Preview of 2026 Sarasota Bay Multihull Regatta with Bill Johnsen

Sail-World ran a feature conversation with Bill Johnsen as the Sarasota Bay Multihull Regatta prepares to run Friday, Feb 20, 2026 through Sunday, Feb 22, 2026, with RecHub listing the event hours as 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Sail-World piece is presented as a preview and community update that “describes the regatta’s format, the expected fleet mix, and why the event is attractive t.”

The regatta returns to a familiar home at Sarasota Sailing Squadron, 1717 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, the host listed repeatedly on Regatta Network event pages for prior editions. Regatta Network has been the registration channel in past years; the 2022 page stated plainly, “Registration is only through Regatta Network and will close on Tues, 3/1/22 at 5 p.m. There is no onsite or late registration.” The RecHub listing for 2026 likewise instructs participants to “Register online at Regatta Network” and displays the scheduled Feb 20–22 times.

The 2022 Corsair Regionals edition provides a practical snapshot of what the racing can demand. The Corsair Marine blog reported, “She had her work cut out for her getting a true Windward/Leeward course for the 22 Multihull Sailboats on the main course over the three days,” noting PRO Irene McNeil traveled from Canada once Covid restrictions eased. Weather that weekend ranged from light, shifting breezes on Friday to “gusting over 25 knots on Sunday,” with temperatures “in the high 60’s over night and in the low 80’s during the day.”

Community logistics and gear culture showed up in the details. The Corsair blog recorded that “All of the boats attending were trailerable! The largest multihulls were local Squadron boats. The oldest boat in attendance was a 35-year-old Corsair F-27.” It also chronicled a Canadian group that bought a Corsair 970 in Punta Gorda and “then sailed overnight from Punta Gorda up to Sarasota arriving at the docks late on Thursday night to be able to compete in their newly purchased boat!”

Support and shore operations have been volunteer-driven. The 2022 report credited Squadron volunteers with “tending the bar, staffing the entrance gate, cleaning the grounds and manning the support boats for the race committee on two separate courses over the weekend.” Committee and photo-boat roles were specific: “Charlie Ball again provided ‘ROSEATE’ as the Committee boat. Tim Thurman provided the use of his boat for an independent Photography Boat on Saturday.” Sponsors and suppliers also pitched in; Corsair Marine “provided shirts and hats delivered from Vietnam,” while Calvert Sails, Smyth Sails and Windcraft Multihulls “provided additional food to feed the hungry sailors as they came off the water!”

Practical contact information remains the same in the event listings: Sarasota Sailing Squadron can be reached at manager@sarasotasailingsquadron.org and by phone at (941) 388-2355. Regatta Network pages for past editions show documents and posting activity through Feb and March 2022; the 2026 RecHub listing shows a registration count table with zeros in the posted extract, but instructs registration via Regatta Network.

Sail-World’s Bill Johnsen feature frames the Feb 20–22, 2026 regatta as a preview of format and fleet mix, while 2022 precedents point to Windward/Leeward racing for trailerable multihulls, volunteer-run support, and conditions that can swing to gusts over 25 knots, all details participants and race teams should have in mind as the event proceeds.