AUS 1526 Takes Title With Win In Final Race
SAN DIEGO, CALIF.— History was made off the coast of San Diego this afternoon as James Mayo, Paul Cayard, and Ben Lamb aboard Magpie AUS 1526 won race 9 of the 2026 Etchells World Championship, securing their place as the 2026 Champions. This is Mayo’s third straight Etchells Worlds title, a feat not accomplished in over 40 years. Magpie finished the regatta with a total of 56 points, followed in second place by Scott Kaufman and Rogue USA 1519 with 73 points, and John Sommi’s Encore USA 1529, the 2023 World Champion, in third with 80 points.
The one-race day began with a nearly two-hour delay as the clouds burned off and the wind filled in steadily. When racing commenced, winds were blowing about 10 knots. Sailors noted that quintessential San Diego sailing conditions held for the final race, making for a challenging yet thrilling contest.
Competitors favoured the left side of the starting line and soon spread out across the entire race course. First to round the early windward mark was Canada’s Luke Lawrence and Cruel Jane CAN 1531. But Magpie was hot on their tail, closing the gap soon after passing through the gate and overtaking the Canadians by the second windward mark. With a close race downwind ensuing, Magpie and its decorated crew sealed the deal on their championship title crossing the finish line first.
“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 honour 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. I’m so proud of how the team pulled together, just attacked the race course the whole time,” added Lamb, 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.”
“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,” said Mayo. “This is a dream come true, it’s very emotional. Together everyone achieves magic.” When asked if he will be going for a fourth straight Etchells Worlds title, Mayo responded, “I think Hong Kong would be a wonderful place to sail.”
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