Month: August 2025

The first week of August has been buzzing with action across every corner of the sailing world, and our J/crews have been right in the thick of it. From the legendary waters of Cowes Week to the blustery challenges of San Francisco Bay, from the Midwest’s Verve Cup to the sun-splashed fun of Newport and SoCal, it’s been a week packed with trophies, new stories, and plenty of dockside laughter.
Cowes Week delivered its usual mix of tough Solent currents and unforgettable shoreside festivities.  Youth sailors showed their mettle at the Sears Cup in San Francisco. And, Lake Michigan put on a perfect show for the Verve Cup Offshore. Newport turned on its trademark sou’wester for Safe Harbor Race Weekend, while out West, the J/105 fleet filled San Francisco Bay with spray at the Summer Keelboat Regatta. And that’s not even mentioning the fun and inspiration of the WOW/WAH Women’s Regatta in Marina del Rey.
We’re also sharing a special story this month: the first all-women J/42 crew to take on — and finish — the iconic Annapolis-Newport Race. It’s a milestone worth celebrating, and a reminder that our sport continues to grow, evolve, and welcome new voices at the helm. Join us as we look back on a week of racing, camaraderie, and plenty of silverware.

J/Crews Loved Awesome Cowes Week 2025
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- For the first week of August, the Cowes Combined Clubs hosted their annual highlight of the summer sailing season on the Solent- the famous Cowes Race Week off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yet again, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors graced the quaint seaside town with raucous parties and challenging sailing on the capricious waters of the famously fast-flowing Solent Water. 

Again, dozens of J/Teams were sailing for a full seven days on the water and garnered plenty of silverware! Cowes Week 2025 delivered everything sailors could have hoped for: competitive racing, changing conditions, and the kind of dockside entertainment that makes the week so memorable. Here’s the roundup for the J/Boat fleet.  Read more here.

San Francisco YC Crowned J/22 US Youth Sears Cup Champions

(San Francisco, CA)- This past weekend, the St Francis Yacht Club hosted the 2025 Chubb U.S. Youth Triplehanded Championship for the coveted Sears Cup Perpetual Trophy. Twenty teams from across the USA sailed the StFYC’s fleet of matched one-design class J/22 sailboats using the sailing league style format of rotation. Each team was able to sail eleven races.  Read more here.

Hot Racing Action @ Verve Cup Offshore

(Chicago, IL)- The Chicago Yacht Club recently hosted the first of its perennial late summer regattas, the Verve Cup Offshore. Blessed with great weather most of the weekend, the two one-design classes of J/88s and J/105s enjoyed three great days of racing on Lake Michigan off the spectacular Chicago lakefront. Read more here.

Fun, Frolic, & Silver for J’s Sailing Safe Harbor Race Weekend   

(Newport, RI)- What began as a three-day weekend of tempered wind expectations evolved into a full-blown demonstration of skill, strategy, and spirited Newport sailing camaraderie during the fifth annual Safe Harbor Race Weekend held Friday, August 8, through Sunday, August 10. Despite early forecasts calling for barely-there breezes, Newport’s signature afternoon southwesterly arrived just in time each day to transform the racecourse into a dynamic proving ground for a record-breaking fleet of 72 teams in 10 classes. Read more here.

BLACKHAWK Tops J/105 Summer Keelboat Regatta
(Belvedere, CA)- The San Francisco Bay J/105 Fleet showed up en masse for the San Francisco Yacht Club summertime classic- the Summer Keelboat Regatta. Twenty-one teams enjoyed two days of great racing in typical blustery Bay weather, with a total of five races completed.
Starting with a bullet in their first race, long-time class veteran Ryan Simmons and his BLACKHAWK team put an affirmative stamp on where they wanted to be for the rest of the regatta. Read more here.

Women J/Teams Silver @ WOW Regatta SoCal    
(Marina del Rey, CA)- The 2025 edition of California Yacht Club’s Women on Water Regatta was enjoyed by a great turnout of two dozen women’s sailing teams. Sailing in southern California in sunny weather and gentle seabreezes is hard to beat in the summertime. The women sailors were looking forward to some more fun racing around the cans. 
The WOW/WAH regatta has two divisions: Women on Water (WOW) — composed of all female teams, and Women at the Helm (WAH) — composed of co-ed teams with a female driver. Both divisions race the same weekend in one regatta. 
The WOW/WAH is about promoting, empowering, and celebrating women sailors. The only regatta of its kind in Marina del Rey, it’s a great opportunity to sharpen racing skills by taking the helm, leading a crew, or trying a new position.
When it’s all said and done, this regatta is a celebration of women sailors and their love of this sport. The spirit and camaraderie felt during this event are what make it so special. Several J/Teams enjoyed the fun-in-the-sun in this year’s event. Read more here.

Ida Lewis Distance Race Preview

(Newport, RI)- Thirty-six teams have officially signed up for the highly anticipated 2025 Ida Lewis Distance Race, scheduled for its 20th edition August 14-15. Showcasing one of the most diverse fleets in recent years, the roster includes 10 ORC, seven doublehanded, and 19 PHRF boats, with a strong showing from youth and collegiate sailors for respective challenge trophies in each division. Unlike traditional round-the-buoy regattas, this event stands out by challenging sailors with an overnight coastal distance course, offering a unique test of strategy, seamanship, and endurance. Read more here.

The All-Women J/42 ALLEGIANT Story- First All-Women Crew Finishes Annapolis-Newport Race!

(Annapolis, MD)- This is a story by Joe Cooper from WINDCHECK Magazine and the “Ladies Alliance”. 
“I learned about the good yacht ALLEGIANT, a J/42 owned and skippered by Maryline Bossar, from a press release sent to me,” said Cooper. 
Well, ownership includes her husband, but since he wasn’t aboard for this race, we’re giving him a pass. Their finish time was 4 days, 17 hours, 52 seconds. OK, not hair-on-fire for a roughly 475-mile race, 40% of which is negotiating the patchy wind and sketchy currents of Chesapeake Bay, which in this case included some time anchored at the mouth. 
ALLEGIANT finished ninth in the PHRF class and 44th out of 71 entries. Maybe not Sailor(s) of the Year award stuff, but not too shabby. Think about how many guys they beat. Turns out 15% of the sailors in the fleet were women. This is a stat roughly equal to the percentage of female sailors in the 2020 Vendee Globe. I spoke with three of the girls via Zoom video conference call. Read more here.

J/Gear- August 20% off Special
The J Diamond Polo is a mild departure from the solid colors. This fun diamond pattern is featured on a quality shirt by Adidas. Soft uniform collar and available with your J Class logo. Specify your option imprints and location.
Features:- 3.5 oz./yd², 100% recycled polyester- All-over diamond jacquard pattern- Three-button placket
Get your J/Gear 20% off special here- ORDER your special discount items here. 

Yacht Club de Monaco’s flagship Tuiga (1909) won the 30th Illes Balears Clàssics Regatta in the Big Boat category. After winning two of the three hotly disputed races, the crew led by Daniel Pereira clinched the event one point ahead of The Lady Anne (1912).

(Newport, RI)- Thirty-six teams have officially signed up for the highly anticipated 2025 Ida Lewis Distance Race, scheduled for its 20th edition August 14-15. Showcasing one of the most diverse fleets in recent years, the roster includes 10 ORC, seven doublehanded, and 19 PHRF boats, with a strong showing from youth and collegiate sailors for respective challenge trophies in each division. Unlike traditional round-the-buoy regattas, this event stands out by challenging sailors with an overnight coastal distance course, offering a unique test of strategy, seamanship, and endurance.
“The race is structured to be a 24-hour overnight race,” said Event Chair Anselm Richards. “With a start off Jamestown on Friday at 11 am, the fleet is expected to return mostly in the mid-morning to early afternoon the following Saturday.”
To accomplish this, Richards says, the Ida Lewis Race Course Development Team has plotted a choice of several courses between 129 and 230 nautical miles. Before the start, it will determine which class will sail what course, based on weather and handicap ranges for each class.
Ida Lewis Yacht Club offers a congenial atmosphere where competitors can mix with club members at socials and Saturday night’s final prizegiving. At the finish line, each team is greeted on the water with a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate their efforts.
The ILDR is popular with J/Teams. Here is the breakdown by division.
ORC 2 DivisionIn this six-boat fleet, Bob Manchester’s J/133 VAMOOSE and Ned Jobson’s J/105 SLEEPER will be looking forward to the “tour” of Rhode Island Sound.
PHRF Coronet DivisionIn this fleet of eight yachts, sailing are Jim Phyfe’s J/44 DIGGER, Bill Kneller’s J/109 VENTO SOLARE, and William Denker’s J/99 FALCON. Both DIGGER and VENTO SOLARE are entered as “Youth” boats, while FALCON is also entered as a “Collegiate” boat.
PHRF Bagheera DivisionSailing in this five-boat fleet is EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT and Paul Kekalos’s J/40 RANGER.
Ida Lewis Distance Race Gold Sponsors are Hogan Associates/Christie’s International Real Estate, Palm Beach Motor Yachts, and Van Liew Trust Company. Silver Sponsor is Contender Sailcloth, and Bronze Sponsors are the Brenton Hotel and Hilb Group. Contributing Sponsors are Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard, Stella Artois, Toni Mills Graphic Design, and Mac Designs.
For Ida Lewis Distance Race sailing informationhttp://www.ilyc.org/distancerace

(Marina del Rey, CA)- The 2025 edition of California Yacht Club’s Women on Water Regatta was enjoyed by a great turnout of two dozen women’s sailing teams. Sailing in southern California in sunny weather and gentle seabreezes is hard to beat in the summertime. The women sailors were looking forward to some more fun racing around the cans.
The WOW/WAH regatta has two divisions: Women on Water (WOW) — composed of all female teams, and Women at the Helm (WAH) — composed of co-ed teams with a female driver. Both divisions race the same weekend in one regatta.
The WOW/WAH is about promoting, empowering, and celebrating women sailors. The only regatta of its kind in Marina del Rey, it’s a great opportunity to sharpen racing skills by taking the helm, leading a crew, or trying a new position.
When it’s all said and done, this regatta is a celebration of women sailors and their love of this sport. The spirit and camaraderie felt during this event are what make it so special. Several J/Teams enjoyed the fun-in-the-sun in this year’s event.
WAH Performance DivisionThis eight-boat fleet saw Talin Babikian and Karia Reinhardt from Del Rey Yacht Club sail the J/80 AVET to a silver medal after five races. After a slow start, they posted three straight 2nds for a total of 13 pts.
WAH Racer DivisionThis six-boat class saw a few fast big boats. In the end, it was Alena Philpot’s J/105 CUCHULAINN from South Coast Corinthian Yacht Club that garnered a silver medal for her efforts in their three-race series. She posted a 2-3-2 for 7 pts.
WOW DivisionThis all-women teams division saw a few hardcore racers vying for the top of the leaderboard. A former collegiate All-American and Tufts Sailing Team member- Susan Taylor- managed to get her California Yacht Club crew around the course on her famous J/24 TAKE FIVE. Normally accustomed to beating “the boys” in the SoCal J/24 Class events, she could only muster a bronze medal against “the girls”. She missed the silver medal by a mere 2 points after five races.
Follow WOW Women on the Water on Facebook herehttps://www.facebook.com/womenonthewater/
For more Women’s Sailing Association information herehttps://wsasmb.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=26731&module_id=610516
For more Cal Yacht Club regatta informationhttps://calyachtclub.com/regattas

(Chicago, IL)- The Chicago Yacht Club recently hosted the first of its perennial late summer regattas, the Verve Cup Offshore. Blessed with great weather most of the weekend, the two one-design classes of J/88s and J/105s enjoyed three great days of racing on Lake Michigan off the spectacular Chicago lakefront.

J/88 ClassIt was spirited racing as usual amongst the eight-boat fleet. Winning for the first time in this fiercely competitive class was David Dennison’s PIRANHA. His team of Kevin Meier, Alex Smith, Meagan Bryant, Pat Sheehan, and Thorn Truner managed to pull off a consistent scoreline of 3-3-1-2-4-1 for 14 pts to be crowned the winners.
Second place went to another rapidly improving team, Lindsey Duda’s SIN DUDA! and crew of Tyler Woodworth, Kyle Vowels, Nathan Hollberbach, Abie McLaughlin, Zac Hernandez, and Adelaide Ferguson. Their record of 1-5-3-3-2-2 was good for 16 pts. Then, rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was past winner Andy Graff and his team on EXILE- Luke LeCoche, Scott Eisenhardt, Miranda Madden, Graham Eger, and Martin Johnsson. The EXILE crew managed a 2-1-8-5-1-3 scoreline for 20 pts total.
The balance of the top five included Ben Marden’s BANTER in fourth with 21 pts and John Leahey’s DUTCH in fifth position with 25 pts.

J/105 ClassThe thirteen-boat J/105 fleet saw a roller-coaster battle breakout between two veterans of the offshore wars on Lake Michigan- Jon Weglarz and Richie Stearns. After six races, both Weglarz’s THE ASYLUM team and Stearns’s FIVE team were tied at 14 pts each. THE ASYLUM posted a 1-2-2-7-1-1 tally, while FIVE had a 2-6-1-1-2-2 record. Winning the countback was Weglarz’s team (Sean Wilson, Tim Kohler, Joe Saccone, Danielle Fruin, and Andy Vincent). Losing that countback to settle for the silver medal was Stearns’s crew (Lori Stearns, Joe Kestler, Marci Grunert, Freya Olsen, and Augie Hernandez). Taking the bronze medal on the podium was yet another Chicago offshore veteran, Clark Pellet’s SEALARK with crew of Ned Sher, Sonny Jenema, John Songin, and Russ Radke.
The balance of the top five included John Kalanik’s PURA VIDA in fourth place and Mark Fruin’s NYCTOSAUR in fifth place.
For more Chicago YC Verve Cup Offshore sailing informationhttps://www.vervecup.com/offshore

(Newport, RI)- What began as a three-day weekend of tempered wind expectations evolved into a full-blown demonstration of skill, strategy, and spirited Newport sailing camaraderie during the fifth annual Safe Harbor Race Weekend held Friday, August 8, through Sunday, August 10. Despite early forecasts calling for barely-there breezes, Newport’s signature afternoon southwesterly arrived just in time each day to transform the racecourse into a dynamic proving ground for a record-breaking fleet of 72 teams in 10 classes.

ORC C DivisionRacing in ORC C, which was the largest offshore fleet (10 boats), could go down in Safe Harbor Race Weekend history as one of the closest racing finales. In overall scoring, three boats shared a three-way tie on 18 pts, including David Rosow’s (Fairfield, Conn.) J/122 LOKI and Tom Sutton’s (Houston, Texas) J/122 LEADING EDGE. On the tiebreaker, LOKI got the silver medal, while LEADING EDGE took the bronze medal.

PHRF D Division- J/SWEEP!Joe Brito’s (Bristol, R.I.) J/121 INCOGNITO turned in a stellar performance in PHRF D Division. INCOGNITO had three bullets in its five-race scoreline. They led a sweep of the fleet, with John Greifzu’s J/109 GROWTH SPURT taking the silver, with Ted Herlihy’s J/109 GUT FEELING taking the bronze medal.

PHRF E DivisionSailing fast and in contention all weekend for the top of the leaderboard was Kevin Dakan’s J/110 MEMORY. Starting by winning the first race, they closed the regatta with four 2nds to take the silver. Third place was Chris Tate’s J/105 BLITZ, fourth was Ned Joyce & Andy Reservitz’s J/105 DARK’N’STORMY, and fifth went to EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT.

PHRF NAV B Division“We were expecting much lighter air, and we ended up with fair wind (stronger on Sunday than on Friday and Saturday), cool, dry weather, and blue skies,” said Brian Nelson (Shrewsbury, NJ), skipper of J/112E HONEY BADGER, which won the PHRF Nav B (Performance Cruising) class. “What more could you ask for?”
Though it was Nelson and his New Jersey team’s first season sailing HONEY BADGER, they turned in a consistent performance of 3-1-1-3 in a series that included a short-distance race around Prudence Island on Friday, followed on Saturday and Sunday by three races around government marks, race buoys, and islands in Narragansett Bay.
Taking the third step on the podium was Jim Phyfe’s J/44 DIGGER, with Mark Nannini’s J/120 SALACIA in fourth place and Doug Curtiss’s J/111 WICKED 2.0 in sixth place.

PHRF NAV C DivisionAfter sailing to a very consistent two 2nds and two 3rds, Brooke Mastriorio’s J/109 URSA ended up tied for 2nd place, but lost the tiebreaker to settle for the bronze medal.
All J/sailors enjoyed the social events of the weekend, which included Friday night’s Coastal New England Dinner Presented by Citizens on The Point at Safe Harbor New England Boatworks and Saturday night’s “Talk of the Town” Crew Party, with delicious bites and live music, presented by Mount Gay Rum at Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard in the heart of downtown Newport.
“The effort that Safe Harbor puts into the social events is phenomenal,” said one sailor. “I’ve said it before: ‘this is the event of the summer.’ It’s the crescendo of the racing season, and everyone wants to be here in Newport with their crews and families.”
Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier- “Block Island Steve”https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-kgP5qq
For Safe Harbor Regatta sailing resultshttps://www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative/17003
For more Safe Harbor Regatta sailing informationhttps://shmarinas.com/safe-harbor-race-weekend/

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- For the first week of August, the Cowes Combined Clubs hosted their annual highlight of the summer sailing season on the Solent- the famous Cowes Race Week off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yet again, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors graced the quaint seaside town with raucous parties and challenging sailing on the capricious waters of the famously fast-flowing Solent Water.
Again, dozens of J/Teams were sailing for a full seven days on the water and garnered plenty of silverware! Cowes Week 2025 delivered everything sailors could have hoped for: competitive racing, changing conditions, and the kind of dockside entertainment that makes the week so memorable. Here’s the roundup for the J/Boat fleet:

J/70 – Short Series (Aug 2-5)JELVIS (Martin Dent) dominated with seven wins from nine races, finishing nine points clear of CASTING COUCH (Cate Muller-Terhune), with CALYPSO (Ali Hall) taking third.
J/70 – Overall WeekIn the J/70 Overall series, YETI RETURNS (Jack Davies) claimed the title ahead of XV MANTA (Izzey Hung & Rob Stein) in second and VALKYRIE (Patrick & Thomas Seely) in third.

IRC 2 DivisionThe J/112E LEON (David Franks) was in imperious form, winning five of six races to take the class title ahead of another J/112E JACK RABBIT (Rutger Krijger & Caroline van Beelen) and YES (Adam Gosling).
Capping an outstanding week, LEON also clinched an impressive 3rd place overall in the prestigious Black Group – an epic achievement!

IRC 4 DivisionThe J/99 WARP 5 (Jan Scholtes) edged the J/105 JAVELIN (Richard Newsom) on countback to take the title, both tied on 8 points. The J/92 NIGHTJAR (Libby Finch, Jack & Joe Banks, Penny Jeffcoate) claimed a strong 3rd, ahead of sister J/92 J’RONIMO (David & Libby Greenhalgh) in 4th and another sister J/92 JAMBO (Simon & Sally Shillaker) in 5th.
J/109 ClassJOULE (Arjen van Leeuwen & Silvy Leijh) was so consistent that they had the class sewn up with a day to spare.
DocksideThe evenings were as lively as the racing – the pontoon was buzzing with stories, tactical debates, and more than a few celebratory toasts.
Tuesday’s sundowners featured the infamous “Dark & stormy” dock drinks sessions. While Wednesday’s beer delivery crew ensured supplies reached the fleet after racing – possibly the best logistics operation of the week!!
For more Cowes Week sailing informationhttp://www.cowesweek.co.uk

The Scandinavian venue lived up to expectations as a tough venue for the ILCA Senior European Championship Trophy. A week that saw 12 races completed in changeable conditions and an XXL field of 153 contestants. It was in this demanding context that Jérémy Moutout, representing Yacht Club de Monaco, held his own finishing 91st in the silver group having pocketed three solid races in the Top 20.

The past few weeks have reminded us why sailing is more than just a sport — it’s a wonderful connection between people, places, and the sea. From the brisk, salty air of the Baltic to the golden glow of a California sunset, the world’s sailors have been chasing wind, glory, and the pure joy of competition. The calendar has been packed with marquee events, and every race has offered its blend of drama, skill, and spectacle.
In Kiel, Germany, the SAILING Champions League Final brought together an extraordinary gathering of club teams from across Europe and beyond, turning the historic port city on the Baltic Sea into a vibrant showcase of precision racing and national pride. Meanwhile, on England’s Solent, Cowes Week once again filled the water — and the quayside pubs — with color, energy, and the unshakable traditions that make it one of sailing’s crown jewels.
Across the Atlantic, American waters were equally alive with competition: Marblehead’s storied Race Week delivered record-breaking speeds and tight fleet battles, California’s Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race kept navigators guessing until the finish, and Lake Superior offered its brand of brisk, challenging beauty in the Trans-Superior Race.
Farther afield, the J/70 one-design class continued to shine as a global racing phenomenon, from the mirror-flat waters of Lake Garda to the high mountain lakes of Switzerland, the sea breezes of Finland and Norway, and the bustling summer waters of Austria and Sweden. Every venue told its own story, yet all shared a common thread — the passion and precision that define great sailing.
This week takes you inside those stories: the hard-fought duels, the moments of triumph, the razor-thin finishes, and the friendships forged along the way. So, tighten your sheets, check your telltales, and join us for a tour of the sailing world at full speed.

Danish KDY Team Crowned SAILING Champions League Winners!
(Kiel, Germany)- For the grand finale of the SAILING Champions League 2025, the world’s best sailing club teams competed head-to-head — a top-tier event in the heart of Kiel, a city steeped in sailing tradition. The elegant Hotel Kieler Yacht-Club served as host, offering direct access to the water and a maritime atmosphere — it was ideal conditions for three days of high-level competition.

A total of 33 clubs from 17 nations qualified for this year’s final — a remarkable cross-section of the European and global club sailing scene. Teams from Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, and Germany competed alongside participants from overseas, including Australia, the USA, and New Caledonia. The format remains the tried-and-tested league system, sailed in identical J/70 one-design class sailboats, with short, intense races right in front of the yacht club — fast-paced, spectator-friendly, and thrilling to watch.

Read more here.

Cowes Week 2025 Update

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- For the first week of August, the Cowes Combined Clubs are hosting their annual highlight of the summer sailing season on the Solent- the famous Cowes Race Week off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yet again, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors will grace the quaint seaside town with raucous parties and challenging sailing on the capricious waters of the famously fast-flowing Solent Water. 
Again, dozens of J/Teams are sailing for a full seven days on the water! Here is how that all breaks down by division.  Read more here.

J-CURVE Victorious @ J/70 Cup Italy- Lake Garda

(Riva del Garda, Italy)- With 50 teams from 21 nations on the starting line, the third stage of the J/70 Cup 2025 concluded in Riva del Garda, confirming its status as one of the most popular and international events on the Italian one-design sailing calendar.
The smooth and high-level running of the event was made possible by the impeccable organization of Fraglia Vela Riva, in collaboration with the J/70 Italian Class, and the precise and timely work of the Race Committee, chaired by Valentina Bravi. The support of Vakaros RaceSense technology was also crucial, allowing for smooth management of the start and course control phases, contributing to the technical success of the event.
The final day saw the final two scheduled races, bringing the total number of races completed to eight, the maximum scheduled for the event. A lighter and more irregular Ora than in previous days, gradually declining, nevertheless, accompanied the fleet until the series’ conclusion. Read more here.

Mesterton Crowned Finnish J/70 National Champion!    

(Mariehamn, Finland)- An excellent fleet of two dozen teams from across Finland participated in the 2025 Finnish J/70 National Championship in Mariehamn, Finland, hosted by the very capable RC/PRO team from Ålandska Segelsällskapet. In the end, eight races were run, much to the delight of the exhausted but very happy crews!
It was a “tale of two cities” for the top of the leaderboard. In one corner, it was a full-on battle all weekend long for the top of the podium between two very well-sailed teams. Read more here.

TnT Detonates J/105s @ Marblehead Regatta
J/70 RELATIVE OBSCURITY sets new speed record- 21 kts- in flat water!(Marblehead, MA)- Marblehead, Massachusetts, with its iconic deep harbor and jam-packed mooring field, is as picturesque as a New England coastal town can be— a Shangri-La in the shadow of madcap Boston. And, perched around the harbor are three equally iconic yacht clubs that have been hosting the region’s biggest summer sailing celebration for 135 years: Marblehead Race Week.
The rotation of hosting duties between the Boston, Corinthian, and Eastern yacht clubs is a longstanding tradition that ensures the burden is shared among them. This year, competitors of the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series at Marblehead Race Week were hosted by Eastern, the grandiose clubhouse on “the Neck.” With a large turnout of sailors, friends, and family expected, Eastern was bustling every evening.
One of the big highlights of the regatta was the huge squall that hit the fleet on the second day. In the chaos of the squall, while wildly exiting the windward mark offset in traffic, Bruce Golison’s crew on the J/70 MIDLIFE CRISS collided with another boat and retired from the race with both boats sustaining damage. Read more here.

J/Teams Win 2 Divisions @ Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race
(Santa Barbara, CA)- An annual mid-summer classic in southern California has been the 80.0nm Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race. It has been a tradition for Santa Barbara and King Harbor sailors for 52 years! In recent years, the race has been popular with a significant number of J/sailors hoping to challenge the straightforward, but wildly tricky race course.
From the start to the first turning mark- the Anacapa Islands- is a relatively straight shot on starboard tack with Code Zeros or spinnakers to the western end of the islands, leaving them to port. Thereafter, it becomes a “roll of the dice” to avoid the massive wind shadow to leeward of the high peaks in the standard NW breezes. Once escaping that windless hole, “death grip”, the fleet generally heads toward Point Dume, a prominent point with very tall cliffs and mountains just to the west of Malibu. The southeasterly flowing winds tend to accelerate near the shoreline by a solid 3 to 8 knots, so it more often than not pays off to go this route, instead of doing a straight shot offshore from Anacapa to King Harbor beneath the Palos Verdes peninsula. From Point Dume, it’s a coin flip on which gybe to take to the finish line inside the King Harbor breakwaters. Read more here.

Breault Dominates U.S. Match Racing Qualifiers

(San Francisco, CA)- The recent U.S. Match Racing Qualifiers held on San Francisco Bay provided the talented match racing teams all they could handle for breeze and challenging boat-handling conditions. Hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in their fleet of J/22 one-design sailboats, eight teams sailed a total of 14 races each over the two-day weekend in two round-robins. The final standings after those two round robins determined the two finalists. Read more here.

J/112E 2nd ORC Overall & J/99 1st PHRF Overall in Trans-Superior Race!

(Duluth, MN)- The 326.0nm race from Sault St. Marie, MI, to Duluth, MN, can be notoriously treacherous in the cold waters of Lake Superior. The 2025 edition proved to be a relative “walk in the park” as the teams enjoyed early windward work, then sybaritic off-wind reaching conditions for the balance of the race. Many J/Teams found the sailing conditions to their liking and collected a significant amount of silverware for their hard-earned efforts. Read more here.

Club Nautique de Versoix Wins Swiss Super League- St. Moritz

(St. Mortiz, Switzerland)- The third act of the J/70 Swiss Super League was hosted by the Segel-Club St. Moritz. A total of sixteen teams from across the Alpine nation looked forward to sailing the often tricky and challenging Lake of St. Moritzersee. 
After a fourteen-race series, it was a bona fide war that broke out between the top five teams. No one gave anyone else any breaks during the weekend; everyone was fighting “toe and nail” for the last little bit of advantage sailing into the finish line. In short, the top five teams all finished within SIX points of each other after 14 races! That’s the kind of racing that causes sleepless nights and persistent anxiety on the race track!. Read more here.

RegattaClub Bodensee Tops Women’s Swiss Sailing Super League- Neuchâtel

(Neuchâtel,  Switzerland)- During early summer, the women’s J/70 sailing club teams in Switzerland were training hard and getting warmed up for the season. Their first event during mid-summer was held on Lake Neuchatel. Hosting the dozen women’s sailing teams for the weekend of sailing was the Cercle de la Voile de Neuchâtel. Read more here.

Hekk Paulsen Crowned J/70 Nordic Champions!

(Gressvik, Norway)- With the largest turnout ever, the twenty-five J/70 teams from across the Nordic region enjoyed extraordinary hospitality and great racing from the co-hosts of the J/70 Nordic Championship in Gressvik, Norway. It was the combination of Kongelig Norsk Seilforening and Hankø Yacht Club that ran the regatta in conjunction with the GRUNDIG Hanko Race Week. Read more here.

Agerup Anointed Queen of GRUNDIG Women’s Regatta 2025

(Oslo, Norway)- The Kongelig Norsk Seilforening (Royal Norwegian Yacht Club) was host to fifteen all-women entries for the 2025 GRUNDIG Women’s Regatta sailed off Oslo, Norway. The format was the sailing league style, with teams rotating in after every race.
It was truly inspiring to see such strong interest in all-women sailing events, and the level of competition compared to the previous year had certainly improved quite dramatically. To be sure, the winner had just completed her campaign for training earlier in the summer by taking 5th place in the J/70 Nordic Championship held at the GRUNDIG Hanko Race Week against twenty-five other J/70 teams. Read more here.

GKSS Wins J/70 Swedish Sailing League- Långedrag

(Långedrag, Sweden)- For the second event in the J/70 Swedish Sailing League, eighteen teams from across Sweden assembled in Langedrag to battle for the ultimate series prize- the best sailing club in Sweden. The host club, Goteborg Kungl Segel Sallskap (GKSS), rolled out the red carpet for all of their sailing friends and happened to also provide them a lesson in how to win a regatta!
For three days, Sweden’s eighteen best sailing clubs participated in Långedrag, as the sailing league continued its hunt for this year’s champion. Friday and Saturday were dominated by fresh winds and changeable weather, where the reigning champions, Halmstad Sailing Association, were best and were in the lead. Read more here.

Mesterton Leads Finnish J/70 Sailing League- Helsinki    

(Helsinki, Finland)- The Aland Sailing Association held the second act of the Finnish J/70 Sailing League in the picturesque harbor of Helsinki, Finland. A total of fifteen sailing clubs from across Finland enjoyed a beautiful weekend of sailing and a total of eight races for each team. Read more here.

Segelclub Mattsee Tops Austrian J/70 Sailing League- Attersee

(Maurrach, Austria)- The second stop of the Austrian Sailing League took place on Lake Attersee, organized by the Union Yacht Club Attersee. Two weeks after the opening event in Velden am Wörthersee, the 18 teams met again on six identical J/70 class sailboats. Starting this regatta, the overall leaderboard saw Burgenland Yacht Club (BYC) leading the overall standings, closely followed by the Mattsee Sailing Club (SCM) and the SCTWV Achensee.
The first day of the regatta offered ideal conditions with 10 knots of wind and some tricky gusts. As the race progressed, the region’s typical rose wind subsided. No further races could be sailed on the final day. A total of 21 races were counted. Read more here.

J/Gear- August 20% off Special
The J Diamond Polo is a mild departure from the solid colors. This fun diamond pattern is featured on a quality shirt by Adidas. Soft uniform collar and available with your J Class logo. Specify your option imprints and location.
Features:- 3.5 oz./yd², 100% recycled polyester- All-over diamond jacquard pattern- Three-button placket
Get your J/Gear 20% off special here- ORDER your special discount items here. 

J/99 Leads Sweep of PHRF Division, silvers PHRF Overall!(Duluth, MN)- The 326.0nm race from Sault St. Marie, MI, to Duluth, MN, can be notoriously treacherous in the cold waters of Lake Superior. The 2025 edition proved to be a relative “walk in the park” as the teams enjoyed early windward work, then sybaritic off-wind reaching conditions for the balance of the race. Many J/Teams found the sailing conditions to their liking and collected a significant amount of silverware for their hard-earned efforts.
ORC A DivisionIn this seven-boat division, Robert Klairmont’s J/160 SIROCCO finished fourth with her ORC handicap time of 2 days 12 hrs 11 mins 12 secs.
ORC B DivisionThese five boats saw complete domination by J/Teams of not only their division, but in ORC Overall standings as well. Winning was Kevin Lemonds’s J/109 JANINE, with Tim & Cathy McGuire’s J/112E ELEVATION garnering the silver medal for both division and ORC Overall! Congratulations to both crews for their most excellent performance!
PHRF A DivisionNo one expected a clean sweep of PHRF A division by J/Teams, but that’s exactly what happened. Led by Jim Nacthman’s J/99 RAMBLER in first (2nd PHRF Overall), they were followed by Dale Peters’s J/109 ZIG ZAG in second (4th PHRF Overall), then Bob Asher’s J/99 SHING-A-LING in third, Chris Wells’s J/41 NORTHERN HARRIER in fourth, and Rich Baker’s J/120 BLACK SWAN in fifth place! That was quite the statement by these excited J/crews!
PHRF B DivisionA duo of classic J/35s enjoyed their long battle for division honors in this eight-boat fleet from the start. In the end, it was Keith Stauber’s PAPA GAUCHO II that took fourth place, beating their friends and stablemate Bob Vander Ploeg’s BOBSLED that finished fifth place.
PHRF Doublehanded DivisionIn this five-boat fleet, Chris Nimmer’s J/32 SISU took fourth place after three days of racing!
For more Trans-Superior Race sailing informationhttps://www.transsuperior.com/home