36 boats at the 2026 U32 Invitational at Charleston Yacht Club
Charleston, SC did not disappoint for the third annual Lightning U32 Invitational. For the third year in a row, 30% of the fleet was brand new to the Lightning Class.
Saturday brought wind, sunshine, and lots of smiles as sailors found their boats and settled right in. After getting all 36 boats out on the water, race committee fired off three stellar races to kick off the event with serious momentum. Sailors were met with a fresh keg on the boardwalk, plenty of snacks, and great vibes following an exhausting day on the water. The U32 crowd freshened up (extremely well) for dinner and a local band. Dinner was Carolina BBQ, and the carb loading was real: 30 lbs of mac n cheese came and went in 10 minutes, followed by three different shapes of pasta, until the class had cleaned out Charleston Yacht Club's entire stock of pasta and cheese.
Sunday brought similar wind, a little more of it and a little cooler temperatures, for two more races. Thrilling conditions for active, returning, and new Lightning sailors alike. A full moon brought big tides and lots of current to keep racing interesting. Across the weekend, the breeze sat around 15 knots with puffs to 26, shifting right whenever the clouds rolled in. From a competitor's point of view, it felt like 20+ the whole time. The puffs were huge. Sporty conditions made for fun downwind planing, as long as boats stayed upright.
36, yes, THIRTY-SIX boats. The biggest U32 event yet. In a five-race series, every race was won by a different team, which made it exciting to compete, cheer, and watch the results develop as the weekend went on. Scott Harris, Hogan O'Donnell, and Ashton Loring took the overall win with 8 points. THANK YOU, Mother Nature, for not giving out on the wind. This was the first U32 event with TWO days of sailing (no wind in year one, too much in year two). Sure, teams tipped, maybe didn't have the best rounding at the gate, felt like they were in survival mode on the downwinds, or questioned why the hiking straps are the way they are, but everyone had smiles on their faces. With nearly half the fleet new to the class or new in the past year, this was an impressive group of athletes who were excited to be out there sailing and learning. The current was ripping, and the puffs were big, bold, and sometimes a little taunting. Being on the course at this event is one of the greatest things you can do in this age group: sailing with a community your own age that's committed to growing their class, their sport, and the fun of it all.
It's always exciting to share Lightning Class camaraderie with sailors from every fleet. It's great to see crews from past events jump back in, some now skippering with former college teammates. Zander King sailed middle last year and stepped up to steer this year, alongside former Tulane Sailing teammates Abi Borggaard and Bobby Rielly. "It's very welcoming and easy to get into," says Zander. "They help with boats and housing, so all we had to do was fly here, have a good time, and go for a sail. It was awesome."
Looking at the demographics, the average age at this year's event was 25.8 years old, and 36% of competitors were women, including four all-female boats. The top-finishing all-female team of Jenna Probst, Grace Moore, and Carly Starck also won race 3, taking home the fun rum bucket which has become a tradition for the last race on Saturday.
Four countries were represented this year: Argentina, Canada, Colombia, and the United States. Hailing from Club Náutico El Portillo in Colombia, Team El Magnifico (Gabriel Tamayo, Pablo Bright, and Bart Skala) made sure this was one regatta they wouldn't miss. Bart, originally from Buffalo Canoe Club, moved to Colombia a few months back. He'd always seen Lightning sailing there and knew it was a class he could come home to after growing up in Lightning Fleet 12. Forming this team was about more than a regatta. It was about reuniting with the community, meeting new sailors, and getting out on the water, even if that meant flying in from South America.
From Vancouver, Julianne MacDonald made the trek to sail with former junior teammates Christine Moloney and Danny Robinson, edging out her brother Adam and his own reunited junior team. A frequent flier in the Lightning Class, Christine says her favorite part is "of course the people, the O32s who have come back to help us run the regatta, and also so fun to get newer people into the class or folks from previous generations who are back."
One of the BEST parts about U32 is that it's literally your people, all together in one place. Alumni from Hobart & William Smith, Tulane, Roger Williams, College of Charleston, South Carolina, NC State, MIT, Michigan, Clemson, and Northeastern, to name a few, came to sail together, against each other, and for a mini college reunion.
Jack Sutton (College of Charleston), who finished third sailing his second U32 with a completely new team, says he's already taking time off to sail in May. So take his advice: IT'S TIME TO REQUEST YOUR PTO. Quick turnaround, because the class wants MORE. Next up: Maryland crab. The U32 Invitational is heading to Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis, Maryland, May 7-8, 2027. Form your teams, talk logistics, and stay tuned for registration information.
To the O32s: the Lightning Class is extremely grateful for the generosity and support that made this weekend possible. From lending boats, sponsoring the event, and helping rig, derig, and everything in between, to traveling far and wide to Charleston to tune, launch, give your best advice, and support sailors on and off the water, this event couldn't happen without you. Charleston Yacht Club staff, members, and volunteers were incredible hosts. Between launch, logistics, dinner, and beyond, the hospitality was amazing.
Top 5 Results
1st: Scott Harris, Hogan O'Donnell, Ashton Loring (8 points)
2nd: Brady Starck, Ryan Ehnot, John Wood (10 points)
3rd: Will Rucker, Jack Sutton, Teddy Williams (14 points)
4th: Christine Moloney, Julianne MacDonald, Danny Robinson (22 points)
5th: Axel Stordahl, Garrett Grenauer, Dillon Garcia (27 points)
View the full results here