Lake Garda hosted the first edition of the Swan Lake Garda Challenge, 23-26 July, the third stage in the Nations League organised by ClubSwan Racing. For the first time, the ClubSwan 28 one-design boats were sailing on an inland body of water that is famous for being unique and demanding.
If you’ve been anywhere near a race course this past week— whether it’s a breezy Solent start line or a glassy patch of Lake Michigan— you probably saw a J/Team duking it out for podium space. It’s been a full-on stretch of racing across the globe, and J/sailors have been putting on a clinic in everything from light-air drifting contests to doublehanded drag races, one-design dogfights, and offshore marathons.
We start things off with the Chicago to Mackinac Race, where the wind decided to take a vacation. Light, shifty breezes and long stretches of near-drift conditions made it a tactical thriller— one where every inch gained felt like a mile. But, that didn’t stop the J/Fleet from racking up trophies in the end.
Meanwhile, over in Europe, Team HEADCASE proved unstoppable at the J/24 European Championship, notching a rare three-peat. Meanwhile, the Solent served up its usual tidal trickery for the J/70 South Coast Championship in Cowes. In Germany, the J/22 class dove into the action during Travemünde Week, mixing high-level racing with one of the most vibrant regatta scenes on the planet.
Back in the States, the J/Fest Ventura and Santa Barbara’s Fiesta Cup delivered sunshine, spinnakers, and solid SoCal vibes, with big turnouts from the J/70s and J/24s. Plus, the Women’s Match Race Tour had great racing on J/22s on San Francisco Bay. Not to be outdone, Canadian crews threw down the gauntlet on Lake Ontario, where a J/112E sailed like it was on rails in the Lake Ontario 300— especially in the doublehanded division.
We also check in on the ever-popular Edgartown Round Island Race, where tricky conditions made every sail change count. And, we head north to Racine, WI, for the latest edition of the storied Death’s Door Challenge— aka The HOOK Race— where J/Teams faced down one of Lake Michigan’s most scenic (and sneaky) courses with plenty of hardware to show for it.
To top it off, we look ahead to one of the biggest events on the sailing calendar— the 100th edition of the legendary ROLEX Fastnet Race. With a record-breaking fleet of 381 boats, the stage is set for an unforgettable centenary celebration. If the preview action we’ve seen so far is any indication, it’s going to be one for the history books.
J/Teams Excel in Slow, Fickle Chicago to Mackinac Race
(Mackinac Island, MI)- It was a “slow-motion thriller” for the 116th edition of the 289.0nm Chicago Mackinac Race- presented by Wintrust. For nearly four days, multiple division leaders were within shouting distance of each other on Lake Michigan, swapping tacks, and trading leads as they clawed their way through the Manitou Passage and up into the Mackinac Straits. A big, fat high-pressure system with nary an isochron in sight was parked over northern Michigan, leading to light and fickle winds from the north, northwest, and easterly quadrants. As one wise navigator explained, it was as good as “rolling the dice” as to where the next breeze line would settle in for an hour or two, then just disappear. In the long run, the “stop & go driving” saw many J/Teams excel in the difficult conditions, leading to many of them garnering silverware on the podium.
This year’s Chicago-Mackinac Race reminded sailors that no two “Mac Races” are ever the same, delivering the kind of dynamic challenge that has made it one of the world’s most iconic offshore races and a fixture on every sailor’s bucket list.
Known as “America’s Offshore Challenge”, the 2025 Mac Race tested sailors’ tactical instincts, patience, and mental endurance over the course up Lake Michigan and into Lake Huron for the finish at Mackinac Island, MI.
Unpredictable wind conditions made this year’s race especially demanding, with many boats taking longer than usual to reach the finish. On average, this year, the racing division took 57 hours. In contrast, last year’s race was one for the record books as the 80-foot canting keeler MAVERICK broke the 22-year-old monohull record (just over 22 hours). It’s this unpredictability that keeps Mac Racers returning year after year. Here is how it broke down by division for the large numbers of J/Teams. Read more here.
Team HEADCASE Three-peats J/24 European Championship!
(Wemeldinge, The Netherlands)- Twenty teams from seven nations (Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, and the USA) arrived from all points of the compass to vie for the 2025 J/24 Europeans Championship. The regatta was sailed from July 7 to 12 off Wemeldinge, the Netherlands, and hosted by Van de Rest Nautic.
The Irish team HEADCASE (Cillian Dickson) triumphed at the 2025 J/24 European Championship, securing their third consecutive European title! The Dutch team JACK AROUND (Rutger Krijger) earned the silver medal, while the German team SCHWERE JUNGS (Stefan Karsunke) took bronze. Here is how it all went down over the four-day event. Read more here.
Women’s World Match Racing Tour Report
Nicole Breault’s VELA RACING TEAM Leads Circuit(Annapolis, MD)- The Women’s World Match Racing Tour started its 2025 schedule of six events in four countries, featuring events in the USA, France, Sweden, and Bermuda. Now in its fourth consecutive season, the Women’s World Match Racing Tour remains the only all-women global series in sailing, designed to promote and grow the participation of women in sailing and match racing. Over 150 women match racing sailors are expected to compete on the Women’s World Match Racing Tour this year.
This year, the WMRT kicked off its season in the USA with back-to-back stages in San Francisco and Annapolis- both sailed in matched J/22 one-design class sailboats. Read more here.
SARDONYX Tops J/70 UK South Coast Championship
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- A hot fleet of twenty J/70s assembled at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, for their 2025 UK South Coast Championship. Sailing took place on the usually boisterous, tricky Solent waters where currents rip up to 5 kts at peak tides just off the RYS’s starting line!
The top of the leaderboard was a full-on battle for the top five by many regatta-winning teams. Just six points separated the top five teams, a source of anxiousness and anxiety for every tactical decision made or unrecoverable boat-handling errors. Read more here.
Brockerhoff Tops J/22s @ Travemunde Week
(Travemünde, Germany)- What is the big draw for Travemunde Week in the quaint seaside city of Travemunde, Germany? It’s world-class sailing meets a maritime festival with plenty of heart. When the “who’s who” of international sailing meets in Travemünde every year, spectators are there live and experience the thrilling races on the waves of the Baltic Sea up close from the lively promenades. The “WE” is a key element here: the location and events merge, and Travemünde residents, local clubs, and associations enrich Travemünde Week with their creativity. Cosmopolitanism and internationality characterize the seaside resort as a meeting place for top athletes from many nations – a carefree experience.
Joining the hundreds of other sailors in a dozen one-design classes (dinghies and keelboats) was the German J/22 class. No question the J/22 sailors love this regatta! It’s professionally managed, and the RC/PRO teams are second to none. Read more here.
J/Teams Prevail in Tricky Round Island Race
(Edgartown, MA)- As they have for decades, the Edgartown Yacht Club rolled out the proverbial red carpet to welcome sailors from all over the world to their cozy confines on the water in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. Their annual Edgarton Race Week is a regular stop for many New England sailors for one primary reason- the 60.0nm dash around Martha’s Vineyard Island and the huge awards celebration party afterwards at the yacht club! Here’s how it all took place in this year’s challenging, finicky race. Read more here.
J/112E Dominates Doublehanders @ Lake Ontario 300
(Port Credit, ONT, Canada)- The 2025 Lake Ontario 300 Race was recently hosted by the Port Credit Yacht Club on Lake Ontario. The Lake Ontario 300 originated through the interest and vision of several single-handed sailors at Oakville Harbour Yacht Club, now part of Oakville Yacht Squadron, and the Port Credit Yacht Club. Johan Pederson and his group envisioned a long-distance race to challenge the skills of those who usually raced single-handed in the Lake Ontario Short Handed Racing Series (LOSHRS) or around the cans on their club’s race nights, or went to regattas such as the Lake Yacht Racing Association and sailed the Freeman Cup. Most, if not all, of these long-distance races were for fully crewed boats. Johan realized that often the sailing done on Lake Ontario was by 2 people, and racing doublehanded was a good way to improve and challenge skills.
Since then, the Lake Ontario 300 has grown in both crew allowance and race length. While there are still double-handed and solo entries, there are a number of boats that race fully crewed. This year, the handful of J/Teams that participated in the race walked off with a few nice pieces of silverware! Here was the outcome of racing on western Lake Ontario. Read more here.
J/70s & J/24s Enjoy J/Fest Ventura Regatta
(Ventura, CA)- The annual J/Fest Ventura Regatta took place off Ventura, CA, for a fleet of eight J/24s and ten J/70s. The host Ventura Yacht Club RC/PRO team managed to run eight fast races over the long weekend, much to the delight of all sailors!
J/70 ClassThe Southern California J/70 class continues to strengthen over time as both men and women helms learn how to make their boats go faster. However, now the class is beginning to see more and more women owners in the field. After the eight races, it was Pat Toole’s 3 BIG DOGS that took the class win by a whisker of one point net! Read more here.
DJ Conquers Fiesta Cup Regatta
(Santa Barbara, CA)- Ever since the J/70 was first introduced to Southern California over ten years ago, the class has always supported a very popular event in Santa Barbara, CA. Hosted by Santa Barbara Yacht Club, the J/70s turned out in force for the Fiesta Cup Regatta.
After the smoke cleared from the weekend regatta of six races, it was clear that Ventura YC’s Ryan Cox and his merry bandits on DJ were not going to get dissuaded or distracted by their rivals. They won the first race and simply walked away with the regatta win with an astounding record of four 1sts and one 2nd for 6 pts net. WOW, what a can of “whupass” they must’ve broken out at the start of the regatta– just like the cartoon “Popeye”!! Read more here.
Of Sweeps and Silver for J/Crews @ The Death’s Door Challenge!
(Racine, WI)- The 42nd consecutive running of the “Death’s Door Challenge”- a.k.a. The HOOK Race- was run by Racine Yacht Club for a large fleet of 49 PHRF handicap boats, 11 of which were J/Teams!
The HOOK Race is a 189.0nm race on Lake Michigan held each year in July. This challenging event starts outside the harbor in Racine, Wisconsin, “hooking” through Death’s Door (Porte Des Morts passage), a narrow and often treacherous passageway between Washington Island and Wisconsin’s Door County Peninsula. Then, the most scenic part of the race continues across Green Bay and ends in Menominee, Michigan. Read more here.
100th ROLEX Fastnet Race Preview
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- Marking the 100th anniversary of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the 2025 edition of the ROLEX Fastnet Race is certain to be a special one. From its humble beginnings, the race upon which the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) was founded has grown to become the world’s biggest offshore race, with 381 IRC-rated yachts competing. From the start off the famous Cowes/ Royal Yacht Squadron starting line in the Solent, the fleet rounds Fastnet Rock just off the southeastern tip of Ireland, then heads for home to the finish off Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France- a distance of 695.0nm.
Making HistoryIn 1925, before offshore racing was even a sport in the United Kingdom, seven cruising yachts and their valiant crews embarked on what was then called “the Ocean Race”. Inspired by the Newport Bermuda Race, the U.K. equivalent was started off Ryde Middle in the Solent by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. The fleet headed counter-clockwise around the Isle of Wight, before heading west to Land’s End, crossing the Celtic Sea to the Fastnet Rock lighthouse, rounding it to port and returning to the finish off Plymouth, England.
Weather ForecastTeams that competed in the last two ROLEX Fastnet Races and are returning for this Saturday’s special centenary edition will be breathing a sigh of relief looking at the long-term forecast. In contrast to the battering they received from the 30+ knot winds at the start, and the subsequent gale force winds of the first 24 hours, they endured during the last two editions, the long-term forecast for this year’s race shows more benign conditions Read more here.
(Newport, RI)- The 475.0nm Annapolis to Newport Race is one of the most historic and well-known of the US East Coast blue water races. Linking two seaports dating from our nation’s birth, Annapolis and Newport, the race provides a stark contrast between the country’s largest estuary- the Chesapeake Bay- and the Atlantic Ocean. The course heads south for 120 miles from Annapolis to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, then east to the Chesapeake Light, and hence northeast to Newport, leaving Block Island to port. After navigating the shallows and currents of the Bay, navigators have to decide if they want to sail the rhumbline to Newport, go in towards the shore, or head further into the Ocean. This year, it seemed those that stuck it out to sea found better winds and weather conditions. Here is how it broke down for various J/Teams commanding a boatload of silverware for the trophy caves.
ORC 2 DivisionIn this large 14-boat fleet, it was Ken Comerford’s J/121 DARK STORM that took home the silver medal, missing the division win by just a half hour.
ORC 3 DivisionAndrew Clark’s J/122 ZIG ZAG placed 2nd in Class and 2nd Overall in ORC Division competing with a fleet of thirty-one racing yachts. Also, the team was very proud to be awarded the James Allsop Seafarer Trophy. This perpetual trophy is held at Annapolis Yacht Club and awarded to the boat with the best combined score from the prior 635.0nm Newport to Bermuda Race and the current Annapolis to Newport Race. This 475.0nm bi-annual race runs from Annapolis, MD to Newport, RI. This was the team’s first time completing the event.
Taking the bronze medal on the podium was Richard Born’s famous J/120 WINDBORN, a team that has multiple podiums in this event over the decades! Fourth went to Barrett Adams’s J/120 PHOENIX, sixth was Patrick Hylant’s J/122 MOXIE, seventh was Jim Phyfe’s DIGGER, and eighth was Ove Haxthausen’s J/133 RUMBA.
ORC Doublehanded DivisionThere was an outstanding performance by SUNDOG, a J/124 that Paul Parks acquired in the fall of 2024. This marked the first offshore race for Parks aboard his new boat, and the result couldn’t have been better. They led a podium sweep by J/Teams of the Doublehanded Division!
SUNDOG finished more than eight hours ahead of the J/35 ABIENTOT, but wound up beating the J/35 by about a half hour on corrected time. Skipper Roger Lant and crew Michael Welin sailed brilliantly aboard ABIENTOT, which led all the doublehanded boats around the Chesapeake Light Tower. “I don’t know how two guys can sail a J/35 that fast,” Parks marveled.
SUNDOG had its struggles negotiating the predominantly light air in the Chesapeake Bay with Parks beating himself up for being caught on the wrong side of two wind shifts. However, the J/124 got into a nice groove going downwind in the lower bay to claw into contention.
“Well, the weather forecast for the Chesapeake Bay was about as wrong as it could be. We had two nice spinnaker runs, neither of which were in the forecast,” Parks said. “We had a wonderful spinnaker run right down to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which got us back into the race.”
SUNDOG was so becalmed shortly after passing the Chesapeake Light Tower that they took down the mainsail on two occasions. After getting going again, the J/124 ran into a header that prompted Parks to take the boat further out into the ocean and discover more reliable breeze.
“I think that stretch was really the difference. That is when we got some separation,” said Parks, who estimates taking SUNDOG a couple miles east of the rhumb line.
Parks praised Saunders for “doing 80 percent” of the work on the boat and described his partner as an “excellent sailor and highly competent navigator.”
“It was long and slow, but a tactically interesting race. We had some good and bad moments,” Parks said. “We learned some things about the boat along the way. Overall, we were really pleased with how it sailed and the speed that we had.”
Parks was presented with the prestigious C. Gaither Scott Trophy for Corinthian Spirit. That award, which is presented at the discretion of the Race and Event Committee, goes to a team or individual skipper that has demonstrated the spirit of Corinthian competition as promoted by Commodore C. Gaither Scott. The award is not always handed out and is named in memory of Past Commodore Scott, who also served a term as the Race Committee Chairman.
After the J/124 SUNDOG, it was Roger Lant’s J/35 ABIENTOT that took the silver medal, Todd Aven and Todd Diffee’s J/99 THING MAN took the bronze, and Mike Kohler’s J/99 EVENTYR took fourth place.
ORC Performance Cruiser 2 DivisionDavid Esseks and his close-knit crew of family and friends sailed their J/109 TWIGA to a very convincing victory in the class; beating the runner-up J/99 BAY RETRIEVER by more than seven hours on corrected time.
TWIGA led the class out of the Chesapeake, but skipper Kevin Sherwood and his crew aboard the J/99 BAY RETRIVER were close behind. However, the J/109 left the J/99 far behind in the Atlantic Ocean and crossed the finish line almost seven hours earlier.
“We worked very, very hard to keep the boat moving whenever it got really light. We were becalmed with no steerage at least four times, including three in the last 12 hours,” Esseks said.
This was the fourth time the New York City resident has competed in the Annapolis to Newport Race aboard his boat and by far the best result. TWIGA in PHRF 2 in the 2019 edition, then fourth out of nine entries in PHRF in 2021.
James Esseks was aboard as navigator and watch captain for his twin brother, while Will Esseks handled the foredeck for his father. Helmsman Marc Robert and headsail trimmer Clayton Gates completed the five-man crew.
“This is a relatively small, light boat for this class; open ocean is normally not our strong point, especially upwind,” said David Esseks, who credits a 145% genoa as being critical to the successful offshore passage. “That 145% jib gave us the power we needed in those conditions.
The previous best finish in an offshore race for the TWIGA team was a third in class for the 2023 Marblehead-to-Halifax. “We’re very, very happy about the result. The boat did a great job and we hung on tight.”
Behind the J/109 TWIGA, it was Kevin Sherwood’s J/99 BAY RETRIEVER that took the silver medal.
PHRF DivisionAs they have in past Annapolis Newport Races, John Sartorius’s J/120 ALIBI took the silver medal. Then, an award was given for the First All-Women Crew: that went to Maryline Bossar’s J/42 ALLEGIANT.
For more Annapolis to Newport Race sailing informationhttps://www.annapolisnewportrace.com/
(Niewupoort, Belgium)- The 2025 edition of the J/80 World Championship was sailed off Niewupoort, Belgium, and was hosted by the Koninklijke Yacht Club. Over 270 sailors on fifty teams enjoyed the warm hospitality of KYC and four days of challenging sailing on the North Sea.
Not surprisingly, the fight for the top of the leaderboard was a classic battle between the top two nations in the J/80 class- Spain versus France.
After thirteen races sailed, it was Spain’s Javier Padron Torrent’s EUROFRITS AVIKO/ NEWIND FOODS that was crowned the 2025 J/80 World Champion. His crew consisted of Jon Larrazabal Lallana, Daniel Enrique de la Pedraja Yilera, Alberto Padron Torrent, and Alba Ponce La Camera. Remarkably, they counted three finishes each of firsts, seconds, thirds, & fourths for a total of 30 pts net!
Behind them, it was a duel to the finish between Simon Moriceau’s French team on DENTAL-ASSIST and Jose Ruiz Sanchez’s Spanish team on DORSIA SAILING TEAM. After a seesaw slugfest between both teams trading off 2nd and 3rd overall, it was Moriceau’s DENTAL-ASSIST crew of Simon Bertheau, Vincent Guillarm, Alice Bigot, and Julien Augereau that prevailed with a string of 1sts and 2nds in the final five races to take the silver medal with 41 pts net. Losing that round was Ruiz-Sanchez’s DORSIA Sailing team of Nuria Sanchez-Nomdedeu, Juan Manuel Barrionuevo Vallejo, Leonardo Armas, and Daniel Fructuoso Rosique. While starting strongly, leading the regatta after the first six races with a remarkable 1-1-2-6-5-1 tally, they couldn’t maintain their lead until the end. The DORSIA team took home the bronze medal with 42 pts net after missing their bid to take the silver in the final race over the French team.
Rounding out the top five were Pierre Laouenan’s ECOLE NAVALE French crew and Luis Martin-Cabiedes’s NOTICIA Spanish crew, in fourth and fifth, respectively.
For more J/80 World Championship sailing informationhttps://www.j80worldsnieuwpoort2025.com/
Across oceans, coasts, and continents, J/Teams shined brightly last week. As the summer of 2025 hits full stride, J/Teams around the globe are lighting up racecourses from the rugged North Sea to the warm waters off Hawaii, from the legendary Aegean islands to Australia’s Gold Coast. This latest roundup captures a season defined by fast passages, fierce competition, and the kind of offshore drama that reminds us why we chase horizons under sail.
Whether it’s the Spanish crew battling the French to win the J/80 World Championship in Belgium, or a fleet of J/99s taking on one of Australia’s premier offshore races as a full-fledged one-design class, J/Boats continue to prove their mettle in a wide range of conditions. The Transpac Race saw history made, with J/Teams sweeping podiums across multiple divisions. Meanwhile, in North America, the Bayview Mackinac, Marblehead to Halifax, and Annapolis to Newport races delivered everything from fireworks and fast reaches to squalls and strategic chess matches in the fog.
Offshore and doublehanded sailors made their mark too— from a standout performance in the Aegean 600, to record-setting efforts in the other offshore races. It’s been a thrilling ride so far, and the season’s only halfway through. Read on for highlights, results, and some serious silverware hauls by J/crews pushing limits and loving every minute of it.
Spanish EUROFRITS AVIKO/ NEWIND FOODS Crowned J/80 World Champions
(Niewupoort, Belgium)- The 2025 edition of the J/80 World Championship was sailed off Niewupoort, Belgium, and was hosted by the Koninklijke Yacht Club. Over 270 sailors on fifty teams enjoyed the warm hospitality of KYC and four days of challenging sailing on the North Sea.
Not surprisingly, the fight for the top of the leaderboard was a classic battle between the top two nations in the J/80 class- Spain versus France. Read more here.
J/Teams Rule @ Transpac Race 2025!
J/111s, J/125s, J/145 Dominate Podiums(Honolulu, Hawaii)- Starting on July 1st, four divisions began racing the 2,225.0nm Transpac Race on the waters off of Los Angeles’s Point Fermin. Organized by the Transpacific Yacht Club, the biennial event is considered one of the world’s premier ocean races. It uses three pursuit-style starts spread over five days (July 1st, 3rd, and 5th) to help all 53 boats finish within days of each other at Honolulu’s Diamond Head.
For the first time in the history of the Transpac Race, a single sailboat brand had podium finishers in every division they entered and won two of those three divisions, sweeping one of them. Read more here.
Rise of the J/99s @ Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race
(Sydney Harbour, NSW, Australia)- The Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race starts July 26th, 2025, hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA). This year’s race promises thrilling competition and exceptional seamanship as fifty-one yachts, including thirteen doublehanded boats, will be sailing the challenging 384.0nm course from Sydney Harbour to the Gold Coast.
The Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is one of Australia’s premier offshore yacht races, attracting top-tier sailors and vessels from around Australia. Participants navigate the picturesque yet demanding coastline, testing their skills and endurance against the elements. Read more here.
A Memorable, Fast Bayview Mackinac Race
(Mackinac Island, MI) – Nearly the entire fleet of 191 entries in the 101st edition of the Bayview Mackinac Race organized by the Bayview Yacht Club crossed the finish line with the impression that this was a remarkable race, one likely to be remembered for years to come. Everyone in the fleet of boats ranging from 27 to 68 feet in length finished in 45 hours or less, half a day faster than last year’s 100th edition.
The brisk southwest winds on Lake Huron on Saturday propelled both fleets at high speed downwind sailing northwards on the 259-mile Cove Island course and the 205-mile Shore course along the Michigan coast.
There was, however, one hiccup to these ideal conditions when a squall came through the course a few hours into the race and resulted in rig, gear, and sail damage for some. The remainder of the first half of the race for both fleets remained fast until the wind speed dropped and shifted towards the west on Sunday night.
. Read more here.
A Challenging and Memorable Aegean 600 Race
(Lavrion, Greece)– The successful 5th edition of the challenging Aegean 600 Race, organized annually by the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC), saw many smiling faces among more than just the winning teams who were poised to win their trophies. Their beaming smiles were knowing that they had just completed one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, 600-mile races in the offshore sailing world.
Perhaps that’s a reflection of the event’s promotional pitch… “A sailing race that has the makings of a legend. The sea of myths and legends. The sea of Homer, Seferis, and Elytis. The sea of painters and philosophers. The sea of sailors. 600 miles of sailing in the Aegean Sea. A race where the wind god- Aeolus- will make his own game to control sailors’ seamanship. A race where the dolphins will accompany the boats to drive them faster to the finish.” Read more here.
J/Teams Capture Silver @ Annapolis to Newport Race
(Newport, RI)- The 475.0nm Annapolis to Newport Race is one of the most historic and well-known of the US East Coast blue water races. Linking two seaports dating from our nation’s birth, Annapolis and Newport, the race provides a stark contrast between the country’s largest estuary- the Chesapeake Bay- and the Atlantic Ocean. The course heads south for 120 miles from Annapolis to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, then east to the Chesapeake Light, and hence northeast to Newport, leaving Block Island to port. After navigating the shallows and currents of the Bay, navigators have to decide if they want to sail the rhumbline to Newport, go in towards the shore, or head further into the Ocean. This year, it seemed those that stuck it out to sea found better winds and weather conditions. Here is how it broke down for various J/Teams commanding a boatload of silverware for the trophy caves.. Read more here.
Fast Reaches, Fireworks and Fog! An Epic Marblehead Halifax Race!
(Halifax, Nova Scotia)- Marblehead’s Independence Day fireworks were still echoing across the harbor when crews began filing into the Boston Yacht Club race village for what would become one of the quickest and most keenly fought editions of this 361.0nm classic. By Sunday’s start, a strong south-westerly had sailors giddy with anticipation and spectators crowding Chandler Hovey Light. The starts were as lively as a dinghy race as the big yachts jockeyed for position through two quick in-shore legs, then popped their spinnakers and slid down Massachusetts Bay in what many simply called “champagne sailing.
From sprint to chess match in the fogDawn on day two brought a fleeting sunrise, then pea‑soup fog and softening breeze. The Gulf of Maine had switched from wrestling match to chessboard: every gybe, every sail change magnified by visibility that shrank to a single boatlength. Here is how it all went down by division. Read more here.
J/99 Class won by McKeige’s SAVE THE SOUND(Block Island, RI)- This year’s Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week featured a diversity of weather challenges all week long; from clear sunny “shorts & shades” glamma days to grey, cool, ugly, drizzly days to keep everyone honest. In the end, numerous J/Teams filled up the leaderboard, garnering a lion’s share of the silverware across several PHRF Corinthians divisions. One notable performance was registered by one of the most iconic cruising sailboats produced by J/Boats.
PHRF Performance Cruising A DivisionAfter having raced in the Long Island Sound J/44 One-Design class for decades, Len Sitar and his experienced crew opted for even more comfort and performance in the form of a J/160! What’s not to like about A/C, wine coolers, heaters, and icemakers on board! After a complete renovation, Len renamed his J/160 COUGAR and has proceeded to race his “cruiser” extensively in offshore races up and down the northeastern seaboard. Their most recent escapades involved participating in this year’s Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week in the PHRF Performance Cruising- Rule 26 fleet (maximum one Category 3 sailor aboard).
With his very experienced crew, thanks to hundreds of J/44 one-design races over decades, Lennie’s COUGAR team vanquished their erstwhile competitors in their sixteen-boat fleet! Like a huge locomotive gathering steam down the tracks, COUGAR started with a 5-4, then smoked the fleet, closing with a 2-2-1 to win handily with 14 pts total!
Not far off their pace were some fellow J/Boats owners. Taking the bronze medal was Joe Brito’s team from Bristol, RI, on his extensively-campaigned J/121 INCOGNITO. Then, fourth place went to Steve Losik’s J/121 HABIRU, fifth to Steve Brownlie’s J/133 ASSARAIN IV, seventh to Kevin Kelley’s J/122 SUMMER GRACE, ninth to Trevor Roach’s J/121 TOUCH OF GREY, and tenth to Brian Prinz’s J/125 SPECTRE. Not a bad outing for J/Teams from across the northeast! 7 of the top 10 and 11 of the top 15!!
PHRF Performance Cruising B DivisionIn a somewhat similar fashion, the same “movie” played out in this fourteen-boat fleet. Also, veterans of decades of world-class one-design racing in the J/80, the Storck family (J/80 North American Champions) opted for more speed and comfort like Len Sitar’s J/160 crew and got themselves a brand new shiny toy- their J/130 BLITZEN. Having campaigned her for several years, John Storck and family members have learned to extract more and more performance out of their J/130 “cruising machine”. That was self-evident in this year’s Block Island week; winning their fleet handily with a 2-1-3-4-2 for 12 pts! Seemingly, all of BLITZEN’s cruising amenities did little to slow her down in the challenging, choppy waves in Block Island Sound.
J/99 One-Design sub-classA slew of new J/99s were also sailing in this PHRF B division. Top dog in the J/99 class was Doug McKeige’s SAVE THE SOUND, also taking 4th in fleet. Second was Steve Wadsworth’s TRIPLE WHISKEY (6th in fleet), third was designer Rodney Johnstone’s family crew from Stonington, CT aboard JAZZ (7th in class), fourth was Tom O’Connell’s FINALE, and fifth place went to Kevin Sherwood’s BAY RETRIEVER.
For more Storm Trysail Block Island Race Week sailing informationhttps://stormtrysail.org/regattas/blockislandraceweek/
(Kiel, Germany)- In its 144th year, Kieler Woche took place for a week at the end of June. During Kiel Week, the state capital of Kiel became a “home for everyone”. This year’s unique blend of world-class sailing event and colorful summer festival invited visitors to arrive, let go, and experience. Around 3.3 million visitors celebrated throughout the city.
The importance of Kiel Week as a sailing/ sporting showcase on the Baltic Sea is manifest by its enormous popularity: with over 4,000 sailors from 65 nations, approximately 1,500 boats, 29 classes, more than 350 starts, and 14 race courses.
As the world’s largest sailing regatta, it’s a true “Woodstock” of sailing! Featuring not just sailing competitions, but live music and countless food stands off the water. Remarkably, it’s Germany’s second-largest public festival (the “big dog” is the world-famous Oktoberfest). The event has proven popular with J/sailors for decades, starting with the J/24 class in the 1980s! More recently, the rapidly-growing J/70 class has joined in on the fun and festivities and very competitive sailing.
J/70 ClassContinuing to explode in popularity all over Europe, a new record of fifty-six J/70s from mostly Denmark and Germany showed up for a week of sailing. Perhaps the biggest shocker for the competitors was the domination of Sten Mohr’s Royal Danish Yacht Club team on LADY IN RED (Soren & Malthe Ebdrup, Bastian Baech, and Caroline Mikkelsen) that easily earned the gold medal. After eleven races, they had eight podium finishes, including four bullets for a total of just 23 pts net!
The balance of the podium was a battle between the top two German teams. Winning that war of attrition to take the silver with 50 pts net was Kai-Uwe Hollweg’s DIVA with crew Alex Beilken, Magnus Simon, and Jork Homeyer. The bronze medal winners could easily have won the regatta had it not been for two disastrous races in their scoreline- a BFD 57 & 33rd! That ignominious distinction belonged to one of Germany’s top J/70 teams- Michael Grau’s PAINT IT BLACK. His crew consisted of J/70 World Champion crew Willem van Waay from San Diego, Florian Thoelen, and Goncalo Ribeiro. Other than their two drop races, their tally was a very impressive four 1sts, three 2nds, and 4-7 for a total of 54 pts.
Rounding out the top five were Marc Keene’s RASCAL crew from Denmark and Lukas Feuerherdt’s GER 717, in fourth and fifth, respectively.
J/24 ClassThe nineteen J/24s were treated to a virtual “schooling” on how to sail a J/24 fast and smart. After compiling all podium finishes (seven 1sts, two 2nds, and 3rd) and not sailing the last race, Stefan Karsunke’s SCHWERE JUNGS crew (Tim Habekost, Christian Carstens, Malte Gibbe, and Carsten Kerschies) won by a country mile with just 14 pts net! The silver medal winners were Till Pomarius’s HUNGRIGER WOLF team (Moritz Book, Thorsten Paech, Jannis Holthusen, and Jonas Lyssewski) with 26 pts net. Then, garnering the bronze medal was Hauke Kruess’s VIVA ON AQUA crew (Florian Prinzlin, Jens Tschentscher, Malte Krogmann, and Malte Reitzig) with 37 pts net.
Rounding out the top five were Frank Schonfeld’s JOOL in fourth and Swedish Per-Hakan Persson’s FRONT RUNNER in fifth place.
For more Kiel Week Regatta sailing informationhttps://www.kieler-woche.de/en/index.php
(Niewupoort, Netherlands)- More than 270 sailors from Belgium and abroad descended on the Belgian coast for the 2025 J/80 World Championship. The event is organized by the Koninklijke Yacht Club, supported by a young team of enthusiasts under 30 – a striking example of rejuvenation in sailing.
The city of Niewupoort is a perfect location for an event of this magnitude. With some 2,000 moorings and challenging conditions on the North Sea— think currents, sandbanks, and changeable weather— Nieuwpoort offers everything a top-tier championship requires. “Those who stay the course on the North Sea will stay the course anywhere,” they proudly proclaim.
Going into the finale on Friday, the provisional standings see the classic battle between the top two nations in the J/80 class- Spain versus France. Not too surprisingly, both countries dominate the leaderboard. Currently leading after nine races sailed is Spain’s Javier Padron Torrent’s EUROFRITS AVIKO/ NEWIND FOODS with 18 pts net. Sitting in second place is fellow countryman Jose Ruiz Sanchez’s DORSIA SAILING TEAM with 24 pts net. Then, sitting on the provisional bronze medal step on the podium is the top French team- Pierre Laouenan’s ÉCOLE NAVALE- EQUIPE DE FRANCE MILITAIRE with 26 pts.
The balance of the top five includes Simon Moriceau’s French team on DENTAL.L.I.ASSIST in fourth place and Luis Martin Cebedes’s Spanish team on NOTICIA in fifth place.
Just one more day to go, and everything is up for grabs, as the two Spanish leaders both have high double-digit scores to throw out. One hiccup on the last day would dash their hopes of staying on the podium.
For more J/80 World Championship sailing informationhttps://www.j80worldsnieuwpoort2025.com/
Across oceans and offshore challenges, deciphering fickle lake winds large and small, J/Teams shone brightly this past week.
From the Baltic’s brisk breezes to the North Sea’s wild currents and the turquoise trades of the Pacific, J/Teams have been racking up wins, silverware, and serious offshore miles in some of the world’s most iconic races. In a season defined by gritty determination, shifting weather, and tactical brilliance, the J/sailing community continues to dominate headlines.
From Finland to Bermuda, Germany to Hawaii, this week’s round-up captures the spirit of J/Boats and the sailors who race them: resourceful, resilient, and relentless in pursuit of performance. Whether it was the J/121 JOLENE clinching the ORC Doublehanded Europeans in Helsinki, Finland, the all-out sprint around Gotland in Sweden, or the trans-ocean tests of Marion to Bermuda and the legendary Transpac, J/crews once again proved they’re built for the long haul.
Add in a victory lap for LADY IN RED at Kieler Woche, a deep dive into J/80 Worlds off Belgium, and a standout showing in the performance cruising class at Block Island Race Week— and we’ve got a globe-spanning season of success worth celebrating.
J/121 JOLENE Wins ORC Doublehanded Europeans
(Helsinki, Finland)- After a thrilling week of competition on the Baltic Sea, the 2025 Garmin ORC Doublehanded European Championship concluded on a high note at Helsingfors Segelklubb. The final day brought welcome sunshine, smiling sailors, and a celebratory spirit as the fleet gathered to reflect on an event marked by intense offshore racing, exceptional seamanship, and the strong camaraderie of the doublehanded community.
Over two challenging offshore races— one short, one long— sailors navigated heavy weather, shifting strategy, and the demands of a two-person crew. In the end, one of those teams at the top of their class, earning the European title for their outstanding performance, was the J/121 JOLENE, co-skippered by Fredrik Rydin and Johan Tuvstedt. Read more here.
Spanish Leading J/80 World Championship!
(Niewupoort, Netherlands)- More than 270 sailors from Belgium and abroad descended on the Belgian coast for the 2025 J/80 World Championship. The event is organized by the Koninklijke Yacht Club, supported by a young team of enthusiasts under 30 – a striking example of rejuvenation in sailing.
The city of Niewupoort is a perfect location for an event of this magnitude. With some 2,000 moorings and challenging conditions on the North Sea— think currents, sandbanks, and changeable weather— Nieuwpoort offers everything a top-tier championship requires. “Those who stay the course on the North Sea will stay the course anywhere,” they proudly proclaim. Read more here.
J/121 JOLENE Silvers @ Gotland Runt Race/ ORC Doublehanded Swedish Championship!
(Stockholm, Sweden)- After an unprecedented 16-hour postponement due to extreme weather, the 2025 Gotland Runt, one of the world’s largest annual offshore races, finally got underway! At 6:00 AM, under a clear sky and with brisk winds, the fleet set sail from Sandhamn, heading for the island of Gotland.
The planned start was called off due to severe gusts, heavy rain, and hail. Race management prioritized safety, instructing all boats to remain securely moored in Sandhamn. After careful monitoring of the weather, a new start time was set, and the course was shortened to 312 nautical miles, with boats rounding Almagrundet before heading south.. Read more here.
J/42 Tops Marion Bermuda Race!
(Hamilton, Bermuda)- Since the early 1970s, a trio of sailing clubs (Beverly Yacht Club (Marion, MA), Blue Water Sailing Club (Boston, MA), and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (Bermuda) have hosted the biennial 645.0nm Marion to Bermuda Race. It is a challenging race that starts off the Marion, MA starting line inside Buzzards Bay and then finishes off St. David’s Lighthouse on the eastern tip of Bermuda. Over the years, multiple J/Crews have participated in the event, many garnering silverware along the way.
In this year’s edition, it was David Tabor and Carol Vaughn’s J/42 DIANTHUS that won ORR Division A. In addition, they were also declared winners of the J/Boats Award for top J/Boat overall in the race!
A great story was written about the race by Lydia Mullan from SAIL Magazine. Her Editor-in-Chief, Wendy Mitman Clarke, was part of the J/42 DIANTHUS crew! Here’s her story. Read more here.
Transpac Race Update
(Honolulu, Hawaii)- Starting on July 1st, four divisions began racing the 2,225.0nm Transpac Race at 1320 hrs on the waters off of Los Angeles’s Point Fermin. Organized by the Transpacific Yacht Club, the biennial event is considered one of the world’s premier ocean races. It uses three pursuit-style starts spread over five days (July 1, 3, and 5, 2025) to help all 53 boats finish within days of each other at Honolulu’s Diamond Head. On Thursday, here was the status of the various J/Teams in the race. Read more here.
LADY IN RED Tops J/70s @ Kieler Woche!
(Kiel, Germany)- In its 144th year, Kieler Woche took place for a week at the end of June. During Kiel Week, the state capital of Kiel became a “home for everyone”. This year’s unique blend of world-class sailing event and colorful summer festival invited visitors to arrive, let go, and experience. Around 3.3 million visitors celebrated throughout the city.
The importance of Kiel Week as a sailing/ sporting showcase on the Baltic Sea is manifest by its enormous popularity: with over 4,000 sailors from 65 nations, approximately 1,500 boats, 29 classes, more than 350 starts, and 14 race courses.
As the world’s largest sailing regatta, it’s a true “Woodstock” of sailing! Featuring not just sailing competitions, but live music and countless food stands off the water. Read more here.
J/160 COUGAR Rocks Block Island Race Week Performance Cruising Division!
J/99 Class won by McKeige’s SAVE THE SOUND(Block Island, RI)- This year’s Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week featured a diversity of weather challenges all week long; from clear sunny “shorts & shades” glamma days to grey, cool, ugly, drizzly days to keep everyone honest. In the end, numerous J/Teams filled up the leaderboard, garnering a lion’s share of the silverware across several PHRF Corinthians divisions. One notable performance was registered by one of the most iconic cruising sailboats produced by J/Boats.. Read more here.
(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)- In preparation for the 2026 J/80 North Americans and J/80 Worlds regattas in July next year, CORK/ Sail Kingston, in collaboration with the J/80 North American Class Association, hosted a 3-day “test event” regatta in Kingston, Canada on June 27-29. Most notably, the regatta was employing the Vakaros RaceSense starting system – a first for J/80’s in North America.
A dozen J/80’s and a slightly smaller fleet on J/70’s from fleets across eastern Canada and northeastern US enjoyed three spectacular sailing days with a total of eight races run in the champagne sailing conditions that Kingston, “the freshwater sailing capital of the world”, is known for.
Day 1 included some unsettled weather with shifty winds and rain to start before settling in to 10-12 knots from the south. Day 2 saw a solid 20 knot southwest system wind blow throughout the day with brilliant sunshine and 25 C temperatures. Day 3 started with light air under cloudy skies before the 12-15 knot Kingston thermal filled in by early afternoon.
US sailor Connor Hayes’s MORE GOSTOSA from Winnipesaukee Yacht Club won the regatta. Then, Brian Gibbs’s BLIND FAITH from Jubilee Yacht Club, along with Hugh McGugan’s BREAKAWAY J from Kingston Yacht Club, battled it out for the top three spots in the J/80 fleet, with Hayes winning the event, followed by Gibbs and McGugan.
As promised, the Vakaros RaceSense system, along with a GPS-enabled pin boat, delivered a “no general recall” and “next start quick turnaround” experience throughout the regatta as the sailors gained experience with Vakaros-enabled starting.
The J/80 2026 Worlds are set for July 18-27, 2026, and J/80 North Americans for July 8-12, 2026 – both regattas will be hosted by CORK and Sail Kingston. The Canadian J/80 fleet is looking forward to competitors attending from around the world!
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