- Mid-American Championship Delivers Big Breeze, Tight Racing, and a Championship Tiebreaker June 17, 2026
The Mid-American Viper 640 Championship drew teams from across the region to Oklahoma City’s Lake Hefner for a weekend of outstanding racing, hospitality, and kickass downhill rides.
Friday’s arrival featured a mid west welcome and cold drinks from the host club.
Saturday delivered classic Viper conditions with a shifty southwest breeze ranging from 18 to 25+ knots. Three races were completed, with Alister Charlton taking the opening race in stunning fashion. The Jensens answered with hard-fought victories in Races 2 and 3. David Archibald aboard Vertigo earned bragging rights for the weekend’s top recorded speed at 16.7 knots.
The fleet gathered Saturday evening for the fleet’s traditional champagne pop celebration and dinner. The winner of the most memorable stories award went to Alistair for his detailed rendition of how he sails an Opti. IYKYK.
Sunday began with breakfast burritos and a brief postponement before ...
...read more - Great Lakes Circuit Opens with Challenging Conditions May 26, 2026
A strong low-pressure system greeted the fleet at South Port Sailing Club for the first regatta of the Great Lakes Circuit, setting the tone for a weekend where being in the right place at the right time mattered as much as boatspeed.
Saturday
With gusts exceeding 30 knots through most of the day, the Race Committee held racing until late afternoon when the breeze settled into the low-to-mid teens. Two races went off in the remaining daylight, sailed in a leftover chop that made upwind work difficult and rewarded playing the waves downwind.
Team Jackpot (Eric and Lisa Vigrass, Lee Shuckerow) took Race 1, continuing their dominant form from last year’s Canadian Championships at this same venue. Gone Banana (Marina Maffessanti, Michael Weber, and Will Parkolab) won Race 2. Vigor (Van Sheppard with sons Alexander and Luke), posted two second-place finishes and looked ...
...read more - Windy ACCs Deliver Excellent Annapolis Racing May 7, 2026
If there was one takeaway from the 2026 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series Annapolis 2026, it was simple: there was wind.
The Viper 640 fleet arrived in Annapolis for three straight days of excellent racing conditions and a regatta that felt like the perfect kickoff to the East Coast summer season. The fleet was hosted by Eastport Yacht Club and raced on the SSA course off Hackett’s Point near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the event delivered exactly what sailors hope for when they tow to Annapolis in the spring: breeze, current, tight racing, and a full social schedule once the boats hit the dock.
Nineteen Vipers made the trip, including seven boats from the strong local Annapolis fleet along with teams traveling from Marblehead, Hampton, and the New York area. By the end of the weekend, the fleet had easily completed the ...
...read more - SERO Sailing to Build the Viper 640 April 10, 2026
A new era with the same class energy and culture
The Viper 640 Class has appointed SERO Sailing as the new official class builder, marking an exciting new chapter for the popular high-performance one-design class. With a vibrant racing calendar, expanding fleets, and a reputation for exciting, tactical competition, the Viper 640 continues to attract sailors seeking both performance and community. This appointment strengthens support for the sailors who have made the Viper 640 one of the most active sportboat fleets in the world.
“After a long search, we are excited to appoint SERO Sailing as the class builder. During our site visit we were impressed with the professional production facility and strong customer support team.” said Steve Chapman, Chair of the Viper 640 Class Association. “Having a builder closely connected to the North American fleet will help keep the class strong, ...
...read more - Join the Viper Fleet this Winter in Sarasota, Florida October 23, 2025
Come thaw out this winter with the Viper fleet at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron for another season of shorts-and-sunglasses racing. Three weekends of warm water, good breeze, and even better company.
The Sarasota Winter Series is back with its signature mix of tight racing, tiki-bar debriefs, and sunset views over the bay. Whether you’re chasing the podium or just looking for an excuse to sail in January, this is the place to be.
Here’s what’s new (and familiar) this year:
Ed Furry and the Robo Marks are back, keeping courses square and racing tight.
Keven returns as PRO, with the same smooth Sarasota style.
Storage rates stay steady, and we’ve added a small bump to cover rising costs and keep things running right for the Squadron.
Expect the same laid-back hospitality and fast, clean racing that make this series a winter favorite.
Dates:
Event #1 – December 7–8, ...
...read more - Glory Days Breaks Through at 2025 North Americans October 8, 2025
Class stalwarts Jay Rhame, Peter Beardsley and Rachel Beardsley notched three bullets on what would become the last day of racing to overtake early leader, last year’s champions Mark Zagol, Drew Buttner and Tim Desmond aboard NESS to win their first Viper 640 North American Championship.
Hosted by Hampton Yacht Club, ten races were sailed over three days and a range of conditions on Hampton Flats in the James River at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay. The fleet of 29 boats saw breeze touching 20 knots for the first two races, 10-16 knots the second day, and then 6-10 on the third day for what would be the deciding races.
The defending champions aboard NESS jumped out to an early lead, winning three of the first five races. Never notching below a top five finish, it seemed they were cruising to ...
...read more - Big Breezes and Big Thanks at the Sarasota North American Champs December 15, 2024
Flat water, gusty breezes, and BIG shifts— Viper 640 sailors had their hands full this past weekend.
With breeze ranging from 8 to 22+ knots it was all about keeping your head out of the boat, staying on the lifted tack, and nailing those gear changes.
Huge congrats to Mark Zagol, Drew Buttner, and Tim Desmond on NESS for taking the win. Their consistent sailing and sharp tactics in the final race secured the regatta victory. Past NA champion Brad Boston took 2nd just one point back. Shoutout to Geoff Fargo, North expert Jackson Benvenutti, and Spencer Steffen onboard Boomslang for their 3rd-place finish.
Amazing regatta, thank you to all the volunteers, competitors, race management, safety team and the Sarasota Sailing Squadron for hosting a perfect weekend of sailing. SSS has been an amazing host over the years and they are still rebuilding ...
...read more - The Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta returns to Miami for 2025 August 2, 2024
The Viper 640 class is invited once again to participate in this prestigious regatta.
Join us from March 5-8, 2025 and expect intense competition and thrilling finishes as top teams battle it out on the water. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable event! ⛵️🏆
Registration now open
...read more - From Kansas To Marblehead – Jensen’s lovin Vipering! July 31, 2024
Doug and Jay Jensen, a father/son team from Topeka, Kansas, jumped at the opportunity to race Viper 640s at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series at Marblehead Race Week. For these East Coast first times, the sailing is as sweet as the oysters served up by the class. Click on the image below to get their reactions to New England and the Viper 640.
...read more - Team Z Crowned Viper 640 New England Champs July 30, 2024
Since coming into the class a few years ago, Team Z has been a force to be reconned with. Helmed by Marek Zaleski with his father Chris and Jake Bradt as steady crew, their boat handling, course management, sailing handling, and willingness to share ideas with other Viperers have become an inspiration for the Class. Coming off their win at the 2024 Seawanhaka Viper 640 Open in June, Team Z with their stealthy all-black outfits were consistently atop the leaderboard in last weekend’s New England Championship sailed as part of the Helly Hansen Sailing World Marblehead (MA) Regatta. There was a strong 21-boat turnout for the Nes and the competition was pretty tight.
The waters off Marblehead Neck gave everyone two races on Friday and Saturday – of note there were four races with four different winners. Sunday, despite the best ...
...read more - Rolling Thunder Rides First Day Bullets to Victory at Southern Bay Race Week June 21, 2024
Hampton Yacht Club hosted its annual premier event, Southern Bay Race Week in early June. Hampton will be the site of the 2025 Viper North Americans in early October of next year. Nine Vipers sailed the Friday, Saturday, Sunday nine-race event.
Vir Menon, Brian Fox, and Marian Williams took all three of the Friday races in medium breeze to set the pace. The wind stopped cooperating in mid-afternoon and the fleet headed to the Goslings party ashore. Saturday brought similar moderate breezes with some larger shifts. The team of Mary Ewenson, Jane Moore, Rob Gorman, and Sarah Moore on Plymouth Satellite challenged, winning the last of three races. Mark Wheeler, Charlie Brewer, and Gordon Stokes saved their best for the last day notching two bullets and a second to come within two points of Vir Menon and team, but could not catch them.
Results
Vir ...
...read more - Lake Sunapee Invitational Regatta – Viper Mountain Climbing June 19, 2024
As reported by Event Chair Mike Deyett:
June 15-16, 2024
We had boats arrive from as far south as Virginia and as far north as Ottawa. This was not your local typical regatta. Lunches were provided both days and a spectacular dinner on Saturday overlooking Lake Sunapee and the surrounding Mountains. Most teams were provided a place to stay from one of our generous club members. Mike Lebov coined Lake Sunapee as “a summer sailing camp for adults.” I never thought of it that way, but after this weekend, it’s hard to disagree.
The inaugural regatta brought many firsts. Alexi Schwartzkopff skippered her first Viper Race in winds from 17-26 knots. She was joined by another first-time skipper, Anders Hudson, from Lake Keuka. Sal Rosen had a first in chartering Viper 83 for the summer. It was also the first time I’ve seen ...
...read more - Team Z Wins SCYC 2024 Viper 640 Open June 10, 2024
Oyster Bay treated Viper sailors to champagne sailing at the 2024 Seawanhaka Viper 640 Open, with Saturday’s winds ranging from 8-18 knots and Sunday’s first race ranging from 4-14 kts before the wind clocked right and built to a steadier 15-18 kts for the final race. Team Z (Marek & Chris Zaleski and Jake Bradt) towed their Viper across the Sound by water and sailed well all weekend to take the win. Team Z finished all seven races in the top three including four firsts.
Peter Beardsley captained a pick-up Glory Days squad that included a novice sailor competing in her first ever race to a respectable second overall, just ahead of SCYC Past Commodore JP Blaise with Dwight Leblanc and Tina Blaise.
Seawanhaka rolled out the blue and white carpet as usual, with a sumptuous post-race spread on Saturday night that ...
...read more - New Northeast Lipton Cup Interclub Challenge crushes it! May 21, 2024
May 18-19, 2024
Justin Scott has done more for the Viper 640 Class over the past two decades than anyone. Now he adds to his list of credits pulling off the first major interclub regatta in the northeast corner of North America. This event was hosted by the Noroton Yacht Club, Darien, CT.
Here’s Justin’s write-up on the event:
The Lipton Challenge Cups are one of the oldest one design competitions between clubs in North America. There are three Lipton Challenge Cups, one hosted on the Gulf Coast by the Gulf Yacht Association (GYA) since 1920, one hosted on the West Coast by San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) since 1904, and the new kid on the block launched with the blessing of the GYA and SDYC is the Northeast Lipton Challenge Cup.
Altogether, 45 clubs compete in the three Lipton Challenge Cups.
Held May 18-19, ...
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