2026 ILCA-NA Gulf Coast Championship Regatta Recap & Results

The 2026 ILCA North American Gulf Coast Championships were hosted by the Sarasota Sailing Squadron from February 28th to March 1st. Across the ILCA 4, 6, and 7 fleets, 105 sailors showed up ready to battle it out. With very few races completed, the regatta appears to have been a test of consistency.

The ILCA 4 fleet delivered some of the tightest racing of the weekend, with just a single point separating each of the top three sailors. Bennett Lamb (SPYC) closed out the event with a win in Race 4 to secure third overall with 17 points. Just ahead, Charles Julien (Tuuci Racing) ended the regatta with 16 points. But it was Pablo Munoz Montes (Tuuci Racing) who claimed the title with 15 points, and notably without winning a single race. 

With 43 sailors on the line, the ILCA 6 fleet completed just three races over the weekend. Just like the other fleets, so few races means no drop races. Elisa De Becker (KBYC) secured third place with 15 points, keeping all her scores inside the top 10. Che Liu (ABYC/Tabor Sailing) claimed silver with 12 points, highlighted by a race win and consistent front-of-the-fleet finishes. Sander Block (Coral Reef Yacht Club / Tuuci Racing) edged out the fleet with 11 points to take the championship. Like the ILCA 4 winner, his strength was consistent results. His worst finish was a seventh, and avoiding double-digit scores made the difference in a three-race series. 

Jackson Bjorklund (Tuuci Racing) earned bronze in the ILCA 7 fleet with 18 points. Landon Stahl (ABYC/KBYC) put together a solid series to take second overall on 16 points, including a race win and three steady top-five results. At the top of the scoreboard, however, Cole Fanchi (Lauderdale Yacht Club) created separation. With just 11 points across four races, he never finished outside the top four. 

Even with only three or four races completed, events like this are incredibly valuable. They give sailors the chance to put training into action, test decision-making under pressure, and learn how to manage a series. Whether the lesson is about consistency, starting strategy, or bouncing back from a tough race, every weekend adds experience. 

Congratulations to all of the finishers! See the top 10 finishers below or full results HERE. 

Photos are from Jennifer Joy Walker. The gallery can be found HERE.

ILCA 4: 

1. Pablo Munoz Montes (15 pts)
2. Charles Julien (16 pts)
3. Bennett Lamb (17 pts)
4. Alexander Forssen (23 pts)
5. David Porzecanski (25 pts)
6. Grant Chin (30 pts)
7. Ethan Cox (32 pts)
8. Diego De Teran (43 pts)
9. Charlie Pensom (55 pts)
10. Jessica Martello (57 pts)

ILCA 6: 

1. Sander Block (11 pts)
2. Che LIU (12 pts)
3. Elisa De Becker (15 pts)
4. Brayden Zawyer (25 pts)
5. Oliver Holt (27 pts)
6. Gabriela Mascarenhas (28 pts)
7. Enzo Biello (34 pts)
8. Emilio Bocanegra (38 pts)
9. Ricardo Benjamin Dreyfuss (39 pts)
10. Marina Wardlaw (41 pts)

ILCA 7: 

1. Cole Fanchi (11 pts)
2. Landon Stahl (16 pts)
3. Jackson Bjorklund (18 pts)
4. Peter Hurley (23 pts)
5. Jackson Wilcox (26 pts)
6. David Mendelblatt (27 pts)
7. Beck Brill (28 pts)
8. Dave Wells (36 pts)
9. Dave Chapin (36 pts)
10. Brody Wood (37 pts)