Canadian LIFTED Dominates J/80 North Americans

ByStuart Johnstone

(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- It’s been eight years since the J/80 North American Championship came to Toronto, and again the National Yacht Club did not disappoint. Thirty teams competed in perfect warm Fall conditions on Lake Ontario from October 1st to. 6th. Tight racing and dynamic shifty winds ensured no one could relax, and every game plan was subject to continuous rewrite.

The National YC Race Committee got right down to business, and after three races on day one, LIFTED (Chris Hobbs, Samantha Webster, Kris Werner, Tyler Woodworth) topped the leaderboard, while Cristian Bieder’s CHIMICHURRI, returning NAs champion Conor Hayes’s MORE GOSTOSA, and Graham Philpott’s BLACK DOG completed the top 5 on the leaderboard. 

The day two forecast was for a light or dying breeze. That’s exactly what happened partway through the second race. Eight boats completed the race as a thermal flipped the breeze 180 degrees, stranding the rest of the fleet and causing all to score TLE. LIFTED survived and delivered three bullets to consolidate her pole position!

Sunday brought a bigger SW breeze and choppy conditions, with LIFTED fending off the competition to convincingly win the regatta overall. Second place was Graham Philpott’S BLACK DOG (with a crew of Ben Crosby, Emmet Todd, & Tom Wells), with third place to fellow Winnipesaukee stalwart Conor Hayes’s MORE GOSTOSA (with a crew of Joe Diller, Dan Jolda, & Catherine McLaughlin). 

CORINTHIANS DIVISION
The Corinthian (fully amateur) honors went to Philpott’s Team BLACK DOG, with Hayes’s MORE GOSTOSA in second, and Thomas Kopp’s KOPP OUT) and team (Elizabeth Fisher, Ralph Fisher, and CJ Ruffing)from Grosse Point, MI in third.

Huge credit to all racers for making this a true North American Championship and a banner event. Boats traveled from Lake Winnipesaukee, Massachusetts, Annapolis, Newport, and, most especially, Seattle (Julian Croxall’s RECKLESS). Amazing commitment by teams to the Class – congratulations to all racers!

Fleet 20 is the fastest-growing J/80 fleet, now with 33 boats across five individual fleets: Toronto, Oakville, Port Dover, Ottawa/Nepean, Kingston, and Rochester. Canada also will host the 2026 J/80 World Championship in the Olympic sailing venue of Kingston, Ontario.  For more J/80 North American Championship scores and sailing information.