Presenting the 2026 Monhegan Island Race and Seguin Sprint fleet.
The countdown is on for the 2026 Monhegan, 39 boats will gather on the starting line for the Monhegan Island Race and Seguin Sprint. While this year’s fleet may not break size records, it makes up for it tenfold in pure competitive firepower.
From 80-foot maxi yachts to double-handed duos, youth teams, and high-speed catamarans, this year's fleet promises a thrilling watch from start to finish. Here is how the fleet shapes up for 2026.
The Monhegan Island Course: 19 Boats Chasing Glory
Nineteen boats will take the traditional route: heading south to Boon Island before launching eastward toward Monhegan Island.
Class A: Maxis, Matchups, and New Blood
The Scratch Boat: All eyes will be on Cara, a stunning Swan 82 out of Palm Beach, FL. It has been a few years since a true maxi yacht has graced the Monhegan course, and if history is any indicator, they are in for a fast, powerful ride.
The Defending Line Honors: Marblehead’s MAT 1220, Heat Wave, returns after claiming line honors last year (and finishing 3rd on corrected time). They will be hotly pursued by Portland Yacht Club's (PYC) J122 Wild Blue, a former line honors winner aiming for the podium.
The Penobscot Bay Contingent: Camden Yacht Club’s J46 Juliett makes her race debut. She is joined by Maine Maritime Academy’s Taylor 42, Temptress (last year's Class A runner-up and Top Maine Boat), and Abu, a Figaro 2 sailing double-handed.
Youth & Veterans: The Henderson 30 Turtley Awesome features an eager youth crew tackling their first-ever Monhegan, while Portsmouth's C&C 121 Riff Raff brings veteran experience from the last two editions.
Class B: Neck and Neck racing should go down to the wire!
With a razor-thin rating band of just 12 seconds, Class B is bound to be a tactical chess match.
The Returning Champions: Last year’s Class B and Overall Monhegan winner Veladare (a C&C 42 from Portsmouth) is back. Look for their fierce sailing—and their signature fluorescent team shirts.
Double-Handed Showdown: This class features a stacked shorthanded fleet. Southport YC’s J109 Pizzazz! makes her debut, joining Saraband (Frers 36) and Chicama (a 36.7 from Centerboard YC), the latter of which has claimed the double-handed trophy for the last two years running. Also watch Eventyr, a J99 returning from a one year hiatus fresh off a spectacular 2nd-place double-handed finish in this year’s Newport to Bermuda Race.
The Veterans: Past winner Tamarack is back with veteran skipper Geoff Emanuel, alongside Barracuda (Beneteau 36.7) skippered by Monhegan veteran John Wells. Delja rounds out the class, tackling a massive July "trifecta" that includes the Behringer Bowl, Downeast Challenge, and Monhegan.
Class C: Take the long way home…
This year fields a dedicated Class C for boats with ratings above 90. It features an all-rookie lineup for the Monhegan course: Sirius (J36) and Apollo (J34c)—both moving up from the Seguin course—alongside Portland’s Mason 44, Abigail Lisa.
The Seguin Sprint: 20 Boats, Maximum Intensity
Twenty boats are registered for the Seguin Sprint, and the matchups are incredibly tight across the board.
Seguin Class A: The J-Boat Syndicate (Mostly)
This class features a fascinating generational mix, dominated heavily by J-Boats.
The Contenders: Bill Waldron’s J145 Sonnenschein is taking on the sprint double-handed, facing off against the younger duo of Ryan & Holly Collister on the J105 Atlantic Ave, and Richard & Megan Hallett’s father-daughter team on the J44 Family Wagon.
Emily Carville returns with an all-women's team aboard the J35 Breakaway, Ted Schmidt brings his J42 ETOS XLII, and Chris Joyce skippers the J109 Skoot.
The Outliers: Looking to break up the J-boat party are David Ruff & Jane Wellehan on their 36.7 Go Dog Go and Bip Nixon on his Diva 39 High Energy.
There is a lot of fire power in this class and it should be quite a competition.
Seguin Class B: The Waterline Duel
While lacking the J-boat saturation of Class A, Class B boasts incredibly even matchups. Solstice (Clearwater 36), Elusive (C&C 37), and Wisper (C&C 34) all share nearly identical waterlines. They are joined by the fleet's lone classic wooden yacht, the Alden Challenger Black Mallard, and Bill Connor’s modern-classic Pearson 30, C’est la Vie.
Seguin Class D: Cruising Courage (Jib & Main)
Sailing a 50-mile course with a massive downwind leg without a spinnaker takes a special kind of dedication.
The Dynasty: Jim Palmer’s J40 Morning Star is back to defend a legendary legacy, having won this class the past 4 consecutive years (and 5 times before that).
The Challengers: Soren Schroder’s Bristol 47.7 Elixir enters hot off a 3rd-place finish in the Finisterre division of this year’s Newport to Bermuda Race. They are joined by newcomers Hope (Alerion Express 38) and Wind Chime (Bristol 35.5), alongside veterans Jos Ruks on AEventure (Catalina 30) and Michael Derby on Mistake Not… (Sabre 40).
Multi-Hull Mayhem: Flying on the Water
Keep your eyes peeled for pure speed on the horizon. World Match Racing Tour skipper and title contender Chris Poole (a PYC and SailMaine alumnus) is bringing a piece of his Riptide Racing team back to home waters. Partnering with PYC member Alden Winter, they will be campaigning a blazing-fast M32 Catamaran. Their mission? To see exactly how fast a boat can physically lap the course. Expect plenty of media, video, and broken records.
How to Follow the Race
Whether you are cheering from the shores of Casco Bay or tracking the analytics from home, it is nearly impossible to pick a clear favorite in this highly competitive fleet.
Monhegan Race Start: Friday, July 31 at 3:00 PM - Hussey Sound
Seguin Race Start: Saturday, August 1 at 1:00 PM - Hussey Sound
Finish: Saturday afternoon - late evening (maybe Sunday morning…)
Live Tracking & Results: Follow the action live at www.monheganislandrace.org
