CONTACTS:
GL52 Fleet Manager
Linda Lindquist
GL52FleetManager@gmail.com
+1 (312)-560-1168
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WIZARD CASTS SPELL WINNING THE PENSACOLA “KRAKEN” CUP & THE SOUTHERN SHOWDOWN TO CLAIM THE GL52 2026 SOUTHERN SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP
Pensacola, FL (April 17, 2026) Last month three of the top GL52s returned to racing at their winter home in Pensacola, Florida. On the eve of the Pensacola Cup (March 19-22), Pensacola Mayor, DC Reeves hosted the fleet at a welcome back reception at Seville Harbor. The GL52 2026 Southern Series fleet included Peter Askew’s WIZARD, Doug & Dalton DeVos’s WINDQUEST and John Huhn’s KATANA, all loaded with world-class sailors.
GL52 PENSACOLA CUP 2026
On Day 1, the first start was delayed until 1500hrs (CST) when the finally breeze piped-up on Pensacola Bay. WIZARD crushed the first two races setting a theme for the series. In Race 3 they had to retire due to a crew injury creating a match race between KATANA and WINQUEST with the later pulling off the win.
Champagne sailing conditions greeted the fleet on Days 2 and 3, which belonged to WIZARD; seven first place finishes left WINDQUEST and KATANA battling for second.
On the last day of the regatta, WIZARD’s dominance waned to 2nd – twice – though still enough to claim the 2026 GL52 Pensacola KRAKEN Cup. KATANA won both races on Day 4 pushing them into second overall.
CLUB SWAN 28 FLEET:
Adding to the excitement on and off the water, the GL52s hosted the new ClubSwan 28 fleet competing at their inaugural U.S. event. George Gamble’s MY SHARONA took the top spot, followed by Al Ramadan’s PLAY BIGGER in second. Click for ClubSwan28 Results
GL52 COMMUNITY PARTNER: PENSACOLA YACHT CLUB SATORI FOUNDATION
GL52’s commitment to improvement and education extends to local community organizations. At the 2026 Southern Series, we worked with the Pensacola Yacht Club’s Satori Foundation to host local students giving them an inside look at our fleet with dockside boat tours and technology demonstrations. Thirty-four 8th grade students from the Dixon School learned about our race committee on-the-water systems including MarkSetBot, Vakaros and drones. WINDQUEST crew members Sara Stone and Matt Cassidy taught the students about the GL52 then coached them on the handles to grind a bowman up the rig!
GL52 PARTNER: PALM BEACH MOTOR YACHTS
Event sponsor, Palm Beach Motor Yachts treated GL52 owners and guests to a sunset cocktail cruise onboard their state-of-the-art PB FIFTY FIVE.
GL52 SOUTHERN SHOWDOWN 2026
The GL52 Southern Showdown, the second of two GL52 Southern Series events commenced on April 9. Returning to the starting line were Peter Askew’s Pensacola KRAKEN Cup- winning WIZARD, John Huhn’s 2025 Great Lakes Series Champion KATANA team and Doug & Dalton DeVos’ talent-stacked WINDQUEST team all vying for the 2026 GL52 Southern Series Championship.
On Race Day 1, shifty conditions kept tacticians, helmsmen and the race committee on their toes. WIZARD continued their winning ways, scored 3 firsts. Idyllic conditions continued on Pensacola Bay throughout the weekend which saw the magical WIZARD team sail a perfect regatta with 11 first-place finishes! Second place came down to the last race; WINDQUEST wrapped up second for the Southern Showdown with 27 points edging out KATANA with 28 points.
GL52 SOUTHERN SERIES 2026
Winner of both the 2026 Southern Showdown with an 11 race picket fence and the 2026 GL 52 Southern Series, Peter Askew and his WIZARD team took home the big trophies. One point separated John Huhn’s KATANA over Dalton & Doug DeVos WINDQUEST.
LOOKING AHEAD: 2026 GREAT LAKES SERIES
The 2026 GL52 Great Lakes season will begin on June 5 at the BIG RED REGATTA. Additional information for the GL52 Great Lakes Series can be found on our website, where additional details are added as they become available.
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#GL52Fleet, #GL52Racing, #GL52SouthernSeries2026, #AmericanMagic, #PalmBeachMotorYachts, #PYCSatoriFoundation
ABOUT THE GL52 FLEET & OUR PARTNERS:
AMERICAN MAGIC
The GL52 fleet is powered by American Magic.
Thanks to the support of Doug DeVos, the GL52 fleet is able to utilize performance sailing assets including coaches, support boats and state-of-the-art racing technology provided by American Magic.
PALM BEACH MOTOR YACHTS
Founded in 1995 by ocean-racing champion and yacht builder Mark Richards, Palm Beach Motor Yachts was born from a passion for precision, performance, and design excellence. Every yacht reflects the brand’s racing heritage—combining elegant, timeless lines with advanced composite construction and meticulous craftsmanship. At the heart of every build is the company’s proprietary V-Warp Technology®, delivering exceptional efficiency, balance, and stability while significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
Today, Palm Beach Motor Yachts offers a refined portfolio of highly customizable yachts across its Classic, GT, and GT RS series. Each yacht is designed and built at the company’s state-of-the-art factory, supported by sales and service offices across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Palm Beach Motor Yachts is subsidiary of Grand Banks Yachts Ltd. (GBY:SP) and is publicly traded on the Singapore Exchange.
PYC SATORI FOUNDATION
The purpose of The PYC Satori Foundation is to inspire interest in and encourage and promote the sport of sailing and yachting and a broad range of maritime activities. The foundation is established to develop educational and training programs for the sports of sailing and yachting, for seamanship and for marine education.
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
Located in Florida’s panhandle, Pensacola is surrounded by 50-plus miles of coastline which includes the emerald-green Gulf of Mexico waters and crystal-clear bay areas. This makes Pensacola the perfect combination of a relaxed beach town and bustling metropolitan center. The temperate, climate and a friendly community that is driven toward success present an unparalleled quality of life.
GL52 SOUTHERN SERIES
The GL52 Southern Series, is intended to encourage like-minded TP52 type boat owners, with a healthy mix of amateur and pro sailor crews, to compete in similarly configured boats under the ORC on a Time-on-Time basis in a group of buoy races that form a Winter series.
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© GL52 Events Association 2026
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