HANG TEN Crowned J/70 European Champion in Barcelona
Heaton’s EMPEIRIA Wins Open J/70 Europeans
(Barcelona, Spain)- The Real Club Nàutico de Barcelona (RCNB) concluded the J/70 European Championship 2026 this past week. From July 18th to 26th, the championship brought together 87 boats in the waters off the Catalan capital. The teams were from 24 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. In the end, the Spanish HANG TEN team won the European title. Here are the reports from the final two days of racing in this extremely talented fleet.
Day 3
With just one day of racing remaining, the Spanish team of Guillén / Castellví / Cañellas (ESP 1706) on HANG TEN continued to lead the overall standings after navigating a challenging penultimate day, during which conditions once again tested all teams. Unlike Thursday’s ultra-light breeze, Friday brought a more stable race course to Barcelona. Racing began in an easterly wind of approximately 12 knots, with gusts reaching 14 knots before gradually easing to around 8 knots during the second race. The Race Committee completed both scheduled races, setting the stage for an exciting finale.
Sweden’s John de Champs (SWE 1091) on LEXIE claimed victory in the opening race, capitalizing on the stronger early conditions to win a closely contested contest. Brazil’s Alberto Guarischi (BRA 709) on THREE MUSKETEERS finished second, followed by Portugal’s Vasco Serpa’s (POR 725) on SAIL CASCAIS. HANG TEN crossed the finish line in sixth place, a result that was enough to preserve its overall lead.
The second race presented an entirely different challenge. As the breeze faded, tactical decision-making once again became the determining factor. American John Heaton (USA 169) on EMPEIRIA took the race win, ahead of Haroldo Solberg’s (BRA 641) OCEANPACT and Renato Cunha’s (BRA 1527) TO NESSA. HANG TEN struggled to find its rhythm in the lighter conditions and finished 32nd, allowing EMPEIRIA to trim the gap in the overall standings.
After eight races, consistency remained the defining factor in the Championship. HANG TEN headed into the final day with 49 points, holding a six-point advantage over second-place EMPEIRIA on 55 points, while Brazil’s MINDSET jumped to third overall with 80 points after a solid day.
Beyond the numbers, HANG TEN’s position atop the leaderboard reflects the consistency it has demonstrated throughout the week. Although the Spanish team has not won any of the last four races, it has remained among the Championship’s top performers. After posting back-to-back second-place finishes on Thursday, HANG TEN managed a more difficult Friday with a sixth and a 32nd-place finish, yet retained the overall lead thanks to its ability to minimize costly mistakes. In a fleet as evenly matched as this European Championship, that consistency has proven more valuable than collecting individual race victories.
John Heaton on EMPEIRIA said, “Today was a good day for us. We finished ninth in the first race and won the second, thanks to excellent decisions by the entire crew. It hasn’t been an easy week— the level of the fleet is incredibly high, and every race is a real challenge. But that’s exactly what makes this Championship so special. We’re really enjoying the competition and are looking forward to tomorrow’s racing.”
Day 4 – Finale
Saturday concluded the regatta after five intense days of racing, during which all 10 scheduled races were completed. The final day was sailed in easterly winds of 8-12 knots, providing ideal conditions to decide the titles. The penultimate race was won by the American ROWDY, helmed by Richard Witzel, ahead of Spain’s PATAKIN, skippered by Luis Albert Solana, and Germany’s PAINT IT BLACK. With everything still to play for, HANG TEN held the lead for the European title while EMPEIRIA remained in contention for the overall Championship victory.
The Championship was decided in the 10th and final race. The American EMPEIRIA, helmed by John Heaton, claimed the race win ahead of Portugal’s SAIL CASCAIS and Brazil’s OCEANPACT, securing the overall Championship. Spain’s HANG TEN sealed the 2026 J/70 European Championship title by finishing as the highest-ranked European team in the final standings.
The overall Championship was won by EMPEIRIA, with John Heaton at the helm and Gonçalo Ribeiro, Mark Spearman, and Pavlo Mauso as crew. Spain’s HANG TEN, sailed by Món Cañellas, Alberto Guillén, Ricard Castellví and Pol Font, completed an outstanding regatta to claim the European title while finishing second overall. Brazil’s OCEANPACT, led by Haroldo Solberg with Mario Tinoco, Gabriel Silva and Carlos Robles, completed the overall podium. Fourth and fifth overall went to two more Brazilian teams: MINDSET, skippered by Ralph Vasconcellos Rosa, and TO NESSA, helmed by Renato Cunha.
In the division standings, HANG TEN added another title by winning the Corinthian Division for amateur crews, which featured 31 entries, capping an exceptional Championship. The One-Pro Division, contested by 16 teams, was won by Denmark’s SIRENA CHICO, helmed by Peter Buhl with Tomislav Basic, Matias Rossing and Mads Christian aboard. Portugal’s ACTIVE SAILING, with Artem Basalkin, Anna Smotrova, Denis Kondranin, Anna Putintseva and Maria Beliakova, claimed the Mixed Division title. The Young Crew award went to Germany’s PAINT IT BLACK, representing Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, with Mats Schönebeck, Fabius Müller-Kauter, Aike Braje and Bjarne Stegelmann aboard. The top female skipper of the Championship was France’s Béatrice Joyaud, helm of JOUR J.
Sailing Photos / Videos links here:
https://www.facebook.com/J70Class
https://www.instagram.com/j70class/
J/70 Europeans racing results
https://www.j70eurobarcelona2026.com/results
For more J/70 European Championship sailing information
https://www.j70eurobarcelona2026.com/