J/Newsletter- June 25th, 2026

J/Newsletter- June 25th, 2026

As June turns toward July, the J/Boats sailing season is reaching one of its busiest and most ambitious stretches of the year. Ocean races, national and continental championships, one-design regattas, women’s events, and classic distance races are now unfolding almost simultaneously across the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Baltic, Great Lakes, Pacific Coast, and New England. From a record-setting fleet racing toward Bermuda to tightly packed J/70 and J/80 championship start lines, J/Teams are once again demonstrating the extraordinary range of the boats, sailors, and communities that make up the global J/Sailing world.

The defining story of the week came from the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race, where J/Boats achieved a remarkable milestone. More than 150 yachts assembled in Newport for the 636.0nm “Thrash to the Onion Patch,” and J/Teams comprised an unprecedented 25 percent of the entire fleet— reportedly the highest participation rate recorded by any sailboat brand in the history of the race. That extraordinary turnout reflected the depth of the J/Boats offshore community, ranging from experienced ocean racers to amateur crews taking on one of sailing’s most respected tests of preparation, seamanship, navigation, and endurance.

The race itself offered nearly every condition an offshore crew might expect. A strong south-southwesterly breeze of 15 to 20 knots launched the fleet into more than thirty hours of reaching on starboard tack. South of the Stream, however, a large high-pressure system settled across the rhumbline and drained the breeze from the course. By early Monday, nearly the entire fleet was compressed between approximately 125 and 175 nautical miles from Bermuda. When the wind finally returned around midday, bows turned toward St. David’s Lighthouse and the race transformed into a frantic final sprint, with a parade of boats finishing throughout Tuesday.

European offshore racing produced another notable result in the Round Ireland Race. Starting from Wicklow, the fleet faced unusually light conditions during what developed into one of the longest editions of Ireland’s premier offshore race. With forty-five entries attempting the demanding circumnavigation, simply completing the course became a significant achievement. A J/109 emerged third overall, underlining once again the design’s ability to remain competitive across long, tactically complex offshore courses.

The J/Cup Europe in Cherbourg brought a different mood to the English Channel. Teams from across Europe enjoyed three days of competitive racing, sunshine, light breeze, and the distinctive blend of serious competition and shoreside camaraderie that defines the J/Cup experience. The J/99 European Cup formed the centerpiece of the program, while the IRC and J/109 fleets added busy start lines and close racing on the waters off Cherbourg. Even when the breeze was lighter than hoped, the combination of champagne conditions, finely prepared boats, and a welcoming European fleet delivered a memorable regatta.

One-design racing was equally active. In Torbole, more than thirty teams contested the third event of the Italian J/70 Cup, opening with three races in the powerful and reliable “Ora” breeze on Lake Garda. At Kieler Woche, the J/70 fleet formed part of one of the world’s greatest sailing festivals, where serious international competition shares the waterfront with tall ships, concerts, fireworks, and an enormous celebration of sailing culture. In Copenhagen, Team SALT claimed an extraordinary fifth consecutive Danish WOW J/70 Women’s Regatta title after fourteen teams raced through a fast-paced rotation of short, high-intensity contests.

Across North America, the summer one-design season was also gathering momentum. Cleveland Race Week brought J/111, J/105, J/35, and J/24 fleets together as part of one of Lake Erie’s largest and most diverse annual regattas. On San Francisco’s South Bay, the J/Stop Invitational tested J/88 and J/105 teams in the venue’s flat water, strong seabreeze, and streaky, shifting pressure. On Lake Michigan, nearly 200 boats raced the 75.8nm Queen’s Cup Race from Milwaukee to Grand Haven in fast reaching conditions.

The championship calendar now accelerates further. Bilbao welcomes forty-eight teams from six nations for the J/80 European Championship, while the Royal Southern Yacht Club prepares to host thirty boats for the J/70 UK Nationals on the northern Solent. Looking slightly farther ahead, Kingston, Ontario, will welcome thirty-five teams for the J/80 World Championship in conjunction with the CORK Regatta, bringing together a predominantly North American fleet with a Spanish challenger joining the competition.

Offshore crews are also preparing for a demanding sequence of historic races. The RORC Cowes–Dinard–St Malo Race will send competitors across the English Channel toward the celebrated walled city of St Malo, France. Beyond that lies the 50th-anniversary edition of the RORC Round Britain & Ireland Race— a 1,805nm, non-stop circumnavigation of Britain and Ireland that will test doublehanded crews against Atlantic weather, powerful tides, exposed headlands, shipping, fatigue, and some of northern Europe’s most dramatic coastlines.

On the Pacific Coast, J/70, J/109, and PHRF teams are preparing for Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week, while in New England, the 89th Edgartown Yacht Club’s Round-the-Island Race is building toward another strong fleet. The 55.0nm circumnavigation of Martha’s Vineyard remains one of the region’s most compelling summer traditions, blending navigation, changing currents, offshore exposure, club competition, family participation, and some of the most coveted trophies in American sailing.

From the calm south of the Gulf Stream to the thermal breeze of Lake Garda, from Kiel’s enormous sailing festival to the rugged coastlines awaiting the Round Britain & Ireland fleet, this issue captures the full midsummer spectrum of J/Sailing. The courses vary enormously, but the qualities required remain remarkably consistent: preparation, adaptability, endurance, teamwork, and the determination to keep racing when the breeze, current, or competition refuses to make anything easy.

Record J/Boats Fleet Collects Silverware in 2026 Newport Bermuda Race
(Newport, RI)- The Newport Bermuda Race is a 636.0 nm biennial offshore yacht race from Newport, Rhode Island, to the finish line off St. David’s Lighthouse, Bermuda. Established in 1906, it’s the oldest regularly scheduled ocean race and one of the few international distance races held almost entirely out of sight of land, alongside the Transpac Race.

Organized by the Bermuda Race Foundation—a collaboration between the Cruising Club of America (CCA) and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC)—the race emphasizes safety, seamanship, and the spirit of amateur sailing.

For 2026, the Newport Bermuda Race once again lived up to its reputation as a truly global offshore regatta. The fleet eclipsed 150 boats, with yachts and sailors from around the world, all ready to race the iconic “Thrash to the Onion Patch.”

J/Teams comprised 25.0% of the fleet in this year’s edition, a record participation rate by ANY sailboat brand since the beginning of the Newport Bermuda Race! 

This year’s race offered a bit of everything. A solid SSW breeze of 15 to 20 kts at the start, well over 30 hours of reaching on starboard tack using up all kinds of headsails. Then, after the fleet crossed the Gulf Stream, a huge high-pressure system sat on the rhumbline between the fleet and Bermuda, sucking out all the wind. The fleet experienced light winds south of the Gulf Stream, with a large pack of boats (like 95% of the fleet) between 125nm and 175nm from the finish line early Monday. However, around noon, the wind filled in, and the pack began pointing their bows towards Bermuda. Then, it was a mad dash to the finish in a parade of boats crossing the St David’s Light finish line on Tuesday.

As the fleet poured into Hamilton Harbor, the bartenders at Royal Bermuda Yacht Club poured the Gosling’s Rum, and the docks came alive with celebrations. The traditional reunions of friends and family as sailors disembark are some of the Bermuda Race’s most cherished moments, and Tuesday proved no different with more smiles and hugs and gallons of “dark’n’stormies” being served out on the docks.READ MORE HERE

PL YACHTING Wins Inaugural J/99 European Cup at J/Cup Europe

(Cherbourg, France)- J/Cup Europe returned to Cherbourg for two days of top-level racing delivered in true J/Cup style. Run in partnership with Axe Sail and Yacht Club de Cherbourg, this year’s event brought together J/Boats teams from across Europe for competitive, well-run racing and excellent shoreside hospitality. All J/Boats were invited, and the J/99 European Cup was incorporated into the program, delivering close battles, busy start lines, and high-energy racing throughout.

Crews arrived prepared, boats were finely tuned, and competitors experienced the unique J/Cup spirit with a European edge. It was a fantastic event both on and off the water, with memorable racing and strong camaraderie across the fleet.

Over three days of racing, the J/99 fleet battled it out for the European Cup title, while the IRC and J/109 fleets enjoyed two days of competitive racing on the waters off Cherbourg. While the breeze was a little lighter than sailors wished for, the sunshine and champagne sailing conditions more than made up for it, delivering memorable racing and spectacular views throughout the weekend.  READ MORE HERE

J/109 OUTRAJEOUS Wins IRC 4 and Takes Third Overall in Round Ireland Race
(Wicklow, Ireland)- Hosted by the fun-loving little club northeast of Dublin, the Wicklow Sailing Club, the Round Ireland is Ireland’s premier offshore yacht race, and the second longest race in the Royal Ocean Racing Club calendar. The first race took place in 1980 with only sixteen boats. Since then, held biennially, the fleet has grown steadily, attracting forty-five entrants from all over the world.

“While Ireland basks in glorious sunshine, the associated light winds have resulted in probably the longest Round Ireland Race ever,” said Kyran O’Grady, Race Director with Wicklow Sailing Club.  “This event is unusual for sailing as it offers a unique circumnavigation: simply completing the course is the real achievement.”

To date, eleven entries have retired from the competition, with all citing time concerns for crews and boats expecting a more typical four or five-day race. Six J/Teams were entered in the fleet of forty-five boats; here is how they fared in the race. READ MORE HERE

PAINT IT BLACK Leads Italian J/70 Cup in Torbole
(Torbole, Italy)– The third leg of the Italian J/70 Cup got off to a spectacular start. Organized by Circolo Vela Torbole in collaboration with the J/70 Italian Class, the event—featuring a fleet of over 30 boats—marked its opening day with the “Ora” wind, which was notable for its intensity and steady direction. Race Officer Carmelo Paroli and his team of officials skillfully capitalized on these conditions to complete three races.

Germany’s Michael Grau, sailing PAINT IT BLACK (4-1-3) with top-tier sailors like Willem van Waay and Gonzalo Ribeiro on board, claimed the early lead with authority. Instantly at ease in the day’s conditions, the team raced with great consistency, opening up a four-point gap over Matteo Marenghi Vaselli’s G-SPOT (8-2-2), which benefits from the experience of Olympians Karlo Hmeljak and Tonci Stipanovic.  READ MORE HERE

J/111, J/105, J/35 and J/24 Champions Crowned at Cleveland Race Week
(Cleveland, OH)- Cleveland Race Week (CRW) has become one of the largest sailing regattas on Lake Erie. The annual event, hosted by Edgewater Yacht Club for over 40 years, attracts dozens of boats from across the United States and Canada. Nationally, Cleveland Race Week ranks as one of the largest sailing events based on the number of sailing classes. Founded in 1980, CRW has developed into 10 days of racing and special events. With over a dozen One-Design classes, nine racing divisions in the Handicap (PHRF) Class, and three JAM divisions, the event has expanded to four race courses. Over the years, J/Boats have become a primary feature of the event across all one-design and PHRF handicap classes. Here’s how it all went down for the J/111, J/105, J/35, and J/24 one-design classes. READ MORE HERE.

NIUHI and RAVENETTE Win J/105 and J/88 Classes at J/Stop Invitational
(San Francisco, CA)- Last weekend, the South Beach Yacht Club hosted its annual J/Stop Invitational on the South Bay of San Francisco. It’s an interesting venue, since it’s primarily flat water and lots of breeze when the daily sea breeze cranks in, with the wind bending around the city of San Francisco into the more northwesterly quadrants. It’s a challenge compared to standard racing on San Francisco Bay, off the city front and around Alcatraz Island, and around Berkeley Circle. It’s a much shiftier, streakier breeze venue. READ MORE HERE.

Team SALT Wins Fifth Straight Danish WOW J/70 Women’s Regatta

(Copenhagen, Denmark)- On the northern shores of Copenhagen on the Baltic Sea, the Sundby Sejlforening club hosted its annual WOW J/70 Women’s Regatta for fourteen teams. Each team sailed fourteen of the twenty-nine races run over the course of the two-day weekend. Between races, the teams rotated into the boats using large RIBs. It was a true test of the women’s teams, who pushed themselves to the limit in the “fast & furious” 15-20-minute races. READ MORE HERE.

Danish J/70 Teams Dominate Record Fleet at 145th Kieler Woche
(Kiel, Germany)- The combination of one of the world’s largest sailing regattas with a huge waterfront summer festival is what makes Kiel Week so unique. While there are plenty of activities ashore, the sailors are particularly enthusiastic about sailing the Baltic Sea.

One of the most important events at Kieler Woche is the famous windjammer parade featuring 70 large, traditional sailing ships and 16 motor and steamships. A visual treat alongside the fascinating international culinary delights is the sailing fireworks at halftime on Wednesday. They are set off from a pontoon in front of the Schilksee Pier at 2200 hrs and enchant the evening sky and the audience. After the last rocket, the speakers on the big stage of the Audi Sailing Arena are turned up again, keeping the dance fans going until midnight.  READ MORE HERE.

J/Teams Fly Across Lake Michigan in Fast Queen’s Cup Race
(Milwaukee, WI)- The Midwest is as hot as ever, both in temperature and in racing action, with this weekend’s Queens Cup from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, MI, giving a nice little warm-up to the huge Mackinac fleets.  For most, it was an easy ride on the 75.8nm course across the southern end of Lake Michigan with port tack reaching angles in 8-14 kts of breeze, with wind direction fluctuating across the lake from WNW 300 degrees at the start to NE 35-45 degrees at the finish. There were nearly 200 boats sailing, the biggest fleet in years. The race is often a quick preview and practice for the hundreds of boats racing in the two Mackinac Races- the Bayview Mackinac Race and the upcoming Chicago Mackinac. Here is how it all went down by division. READ MORE HERE.

Top International Crews Ready for J/80 European Championship in Bilbao
(Bilbao, Spain)- The Real Club Marítimo del Abra-Real Sporting Club is hosting the J/80 European Championship from June 24 to 28, bringing together forty-eight boats and the continent’s top crews. Teams are represented from Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Ireland. 

Many of Spain’s top crews of multiple J/80 World Champions and European Champions will be participating. READ MORE HERE.

Three J/Teams Ready for 50th Anniversary RORC Round Britain & Ireland Race
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The 2026 RORC Round Britain & Ireland Race starts on August 9th, 2026. Organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club every four years, the marathon challenge takes doublehanded sailing teams on a circumnavigation of Britain and Ireland – starting and finishing in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. 

The 2026 edition marks the 50th anniversary of the race, which has always rewarded experience. At 1,805 nautical miles, non-stop, around some of the most demanding waters in northern Europe, it is not simply a test of speed. It is a test of preparation, mental and physical strength, seamanship, and resilience. 

The course is legendary for its complexity and the likelihood of extreme conditions, testing crews with everything from Atlantic storms to tidal gates and manufactured hazards. Teams must be self-sufficient, resilient, and ready for anything. The course has infinite beauty with vistas of Land’s End, the Wild West Coast of Ireland, St. Kilda, and Muckle Flugga. READ MORE HERE.

J/70, J/109 and Offshore J/Teams Ready for Long Beach Race Week
(Long Beach, CA)- This coming weekend, Long Beach Yacht Club and Alamitos Bay Yacht Club will be co-hosting the annual Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Weekend regatta for J/70 and J/109 one-design classes. Plus, there is an offshore contingent of PHRF handicap racers. READ MORE HERE.

Thirty-Five Teams Set for 2026 J/80 World Championship in Kingston
(Kingston, ONT, Canada)- Held in conjunction with the CORK Kingston Regatta from July 18th to 24th will be the 2026 J/80 World Championship. The regatta is largely a North American affair, as all but one of the 35 teams registered hail from the host countries, Canada and the United States of America. The lone foreign team is from Spain.  Canada is fielding eighteen teams from mostly the Lake Ontario fleets. READ MORE HERE.

Thirty Teams Set for J/70 UK Nationals on the Solent
(Hamble, England)- The Royal Southern Yacht Club on the Hamble River will be hosting thirty teams for their J/70 UK Nationals this weekend. Racing will take place on the northern reaches of the Solent to minimize the influence of the strong currents on the racing. READ MORE HERE.

Eight J/Teams Set for Historic RORC Cowes–Dinard–St Malo Race
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The RORC Cowes- Dinard- St Malo Race is one of the defining summer races of the RORC season. For many teams, the Cowes Dinard St Malo Race is not just a passage across the Channel, but a true classic with more than a century of history.

The RORC Cowes Dinard St Malo Race returns on Friday 3 July for one of the great historic races in the Royal Ocean Racing Club calendar. Starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line in Cowes, the race sends the fleet west out of the Solent, across the English Channel, and towards the Brittany coast for a finish at the celebrated walled city of St Malo.

The race carries a deep history of offshore racing. Dating back to 1906, the St Malo Race is one of the oldest races in the RORC calendar. The overall winner under IRC receives the King Edward VII Challenge Cup, originally donated by His Majesty King Edward VII. More than a century later, the trophy remains one of the most historic prizes in British and French offshore racing. READ MORE HERE.

Historic Trophies Await at Edgartown Yacht Club’s 89th ’Round-the-Island Race
(Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, MA)– Competition, camaraderie, and a collection of some of New England sailing’s most storied trophies await competitors at the 89th Edgartown Yacht Club ’Round-the-Island (’RTI) Race on July 25.

One of the region’s premier distance races, the annual 55.0nm circumnavigation of Martha’s Vineyard attracts everyone from accomplished offshore racers and club sailors to family crews and cruising enthusiasts. With the July 17 entry deadline approaching, 44 boats have already registered, signaling another strong and diverse fleet for the summertime classic.

The race’s enduring popularity stems from its combination of challenging navigation, rewarding competition, and the unique experience of sailing around Martha’s Vineyard. Whether the goal is winning a class, improving crew performance, or simply sharing a memorable day on the water with family and friends, the RTI delivers a rare blend of challenge and enjoyment. As well, part of the ’RTI’s mystique is the history represented by the trophies awarded each year. READ MORE HERE.

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