Dave Dennison and his team aboard Piranha captured the 2026 J/88 North American Championship, hosted by American Yacht Club in Rye, New York from September 29–October 4. Racing on Long Island Sound, the 12-boat fleet experienced a full range of conditions, from light and tricky breeze to winds reaching 28 knots.
Piranha put together a remarkably consistent series, winning four races and adding mostly top-five finishes in the 12-race series. With a scoreline of 6-1-1-2-2-1-2-3-1-2-5, and discarding a 13-point DNC, Piranha finished with 26 net points to claim the continental title. Dennison sailed with Alex Smith, Bryan Cameron, Kevin Meier, Meagan Bryant and Ashley Tao.
Andy Graff’s Exile earned second overall with 38 points, while William Purdy’s Whirlwind finished third with 49 points. Iris Vogel’s Deviation and Brian Kaczor’s Erica rounded out the top five, both finishing with 50 points, with Deviation taking fourth on the tiebreaker. The Championship featured a strong Corinthian contingent, with eight of the 12 teams competing as all-amateur crews. Purdy’s Whirlwind topped the Corinthian division, finishing third overall, followed by Deviation and Chris Marx’s Sibling Rivalry.
The opening day featured light breeze, with conditions building on day two before crews enjoyed stronger and more established winds on days three and four, with breeze reaching as much as 28 knots. The varied conditions required teams to adapt throughout the four days, putting a premium on consistency, speed and teamwork. The fleet packed in plenty of racing and maintained the camaraderie that has become a hallmark of the Class. Competitors gave high marks to American Yacht Club for hosting a successful week of racing on Long Island Sound, with a great job by both the race organizers and competitors contributing to a memorable championship.
Top Five Overall:
- Piranha — Dave Dennison — 26 points
- Exile — Andy Graff — 38 points
- Whirlwind — William Purdy — 49 points
- Deviation — Iris Vogel — 50 points
- Erica — Brian Kaczor — 50 points
For event details, visit https://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/50612, and photos are available on the J/88 Class Facebook page.
