J/Newsletter- October 22nd, 2026
Published in: 2026
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As October moves toward its final week, the J/Boats calendar is still producing major championship wins, offshore results, league titles, and classic late-season regattas from Puget Sound to Malta, France, Spain, Chile, and San Diego. The biggest championship headline came from Seattle, where Randy Hecht’s NIUHI captured the 2026 J/105 North American Championship after eleven races on Puget Sound. The victory marked Hecht’s fourth J/105 North American title, with Seattle’s WAR CANOE finishing just three points behind and San Francisco’s NE*NE rounding out the podium. Internationally, J/Boats were busy across several continents. In Chile, J/Boats made up more than half the fleet at the Off Valparaíso Regatta, with twenty-seven J/Teams among fifty-three boats racing in wildly variable conditions. In Malta, the Rolex Middle Sea Race again lived up to its reputation as one of offshore sailing’s toughest classics, with the J/125 JACKKNIFE earning a medal after the 606.0nm race delivered everything from light air to near-gale conditions and big breaking seas. European one-design racing remained equally active. APCC Nantes captured its fifth French J/80 Sailing League title in Pornichet, continuing the strong growth of shared-fleet racing in France. In Barcelona, Austria’s PHANTOM 7 won the opening event of the J/70 Winter Series, while in Sanxenxo the J/80 ONE moved to the front as that season-long Spanish league approaches its finale. On the West Coast, San Diego Yacht Club hosted the U.S. Match Racing Championship in matched J/22s, where William Stratton and his team emerged victorious after a weekend of tactical racing in shifting Santa Ana conditions. San Diego now turns immediately to the Don Trask International Masters Regatta, where twelve veteran skippers will rotate through provided J/105s in a format that rewards adaptability, teamwork, and experience. And, because racing is only part of what keeps sailors coming back, this week also takes a lighter look at one of the sport’s enduring truths: sometimes the party matters nearly as much as the podium. Great Lakes sailor Doug Ryan’s list of the ten best regatta parties in the USA celebrates the food, music, camaraderie, and memorable shoreside traditions that turn a good regatta into one sailors want to return to year after year. From North American titles and Mediterranean offshore medals to sailing league victories, match racing, masters competition, and legendary regatta parties, this week’s stories capture the many reasons J/Sailors keep showing up—to compete, to improve, to reconnect, and, above all, to have fun. |
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NIUHI Wins 2026 J/105 North American Championship on Puget Sound (Seattle, WA)- NIUHI, helmed by Randy Hecht of San Francisco, won the 2026 J/105 North American Championship after four days of competitive racing on Puget Sound October 15-18. With 23 boats competing and 11 races completed, Hecht and his team secured the title with 39 points, finishing three points ahead of Seattle’s WAR CANOE. The victory marks Hecht’s fourth J/105 North American Championship title, adding to previous wins in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Representing a strong showing from the West Coast, NIUHI featured a crew of Russ Silvestri, Ryan Treais, Maggie Bacon, David Janinis and Laura Levy. WAR CANOE, sailed by Michael Goldfarb, Ben Mumford, Dalton Bergan, Esther Goodell, Julien Falxa and Jason Vandergaag, finished second with 42 points. San Francisco’s NE*NE, with Tim Russell, Ben Louttit, Don Ringer, Scott Smith, Mike Komar and Brent Draney, rounded out the podium with 47.8 points. The Championship, hosted by Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle, opened Thursday with classic Puget Sound conditions. Northerly winds of 10–12 knots gradually eased to 5 knots as the sun emerged, but the fleet completed three solid races. Friday brought lighter winds and two races, with tight competition leaving just one point separating the top three boats. Saturday began with Seattle drizzle and very little breeze. As the sun finally broke through, the wind filled in, allowing the fleet to complete three more races. Heading into the final day, WAR CANOE led, followed closely by NIUHI, with just one point separating the top two teams. Bruce Stone’s ARBITRAGE, from San Francisco, stood in third. There were no discards in the Series. READ MORE HERE. |
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J/Boats Shine Across IRC, J/24 and J/105 Fleets at Off Valparaíso Regatta (Valparaíso, Chile)- J/Boats had a strong showing at this weekend’s Off Valparaíso Regatta, the traditional event organized by the Chilean Army. The championship comprised three windward-leeward races on Saturday and a coastal race on Sunday, October 18. Of the fifty-three boats in the regatta fleet (across different classes), half were J/Boats! The weather conditions in Valparaíso Bay over the weekend were quite variable! On Saturday, southwest winds of 10 to 20 knots blew steadily from 240° to 250°. Then on Sunday, the weather “Gods” threw a “monkey wrench” at the fleet! The winds were tricky and extremely shifty, ranging from 1 to 20 knots and swinging from 240° to 320° (southwest to northwest)!. READ MORE HERE. |
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J/125 JACK KNIFE Takes Bronze in 2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race (Gzira, Malta)- Hosted by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, the 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race took off last Saturday, October 17th, in light to moderate winds. Set against the extraordinary backdrop of Malta’s Grand Harbour, the fleet set sail beneath Valletta’s towering limestone bastions, headed for the Straits of Messina along the coast of the volcanic island of Sicily. The first part of their 606.0nm journey was relatively benign, with light to moderate winds at best. However, the weather soon worsened. Once over the top of Sicily and reaching Favignana, the fleet headed south towards the island of Lampedusa with the island of Pantelleria on their port side. At that point, the fleet encountered near-gale-force winds and big, breaking seas, with some boats taking damage and many sails torn. Once again, the infamous Middle Sea Race lived up to its reputation as a tough, challenging race. The half-dozen J/teams entered had experiences that ranged from good to bad. Here’s how it all went down for them. READ MORE HERE. |
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APCC Nantes Wins Fifth French J/80 Sailing League Title Following an anniversary edition held in La Rochelle in 2025, the National Sailing League returned to the Atlantic coast for a new chapter. Organized by APCC Nantes, the 11th edition brought together eighteen crews on the same stretch of water, all sharing a common goal: to defend their club’s colors and etch their names into the history of a competition that has become a major fixture in shared-fleet keelboat racing. From Friday through Sunday, the crews battled in the bay of Pornichet, competing in short, fast-paced races. In this shared-fleet format, all participants use identical boats and face the same racing conditions; the outcome is decided on the water through precise maneuvers, expert wind reading, and mastery of head-to-head duels. On shore, camaraderie remains a hallmark of the event. The National Sailing League champions a collective vision of competition— one that promotes clubs, brings sailors together, and strengthens ties across the various regions of the French sailing community. The 2026 lineup offered a perfect balance of returning participants and new faces. Several clubs were intimately familiar with the LN Voile, starting with APCC Nantes— the host club and one of the most decorated teams in the competition’s history. READ MORE HERE. |
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PHANTOM 7 Wins Opening Event of Barcelona J/70 Winter Series Thomas Muller’s PHANTOM 7 from Austria took the overall win, followed by Luis Martín Cabiedes’s NOTICIA from Spain, and Mon Canellas Salas’s HANG TEN from Spain, which took third place. The first day began with a light east-southeasterly breeze, ranging from 5 to 7 knots. Javier Padron’s HSN Sailing Team started strong by winning the first race. But subsequent 8-4 finishes caused them to slip down the leaderboard. After the first three races, Salas’s HANG TEN held the provisional lead with a scoreline of 5-1-1, followed by Cabiedes’s NOTICIA (2-5-2) and Muller’s PHANTOM 7 (3-6-3). READ MORE HERE. |
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ONE Sweeps Xacobeo Trophy Opener as Sanxenxo J/80 League Nears Finale With perfect weather conditions—characterized by a northerly breeze blowing between 8 and 13 knots—the J/80 fleet completed its full scheduled program of three races. READ MORE HERE. |
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Stratton Goes Undefeated to Win 2026 U.S. Match Racing Championship During the regatta, weather conditions kept everyone on their toes. The Santa Ana breeze brought shifty, unusual conditions to San Diego Harbor, with the downtown skyline providing a pretty incredible backdrop. Tight matches and close finishes made for a hard-fought day, as teams worked through the shifts and made the most of every opportunity. With conditions affecting the schedule, the RC/ PRO team adjusted the schedule and headed straight from the round-robin into the semifinals. Congratulations to William Stratton, Peter Joslin, Cameron Feves, Molly Carapiet and their teams for securing the final four spots. For the finale, San Diego delivered for the final day with steady 6–8 knots, flat water, and racing right beneath the downtown skyline. Champagne conditions on the racecourse, with champagne to follow ashore. READ MORE HERE. |
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J/105 Don Trask International Masters Regatta Returns to San Diego The Don Trask International Masters Regatta is an invitational series which brings together 12 skippers, each at least 60 years old, and their crews, who must be at least 45. Racing takes place in J/105 sailboats provided by SDYC members, with teams rotating boats throughout the regatta. The round-robin format puts competitors on equal footing, rewarding adaptability, consistency, and sharp boat handling as sailors face new challenges from race to race. This year’s fleet represents a broad cross-section of the sailing community, with skippers traveling to San Diego from yacht clubs in California and across the country, as well as Mexico. Among those competing are familiar faces from San Diego Yacht Club and other established sailing programs, alongside experienced campaigners representing clubs including St. Francis Yacht Club, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, San Francisco Yacht Club and Acapulco Yacht Club. With so much collective experience on the water, the competition is expected to be stiff. READ MORE HERE. |
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J/70 French National Championship Sailing Video from Pornichet Watch highlights from the 2026 J/70 French National Championship off Pornichet, France, featuring competitive one-design racing and spectacular sailing footage.Click here: |
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10 Best Regatta Parties in the USA Every Sailor Should Experience (Chicago, IL)- Great Lakes sailor Doug Ryan has sailed many regattas over the course of time, some of them as crew on various J/Boats. One evening, a great debate with friends raged about which regattas in the USA had the best regatta parties. On his “Old Boat Sailor’s” Facebook page, Doug posted his ideas. Offering his perspectives, Doug explained, “Every sailor knows the truth: the race decides who gets the trophy, but the party decides whether you come back next year. You can grind upwind for three days in a dying breeze, blow out a spinnaker and finish dead last, and still call it a great regatta if the rum is cold and the band is rocking when you tie up.” Continuing his thought process and methodology, Doug further explained, “So, we went looking for the best post-race parties in American sailing. We weighed the size of the fleet, the mix of boats, the setting, and above all what happens once the sails come down: the food, the drinks, the music, and the stories. Some of these are classy black-tie affairs on a hotel porch. Others involve rafting up six boats deep and singing Journey until the island runs out of ice. LOL!” Here is Doug’s “back of the napkin” top 10 list of “Best Regatta Parties” counting down to the best party on the water. J/Boats sailors will undoubtedly recognize most of them, since they are often the largest brand of boats participating! Not surprising, considering that most J/sailors love to enjoy their boats and socialize with friends wherever the world finds them at work or at play! READ MORE HERE. |
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J/Gear October Special- 20% off! The J/Start Duffel is a great economical solution for the whole crew. Large enough for extended outings and light enough to keep weight down. Dimensions are 27″W x 13″H x 14″D. Features:
Choose your J/Class logo with optional custom imprints. |