Bob Hodges wins U.S. Multihull Championship with race to spare
Bob Hodges sealed the U.S. Multihull title with a race to spare, and only two finishes outside the top three kept him clear of a tightly packed chase.
Bob Hodges won the 2026 U.S. Multihull Championship by doing the one thing Lake Murray punished the least and rewarded the most: staying in the hunt every time the breeze changed. Across 11 races in Weta Trimarans at Columbia Sailing Club in Columbia, South Carolina, Hodges had only two finishes outside the top three, and that steady scoreline was enough to clinch the national title with a race to spare.
That margin mattered because this was not a one-speed regatta. The opening day produced only one race before light air and deteriorating conditions forced abandonments. The second day opened up with four races in 7-10 knot breezes, giving the fleet a chance to stack points fast. Day three turned volatile as the wind built from 9-10 knots into low-20-knot gusts, triggering capsizes and a high-speed finish. On the final day, dense fog and an inversion layer hung over Lake Murray and cut visibility before racing could resume. Hodges never needed a breakout day to survive that spread of conditions. He needed clean starts, conservative boat handling and the discipline to keep banking top-three finishes while the fleet behind him took bigger swings.
That approach proved decisive because the chase stayed crowded right to the end. Gareth Ferguson finished second, Bill Swanson took third, and Alan Taylor and Chuck Carroll rounded out the top five. Positions two through five were separated by just six points entering the final races, a reminder that the regatta was still live even as Hodges built an untouchable cushion. In a championship like this, the fastest boat in one race often loses ground in the next if it takes a capsize, a bad lane or a risky call in the shifts. Hodges avoided those traps often enough to make the title look controlled rather than dramatic.
The championship also marked another strong turn for Columbia Sailing Club, which has now hosted three US Sailing national championships. The nonprofit club at 292 Shuler Road on Lake Murray was credited with a well-run event, with regatta co-chairs Stephanie Taylor and David Mosley coordinating a large volunteer effort. The class choice fit the scene too: Weta Class North America says the boat’s popularity continues to grow, and Lake Murray showed why compact multihull racing still has such a sharp edge. When the air swings from soft to survival mode in the span of a day, the sailor who keeps the boat upright and the points low usually wins. Hodges did exactly that.
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