Mississippi Sound to host 2026 Hobie 16 International Championship

The Mississippi Sound will become a target on the Hobie calendar next September, when Ocean Springs Yacht Club, Ocean Springs Sailing Squadron and Hobie Class Division 15 host the 2026 Hobie 16 International Championship. Organizers are expecting about 500 sailors from around the globe over the two-week event, with daily racing set for September 14 to 25, 2026.

That scale matters because the Hobie 16 is one of sailing’s most recognizable beach cats: introduced in 1971, it has the speed and bite to reward sharp teamwork, but enough forgiveness to keep the class open to a wide range of crews. The championship is being billed as a Hobie 16 bring-your-own-boat world-class regatta, which makes it a season-defining trip for traveling teams planning trailers, gear, and travel weeks around a single destination. For sailors chasing an international title, Ocean Springs now sits alongside the most important stops on the class circuit.

The venue gives the event its edge. The Notice of Race lists the Mississippi Sound at Ocean Springs Yacht Club, 100 Front Beach Dr, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, and the club says it offers mast-up storage for beach catamarans and a sandy sheltered beach for launching. Ocean Springs Yacht Club was established in 1969, and Ocean Springs Sailing Squadron was chartered in May 2010, a combination that gives the host site both depth and local beach-cat experience. On the water, the setting promises open conditions that suit the Hobie 16’s style of sailing; from shore, the Mississippi Gulf Coast location should let spectators follow the action without needing a chase boat.

The club’s preparation has already reached beyond the dock. Ocean Springs Yacht Club newsletter updates say representatives from the club and squadron met with the City of Ocean Springs, the mayor’s office, key city departments and the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce to work through event details. That kind of coordination is what turns a regatta announcement into a functioning international stop, especially when the field may be as large as the 500-sailor estimate suggests.

The championship also carries real prestige for the class. The International Hobie Class Association’s past-worlds archive shows the last U.S.-hosted Hobie 16 World Championships were held in Captiva Island, Florida, in 2019, when 109 teams from 16 countries and 6 continents competed. With that history in mind, Ocean Springs is not just hosting another regatta. It is stepping into the narrow lane where venue, class culture and local organizing strength meet, and the Mississippi Sound will be watched well before the first start.