A commanding Race 7 victory seals the title before the final race, with Mitchell and Terhaar taking second overall and Buckingham and Nichol completing the podium
The 2026 Vintage Gold Cup came to a close after eight races, with Jack Jennings and Arthur Lopes claiming the laurel wreath following a superb week of consistent racing in the classic wooden Star fleet. It represent a back-to-back win for the American skipper.
The final day began with a solid southerly breeze of 8–12 mph. The Race Committee set a 1.2-nautical-mile course, and the fleet got away cleanly for Race 7 with the championship still to be decided.
Ross MacDonald and George Iverson, Mark Reynolds and Rick Peters, and Ben Mitchell and Brian Terhaar share the victories in ideal conditions for the classic wooden Stars
The 2026 Vintage Gold Cup got underway with three races in light and steady breeze, delivering close racing and three different winners on an ideal opening day for the fleet of classic wooden Stars.
Racing began in 5–8 mph of breeze, with local Star sailor Greg Smith, sailing with Bermuda's Peter Bromby, winning the pin and immediately digging hard left. The move paid, with Smith leading the fleet around the first windward mark ahead of Canadian Ross MacDonald, while California's Ben Mitchell rounded third and defending Western Hemisphere Champion Jack Jennings fourth.
Check out the official regatta gear provided by Coral Reef Sailing Apparel for the 2026 Vintage Gold Cup. Order now and pickup at the event.
Prepare for the start of this year's VGC by looking at the special events we have planned throughout the week. The accompanying artwork courtesy of amazing Brad VandenBerg!
Wednesday, October 1
6:00 pm
Opening Dinner at Gilmore Car Museum
Thursday, October 2
No formal event, sailors on their own
Friday, October 3
6:00 pm
Dinner and Auction at Gull Lake Marine Center
Saturday, October 4
5:00 pm
Bacardi Bar, Meet th Boats and Awards Dinner at Gull Lake Country Club
Take advantage of FREE PICKUP at the event when you make your purchase before this feature ends on 09-21-2025.
The store will close for 24 hours following this promotion and will re-open with shipping ONLY being available for purchases to be delivered after the event.
Please view the small selection of what's available on our Coral Reef storefront below.
Sailors were hoping for more racing today
The winds did not develop as hoped. No races sailed
Lars Grael wins for the second year in a row
GULL LAKE, MICHIGAN – The Vintage Gold Cup and ISCYRA announce the final results for the 2023 Vintage Gold Cup. For the second day in a row all races were canceled; the results remain the same as after first day of racing. The winners of the 2023 Vintage Gold Cup are Brazilians Lars Grael and Mauricio Bueno with a 5-1-1 performance. Grael is now a back-to-back winner of the Vintage Gold Cup in his boat Star of the Sea.
In second place is local skipper Josh Powell and his crew Luke Lawrence of Stuart, FL with finishes of 1-8-3. In third is the Illinois team of Joe Londrigan and John Wysockey who finished 2-10-8. FINAL RESULTS
The morning started out with a dense fog over the lake and no winds yet the forecast did call for light winds by 12noon. As the fog lifted, the sun came out and the wind tapered off. Two starts were attempted but both ended with general recalls. With no measurable wind nor any signs of such on the horizon, the race committee was facing a time-of-day deadline and canceled all racing for the day.
GULL LAKE, MICHIGAN – The Vintage Gold Cup and ISCYRA canceled the three scheduled races for day two of the Vintage Gold Cup. Slight breeze was visible on the lake in the morning, with little to no pressure. As the clouds burned off, the sun came and took away the little breeze that was left on the lake.
The results are still as follows; Brazilians Lars Grael and Mauricio Bueno in first with a 5-1-1 performance on day 1. In second place is local skipper Josh Powell and his crew Luke Lawrence of Stuart, FL with finishes of 1-8-3. In third is the Illinois team of Joe Londrigan and John Wysockey who finished 2-10-8. Full results
Throughout the rest of the afternoon, sailors will be found golfing or playing pickle ball at Gull Lake Country Club, while some stay on the dock to sail remote controlled sailboats with their fellow competitors. This evening the Vintage Gold Cup will hold a “Meet the Boats” event to show the Gull Lake community the beauty these wooden Star boats have.
Three more races are scheduled for tomorrow. The wind forecast, if correct, will remain light but sailors will remain hopeful to get at least one more race in.
GULL LAKE, MICHIGAN – The Vintage Gold Cup and ISCYRA announce results of the first day of racing in light and variable winds. The three scheduled races were completed with very close racing. At the top of the days result are Brazilians Lars Grael and Mauricio Bueno with a 5-1-1 performance. In second place is local skipper Josh Powell and his crew Luke Lawrence of Stuart, FL with finishes of 1-8-3. In third is the Illinois team of Joe Londrigan and John Wysockey who finished 2-10-8. For full results
Sailors knew going out that the lake was going to be tricky due to the light winds and its easterly direction. The race committee was able to manage the shifty winds quite well, getting high praise from the sailors.
Three more races are scheduled for tomorrow. The wind forecast, if correct, will make sailing even more challenging as the velocity declines from today.
