The 2025 VX One North American Championship wrapped up in spectacular fashion at Gulfport Yacht Club, where Chris Alexander, sailing his brand-new boat Counterproductive alongside Ricky Welch and Chandler Self, delivered a final day for the VX One class history books.
After starting the morning in ninth place overall and plenty of points behind regatta leader Geoff Moore (CAN 390), Alexander’s team went on a run few will forget — five straight race wins, leading at every single mark.
“It was insane,” said Alexander. “We talked about it this morning and said, ‘We’re just gonna go out and win this thing.’ And we did. I said all day, ‘It’s first or last: Nothing in between.’ We just dropped the hammer. It was lights out.”
Heading into the final race, he and Geoff Moore were tied on points. “We took Geoff out at the start,” Alexander said. “He had a bad start, we pushed him to the back, and we just never looked back.”
It was Alexander’s fourth North American Championship title, but this one was different — Gulfport is his home club.
“Winning here means a lot,” he said. “My dad and my daughter were out on the water watching, so it was really special. We FaceTimed my wife as soon as we came in. It was an amazing day.”
Alexander and Welch have sailed together for years, racking up wins at Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta, Charleston Race Week, and Midwinters. For Self, it was her third North Americans with the team — and the first time on top of the podium.
“I felt like I was pretty unprepared coming into this one,” Alexander admitted. “As Event Chair, I was focused on making sure everyone else had fun. But today… we just smoked them. It was lights out.”
When asked what makes the VX One special, Alexander didn’t hesitate: “It’s just the best boat. The quality, the feel of the helm — and the people. This class has become family. We had North Americans here ten years ago, and the community has only grown since. Everyone’s friendly, everyone helps each other. It’s just a great time.”
