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Glenn Darden’s Baby Doll Wins Long-Awaited J/22 World Championship in New Orleans

Five race wins, a hometown connection, and a championship secured with a race to spare at the Allstate Sugar Bowl J/22 World Championship
NEW ORLEANS, La. (Oct. 8, 2026) — Glenn Darden’s Baby Doll has won the 2026 Allstate Sugar Bowl J/22 World Championship at Southern Yacht Club, securing a long-awaited first J/22 World title for Darden with his crew of Willem van Waay, Jackson Benvenutti and Min Min Kelly.
After opening the regatta with three consecutive race wins Wednesday, the Fort Worth, Texas-based Darden faced a spirited challenge from Jeff Hayden’s Polar Express on Thursday. But Darden and his crew answered with two more victories, sealing the World Championship with one race to spare.
“This is one we’ve been chasing for a while,” said Darden, a World Champion in other one-design classes. “This team, everybody pulls together. The camaraderie is great. It’s just a pleasure to sail.”
Baby Doll finished the seven-race championship with 11 net points, 10 ahead of Hayden’s Polar Express, representing Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis, Maryland. Mike Gemperline’s Defiance finished third with 25 points, followed by Alex Schwinn’s Tilt in fourth and Jeff Progelhof’s Schitzen Giggles in fifth.

Final Top Five

1. Glenn Darden’s Baby Doll (11 points)
2. Jeff Hayden’s Polar Express (21)
3. Mike Gemperline’s Defiance (25)
4. Alex Schwinn’s Tilt (43)
5. Jeff Progelhof’s Schitzen Giggles (46)
Five Bullets and a Race to Spare
Darden arrived in New Orleans with unfinished business. His team had been among the leading contenders in the J/22 class for years, including a runner-up finish at the 2024 World Championship that featured some match racing against Travis Odenbach in the final race.
The crew had spent countless hours refining their boat speed, mechanics and teamwork, and that preparation was immediately apparent on Lake Pontchartrain. Darden swept opening day, posting a perfect 1-1-1 scoreline and establishing an eight-point advantage over Hayden.
But Thursday brought a different challenge. Hayden won Race Four, with Darden finishing sixth, cutting the championship lead in half. Suddenly, the seemingly untouchable leaders had company. “Jeff Hayden was close, and he beat us the first race today, so he gained half the points back on us.”
In the end, Darden’s response was decisive. Baby Doll won Races Five and Six, bringing its tally to five victories in six races and mathematically securing the championship before the final race.
“But we put the hammer down with the last two and got two more bullets,” Darden said.
The championship was a testament to the value of a consistent team. Darden has sailed with van Waay and Benvenutti for approximately five years, with Kelly joining after their first season together. Their shared experience was particularly valuable in the demanding conditions on Lake Pontchartrain.
For Darden, van Waay and Kelly, the victory marked their first J/22 World Championship titles. Benvenutti added another J/22 World title to his résumé.

Big Breeze in the Big Easy

New Orleans delivered two spectacular days of championship sailing, with brilliant sunshine and heavy air challenging the 46-boat fleet.
Thursday’s racing was especially demanding. A strong northerly breeze of 15-20 knots kicked up the shallow waters of Lake Pontchartrain, producing steep, confused waves reported at two to six feet. Four races were completed in the challenging conditions, bringing the championship total to seven.
For Darden, the venue held a particular advantage, but also a personal connection.
“We’ve worked very hard on developing speed and all of our mechanics,” he said. “We’ve sailed a lot on Lake Pontchartrain to train, and I think that was the key. It’s a very tricky place, being shallow, with a big wave set and a random pattern.”
Darden grew up in Fort Worth but attended Tulane University, where he sailed on Lake Pontchartrain during his college years. His son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren now live in New Orleans, making this World Championship something of a homecoming. “This is a hometown feeling,” he said.
For a sailor who has competed at the highest levels of one-design racing, winning this particular championship in a city with such personal significance made the occasion especially memorable.
“Southern Yacht Club is one of the best clubs in the country,” Darden said. “The hospitality is fabulous. Everybody is very willing to help.”

A New Generation Makes Its Mark

While Darden’s experience and preparation carried Baby Doll to the title, the results also highlighted the next generation of talent in the J/22 class. Hayden’s runner-up finish and Gemperline’s third-place performance put two formidable young competitors on the World Championship podium. Schwinn’s Tilt finished fourth, while Chase Quinn’s Osprey placed sixth, just two points behind fifth-place finisher and former World Champion Progelhof.
The fleet also included multiple generations of sailors, longtime rivals, former World Champions and family teams. The Doyle family alone was represented across three boats, while fathers, sons, siblings and spouses competed throughout the fleet.
It is a distinctive strength of the J/22 class: a competitive environment where experienced champions and ambitious younger teams share the same starting line, and where friendships often span decades.

Sixteen States, One Sailing Community

The Allstate Sugar Bowl J/22 World Championship brought together 46 teams representing 16 U.S. states as well as international teams.
Texas led the domestic contingent with 10 boats, reflecting the state’s longstanding connection to the J/22 class. Minnesota’s Wayzata Yacht Club, home of the class’s historic Fleet One, sent four boats to New Orleans.
Reigning World Champion Jean-Michel Lautier traveled from the Netherlands aboard FRAPORITA, while Mike Farrington’s Lou Lou represented the Cayman Islands. The championship also drew sailors from established J/22 communities across the Northeast, Midwest, Gulf Coast and beyond.
But the strength of the class is measured in more than its geographic reach. Throughout the week, the docks at Southern Yacht Club were filled with conversations between sailors who have raced against one another for years, as well as newcomers making their first connections in the fleet. The competition was intense, but the camaraderie remained central to the experience.
The shoreside schedule celebrated that spirit with unmistakable New Orleans hospitality. Cold drinks at the Tiki Bar, a South Louisiana shrimp boil, a Piñata Party and lively post-racing gatherings brought competitors, families and volunteers together by sunset at the Southern Yacht Club.
For many sailors, those friendships are what make returning to the next championship just as important as the results.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl: A New Orleans Tradition Since 1934

The World Championship was the latest chapter in a sailing tradition that predates the first Sugar Bowl football game. Sugar Bowl sailing began in December 1934, before the inaugural football game on January 1, 1935. More than 90 years later, the regatta remains an enduring part of New Orleans’ sporting heritage.
Hosting the championship was Southern Yacht Club, founded in 1849 and recognized as the second-oldest yacht club in the United States. With a long history of competitive one-design sailing and deep ties to the J/22 class, the club previously hosted the J/22 World Championship in 2011. Southern Yacht Club’s reputation for exceptional race management and hospitality was on full display throughout the championship.
Behind the racing was a substantial volunteer effort. Race committee members, mark-set boats, safety and support crews, shoreside organizers, and hospitality volunteers contributed their time and expertise to make the event possible. The Sugar Bowl Regatta Committee, co-chaired by Erik Fabacher and John Moss, is itself a volunteer member organization. Its members, alongside the many volunteers at Southern Yacht Club, dedicate their efforts to the event for the love of sailing and the community it creates. Their work helped deliver a championship that celebrated not only the sport’s highest level of competition but also the traditions and hospitality that make New Orleans such a memorable destination for visiting sailors.
For Darden and his crew, the result was the culmination of years of hard work and shared commitment.
“We put it together at the right time,” Darden said. “Very happy about that.”
After two days of spectacular racing, seven completed races and a week of unmistakable New Orleans hospitality, the Allstate Sugar Bowl J/22 World Championship crowned a deserving champion and celebrated the community that keeps this remarkable class thriving.
Raw Drone Footage: https://youtu.be/K3mBuIdKT2Q
Wrap-Up Press Release: hannahleenoll.substack.com