2026 ILCA 6 Midwinters East Championships
A winter of travel, training, and fitness preparation in South Florida
Last week, I competed in the 2026 ILCA 6 Midwinters East Championships at Key Biscayne Yacht Club in Florida (February 19–22). The event served as a major qualifier for the 2026 ILCA 4 & 6 Youth World Championships, so it brought together a really strong fleet.
The ILCA 6 class had 103 competitors, and the conditions were extremely variable throughout the event. The first day was light and testy, 5-9 knots, but by the final race on Sunday, the breeze built to 18-24 knots. It made for a challenging series where I found adaptability, patience, and consistency were key.
I’m proud to say I achieved:
1st USA female
2nd female overall
11th overall out of 103 competitors in an open event (~ 35% female, 65% male)
qualification to represent the USA at my fifth Youth World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, in August 2026.
qualification for the USA Youth National Team, ILCA 6
I’m really happy with how the regatta went, especially with the consistency across the races.
Overcoming Challenges
The past year hasn’t always been straightforward. There were some bumps in the road - equipment issues, injuries, a contested protest, and a few regattas where I just didn’t execute at the level I needed to. This event felt like a step forward and a reminder that, over time, the work does start to show.
The journey to this point has been built over the past few months, with key events in Florida:
October 2025 - U.S. Youth Championships at Lauderdale YC
November 2026 - U.S. Youth Sailing Thanksgiving Clinic at Miami YC
December 2025 - Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta at Coral Reef YC
I capped it off with the 2026 ILCA6 Midwinters
Gratitude
Thank you to Erik Bauer and Sam Bartel, who coached me during the regatta and reminded me that when I execute the basics, the rest will click.
Thank you to the people who have helped me along the way, including my coach, John Bertrand, who has played a huge role in my development this past two years and is currently recovering well from a bone marrow transplant. I’m also proud to help support Sailors 4 Life, which encourages sailors to join the national bone marrow donor registry (join the national donor registry).
Thanks to Sheila Doyle for sports psychology, preparation, and planning; Lionel Rangel for strengthening my fitness program; and to Jacques Kerrest from Dynamic Dollies for his support. I appreciate the understanding, patience and support from the faculty at Corona del Mar High School as I work to balance travel, training, and sailing with academic responsibilities. Finally, thank you to my family for support, planning and cheering me on and supporting me by attending regattas, and to my friends for always pushing me on the race course.
I’m also thankful for the support from the Newport Harbor Sailing Foundation, the BYC Maritime Sciences and Seamanship Foundation, and the communities at NHYC, CBYC, and CGSC.
And of course, thank you to the Key Biscayne Yacht Club race committee and volunteers for running a great event. Running races in the shifty conditions and variable winds- I can only assume, was no easy feat.
What’s Next
I’m looking forward to continuing to train and prepare for the rest of the season, including the CISA Clinic, Midwinters West, Pacific Coast Championships, National Championships, North American Championships, and more.
Overall, it was a really rewarding regatta and a good step forward going into the rest of the year.
Fair winds,
Paloma Arrigo
USA 226942
ILCA 6
CDMHS ‘26, Tulane ‘30
