The 2026 California Offshore Race Week delivered a true test of offshore racing, with competitors facing everything from heavy upwind conditions and challenging sea states to light-air tactical battles and fast downwind sailing. Across the fleet, Doyle-powered teams demonstrated versatility and performance across the conditions.
Fresh from an impressive week on the West Coast, Stu Bannatyne reported that Zeus claimed line honours in all three legs of California Offshore Race Week, with particularly close battles unfolding at the finishes of both the Spinnaker Cup and the SoCal 300.
Key to their performance throughout the event were some of their new Doyle Sails. “The R1 masthead genoa was a key point of difference, allowing us to stretch out in the light upwind and reaching periods during the race week,” said Bannatyne.
The opening Spinnaker Cup began with eight demanding hours of upwind sailing, featuring sustained winds above 20 knots and a challenging sea state before the fleet settled into more favourable conditions.
The Coastal Cup provided a very different challenge, dominated by light to moderate reaching and downwind sailing. Although the fleet experienced puffy conditions overnight, the race concluded in extremely light and unstable conditions as the breeze shifted offshore. Zeus successfully defended its lead to secure both line honours and overall Coastal Cup victory.
Photo Credit: Lisa Bronitt
The final leg, the SoCal 300, was characterised by light and highly variable conditions for much of the race. A late transition into moderate running and broad-reaching conditions allowed Zeus to deploy its Doyle A3 reaching sail alongside the DSS foil system, helping the team edge past local TP52 Akua Kai and secure line honours by just a matter of minutes.
The event also served as an important stepping stone toward Zeus’ next major objective, the Pacific Cup. “California Offshore Race Week provided a great test and excellent preparation for the Pacific Cup,” Bannatyne explained. “A new Structured Luff Asymmetric A2 and larger downwind staysails will strengthen the inventory for the typically downwind ride to Hawaii.”
Zeus will start the Pacific Cup on July 10 before concluding her season at the Rolex Big Boat Series, which also serves as the 2026 ORC North American Championship.
Also enjoying a productive week was Meanie*, Tom Akin’s TP52, a partially Doyle-powered campaign featuring three new Doyle downwind sails complemented by an existing inventory of Doyle headsails.
Doyle Sails designer, Stefano Nava joined the team for the event and reported a week that showcased both the strengths of the program and the opportunities for continued development.
“We had a good time on Meanie, experiencing a vast array of conditions, from drifting all the way to sustained 20 knots,” said Nava. “I don’t think there is a sail in the inventory that we didn’t use.”
The team experienced both fortunate and frustrating moments throughout the week, navigating unpredictable wind patterns that often defined the racing.
“We had a mixed bag of good and not-so-good moments, with some unlucky wind holes and some very lucky private wind veins,” he said.
While the varied conditions highlighted areas for improvement in the upwind and light-reaching sectors, the new Doyle downwind inventory delivered exactly as intended.
“The new kites all performed very well, rewarding us with a great 15 hours of downwind champagne sailing during the Coastal Cup, clocking 100 percent and slightly above the boat’s current polars.”
The performance helped Meanie secure second place in class and underlined the progress being made by the relatively new team. “It was satisfying to get a second place in class, highlighting the progress that this relatively new team is making,” Nava added. “Kudos to our friends on Zeus for sailing very well and setting the standard across the fleet”
ABOUT DOYLE SAILS // Doyle Sails strives to deliver success through high-performance, high-quality, custom sails that continue to redefine the boundaries of sailmaking technology and innovation; whilst connecting sailors to inspire, support and encourage sailing.
Our obsession with sailing takes us to every corner of the world and onboard every yacht. We become part of teams, share in the adventures of friends and families, sharing our knowledge and experience with those with the same passion. Sailing is in our DNA, and we are the custodians of a legacy that has been supporting sailors for four decades and counting.
*Partial Inventory