2026 Hampton One Design National Championship

Sailing has always been a family affair, and the 2026 Hampton One Design Nationals put that on full display. Husbands, wives, kids, grandkids, grandparents, boyfriends, girlfriends, and a few furry friends all came together in Deltaville for the weekend. With so many generations and families represented both on and off the water, it was a wonderful reminder that the HOD is about much more than just the racing. 

The class traveled to Fishing Bay Yacht Club in Deltaville, Virginia, August 7-9 for the 2026 Hampton One Design National Championship. With beautiful weather ranging from heavy air to a Sunday drifter, strong competition, and outstanding hospitality from FBYC, the weekend delivered a memorable Nationals. 

New for this year’s championship was a reconfigured three-day racing schedule, with three races planned for Friday, four on Saturday, and two on Sunday. The change gave the fleet plenty of opportunities on the water and, as it turned out, a little bit of everything from the weather. 

Friday greeted the fleet with moderate to strong breeze, and by the end of the day more than a few competitors had reevaluated just how much racing they wanted to do. Some elected to head for shore early as the conditions continued to test both boats and sailors. 

One of Friday’s more memorable moments came before the start of Race 2, when #514, with Ole Charlie at the helm, took a spectacular death roll. Charlie ended up in the water but was kept safely afloat by his inflatable hip pack PFD, which he quickly deployed. A special thank you goes to Evan from Quantum Sails Portsmouth for assisting Chuck and Charlie with getting #514 back upright, as well as Mr. Priest, Leigh Chapman, and Mary Brown for running the safety boats and helping make the recovery a quick one. 

Unfortunately, the Deltaville waters had one more challenge waiting for #514. A meeting with one of the area’s infamous sandbars resulted in a ripped rudder pintle and brought the boat’s Nationals to an early end. Knowing Charlie, though, #514 will be back. 

Through Friday’s three races, #706 emerged as the early leader with an impressive 2, 1, 1 scoreline. 

Saturday brought another beautiful day and another four races for the fleet. This time, #727 found its stride, putting together finishes of 1, 2, 4, 1 to lead the day and set up an incredibly tight battle heading into Sunday. After seven races, the National Championship was still very much up for grabs. Unfortunately, #728 lost a side stay and ended their nationals campaign early. Tough luck for Laura and Jackson, but they will be back.   

Off the water, Fishing Bay Yacht Club treated the Hampton One Design Class to tremendous hospitality throughout the weekend. Saturday evening’s dinner was a highlight, followed by plenty of drinks, stories, and great conversations among competitors, families, and friends. It was exactly the kind of evening that makes a Nationals about much more than just the racing. 

Annual meeting minutes to follow.............. 

Sunday brought a completely different challenge. After two days of breeze, the fleet was met with light air for the final day of the championship. Two races were scheduled, but only one could be completed before the wind faded away. 

The Wolcotts aboard #715 mastered the light conditions to take the final race win. Behind them, the championship came down to #727, Big Lat and Kate, and #706, Tyler and Mason. 

#706, entered Sunday holding a four point advantage, meaning every boat and every position mattered. When the fleet crossed the finish line, #706 finished directly astern of #727, close enough to secure the 2026 Hampton One Design National Championship by just one point. 

It was a fitting finish to a weekend that showed just how competitive the Hampton One Design fleet has become. From the heavy air Friday to the light air finale Sunday, there were battles throughout the fleet and very little room for error. The depth of competition in the class right now is something special. 

The weekend concluded with a beautiful awards ceremony, made even more meaningful by the display and presentation of the class’s vintage trophies and awards. Seeing so much of the Hampton One Design’s history together served as a reminder of the generations of sailors who have competed in and supported this fleet. 

Ann Stokes gave a particularly meaningful presentation of the award named in honor of her father to Past Commodore Ian Twinn, recognizing his service to the fleet over the past year. 

The National Executive Committee also recognized Mark and Kathy Wheeler with a beautiful plaque thanking them for their dedication in running race committee for the class over the past three years. 

Mason Chapman Jr was named Crew of the Year, while Victor received the Novice Trophy. 

The season High Point podium was also recognized, with Sam Riley finishing third, Tyler Brown second, and Will Chapman taking first. 

And finally, the National Championship trophy is headed back to Hampton Yacht Club. 

The victory marks the first time HYC has brought home the Hampton One Design National Championship since 2012, when Mark Wheeler won aboard #718, a fitting connection between the fleet’s past and present. 

After three days, eight races, big breeze, light air, a death roll, a Deltaville sandbar, great food, late night conversations, and a championship decided by 3 points, the 2026 Nationals showed the Hampton One Design Class at its best. 

Great boats, great sailors, and even better competition. 

Thank you to Fishing Bay Yacht Club, the race committee, safety crews, volunteers, competitors, families, and everyone else who made the 2026 Hampton One Design National Championship one to remember. 

	Hull	Boat Name	Skipper
1	706	Hull #706	Tyler Brown
2	727	Super G III	Latane Montague
3	715	Superfreak	Gordon Wolcott
4	725	Blaze	Gordon Stokes
5	709	Night Moves	Samuel Riley
6	713	Smokin	Blake Goodwin
7	712	No Hard Feelings	Keith Goodwin
8	718	Squirrel	Will Chapman
9	719	Miss Poppet	Ian Twinn
10	716	716	Victor Layne
11	730	Tha Going Dolly	Robert Montague
12	728	Ghost	Jackson Montague
13	708	Aphrodite	Ann Stokes
14	726	Firefly	Steve Kistler
15	514	Calamity Jane	Charlie McCoy