Month: May 2025

J/70 UK Southern Championship(Hamble, England)- This coming weekend, the Royal Southern Yacht Club will be hosting its eponymous springtime mega-event- the May Regatta. Traditionally, the regatta has marked the beginning of the summer season of sailing on the Solent and the RSYC host team rolls out the proverbial red carpet on their huge, expansive decks, serve up tons of great food and, of course, copious amounts of assorted beer and drinks for the hungry and thirsty sailors. The regatta has become a “de facto J/Fest” and has huge appeal for J/sailors that love sailing on the capricious Solent and survive to recount all kinds of “tall tales and sea stories” (both good and bad!).
IRC 1 DivisionThe eleven-boat fleet is overwhelmed by a veritable armada of J/Crews. Six J/111s will be dueling for class supremacy and one-design honors. Those teams include Paul Griffiths’s JAGERBOMB, Louise Makin’s JOURNEYMAKER II, Tony Mack’s McFLY, and Cornel Riklin’s JITTERBUG. Joining them are two J/112E’s- Lesley Hunt’s WHITE MAJIC and Jim Chalmers’s HAPPY DAIZE. This will be a very difficult class to win!
IRC 2 DivisionIn this fleet, ten of twelves boats are J’s that range from the J/99 to the J/109s. The two J/99s are Kevin Taylor’s JUMP 2 IT and Brian Denny’s JALAPENO 3. The six J/109s include Stephen Davis’s JEROBOAM, Samantha Love’s FRANK 4, Chris Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN, and David Richards’s JUMPING JELLYFISH. The two J/105s include Tom Hayhoe’s MOSTLY HARMLESS and Gillian Ross’s GENE JENIE.
IRC 3 DivisionThis seven-boat fleet includes two J/92s- Becky Walford’s BRENDA’S J and David Greenhalgh’s family’s J’RONIMO.
J/70 ClassWith nineteen boats participating and many class leaders in the mix, the weekend should prove to be a healthy dose of world-class racing at the top of the leaderboard. Some of those teams include Patrick Liardet’s COSMIC, Martin Dent’s JELVID, Alastair Hall’s CALYPSO, Graham Clapp’s JEEPSTER, and Doug Struth’s DSP.
For more Royal Southern YC May Regatta sailing informationhttps://scm.royal-southern.co.uk/event/summer-series-2025-may-regatta

(Portland, OR)- Corinthian Yacht Club of Portland, along with the race’s long-time title sponsor, Schooner Creek Boat Works, and with new support from Portland Yacht Club, is proud to present the 49th edition of the Pacific NW Offshore International Yacht Race. The race will challenge the sailor’s skills, navigation ability, tactical skills, and offshore endurance. One hundred ninety-three miles long, this race from the mouth of the Columbia River up the Washington coast and down the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, BC, will test the competitiveness of the sailors. The race continues to be a great way to qualify for the Pacific Cup, Vic-Maui, Transpac, and other races and to get your boat north for Washington sailing events and/or summer cruising in the famous San Juan Islands.
Heeding the “call to action” is a cadre of hard-core offshore J/sailors, several of whom have won their divisions and overall over time. Six teams will point their bows across the starting line at the mouth of the Columbia River:
– Scott Campbell’s J/121 RIVA – Bob Brunius’s J/120 TIME BANDIT – Jim Calnon’s J/120 PATHFINDER – David Sheperdson’s J/120 MARGARET II – Robert Hodson’s J/120 JUGO – Chad Stenwick’s J/35 THE BOSS
For more CYC of Portland Oregon Offshore Race sailing information and trackinghttps://www.cycportland.org/

(Larchmont, NY)- This coming weekend, the first of the major offshore races will be taking place on Long Island Sound- the Larchmont Yacht Club’s EDLU Distance Race.
The Edlu Race, first sailed in 1954, has long been a classic tune-up race for the around Block Island Race and Block Island Race Week. Followed by a classic party, it is one of the “must-do” events on western Long Island Sound.
The spinnaker course is 32.0 nm from the Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton’s Neck and back. The non-spinnaker course is approximately 20.0 nm. The race has always been popular with offshore racing J/Teams as it’s a good “shakedown cruise” to clean off all the cobwebs, clear the mind, feel the refreshing breeze, and enjoy some Vitamin D from a sunny day of sailing on the water!
PHRF 3 Division- Big BoatsThis small division of four boats has a 50.0% J/Team participation rate! The “big dog” is Lennie Sitar’s gorgeous flag blue J/160 COUGAR. Chasing them hard will be the infamous lightweight carbon fiber speedster- the J/125 GOOD NEWS, skippered by Macrae Sykes.
PHRF 2 DivisionOf the fourteen boats sailing in this hotly contested division, TEN are J/Teams ranging from the J/111s up to a J/133– that’s 71.0% of the class! Here are a few notable teams that are sailing: three J/111s are sailing (Peter Chirlian’s CIAO BABY, Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL, and Abhijeet Lee’s VARUNA); two J/122s (Constantine Baris’s DIRE WOLF and Kevin Kelley’s SUMMER GRACE), Ron Richman’s J/133, John Sartorius’s J/120 ALIBI, Bill Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE, and Bill Komaroff’s J/112E TEXAS ROSE.
PHRF 1 DivisionSimilar to their colleagues in PHRF 2, the predominant brand in this fleet is J/teams; five J’s of ten boats- 50.0%! Sailing are Adam Zakka & Jonathan Krumeich’s J/99 WIZARD, John Greifzu’s J/109 GROWTH SPURT, the Dittenhofer/ Roleke duo on their J/33 CO-CONSPIRATOR, and two J/105s (Randy Bourne’s STRANGE BREW & David Owen’s TEMPEST II).
PHRF DoublehandedThis increasingly popular division also has a 50.0% participation rate with five J/Teams vying for class honors. Those boats include three J/99s (Mike Kohler’s EVENTYR, Doug McKeige’s SAVE THE SOUND, and Todd Aven & Gerard Girstl’s THIN MAN), Andrew Weingarten’s J/100 PHANTOM, and Cary James’s J/109 SUNNY SIDE.
J/88 ClassA nice turnout of five boats will be racing for one-design J/88 class honors. Three teams that should feature on the podium are Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS, Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION, and Ken & Drew Hall’s NEVERMORE.
For more EDLU Distance Race sailing informationhttp://www.larchmontyc.org

As the northern hemisphere shakes off winter’s grip, the global J/sailing community is surging into action with a packed calendar of regattas that stretch from the windswept shores of San Francisco Bay to the tricky inland waters of Lake Minnetonka, and from the choppy Baltic Seas off Germany’s “sailing city”- Kiel- to the storied Solent off Cowes. With spring conditions bringing everything from glassy calms to gale-force gusts, this season’s early events are already shaping up to be a test of skill, patience, and preparation.
From the J/70 US Nationals in Minnesota and the J/24 North Americans heading to Houston, to iconic offshore challenges like the Oregon Offshore and RORC’s De Guingand Bowl Race, teams across classes are feverishly fine-tuning their boats and chasing hardware. Add in the rising momentum of the European J/70 sailing leagues and local favorites like the Tri-Island Series off Seattle and the Edlu Distance Race on Long Island Sound, and you have a season bursting with promise, performance, and epic challenges.

J/70 US National Championship Preview
(Wayzata, MN)- The 2025 J/70 U.S. National Championship is being hosted by the Wayzata Yacht Club, situated on the beautiful shoreline of Lake Minnetonka. Long a bastion of the world’s best scow sailors, the lake and its two principal sailing clubs have grown into small keelboats over a few decades. First, it was the J/24s, then J/22s, and now the ubiquitous and globally popular International J/70 class. A fleet of thirty-six teams from the left and right coasts, as well as the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains in between, will be testing their mettle on the wildly treacherous, shifty, puffy Lake Minnetonka waters. Plus, there’s lots of weed to muddy things up a bit! Read more here.

J/24 North American Championship Preview 

(Houston, TX)- While their J/70 colleagues will be doing battle in the northern reaches of the Great Plains, the J/24s will be sailing their North American Championship off Houston, TX, at the southernmost part of the Plains in the shallow mud puddle called Galveston Bay!
Hosting the J/24s will be the ever-gracious and wildly fun Houston Yacht Club on the western shores of the Bay. Twenty-one teams from across the vast continent of North America will be competing for the honors of being crowned the 47th winner since the first J/24 NA’s in 1978 in Newport, RI!  Read more here.

German J/70 Sailing League Report

Berlin YC and Bocholt YC take the season lead.(Kiel, Germany)- The 2025 German J/70 Sailing League could not have gotten off to a better start. In perfect spring weather, three days of sailing took place on the Kiel Fjord, directly in front of the Olympic Harbor. While the first day’s offshore winds demanded the crews’ knowledge of the area, Saturday morning’s calm strained the participants’ nerves. However, with little wind, a few flights were possible. Then on Sunday, there was a fresh breeze and bright sunshine.
Not only the perfect sailing weather contributed to the crews’ good spirits, but also the evenings spent together on Friday at the “Lönneberga” in Strande and yesterday with beer and gin and tonics from partner Gin Sul. Read more here.

Most Excellent First Meeting- Norwegian J/70 Sailing League 

(Floro, Norway)- Thanks to Florø Seilforening for another fantastic league meeting! That was the general feeling after the long weekend of racing in amazing sailing conditions. Nine races were sailed by each of the eighteen teams in attendace sailing off the quaint seaside village of Floro, Norway. Read more here.

Breault Crushes J/105 Women’s Skipper Regatta
(San Francisco, CA)- In their continuing efforts to encourage and grow women’s participation in sailing, the St. Francis Yacht Club held their annual J/105 Women’s Skipper Invitational this past weekend on their fleet of J/105s. Eleven women’s skippers took up the challenge to learn more about racing on the gorgeous San Francisco Bay. In a low-key atmosphere, a total of four races were sailed over the weekend. Read more here.

Tri-Island Series Update
(Seattle, WA)- Over the late spring, the Seattle Yacht Club hosts its popular offshore series on Puget Sound and points North known as the “Tri-Island Series”. Throughout the six weekends, the three races that take place are: Protection Island, Vashon Island, and Blake Island Race. The series is popular with the greater Seattle area’s leading offshore J/Teams. After the first two races (Protection Island & Vashon Island), some of those teams are at the top of the leaderboard. Here is the latest news. Read more here.

The Edlu Distance Race Preview

(Larchmont, NY)- This coming weekend, the first of the major offshore races will be taking place on Long Island Sound- the Larchmont Yacht Club’s EDLU Distance Race.
The Edlu Race, first sailed in 1954, has long been a classic tune-up race for the around Block Island Race and Block Island Race Week. Followed by a classic party, it is one of the “must-do” events on western Long Island Sound. Read more here.

Oregon Offshore Race Preview 

(Portland, OR)- Corinthian Yacht Club of Portland, along with the race’s long-time title sponsor, Schooner Creek Boat Works, and with new support from Portland Yacht Club, is proud to present the 49th edition of the Pacific NW Offshore International Yacht Race. The race will challenge the sailor’s skills, navigation ability, tactical skills, and offshore endurance. One hundred ninety-three miles long, this race from the mouth of the Columbia River up the Washington coast and down the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, BC, will test the competitiveness of the sailors. The race continues to be a great way to qualify for the Pacific Cup, Vic-Maui, Transpac, and other races and to get your boat north for Washington sailing events and/or summer cruising in the famous San Juan Islands. Read more here.

Royal Southern YC May Regatta Preview

J/70 UK Southern Championship(Hamble, England)- This coming weekend, the Royal Southern Yacht Club will be hosting its eponymous springtime mega-event- the May Regatta. Traditionally, the regatta has marked the beginning of the summer season of sailing on the Solent and the RSYC host team rolls out the proverbial red carpet on their huge, expansive decks, serve up tons of great food and, of course, copious amounts of assorted beer and drinks for the hungry and thirsty sailors. The regatta has become a “de facto J/Fest” and has huge appeal for J/sailors that love sailing on the capricious Solent and survive to recount all kinds of “tall tales and sea stories” (both good and bad!).. Read more here.

Elite Keel Regatta Preview 

(Belvedere, CA)- The San Francisco YC    is hosting its annual rite of late spring, the Elite Keel Regatta, for a huge fleet of twenty-six J/105s. It’s in the May to June time frame that San Francisco Bay often serves up its nastiest weather all summer long. Why? Pure, simple physics. The water is colder than late summer and the valleys and mountains to the east heat up to “egg boiling on sidewalks” temperatures of 110 F- plus…. as Tom Blackaller once quoted, “watch out when the Golden Gate water temp is in the low 50s and the valleys eclipsing 100- a 50 F temperature difference. That fuels the famous westerly seabreezes that can often gust into the 30+ kts range by mid-afternoon!  Read more here.

RORC De Guingand Bowl Race Preview

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s De Guingand Bowl Race marks the fifth race in the 2025 RORC Season’s Points Championship— the world’s largest offshore racing series. It also serves as Round One of the IRC Two-Handed National Championship and the second race in the exciting new RORC Cowes Offshore Racing Series. Over seventy-five boats are expected to be racing in the approximate 110.0 nm race.
The De Guingand Bowl Race starts and finishes in the Solent off the co-host’s famous Royal Yacht Squadron starting line in front of the Cowes waterfront.  As a result, this gives the RORC race team full flexibility to design a course that is both tactically challenging and strategically demanding for the given weather forecast for the weekend. With no fixed route, the course is set the day before the start, allowing it to respond directly to the forecast and deliver the most dynamic racing possible. Read more here.

J/Puma Zip-Top: May 20% off J/Gear Special
(Newport, RI)- Puma has long been synonymous with outdoor performance gear. The J/Puma Performance Zip Top is a contrasting moisture-managing top and is built to handle robust conditions. Distinctive 2-tone design with your J/Class logo embroidered on the front. Choose from a selection of colors.
Material:86% polyester, 14% elastaneDryCELL moisture-wicking performanceUV resistant UPF
Features:4-way stretch for ease of movementSolid base with color-blocking under the armsThe Puma Cat logo on the left sleeve
Customize option with yacht name and sail number for a competitive crew team.
Comes in a broad selection of colors for every crew and is offered at a 20% discount for May.  Click here to order.

(Palma Mallorca, Spain)- As one of the first major sailing regattas on the Mediterranean, the Real Club Nautico de Palma’s very popular PalmaVela Regatta is always a huge draw for top sailing teams throughout Europe. It’s not hard to see why sailors love to go to a famous, glitzy, seaside resort in the crown jewel of Spain’s Balearis Islands offshore in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. After all, what’s wrong with amazing ambience, a historical city and seaport, and generally awesome sailing conditions in the Bay of Palma- 10 to 15 kts seabreezes, sunny, and a balmy 75 F degrees- perfect shorts and shades weather!
Enjoying a long weekend of sailing in this fantasy-land of a bucket list regatta were a range of J/Teams from across Europe in J/70s, J/80s, J/97, J/99, J/109, and J/122s. Most all of them garnered some silver in this year’s event.
ORC Sportboat DivisionWinning this fleet was Kristyn Gills’s KANGURU team from Australi, posting a nearly perfect score of 2-1-1-1 for 3 pts net! Not far behind was Cati Darder’s Spanish team from RCN Palma on the J/80 SAL with a 3-6-4-3 tally for 8 pts net. They were followed by Andrew Cheetham’s J/80 NOW 4 from the host club of RCN Palma with a 4-4-6-3 scoreline for 11 pts net.
ORC A2 DivisionIn this tough fleet, it was Guillermo Duran’s new J/99 KYO VI that took class honors with a 3-1-1 tally for 5 pts total.
ORC 4 DivisionAs they have for several years, Scott Beatties British team on the J/97E JUST THE JOB have again won their class honors with an enviable 1-2-1 record for 4 pts total.
For more RCN Palma’s PalmaVela Regatta sailing informationhttps://www.palmavela.com/

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The RORC Cervantes Trophy Race delivered a dramatic shift in conditions that tested skill and strategy from the very start, followed by raw pace for a spectacular finish. The fleet ghosted off the Royal Yacht Squadron line in barely a whisper of breeze, but any thoughts of a slow passage to Le Havre were soon blown away.
Mid-channel, the race ignited as a powerful north-easterly filled in, sending boats surging downwind at top speeds. As the 128.0nm race unfolded, the action intensified with the tightly packed RORC fleet locked in a fierce battle for IRC supremacy— dozens of boats, seconds apart, all chasing the coveted trophy and vital points for the world’s largest offshore racing series: the RORC Season’s Points Championship.
IRC 2 DivisionIn IRC Two, the silver medal went to CORAZON, a J/133 owned by Robin Herbert and skippered by his son Lawrence, with brother Will among a tight-knit crew of family and friends. The family continued the tradition of family crews garnering silver in RORC races like the famous father/daughter team on the French J/133 JIVARO.
Not to be outdone, Derek Shakespeare’s team on his championship-winning J/122 BULLDOG took fifth place, just 30 minutes behind the J/133.
IRC 4 DivisionIn IRC Four, Tim Tolcher’s J/99 RAGING BULL managed to place sixth, while fellow J/99 owner Mark Kendall finished eighth in the huge 27-boat class.
For more RORC Cervantes Trophy Race sailing informationhttps://www.rorc.org/2024-race-programme

(Rye, NY)- This past week, the American Yacht Club hosted its annual Spring Regatta from Friday to Sunday on Western Long Island Sound. Dozens of J/crews from around the region enjoyed racing in coastal PHRF and ORC fleets as well as one-design racing for J/44s, J/88s, and J/105s. Here is what took place for each division.
Coastal PHRF 1In this dozen-boat fleet, Len Sitar’s majestic J/160 COUGAR took on a fleet of full-blown offshore racing boats and ended up getting a “gentleman’s fourth” place for their efforts.
Coastal PHRF 3Leading a near-sweep of this fleet was Richard West’s J/120 CHARLOTTE. A close second was Ron Richman’s J/133 ANTIDOTE, followed by Albrecht Goethe’s gorgeous fire-engine-red J/46 HAMBURG II in fourth place.
Coastal PHRF 4Winning this class was Robert Schwartz’s J/109 NORDLYS, followed by Todd Aven’s J/99 THIN MAN in fifth place.
Coastal PHRF 5- White SailsNearly sweeping this fleet’s podium was a fleet of J/100s. Winning was the trio on BLUEFIN (Tom Boyle, Bob Clyatt, and Doug McKiege), followed in second place by William Hennes’s LIBERTY, and the trio on FREEDOM (Dre Fung, Barry Gold, and Pat Jakobson).
Coastal ORC 2Winning this fleet was Leo Vasiliev’s J/105 SLEEPER.
J/88 ClassThis was the proverbial match race between just two teams entered (all the other boats were in Annapolis for that regatta). Winning was Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS over Diego Sacristan’s WILD THANG.
J/105 ClassWinning the 105s was David Willis’s SOLUTION, followed by Paul Beaudin’s LOU LOU in second place and Cristiano Ramponi-Serrao’s SHAKEN NOT STIRRED in third position.
J/44 ClassThe J/44s enjoyed good one-design racing using their class sails. In the end, a familiar family was at the top of the pack: Commodore Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE, with just 5 points next in five races! Second went to Willet Meyer’s BEAGLE, with 8 points net, while June and Amanda Kendrick’s PALANTIR 5 earned the bronze medal with 9 points net.
For more American YC Spring Regatta sailing informationhttps://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/16312

(Seattle, WA)- The Sloop Tavern Yacht Club in Seattle, WA, will be hosting its popular season-opening offshore race- the Race to the Straits Regatta- for a fleet of 103 boats. The full course length is 30.25 nautical miles each day. Saturday’s race will be from Shilshole Bay to Point Hudson, keeping the Double Bluff Buoy to port. Then, Sunday’s race will be from Point Hudson to Shilshole Bay, keeping the Double Bluff Buoy to starboard. All boats are prohibited from using the Port Townsend Canal. The regatta has always been popular with J/crews over the years.
PHRF Singlehanded Division- J/Sweep!Comfortably winning this fleet was Dan Wierman’s J/35 GREAT WHITE! Then, just 25 minutes in arrears to take the silver medal was Rafe Beswick’s J/32 DRAGONFLY! A fantastic performance by these two single-handed veterans!
PHRF 7 Doublehanded DivisionThis fleet of all J/70s and J/80s was swept by J/80s: Gerry Gilbert’s AFTERBURNER won, followed by Ryan Porter’s JOLLY GREEN in second, and Peter Lisy’s JOUSTER in third place.
PHRF 10 Doublehanded- J/105 DivisionWinning the J/105 battle was a familiar team- John Aitchinson’s MOOSE UNKNOWN. It was not an easy win in this closely fought one-design competition, with Al Hughes’s CREATIVE taking the silver just 5 minutes behind, and Drew Zangle’s JADED only 1 min 20 secs further back to take the bronze medal!
PHRF 11 Doublehanded DivisionThis rough and tumble class of mostly 35-36 footers was won by Stephanie Arnold’s J/112E MYSTERY by a fourteen-minute margin. Fourth went to Kirk Fraser’s J/109 ECLIPSE, while Chad Stenwick’s J/35 THE BOSS placed fifth, and Dave Miller’s J/99 ONE LIFE took sixth place.
PHRF 12 Doublehanded DivisionWinning this extremely hard-fought fleet was Jay Renehan’s J/111 HOOLIGAN, winning the top prize by a mere 1 min 46 secs!
PHRF 13 Doublehanded DivisionTaking fourth place in this fleet of blue-water blue-platers was Astolfo Rueda’s J/122 QUERENCIA, just 12 min off the pace from winning their division!
For more Sloop Taven YC’s Race to the Straits sailing informationhttps://www.styc.org/Race-to-the-Straits

(Stellendam, Netherlands)- Stellendam Yacht Club hosted the Stellendam Regatta as the offshore sailing season opener for many classes in The Netherlands. For over fifteen years, this regatta has been sailed in April on the Haringvliet in front of the Marina Stellendam. It has also become the season-opening party. Here, the sailors from the ORC and the one-design classes met again after the winter season.
ORC 1 DivisionMany of the Netherlands’ top offshore teams were racing in this division. In the end, Rutger Kruger’s J/112E JACK RABBIT took the gold medal, winning six of eight races, counting just podium finishes in their 8 pts net scoreline! Their’s was a dominating performance! Not too far off the pace was Frans van Cappelle’s J/122E MOANA with 22 pts net to take the bronze medal!
ORC 2 DivisionThe large fourteen-boat fleet had four J/teams participating over the long weekend of sailing. Winning five of eight races to win by a “country furlong” was Jan Scholtes’s J/99 WARP 5 from the Netherlands. The other J/99, Richard Verkleij’s BOLD & GRACIOUS, took fifth place.
J/22 ClassThe eight-boat fleet had both German and Dutch entries for one of the best turnouts in years. After an intense eight races, it was a battle for the top five between the Dutch and German top teams. Winning was Jules Tronquet’s German crew on TINTIN (Laura Hauser, Tim Trollope, and Lulu Trendell) with 12 pts net; winning four of eight races and only counting podium finishes. Taking the silver medal was Sanne van Rijn’s SMURFENBAD TU DELFT crew from the Netherlands (Julia van den Heuvel, Ezra van der Ven, and Szej Rensman) with 14 pts net. Then, rounding out the podium for the bronze medal was the Dutch team of Dirk Jan Verdoorn’s JUT EN JUL (Anneloes Krikhaar, Rosemarjin Verdoorn, and Liselotte Verdoorn) with 19 pts net.
For more SAILWORKZ Stellendam Regatta sailing informationhttps://manage2sail.com/nl-NL/event/SR2025#!/

(Hong Kong, China)- The 2025 Nations’ Cup was the highlight of a spectacular day of international racing and national pride on Victoria Harbour. Held on May 4th by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, the 15th edition featured sixty-seven boats representing 19 countries, blending competitive sailing with dazzling costumes and crew camaraderie.
J/109 Whiskey Jack Win Secures England’s Fourth Nations’ Cup TitleLeading the charge was Nick Southward’s J/109 WHISKEY JACK, sailing under England’s banner. Their impressive performance in shifting wind conditions secured first place in the ATI division, marking England’s fourth Nations’ Cup title — the most of any nation. WHISKEY JACK’s win was a testament to the J/109’s proven design and offshore versatility.
Performance Boats, Nations, and Crews Light Up Victoria HarbourThe regatta attracted entries from across the globe, with the largest contingent from Hong Kong, China (38 boats). England followed with 7 boats, and Italy fielded 3. Other countries represented included Australia, France, Germany, the Philippines, Sweden, Ireland, Japan, and the United States.
The pursuit format featured six starting groups based on boat rating, with PHS divisions kicking off first. Light southerly winds early in the day prompted Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen to adjust the start line to Hung Hom. This ensured competitors caught the best breeze possible, which later clocked in at 12 knots easterly, making for a fast, fun sail out past North Point and back.
Colorful Costumes and Crew Spirit Define the 2025 Nations’ CupWhile racing was the main event, crew costumes stole the show. Themed teams ranged from “Hong Kong Athletes” celebrating the new Kai Tak Sports Park to characters from Ne Zha 2 and Twilight of the Warriors. Belgium’s entry — fully costumed as “The Smurfs” — won the Best-Dressed Crew Award, decided by crowd applause during the prize ceremony.
Sailing photo credits- Guy Nowell/ SAILWorld.com
For more Royal Hong Kong YC Nations’ Cup sailing informationhttp://www.rhkyc.org.hk