Etchells crews round the mark in close San Diego racing. Photo: Mark Albertazzi
The final race of the day produced another close battle. Austin Sperry’s RayGun USA 1527 secured victory to move into third overall. James Mayo’s Magpie AUS 1526 crossed second and now sits fourth overall, only two points behind RayGun.
Discard scores come into effect after race seven, raising the prospect of further changes at the top of the leaderboard before the final races.
