LE TIGRE Wins J/80 World Championship in Kingston
(Kingston, ONT, Canada)- Hosted by CORK/Sail Kingston, the 2026 J/80 World Championship attracted competitors from across North America, along with international teams from Germany and Gibraltar. In the end, James Buley’s LE TIGRE team sailed an amazing series to duplicate the J/80 North American win the previous fortnight, taking the World Championship title, too! Here’s how it all went down over the last two days of the regatta.
Day 3
The 34-boat fleet completed four more races in a fading breeze, bringing the Championship to 10 races, including each team carrying one discard.
The day began with a steady low-to-mid teens breeze before gradually easing throughout the afternoon, challenging teams to continually adapt their boatspeed and tactics as conditions became lighter with each race.
However, at the front of the fleet, one team remained remarkably consistent. James Buley’s LE TIGRE, with Jackson Benvenutti, Bill Hardesty and Skip Dieball, extended its lead with another impressive day. The team posted finishes of 2-1-1-2 to finish Friday with just 11 net points, widening a commanding advantage heading into Saturday’s finale.
The battle behind the leaders tightened considerably. Michael Grau’s PAINT IT BLACK moved into second overall with 33 points, while Jesse Thompson’s TUBBY sat steadily just one point behind in third with 34 pts. Christopher Hobbs’ LIFTED held fourth at 39 points, followed by Daniel Wittig’s TURBO SLOTH with 41.
Hobbs enjoyed one of the strongest days in the fleet, capturing victories in the seventh and tenth races while adding a second-place finish in Race 9 to vault up the leaderboard. Race victories on Friday were split between Hobbs and Buley. Hobbs claimed the opening race of the day ahead of Buley and Thompson, while Buley answered with wins in Races 8 and 9 over Grau and Thompson, then Hobbs and John Vallee, respectively. Hobbs closed the afternoon with another victory in Race 10, ahead of Buley and Grau.
The Corinthian division continued to showcase exceptional depth. Graham Philpot’s BLACK DOG was now the top amateur team in this 25-boat division, while two other Corinthian entries joined them in the overall top 10: John Vallee’s SHEETS & GIGGLES and Conor Hayes’ MORE GOSTOSA.
Although the long days on the water are beginning to show, spirits remained high ashore as competitors traded stories from another demanding day of racing.
Day 4- Finale
The J/80 Worlds concluded Saturday, July 25 after three final races at Portsmouth Olympic Harbor, capping an outstanding week of competition hosted by CORK/Sail Kingston.
No team proved more dominant than Buley’s LE TIGRE of San Diego, CA. Sailing with Jackson Benvenutti, Bill Hardesty and Skip Dieball, Buley delivered one of the most commanding performances in recent Championship history, finishing with just 15 net points after posting nine race wins and three second-place finishes!! Having already secured the title before the final race, LE TIGRE sat out Race 13, allowing it to become the team’s discard while celebrating an emphatic World Championship victory. The win capped an extraordinary run for Buley and LE TIGRE, who also captured the 2026 J/80 North American Championship in Kingston the previous week; a “two-peat” of their win of the 2025 J/80 North American Championship last fall.
Germany’s Michael Grau and the PAINT IT BLACK team of Florian Thoelen, Willem van Waay, and Jud Smith finished second overall with 43 net points after another consistent day on the water.
Daniel Wittig’s TURBO SLOTH (USA), with Kristen Berry, Mike Coe and Ian Moriarty, secured the final podium position with 47 points. The crew edged Jesse Thompson’s TUBBY (USA), with Carter White, Evan Petley-Jones and Sam Court, by a single point. Canada’s Christopher Hobbs rounded out the top five aboard LIFTED with Kris Werner, John Enwright and Samantha Webster.
Buley continued his remarkable streak in the opening two races of the day, winning Race 11 ahead of Thompson and Wittig before taking Race 12 over Wittig and Grau. With the Championship mathematically secured, LE TIGRE returned ashore. Wittig closed the regatta with a victory in Race 13 over Grau and Bengt Johansson aboard BLAZE.
The 25-boat Corinthian Division featured close racing throughout the week, with Graham Philpot’s BLACK DOG (USA) claiming the title with Tom Wells, Ben Crosby and Emmet Todd. Canada’s John Vallee and SHEETS & GIGGLES, with Steven Shaw, Andrew Vallee and Eric Christensen, placed second. At the same time, Conor Hayes’ MORE GOSTOSA (USA), crewed by Dan Jolda, Joe Dillier and Cat McLaughlin, completed the amateur podium. All three teams placed in the top 10 overall. Warren Flannery’s FEISTY claimed top honors in the Mixed Division with crew Yvonne Flannery, Kevin Morgan, Jack Porter and Tate Howell after a strong week, also coming in seventh overall.
While the racing in Portsmouth Olympic Harbor showcased the very best of J/80 competition, the Championship was equally memorable ashore thanks to the outstanding hospitality and organization provided by CORK/Sail Kingston. Competitors gathered daily for post-race debriefs using Vakaros RaceSense replay technology, during which sailors broke down starts, mark roundings, and tactical decisions, providing valuable insights that enhanced the Championship experience. Everyone enjoyed a welcoming atmosphere throughout the week, supported by an exceptional Race Committee, Jury, staff, volunteers, sponsors and countless organizers whose efforts delivered a first-class World Championship both on and off the water.
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J/80 Worlds at CORK/Sail Kingston 2026 results
https://www.cork.org/past-results/results2026/Results/J80-Worlds/Results.html