Local competitors claim multiple class victories
By Delayna Earley and Bob Sofaly
The Island News
The 59th annual Lowcountry Regatta wrapped up Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, where nearly 50 boats took to the Beaufort River for a weekend of competitive racing, steady winds and sweltering summer temperatures.
While participation was slightly lower than in some previous years, organizers said the two-day event delivered nearly ideal sailing conditions for competitors from across the Southeast.
“I think everything went very well,” said Paul Kowalski, general manager of the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club. “It was hot, but there was great wind, great breeze for everybody.”
An afternoon thunderstorm on Saturday brought racing to an early end about 45 minutes sooner than planned, but sailors were still able to complete enough races for each fleet. Sunday’s schedule went uninterrupted, with every course completing at least four races, allowing competitors to discard their lowest finish under standard regatta scoring.
Local sailors turned in a strong performance on their home waters, led by 13-year-old Maxwell Whitmore of the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, who won the O’Pen Skiff division for sailors ages 13 and older. Fellow club members Bette Coppage captured the Optimist Red, White and Blue fleet, while Lachlan Duer earned first place in the Sunfish Under-15 division.
Whitmore’s victory comes just weeks before he and fellow Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club sailor Warren Egon, 11, travel to Sardinia, Italy, to compete in the 2026 O’Pen Skiff Worlds as members of Team USA. In recent weeks, the local sailing community has rallied behind the pair through fundraising efforts to help offset the cost of competing in the international championship.
Volunteer Ellen Fabian said about 48 sailors registered for this year’s regatta. Attendance was somewhat lighter than in years past, in part because the Lowcountry Regatta is not sanctioned by the South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association, leading some youth sailors to compete elsewhere. She also said many competitors wait until the last minute to decide whether to attend based on the weather forecast.
“All we knew for sure is it was going to be very hot,” Fabian said.
Despite the heat, Fabian said the weather proved nearly perfect for smaller boats.
“The wind was a steady nine knots with gusts up to 17 knots,” she said. “There were no whitecaps to deal with and boats didn’t roll over.”
Kowalski said the timing of the regatta, held just before the Fourth of July holiday, also affects participation each year as many sailing families begin summer vacations around the same time. Club officials are considering moving next year’s event to a different weekend.
Competitors raced in nine classes during the two-day regatta. Michael Reddaway of Florida Yacht Club won the Highlander class, while Christopher and Lindsey Stang of Charleston claimed the Melges 15 division. Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club sailors Whitmore, Coppage and Duer each earned victories in their respective fleets. Other winners included Curt Oberle and Johnny Corday of James Island Yacht Club in the SIOD class, Steve Honour of Boca Ciega Yacht Club in Gulfport, Fla., in the adult Sunfish division, Payton Brown of South Carolina Yacht Club in the Under-18 Sunfish fleet and David Loring of James Island Yacht Club in the Y-Flyer class.
The Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club’s next major sailing event will be the Pluff Mud Regatta, a junior regatta scheduled for September.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
Bob Sofaly has been photographing people and what they do in Beaufort since Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. He can be reached at bobsofaly@gmail.com.
