Month: April 2025

(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- The largest sailing event in France, the SPI Ouest-France Banque Populaire Grand Ouest, brought together its partners on Thursday, January 30, at the Ouest-France group headquarters to launch the 47th edition, which will be held from April 18 to 21, 2025, in La Trinité-sur-Mer (56). Hosting the epic regatta is SN La Trinite sur Mer, with nearly 200 volunteers to support the organization and actively participate in welcoming the nearly 2,500 expected sailors.
For decades, J/sailors have religiously flocked to the regatta always held over Easter Weekend. Again, a large fleet of J/80s will be participating as well as a growing fleet of J/70s. In addition, a large offshore contingent of J’s will be sailing offshore in IRC and Osiris handicap divisions.
Day 1- Rain & Wind to StartThe 47th edition of the SPI Ouest-France Banque Populaire Grand Ouest began under very rainy skies.As predicted, the wind conditions (20 knots established from the southeast) and a rough sea gave race management a hard time. The first starts were given at 11:00 for the majority of the fleet. However, the start of the J/70 class was delayed until 12:30. The sailors took the opportunity to share a friendly moment in the Spi village before facing a heated Quiberon Bay. Due to these very strong conditions, the Hansa and Miniji were forced to stay ashore without being able to take any starts. The day unfolded under incessant rain and a constantly strong wind. The one-designs raced two races while the J/99 class completed three races. At the end of the day, several sailors had been washed out and boats with minor damage among the 461 competing crews.
Day 2- Less Wind, Beautiful DayThe second day got off to a flying start with the traditional Voiles et Voiliers grand parade.
Under the Morbihan sun, the many spectators were able to admire the fabulous ballet of the 461 boats under full sail, in the channel of La Trinité-sur-Mer. The very light conditions forced the sailors to wait in Quiberon Bay before the wind picked up. A test of stoicism that ended at 12:30 p.m. In a 6 to 10-knot westerly wind, the race committees were able to launch two to three races for all series. The J/80s made their debut with three races.
Day 3- Easter Egg Hunt On this Easter Sunday, while the ritual egg hunt at the town hall of La Trinité-sur-Mer was in full swing in the village, the crews headed towards Quiberon Bay for their third day of racing.
Despite cloudy skies and a fresh breeze, all series benefited from the optimal wind conditions, which remained between 10 and 15 knots all day.
Day 4- Strong Steady BreezeOn this final day, the sailors set sail early in the morning to make the most of the weather conditions. With races underway and competitors fully fueled, the ingredients were there to round off the 47th edition of the benchmark regatta for amateurs and professionals in style.
All series completed one final race before packing up their gear and closing this enchanting interlude. Gilles Bricout, the new race director, along with the race committees and their teams, managed to get the 2,345 sailors sailing in all conditions: wind, sun, rain, and calm.
J/70 ClassTwenty teams participated in this year’s edition, a significant jump over last year’s entries. The battle for class supremacy came down to two teams; Phillippe Gzuigne’s SAILING IMPACT and Beatrice Joyaud’s D-DAY. In the end, it was Guigne’s SAILING IMPACT crew of Cedric Pouligny, Damien Scelo, and Cedric Meunier that won class honors with 16 pts net. Just one point shy of the gold was the top woman helm- Beatrice Joyaud. Her team on D-DAY included Eliot Merceron, Nicolas Dore, and Ben Amiot. Between her team and Guigne’s, they took most of the top two finish positions in the nine-race series. Rounding out the podium taking the bronze medal was Richard Fromentin’s LECLERC SPORT HENNEBONT and his crew of Elorri Golhen, Pierre Louiset, Valentin Massu, and Theau Guilcher.
The balance of the top five included Tangi Le Goff’s HYDRO SAILING TEAM in fourth and Herve Leduc’s JIBE SET/ PIERRE OCEANE in fifth place.
J/80 ClassThis fifty-five-boat fleet featured many top veteran teams from past battles in the largest one-design keelboat class in France. Not surprisingly, it was the multiple past French J/80 Champion- Simon Moriceau on PL YACHTING/ ARMEN HABITAT- that took class honor with just 7 pts net in seven races! Moriceau’s team consisted of Julien Augereau, Vincent Guillarm, Simon Bertheau, and Alice Bigot. The silver medal went to Pierre Laouenan’s CV AILEE ECOLE NAVALE team of Morgan Rio, Jean Queveau, Damien Ieh, and Tiphaine Ragueneau. Rounding out the podium was a top Spanish team- Jaime Piris’s MERCURY AVATOR and his team of Antonio Piris, Alfredo Portilla, and Jesus Gonzalez.
The rest of the top five included Julien Plessis’s OUROBOROS in fourth place and Luc Nadal’s veteran crew on GAN’JA in fifth position.
J/99 ClassA large contingent of eleven J/99s sailed as a one-design class for the first time at SPI Ouest. The fleet was treated to a full-blown “schooling” on how to sail a J/99 fast and smart. With four bullets in their seven-race scoreline, Julien Bentz’s WHIMJY 99 team (Baptiste Roynette, Jerome Samuel, Romain Troube, Vincent Fertin, Rose Bentz, Tessa Bentz, and Nemo Trouble) sailed away from the fleet, tossing a 3rd place (!!), to win with just 8 pts net! Not to be too outclassed was the Spanish team on Emigdio Bedia’s GORILON that won three of seven races to take the silver medal with 14 pts net. The GORILON crew consisted of Alvaro Lopez-Doriga, Daniel Martini, Jaime Salcines, Javier Sanchez-Barcaizteg, Juan Bedia, and Victor Gonzalez. Rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was the famous Swedish team of BLUR, led by Peter Gustafsson. His crew consisted of Mattias Bodlund, Simon Kindt, Jens Allroth, and Fredrik Rydin.
The balance of the top five included Eric Kerscaven’s PL YACHTING in fourth place and Herve Bihan-Poudec’s LEONARD in fifth position.
For more SPI OUEST France regatta sailing informationhttps://spi.ouest-france.fr/

(Vancouver, BC, Canada)- The annual Southern Straits Race took place this past weekend, hosted by the West Vancouver YC in British Columbia- the Canadian side of the infamous Straits of Juan de Fuca that separate the wild and majestic Olympic Peninsula from the Canadian Maritimes to the north.
The race is a popular one in the Pacific Northwest for the offshore racing fraternity. Like the Swiftsure International Yacht Race that sails later in the year, the West Vancouver YC has also evolved the race over time to be more accommodating to the reality of today’s lifestyles. The participants have the choice of three courses- the Long Course (140nm), the Medium Course (106nm), and the Short Course (73nm). A majority of the J/Teams participating sailed the Long Course (mostly 35 footers on up), while the smaller J’s did the Medium Course.
ORC 2 DivisionIn this competitive fleet, Tolga Cezik’s J/111 LODOS took the bronze medal, missing the silver by a mere 5 minutes and overall by 15 minutes corrected time! Fourth went to John Murkowski’s J/122E JOY RIDE just 4 minutes in arrears of her stablemate.
ORC 3 DivisionTaking the silver medal in this large dozen-boat fleet was John Polglase’s J/109 DOUBLE TIME.
PHRF 4 DivisionWinning this class was the veteran J/109 SPYHOP team led by David Schulte, taking class honors by nearly 20 minutes over the next boat!
PHRF 5 DivisionSweeping this fleet were two J/teams. Winning was Nick Conti’s J/92 LIVE WIRE, followed by Bruce Townson’s J/112E KAJOFI.
PHRF 6 DivisionJ/Teams also faired well in this fleet taking two spots on the podium. Winning was David George’s J/29 RHUMB LINE, followed by Mardy Grosman’s J/30 DESPERAFO– two classics still have it in them!!
For more Southern Straits Race sailing informationhttps://www.wvyc.ca/on-the-water/racing/southern-straits

(San Francisco, CA)- The battle-hardened, hard-core sailors of San Francisco Bay, accustomed to the worst their Bay can dish out, were pleasantly surprised to contend with a very sybaritic weekend of sunny weather and light to moderate wind conditions! Hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club, their Spring Fest regatta had one-design fleets of J/24s, J/88s, and J/105s.
J/105 ClassWith twenty-four boats, the J/105s were again the largest class by far participating in the event. After five races, there were many familiar teams at the top of the leaderboard. Winning was Tim Russell’s NE*NE with a 6-7-2-1-1 tally for 17 pts. Ten points behind to take the silver medal was Ryan Simmons’s BLACKHAWK with a 4-14-1-5-3 record for 27 pts. Then, rounding out the podium garnering the bronze medal was Ian Charles’s MAVERICK with a 2-3-3-6-16 scoreline for 30 pts.
J/88 ClassThe winner of this tightly-fought class was determined on a tie-breaker at 8 pts net each. Winning the regatta on the tie-breaker countback was Dave Corbin’s BUTCHER with a 4-4-1-2-1 tally. Losing that battle to earn the silver medal was Tom Thayer’s SPEEDWELL with a 2-3-2-1-4. Rounding out the podium on the bronze medal step was Christos Karamanolis’s PELAGIA with a 1-2-3-3-3 record for 9 pts— close racing!!
J/24 ClassThe half-dozen J/24s had fun, close racing amongst the top of the leaderboard. Winning was Brandon Mercer’s TENACIOUS CUTTLEFISH with a 2-2-4-1-1-1 record for 7 pts net. Taking the silver medal four points back was Jasper Van Vliet’s EVIL OCTOPUS with a 1-3-14-3-3 scoreline for 11 pts net. The final bronze medal step on the podium was determined by a tiebreaker at 13 pts each. Winning that battle on the countback was Darren Cumming’s veteran crew aboard DOWNTOWN UPROAR with a 6-1-2-2-4-4 scoreline for 13 pts net. Losing that countback to take fourth place was Robin Van Vliet’s LITTLE WING.
For more St. Francis Yacht Club’s Spring Fest sailing informationhttps://www.stfyc.com/racing

(Scheveningen, Netherlands)- After three days of sailing in very different weather conditions from the RZV Naarden, it was the DON JUAN team sailed by the De Zeeuw brothers that were declared the 2025 J/80 Dutch Champions! The past two years they were close to victory, which made the team extra keen to stay ahead of everyone. There were many exciting battles due to the fierce opposition from the JOYRIDE and FUN Jr. teams.
“We did it! We feel like champions, because we had to fight for it, and at certain moments we tackled it tactically,” says Wouter Köllmann, skipper of the DON JUAN team. At the end of the first day, DON JUAN was five points ahead of Bob Jansen’s FUN JR team and Torsten Nullmeier’s JOYRIDE crew. On day two, FUN JR and JOYRIDE swapped places. The difference between DON JUAN and JOYRIDE was only five points at the start of the last day.
Both DON JUAN and JOYRIDE had a difficult time on Sunday (with fourth place as the highest score in four races). There were also some anxious moments due to a protest between the two. On the other hand, FUN JR had a good day with first place, two second places, and a drop race. Although FUN JR closed in on JOYRIDE to only a two-point difference in the final standings, the podium remained as it was, with the big winner being DON JUAN – with an eight-point lead.
All kinds of weather and windThe weather played a major role in the tension on the water. The winner Köllmann explained, “We had all kinds of weather. Fortunately, it was sunny every day, but the wind varied enormously.”
On Friday, the matches took place on the Gooimeer. The wind concentrated mainly on one side of the playing field with 3-4 Beaufort. On Saturday, the fleet moved to the Markermeer where it could count on wind up to a strong wind force 5 with the necessary waves. On the final day, the wind changed from 2 to a strong wind force 4 within a few minutes, accompanied by enormous wind shifts. Explained Kollmann, “That meant chess on Friday. Saturday was full-throttle racing and Sunday was a bit of a gamble, but that was challenging racing! That also made it a complete event in terms of weather.”
For team DON JUAN, the Dutch Championship meant a return to the J/80 after a winter break. The priorities were elsewhere during the past Frostbite Cup season. But, according to Köllmann, it was nice to sail in the J/80 again, together with the De Zeeuw brothers and Wick Hillege.
“The J/80 is just a great boat! As a team, we have a good connection in terms of sailing and the competitions were always exciting.” Looking back at history, that can certainly be said. In 2023 and 2024, the DON JUAN team was the favorite for the title of Dutch Champion, after winning the Frostbite Cup. But, they just missed out with a fourth and second place, respectively.
Strong southern neighborsWhat also stood out in this edition of the J/80 Championship was the large number of Belgian and French teams. No fewer than seven of the 23 participants came from outside the Netherlands. “That of course has everything to do with the J/80 World Championship that will take place in Nieuwpoort in July,” says Bernard Holsboer on behalf of the J/80 class organization Benelux. “We have now seen again how strong our southern neighbors are. Fortunately, we also have a nice J/80 field during the WAC (Wednesday evening competition) that we sail from Naarden. That will mean a lot of training in the coming months!”
For J/80 Dutch Championship results:https://rzvnfiles.blob.core.windows.net/2025/day3.htm
For more J/80 Dutch Championship sailing informationhttp://www.j80.nl

(Charleston, SC)- The 29th edition of Charleston Race Week was held April 10-13 with entries spanning 18 classes across six courses. There was a robust turnout in several J/one-design classes- 29 boats in J/70s, 16 in J/105s, 14 in J/24s, and 10 in J/22s. In addition, there was a strong contingent of J/crews in the offshore PHRF and ORC Divisions. Here is how it all went down throughout the three-day regatta.
Day OneIt was a spectacular start on Friday with sunny skies, warm temperatures, and solid wind. Competitors on Circle 1 completed four races, while those on Circle 2 got in three. A robust breeze offshore enabled ORC A to have three windward-leeward starts, while the three pursuit classes enjoyed excellent racing.
“We had a great opening day here in Charleston,” said Taran Teague, overall principal race officer for the regatta. “It was picture-perfect weather and we had good wind in the morning. We were able to get in some great racing, so we’ve got a lot of happy sailors here.”
The J/22, J/24, and PHRF Inshore classes had an action-packed day and sailors no doubt came off the water sore and tired after four races.
Jasper Van Vliet steered EVIL TWIN to a pair of bullets and added a third in taking the early lead in J/24s, which has 14 boats. Robin Van Vliet called tactics for her husband of more than 30 years on a day when winds ranged from 5 to 20 knots from the southwest to the northwest.
“We were very happy with our day overall because it was hard. This is our second time here in Charleston and I don’t remember seeing this particular weather pattern. It was back-and-forth, back-and-forth,” said Jasper Van Vliet, who hails from Mill Valley, California. “I guess the best thing we can say is that we stayed alert, kept our eyes open, and made decisions on the spot. We were very happy with our results.”
VELOCITY, crewed by four high school sailors, posted a terrific score line of 2-3-1-1 to take the early lead in the 10-boat J/22 class. James Pine is steering and has twin brother Nathan Pine aboard as a jib trimmer. They are juniors at Lucy Beckham High in Mount Pleasant. Logan Marz from New York is the bowman, while William Baker from Texas is trimming the main and spinnaker.
“We just stayed consistent. Our starts were all good and we tried to stay in the pressure and play the shifts as best we could,” said James Pine, noting there were 30-degree wind shifts later in the day. “Our boat speed and crew work was pretty good today.”
On Circle 2, the J/70 class saw west-northwest winds ranging from 7 to 12 knots to start the day. A sea breeze filled in during the afternoon and negated the westerly, with the velocity dropping to 4 to 9 knots for Race 2 and 3 to 7 knots for Race 3.
The J/70 RELATIVE OBSCURITY came into Charleston Race Week at Patriot’s Point on a roll after dominating the J/70 Winter Series. However, owner-driver Peter Duncan had a conflict arise and was unable to make the regatta, necessitating a last-minute replacement. He found a good one in Marcus Egan, a New Orleans resident with plenty of experience on the Grand Prix circuit.
It helped that RELATIVE OBSCURITY crew members Victor Diaz de Leon and Willem Van Waay have sailed many times with Egan, winning the 2003 J/80 World Championship together.
“Marcus is an amazing sailor and did a fantastic job today,” said Diaz de Leon, the tactician. “We had a nice vibe onboard and complimented each other very well.”
RELATIVE OBSCURITY got out on the race course a few hours earlier than normal to do some practicing and help Egan get familiar with steering the J/70. He started strong by winning Race 1 then added a couple of thirds for a low score of seven. Bryce Kalow and the KID’S TABLE team also had a good day and are just one point behind in the 25-boat class, the largest of the regatta.
“It was a great day sailing in Charleston. It was very tricky as usual with the current and shifty winds. That’s what makes it so fun racing here,” Diaz de Leon said. “We tried to sail conservatively, keep it simple, and stay out of trouble.”
On Circle 3, an anchor issue with the signal boat delayed the starting sequence and ultimately led to the J/88s and J/105s completing only one race. The starting area for that course was set just north of Fort Sumter and a three-knot current was a factor where the Ashley River and Cooper River converge.
Andrew Graff, who sailed EXILE to victory in J/88 class, said the wind was slightly north of west with an average wind velocity of around eight knots. There were lulls as low as four and puffs up to 12. “There were a lot of rapid-fire shifts, so being able to change gears was important,” said Graf, who had Chris Werner aboard as tactician.
Mount Pleasant resident Joe Pitcavage said local knowledge proved helpful as SPECTACLE won the lone race in the J/105 class. “We were able to port tack the entire fleet because all the other boats got pushed off the start line by the current,” he said.
Skipper Robin Team and his veteran team showed why the J/122 TEAMWORK has earned the Palmetto Cup as the winner of the most competitive handicap class five times. Veteran tactician Jonathan Bartlett made great calls as TEAMWORK won all three races.
Principal race officer Bruce Bingman set windward-leeward courses that were two laps each. Race 1 was six miles in total, while the course was shortened to four miles for Races 2 and 3. Team said a westerly breeze was blowing 6 to 8 knots for the opening race then got a little lighter for the second start. A south-southwesterly wind of 10-12 knots filled in for the final race.
“It was a champagne sailing day offshore. We had great conditions,” said Team, crediting Bartlett with putting TEAMWORK on the correct side of the course in all three races.
“We’ve been sailing together for a long time and everybody knows their job,” said Team, who gave a special shoutout to pit man Drew Niven. “Drew was the MVP of the day. He took control and made sure the entire boat worked flawlessly.”
Dr. Willy Schwenzfeier has competed in all 29 editions of Charleston Race Week, mostly as skipper of his J/35 ARROW. The Charleston resident continued his streak of winning at least one race every year by topping Pursuit Spinnaker A.
Schwenzfeier, who is 80 years old and sailing a 40-year-old boat, credits his crew for the sustained success. Kael Martin has been with the ARROW program for three decades, while Jules Ivester and his wife Rebecca as well as Sam Furr are not far behind in terms of longevity.
“We are serious racers, but we have a different philosophy than most,” said Schwenzfeier, a 1966 Johns Hopkins graduate who played basketball at the renowned Baltimore school. “We don’t worry about the competition. We just sail our race and try to go as fast as we can without interacting with any other boats.”
Day TwoIt was “moving day” on Saturday and that’s exactly what several skippers and teams did.
In the J/22 class, TASMANIAN DEVIL and VICTOR both made a move on leader VELOCITY. Darby Smith skippered TASMANIAN DEVIL to victory in two of three races on Saturday, while Scott Jenson steered VICTOR to a bullet and a couple of thirds. Those two boats are now tied with 19 points, three more than skipper James Pine and his team of high school sailors aboard VELOCITY.
“We had a real good day. Our crew is starting to come together. We’re all getting better at our jobs,” said Jenson, a Napa, California resident who is chartering a J/22 from the College of Charleston. “I think consistency was the key to our success today. We got very consistent starts and were picking the shifts pretty well.”
Jenson said tactician Andrew Kerr is “doing an outstanding job” and praised his knowledge of the J/22. Kerr chose the left side in the second race on Saturday and VICTOR found good wind and current relief on the way to winning.
“We’re going to shoot for more consistency tomorrow. We’re up against some very good sailors, so it’s going to be a challenge,” Jenson said.
RELATIVE OBSCURITY saw its lead in the J/70 class reduced to one point over KID’S TABLE and PROGRESS. Skipper Paul Green sailed PROGRESS to second place in all three races on Saturday and feels good going into the final day of racing. Five-time Olympian Stuart McNay is calling tactics for Green and earned his praise.
“Stu did a brilliant job of leading us today. You had to be able to stay in phase and play the shifts and we did that thanks to him,” Green said. “Everybody just did their part today. We had some clutch boat handling.”
Green is beginning his fifth season in the J/70 class and has been with fellow Annapolis residents Andy Nowak and Ridgely Mackenzie throughout that time. McNay joined the program this year and a fourth-place finish at the Bacardi Invitational was very encouraging.
“I’d say the real magic started this year when Stu came on board. We took a big leap forward as a team,” Green said.
As always in the highly competitive J/70 class, this major regatta will likely come down to the last race with at least four boats still very much in contention.
“It’s one race, one shift at a time. We need to get good starts and execute the fundamentals,” Green said. “We unlocked some speed in the boat today and hopefully we can carry that over into tomorrow.”
In numerous classes, it was a case of the pacesetter simply consolidating their lead. That was certainly the case in J/24 where skipper Jasper Van Vliet and his EVIL TWIN team continued to sail superbly. EVIL TWIN got the gun in two races and finished second in another on Saturday and has a low score of 13 points — 11 better than BLIND DATE and Clemson Sailing Club.
Skipper John Polek and his crew of College of Charleston offshore sailors on ZEPHYR have performed well in posting bullets in two of five starts. ZEPHYR was winning the J/105 class until suffering a setback in the protest room and being disqualified from Race 2.
Polek and tactician John McCarthy are hoping to be able to drop that result and get back atop the standings. For now, skipper Andrew Moor and the THUNDERSTRUCK team lead J/105 with 21 points, two fewer than WHISTLER (Ethan Taylor).
“I think the biggest thing in any one-design fleet is starts and we’ve had a lot of good ones. We’ve also been actively changing gears by playing every single control we can,” McCarthy said. “We know we have the crew work and boat speed. This is our backyard so we know the conditions well.”
Polek, McCarthy, and mainsail trimmer Miles Wolff have been collaborating on tactics. “We’re always having active conversations about how we can make the boat go faster. We’re trying to be proactive instead of reactive,” McCarthy said.
Robin Team and company on the J/122 TEAMWORK have been unbeatable in ORC A while sailing offshore. North Sails professional Jonathan Bartlett is calling tactics aboard the Lexington, North Carolina-based boat, which has won all six races.
Day ThreeDarby Smith thought his chances of winning the J/22 class were derailed during the third race held Friday. That’s because the main halyard aboard TASMANIAN DEVIL snapped and the boat was unable to finish. TASMANIAN DEVIL could not compete in Race 4 and those two alphabet results (DNF, DNC) seemed like too much to overcome.
However, Smith and his family-based crew stayed focused despite their disappointment and finished the three-day regatta strong. After repairing the halyard, TASMANIAN DEVIL went out and won two of three races on Saturday to get back into contention.
Smith and company completed an impressive comeback by placing second and third in Sunday’s races. They were able to drop one of the 11ths absorbed on Friday and managed to squeak out an incredibly close victory.
TASMANIAN DEVIL won three races and finished second or third in four others posting a low score of 24 points, a mere three-tenths better than runner-up James Pine and the VELOCITY team.
“Having the breakdown on Friday and taking two big numbers was a real bummer. I was shocked that we were able to come back from that,” said Smith, who started the regatta strong by winning Race 1 and placing second in Race 2. “We knew we had a good boat and a solid team. We went back out there the next day and put up some good results, which gave us a chance going into today.” Smith is a 19-year-old member of the Jacksonville University intercollegiate sailing team. The Birmingham, Alabama native enjoyed a strong junior career in Optimist, Club 420, and Laser. He served as a helmsman aboard TASMANIAN DEVIL with father Fred, sister Isabel, and her boyfriend Scott Busey aboard as crew.
“I think we had a great team that worked well together. There was lots of good communication on the boat,” Smith said.
Smith and the team were rewarded for their perseverance by being presented with the Charleston Race Week Cup as one-design Boat of the Week. “That was awesome and a real surprise,” Darby Smith said.
Darby and Isabel Smith had competed in Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point last year in J/70 class and did not do so well. They returned this year in J/22 class and Darby credited his father for handling all the pre-regatta preparation. “My dad made this all happen by working for days getting the boat ready,” he said.
Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point concluded with two races on Sunday with winners crowned in 18 classes. It was an action-packed regatta with the three circles located on Charleston Harbor completing between seven and 10 races.
RELATIVE OBSCURITY closed out a wire-to-wire win in the J/70 class, the largest of the regatta with 25 boats. Owner-driver Peter Duncan could not attend Charleston Race Week due to business commitments. Marcus Egan, a talented amateur skipper from New Orleans, was tabbed as a last-minute replacement and did a superb job.
Of course, Egan was supported by a world-class team of professionals in tactician Victor Diaz de Leon, headsail trimmer Willem Van Waay, and bowman Jud Smith. RELATIVE OBSCURITY counted all top-five finishes in totaling 22 points — four better than runner-up PROGRESS, skippered by Annapolis resident Paul Green.
Egan is a former College of Charleston sailor and showed his local knowledge by winning Race 1. RELATIVE OBSCURITY also posted a second and a trio of thirds.
“Marcus hasn’t driven a boat in a while, but he caught on quickly,” Van Waay said. “We’re a very competitive team that never lets off the gas. We’re always fighting for every single point.”
Van Waay praised Duncan’s commitment to fielding a high-level program and praised the support of coach Chris Larson. “Nothing gets overlooked with our program — the rig, the tuning, the sails… everything is top-notch.”
PROGRESS, which has taken a huge leap forward since bringing five-time Olympian Stuart McNay aboard, won a race and placed second in four others.
“The PROGRESS team sailed beautifully and pushed us to the very last race. They’ve been improving with every event,” Van Waay said. “Charleston is always a super-tricky place and you have to be disciplined and patient. I thought we did a really good job of handling the variable conditions we were dealt.”
Jasper Van Vliet skippered EVIL TWIN to a wire-to-wire victory in the J/24 class, which had 14 entries. Robin Van Vliet called tactics for her husband of more than three decades as EVIL TWIN got the gun in five of 10 races totaling 18 points. J-MAGIK, skippered by Amy Woodard, was a distant second with 33 points.
“It feels great to win such a prestigious regatta. This is a really big boost for our program,” Jasper Van Vliet said. “We’re all a little surprised by how well we did. We’ve all sailed together a long time and that helps a lot. Our crew work was really good. I’ve gotten some coaching this year and it has improved my driving.”
Van Vliet, who hails from Mill Valley, California, and calls San Francisco Bay home waters, said EVIL TWIN “went to school” on the local boats in the class. “They seemed to go left a lot so we just followed them,” he said.
In the J/105 class, skipper John Polek and his crew of College of Charleston offshore sailing team members aboard ZEPHYR absorbed a real body blow on Saturday as a protest changed a second-place result to a 16th. ZEPHYR was disqualified for pulling its spinnaker pole out too early, dropping out of the lead and down to fourth in the standings.
“We got together as a team at 8:30 this morning to discuss what happened and put it behind us. We said ‘let’s keep our spirits up’ then talked about what we needed to do today,” Polek said. “We had a clear picture of what boats we needed to keep an eye on. That brought it down to a four-boat regatta and changed our approach.”
ZEPHYR finished fourth in Sunday’s opening race and was able to throw out the DSQ then closed the regatta in style by getting the gun in the last race.
“They say boat speed is a tactician’s best friend and that was our foundation. If we had a bad maneuver or got caught on the wrong side of a shift we knew we could always make up ground,” Polek said.
This was a J/105 brand new to the College of Charleston and this particular crew had never sailed together. Polek the helmsman, headsail trimmer John McCarthy, and mainsail trimmer Miles Wolff collaborated on tactics. Anna Galli (bow), EJ Boilek (pit), Savannah Hudson (mast), and Thalia Mancini (floater) completed the crew.
Rounding out the one-design winners was skipper Andrew Graff on his J/88 EXILE, which won three races and placed second in three others to top the J/88 fleet. Graff had the luxury of throwing out a third and finished with nine points, six less than veteran skipper Iris Vogel and her New York-based DEVIATION team.
This was the first class victory in seven attempts at Charleston Race Week for Graff, a Chicago resident. EXILE had finished second several times.
“We got great starts and did a good job of changing gears. The shifts were really quick, so you had to change gears a lot in terms of trimming, steering, and crew weight,” Graff said. “This team has been together for quite a while and that helps. Everyone knows their job.”
Kris Werner trimmed the main and called tactics on EXILE with Miranda Madden (bow), Luke LeCoche (bow), Graham Eger (spinnaker trimmer), and Scott Eisenhardt (jib trimmer) making up the rest of the crew.
No boat put forth a more dominant performance than TEAMWORK, the J/122 skippered by Robin Team of Lexington, North Carolina. North Sails pro Jonathan Bartlett was a tactician aboard TEAMWORK, which won six straight races before finishing second in Sunday’s lone start.
TEAMWORK was rewarded for its dominance by being awarded the Palmetto Cup as the winner of the most competitive handicap fleet. This marked the sixth time Team has taken home the Palmetto Cup.
“It was a great week for TEAMWORK and we enjoyed everything about the regatta,” Team said. “We’ve been sailing together for so long that everyone knows their role and does it well. Jonathan put us in the right place all the time and crew work and boat speed were really good.”
A very special thanks to all sponsors, competing teams, volunteers, and partners who helped make Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point a big success. Save the dates for next year, April 16-19, 2026!
For more Charleston Race Week sailing informationhttps://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/16941

Spring Winds Stir the Sailing Spirit Across the GlobeAs the northern hemisphere shakes off winter’s grip, sailors from San Francisco to Scheveningen and Charleston to the Solent are back in action, chasing breeze and silverware. April has delivered a spectacular start to the 2025 sailing season, with regattas showcasing everything from doublehanded offshore grit in the BAMA Farallones Race to sunny, champagne conditions at Charleston Race Week. J/Crews were in full stride around the globe—tuning up in Warsash, dueling in the Massilia Cup in France, and battling for national pride in the J/80 Dutch Championship. Whether you’re trimming on a J/70 in Cascais or bracing through San Francisco’s chilly winds, this spring is already shaping up to be a memorable one on the water.

Warsash Spring Series Report
(Warsash, England)-  The Warsash Sailing Club has been hosting its annual rite of spring- the Spring Championship for IRC Classes and J/70s on April 12-13 & 26-27, 2025.

It’s a very popular event for J/sailors to get themselves tuned up for the major summertime events on the Solent and for the RORC Offshore events that run all summer.
The larger J’s are sailing on the Black Group course; which includes a large IRC contingent of J/teams sailing J/111s, J/109, J/92, and a J/99. The J/70s are sailing on the White Group course. Read more here.

Spectacular Charleston Race Week 

(Charleston, SC)- The 29th edition of Charleston Race Week was held April 10-13 with entries spanning 18 classes across six courses. There was a robust turnout in several J/one-design classes- 29 boats in J/70s, 16 in J/105s, 14 in J/24s, and 10 in J/22s. In addition, there was a strong contingent of J/crews in the offshore PHRF and ORC Divisions. Here is how it all went down throughout the three-day regatta. .  Read more here.

DON JUAN Crowned J/80 Open Dutch Champions!

(Scheveningen, Netherlands)- After three days of sailing in very different weather conditions from the RZV Naarden, it was the DON JUAN team sailed by the De Zeeuw brothers that were declared the 2025 J/80 Dutch Champions! The past two years they were close to victory, which made the team extra keen to stay ahead of everyone. There were many exciting battles due to the fierce opposition from the JOYRIDE and FUN Jr. teams..  Read more here.

POLLUX Wins J/70 Massilia Cup- First Act of J/70 Coupe de France
(Lacydon, France)- The Massilia Cup took place from April 4th to 6th on the Olympic Games waters off Lacydon, France, hosted by the very capable RC/PRO team at Lacydon Nautique. Nearly 110 boats, including nine J/70s, participated in this first leg of the Coupe de France. Conditions were perfect for the three-day-long regatta. Friday started with 15-20 kts southeast winds, then slightly less for Saturday and Sunday’s finale.  Read more here.

Rocking & Rolling BAMA Doublehanded Farallones
(San Francisco, CA)- The Double Handed Farallones Race is BAMA’s premiere annual mixed-fleet race event. The course has racers starting in the early morning off Baker Beach inside San Francisco Bay, rounding the Farallones in either direction and then finishing off the Golden Gate Yacht Club race deck. Covering a total distance of 54.0 nm, the conditions for the DHF can be challenging, testing a double-handed crew’s stamina and seamanship. The race requires that participating boats meet the NCORC’s offshore safety requirements and requires that participating sailors study offshore safety topics and practice person overboard recovery before the race.
The imposing and foreboding Farallones Islands are, in essence, a line of granite rocks carved away from the California coast by the infamous San Andreas fault 26 miles West of the Golden Gate. On a clear day, the islands appear close, but it feels a long way if the Pacific Ocean has dished up sporty conditions. Read more here.

Gorgeous Sunny Spring Fest on San Francisco Bay!?

(San Francisco, CA)- The battle-hardened, hard-core sailors of San Francisco Bay, accustomed to the worst their Bay can dish out, were pleasantly surprised to contend with a very sybaritic weekend of sunny weather and light to moderate wind conditions! Hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club, their Spring Fest regatta had one-design fleets of J/24s, J/88s, and J/105s.  Read more here.

SPI OUEST France Preview

(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- The largest sailing event in France, the Spi Ouest-France Banque Populaire Grand Ouest, brought together its partners on Thursday, January 30, at the Ouest-France group headquarters to launch the 47th edition, which will be held from April 18 to 21, 2025, in La Trinité-sur-Mer (56). Hosting the epic regatta is SN La Trinite sur Mer, with nearly 200 volunteers to support the organization and actively participate in welcoming the nearly 2,500 expected sailors.
For decades, J/sailors have religiously flocked to the regatta always held over Easter Weekend. Again, a large fleet of J/80s will be participating as well as a growing fleet of J/70s. In addition, a large offshore contingent of J’s will be sailing offshore in IRC and Osiris handicap divisions. Read more here.

RORC Easter Challenge Preview

(Cowes, England)- Anticipation is building for the RORC Easter Challenge, taking place over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. This year’s edition is shaping up to be a thrilling opener to the RORC’s Cowes racing season, featuring a varied fleet of over 40 boats across three IRC classes. As a training regatta with PRO Stuart Childerley, the coaching is led on the water by Mason King supported by hand-picked coaches and a North Sails team of experts led by Ian Walker. 
Crews will get three days of intense training for the season ahead with invaluable video debriefs after racing action on Friday and Saturday. Easter Eggs are the prizes for the RORC Easter Regatta, but the real winners are the teams that improve their performance for the season ahead.   Read more here.

J/Gear- Island 1/4 Zip- April 20% Special
(Newport, RI)- The J Island Zip is a comfortable companion that is perfect for UV protection and wind barrier. Handy for layering. Quality fabric for Marine element management.
Material:

8.7 oz/yd² / 295 gsm, 86% polyester, 14% spandex jersey
Moisture-wicking
UV protection performance

Features:

Center front coil zipper with decorative grosgrain zipper pull
Comfort and performance in one

Comes with the J Class logo of your choice. You may customize with yacht name and regatta information. Select from light Island colors.The Ladies companion is item 9151. Customize with your yacht name and sail number for the entire crew.
Order the J/Island 1/4 Zip here.

(Charleston, SC)- Over the course of nearly three decades, Charleston Race Week has developed a proven reputation that brings sailors back year after year. While the location is an integral piece of the puzzle, well-run races in a unique venue as winter fades doesn’t hurt.
The 29th edition will be held April 10-13 with entries spanning 18 classes across six courses. Charleston Harbor, with its tricky currents, has a well-earned reputation as a challenging race course.
A robust turnout in several one-design classes has 29 boats in J/70, 16 in J/105, 14 in J/24, and 10 in J/22. Meanwhile, there will be offshore racing for the ORC A and B classes and offshore pursuit racing in three divisions (non-Spinnaker, A, and B). Also, a PHRF inshore fleet features five boats that call Charleston their home port.
“Exceptional racing conditions, a strong sense of community, and a unique blend of competition and celebration are what make this a regatta unlike any other!” reports longtime event director Randy Draftz.
For the third straight year, the daily post-race party will be held aboard the historic USS Yorktown, a floating museum berthed at Patriots Point. Participants and guests will have access to the entire ship while enjoying refreshments provided by Regatta Craft Mixers, Mount Gay Rum, and Mount Pleasant-based Westbrook Brewing.
Staying true to their mission of developing better sailors, Charleston Race Week organizers have brought in National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee and two-time America’s Cup winner Ed Baird to deliver the daily debriefs and assist meteorologist Shea Gibson with the morning forecasts. Baird will be joined for the debriefs by Marty Kullman, a seasoned professional with Evolution Sails.
“I’m looking forward to joining the racing activities in Charleston again this year,” Baird said. “It’s always challenging to get the strategy right in the current and with the geographical shifts, but it’s a ton of fun to be with so many sailors who are ready to be done with winter and get back on the water. I’m very excited to be part of the action.”
Additionally, Charleston local Greg Fisher, a longtime professional sailmaker, will be out on the water for practice racing and fine-tuning boats each day. Fisher, a current Evolution Sails pro, who was just announced as a National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee, has won 25 national, North American, and world championships in seven different classes.
J/70 ClassThe 28-boat fleet includes some class veterans looking forward to battling the insane currents on their course near Fort Sumter. Some of those teams include Alec Cutler’s HEDGEHOG, and Bryce Kalow’s. KID’S TABLE, Maggie McKillen’s MAGATRON, Michele Grau’s German crew on PAINT IT BLACK, Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY, Brian Keane’s SAVASANA, Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE, and Dick Kalow’s SUPPER CLUB.
J/88 ClassThe six-boat fleet has several class veterans dueling for the top of the podium. Amongst them are Chris & Liz. Chadwick’s CHURCH KEY, Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION, Andrew Graff’s EXILE, and Bill Purdy’s WHIRLWIND.
J/105 ClassWhat a great turnout for the J/105 fleet, with fifteen boats attending from across America. Leading contenders should include Matt Arno’s BLUE FLASH, Teddy Turner & Bill McKensie’s RUM FRONT, and Rob Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF.
J/24 ClassThe fourteen-boat J/24 fleet will always enjoy spirited racing near the Charleston city waterfront. Amongst the potential teams at the top of the leaderboard should be Patricio Sly’s BITCOIN, Jasper Van Vliet’s EVIL TWIN, Mike Palazzo’s JO MAMMA, Tyler Benjamin’s ORANGE CRUSH, and Charlotte Myers’s REFLEX.
J/22 ClassThe ten-boat J/22 fleet should have some tight racing along the Charleton city waterfront, too. Some of the top teams include Pat Mooore’s BETTER JUDGEMENT, Darby Smith’s TASMANIAN DEVIL, and Scott Jensen’s VICTOR.
ORC DivisionThe offshore fleet of eight boats includes a cadre of race-winning J/Teams. There are three J/122 crews, Robin Team’s TEAMWOORK, Matt Schaedler’s BLITZKRIEG, and Constantine Baris’s DIRE WOLF. Joining them is Les Cabiness’s J/111 WIDE LOAD and Willy Schwenzfeier’s J/35 ARROW.
PHRF DivisionThis dozen-boat fleet features a trio of J/120s, Rick Moore’s KEELFORCE, John Keenan’s ILLYRIA, & Bill Hanckel’s EMOCEAN. Also in the mix are Ned Goss’s J/36 SOUL and Bob Musor’s J/130 SCEPTRE.
For more Charleston Race Week sailing informationhttps://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/16941

(Seattle, WA)- The Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle held its Center Sound Series for a highly competitive fleet of offshore sailing teams over the past three weekends. The event is comprised of three races held on successive Saturdays- the Three Tree Point Race, the Possession Point Race, and the final Blakely Rock Race.
ORC DivisionWinning ORC Overall and their ORC 3 Division was Jay Renehan & Chris Lanziger’s J/111 HOOLIGAN. Their two-race net tally of 2-1 easily led the ORC Overall standings by a wide margin of five points. Then, in ORC 4 Division, David Schutte’s J/109 SPYHOP won with a 3-1 tally for 4 net pts.
PHRF DivisionSimilarly, Yun Lim’s J/80 JOLLY GREEN took the bronze medal with a 6-2 scoreline for 8 pts net.
J/105 ClassHandily winning the J/105 class was John & Jack Aitchison’s MOOSE UNKNOWN with two bullets! Taking the silver medal with a pair of deuces was Allen Hughes & Shauna Walgren’s CREATIVE. Then, the bronze medal went to Mark Prentice’s PANIC with a 6-3 scoreline for 9 pts.
For more CYCS Center Sound Series sailing informationhttps://cycseattle.org/regatta/u2mLr48Vew

Over the past few weeks, global thrills, corinthian skills, and spring sailing have been heating up across the J/World! From the gusty breezes off Cascais, Porugal to the sun-soaked shores of the Caribbean, the J/70 and J/24 classes continue their high-octane march across continents this spring. The debut of the J/70 Corinthian European Championship marked a milestone for amateur racing, while seasoned crews battled boisterous breeze at BVI Spring Regatta and Seattle’s Center Sound Series. Across Miami and Texas, Midwinter titles were hotly contested, with family dynasties and international rivalries shaping the leaderboard. With Charleston Race Week on the horizon, spring sailing is proving to be anything but predictable—except for the fact that J/Teams are everywhere and in the hunt.

Spring is in the Air- New J’s Are Rolling Out!
(Newport, RI)- Spring is right around the corner and that means we are thinking about our 2025 sailing season. There are still summer/fall deliveries available for the J/99, J/7 and J/9. It’s not too late to enjoy the summer months on a new J! Contact your local dealer or info@jboats.com for more info!

Featured photos above are a J/7 with gorgeous hull wrap, a. J/9, and a J/99!
For more J/Boats information—-Read more here.

Spanish Sweep J/70 Corinthian European Championship

(Cascais Portugal)– The International J/70 Class continues to grow and evolve, debuting the Corinthian European Championship this year in Cascais, Portugal. Amateur racing in the J/70 is in high demand, evidenced by the fifty-four teams hosted by Club Naval de Cascais in this year’s event from seventeen nations: AUS, BRA, CHN, ESP, EST, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, ITA, MEX, NED, POR, SWE, TUR, and USA.
Conditions were rocking and rolling for the entire weekend in Cascais Bay with a breeze often in the upper teens, plus huge swells, to challenge teams and equipment. In the end, it was a trio of dominating performances from the Spanish teams to swept the podium: Javier Padron’s HSN SAILING TEAM in first, Món Canellas Salas’s HANG TEN secured the silver, and Alejandro Perez Garcia-Duran’s BODEGA CAN MARLES took third place.  Read more here.

J/122 Eclipses BVI Race Week

(Roadtown, Tortola, British Virgin Islands)- It was a wild & woolly several days of racing for this year’s BVI Spring Regatta hosted by the Royal BVI Yacht Club. Reveling in the rough and tumble sailing conditions that saw mid-teens breezes all three days, gusting to 25+ kts at times, were several J/Crews. Here is how it all went down.
Day OneMother Nature threw out another wild day on the water on Mount Gay Rum Race Day, day 1 of racing in the BVI Spring Regatta. Gusts to 30 knots and the occasional squall blasting through the three courses running eleven divisions made for lively racing.  Read more here.

J/111 Crowned ORC Overall Winner in Center Sound Series 
(Seattle, WA)- The Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle held its Center Sound Series for a highly competitive fleet of offshore sailing teams over the past three weekends. The event is comprised of three races held on successive Saturdays- the Three Tree Point Race, the Possession Point Race, and the final Blakely Rock Race.   Read more here.

Duncan Wins J/70 Midwinter Championship
(Miami, FL)- Hosted by Shake-A-Leg Foundation in Coconut Grove, FL, the 2025 J/70 Midwinter Championship on March 28-30 attracted fifty teams for the seven-race series. Posting five top-two scores Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY (USA) earned the title by seven points over Ralph Vasconcellos-Rosa MINDSET (BRA) in the high-wind event. Garnering the bronze medal was another Brazilian team- Victor Hector-Demaisono’s OCEANPACT. 
Duncan’s team had tactician Victor Diaz de Leon, Jud Smith, and Willem Van Waay, the same crew that won the 2017 J/70 World Championship. “We got the band back together,” said Duncan. “It’s been a lot of fun sailing with this team again. We’re getting stronger every race.” Read more here.

BANGOR PACKET Takes J/24 Midwinter Championship

(Miami, FL)— Class veteran Tony Parker’s BANGOR PACKET stayed consistent through nine races to earn the 2025 J/24 Midwinter Championship in Miami, FL. With a crew including World Champion Will Welles as well as Will Bomar, Emmet Todd, and James Niblock, Parker never finished lower than sixth to win the title.  Read more here.

Doyle Family Crowned J/22 Midwinter Champions

(Heath, TX)- It was a family affair at the top of the leaderboard for the 2025 J/22 Midwinter Championship hosted by Rush Creek Yacht Club in Heath, TX. Chris Doyle led THE JUG 4 1 team including brother Peter Doyle and son Nick Doyle. They opened the event with a 6th, and only improved from there, ending the seven-race one-discard series with 16 net points. Local favorite Jeff Progelhof’s SCHITZEN GIGGLES with wife Erin and Eric Hemker claimed the runner-up position at 22 points. Alex and Mike Schwinn’s TILT took the bronze at 26 points. Read more here.

Charleston Race Week 2025 Preview

(Charleston, SC)- Over the course of nearly three decades, Charleston Race Week has developed a proven reputation that brings sailors back year after year. While the location is an integral piece of the puzzle, well-run races in a unique venue as winter fades doesn’t hurt.
The 29th edition will be held April 10-13 with entries spanning 18 classes across six courses. Charleston Harbor, with its tricky currents, has a well-earned reputation as a challenging race course.
A robust turnout in several one-design classes has 29 boats in J/70, 16 in J/105, 14 in J/24, and 10 in J/22. Meanwhile, there will be offshore racing for the ORC A and B classes and offshore pursuit racing in three divisions (non-Spinnaker, A, and B). Also, a PHRF inshore fleet features five boats that call Charleston their home port.   Read more here.

J/Gear- Island 1/4 Zip- April 20% Special
(Newport, RI)- The J Island Zip is a comfortable companion that is perfect for UV protection and wind barrier. Handy for layering. Quality fabric for Marine element management.
Material:

8.7 oz/yd² / 295 gsm, 86% polyester, 14% spandex jersey
Moisture-wicking
UV protection performance

Features:

Center front coil zipper with decorative grosgrain zipper pull
Comfort and performance in one

Comes with the J Class logo of your choice. You may customize with yacht name and regatta information. Select from light Island colors.The Ladies companion is item 9151. Customize with your yacht name and sail number for the entire crew.
Order the J/Island 1/4 Zip here.