Hello sailors and welcome to the 2026 season. Our friends at Quantum Sails are on deck to get everyone up to speed—on the water and on the next shift—with a weekend of coaching services and in-depth morning weather briefings with ace meteorologist Shea Gibson. Here are the essentials to take advantage of amazing services for your daily race planning.
Quantum Sails Weather and Coaching
Weather Briefings will be hosted on race-day mornings at 0800. To register for the briefings, Hit the Zoom link to register in advance.
Quantum Coaching Dave Gerber and Carter Cameron, the dynamic duo, will be onsite beginning Wednesday, February 11, working with early-arriving Melges 24 teams alongside Quantum’s Scott Nixon and Peter McClennan’s Team Gamecock for a Melges 24 clinic (see specific Melges 24 details at bottom). All regatta entries are encouraged to participate in Quantum Sails’ Thursday afternoon practice racing sessions with race starts, short courses, and live coaching. It all starts with joining the Quantum Sails St. Pete Coaching WhatsApp Group as a great way to stay connected with the coaches during and after the regatta.
Quantum Coaching Schedule—AVAILABLE TO ALL REGATTA ENTRANTS
Thursday, Feb 12, 2026
1200—Meet the coaches at the St. Petersburg YC Grill 1909 Patio (next to main entrance yard arm) for a pre-practice brief.
1300-1500—Practice Racing with Quantum Sails Coaches, monitoring VHF 72
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Feb 13 to 15
1000-1100—Individual Coaching by Quantum Sails, coaches monitoring VHF 72. As there are five race circles and more than 200 entries to date, we strongly encourage you to connect with the coaches in advance to let them know you’re interested in having them connect with you on the water. All of Quantum’s event resources are available to all entries, so don’t be shy to reach out and get faster.
QUANTUM SAILS DAILY TROPHIES
Win a race, win a Cup. During the post-race regatta socials, Quantum reps will be on station in the SPYC ballroom to present your hard-earned race-win cup(s). Stop by to collect your hardware, pop a question to the coaches or thank them for their go-fast advice.
MELGES 24 CLINIC WITH GAMECOCK AND QUANTUM SAILS
All Melges 24 teams are encouraged to take advantage of this session. Teams can expect practical, race-course-focused coaching centered on boat handling, rig tuning, communication, and decision-making—everything needed to get the most out of a Melges 24 on Tampa Bay. This is an ideal opportunity to kick off the Midwinter Championship with structured practice, shared learning, and direct access to some of the class’s most experienced voices in a collaborative, fleet-building environment. The Clinic WhatsApp group is your connection to participate.
Quantum Melges 24 CLINIC SCHEDULE
🗓️ Wednesday, February 11 (Optional – Early Arrivals)
1:00 PM – Meet on the docks at SPYC with on-water sailing to follow.
🗓️ Thursday, February 12 (Full Clinic Day)
10:00 AM – Dockside meeting covering rig tuning, setup, and techniques
1:00 PM – Practice Racing begins, led by Quantum Sails, with on-the-water coaching from Dave Gerber and Carter Cameron, followed by dockside briefing.
