By Airwaves writer Heather Kerns
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Racing for the 20th edition of the Annapolis Yacht Club’s Halloween Howl Regatta took place October 25–26. The event brought together sailors from the C420, ILCA, and Opti classes. After sailing Saturday, sailors got to unwind and show their creative side at the Halloween Howl Costume Party.
This year’s event also held extra significance, serving as both the USODA Chesapeake Bay Championship and the C420 Atlantic Coast Championship. Throughout the weekend, conditions were light and variable, resulting in only a few races being completed.
On the Opti course, three races were completed. Daniel Skutch Tyson (Annapolis YC) took the overall win with a scoreline of 1, 1, 6. Tucker Johnson (Hampton YC) finished second based on tiebreaker rules, and Quillin Moran (Annapolis YC / SFYC) secured third overall. Local knowledge clearly paid off, with the Annapolis YC program dominating the top of the fleet.
As the USODA Chesapeake Bay Championship, this event also served as a qualifier for the 2026 Team Trials. You can view the list of TTQ sailors HERE.
In the Opti Green Fleet, the future stars of the class got the most racing in, completing six races. Congratulations to Loanardos Petsas (PUR, Ponce Yacht & Fishing Club) on the win! Many of these young sailors are sure to make their mark in the RWB fleet next year.
Racing proved challenging for the C420 and ILCA sailors, with only one race completed. In the ILCA 6 class, Chase Duhon Kovach (NYCC/HYC) took first, Liam Wharton (NYYC) placed second, and Kasten Bushmann (NYCC) finished third. The ILCA 4 fleet had a single competitor.
The C420 Atlantic Coast Championship featured nine boats, with Annapolis YC once again proving dominant. James Reilley and Mercer Rensberger (AYC) took third, Ashton Perkins and Finley Olson (AYC) finished second, and Walter Daigle and Viana Johnston (AYC) claimed victory in the single race.
Even with plenty of time spent under postponement, the sailors were still filled with good spirits. Between great friends, fun costumes, and strong competition, the 20th edition of the Halloween Howler was a success both on and off the water.
You can find the full results HERE.
Photos courtesy of Keyworth Photography. Check out the rest of the event gallery.
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