J/Boats News & Reviews

As spring breezes build and regattas fire off around the globe, the J/Boats community has once again made its presence felt in spectacular fashion. From the foggy Pacific swells off San Diego to the gusty shores of Sweden and the shifting mountain winds of Switzerland, J/Teams have been racking up podium finishes, overall victories, and unforgettable moments. The past two weeks showcased everything from high-stakes international contests like the Nations’ Cup in Hong Kong to iconic American staples such as Annapolis’ Helly Hansen Regatta and the Race to the Straits in Seattle. Whether in offshore epics like the RORC Cervantes Trophy Race or short-course shootouts in the J/22 Sailing League, J/sailors met every challenge with tenacity, teamwork, and signature style. Here’s how the action unfolded across ten different regions and regattas—each one offering a new chapter in this ever-evolving season of speed.

New J/40 Goes for Shakedown Sail off Newport!
(Newport, RI)- This past week, the new J/40 #4 set sail off Newport on Naragansett Bay for her initial “shakedown” to test systems and check out rig-tuning and her new sails. A sistership #6 will be launching soon and will also be in Newport for most of the summer. Please contact your local J/Boats dealer or the J/Boats office for a demonstration sail soon! For more J/40 offshore performance cruiser sailboat information. Read more here.

The J/Cup Goes International- Cherbourg 2026!

(Cherbourg, France)- J/Cup Europe 2026 is happening in Cherbourg, France from June 19th to 20th, 2026!! All J/Sailors across Europe and the United Kingdom are invited!
Running in association with AXE Sail, this is your chance to join a buzzing fleet of J/Boats for a weekend of two unforgettable days of racing and socials in classic J/Cup style.
The J/99 European Cup is part of the event, so you can expect red-hot competition as well as serious fun back on shore.
Are you based in the United Kingdom? Join the Cherbourg delivery race- the perfect warm-up leg for your crew.
Questions? Please get in touch with Harry, call the office on +44 (0) 23 8045 5669, or email harry.tilling@keyyachting.com.

J/Teams Sweep PalmaVela! J/99, J/97E, J/70 Win Divisions.

(Palma Mallorca, Spain)- As one of the first major sailing regattas on the Mediterranean, the Real Club Nautico de Palma’s very popular PalmaVela Regatta is always a huge draw for top sailing teams throughout Europe. It’s not hard to see why sailors love to go to a famous, glitzy, seaside resort in the crown jewel of Spain’s Balearis Islands offshore in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. After all, what’s wrong with amazing ambience, a historical city and seaport, and generally awesome sailing conditions in the Bay of Palma- 10 to 15 kts seabreezes, sunny, and a balmy 75 F degrees- perfect shorts and shades weather!
Enjoying a long weekend of sailing in this fantasy-land of a bucket list regatta were a range of J/Teams from across Europe in J/70s, J/80s, J/97, J/99, J/109, and J/122s. Most all of them garnered some silver in this year’s event. Read more here.

J/24 WHARF RAT Crowned Overall Yachting Cup Winner!

(San Diego, CA)- Day 2 of SDYC’s Yachting Cup started with a bit of rain and overcast coastal skies. The race management team was concerned about the forecast conditions – specifically the sea state, which built as a result of an overnight offshore front. A race committee boat went out about 7:30 am to check the conditions on both ocean courses; the decision was made to postpone racing by one hour and to move both courses to more protected areas closer to shore. Here is how the weekend broke down by classes/ divisions.
J/111 ClassPeter Wagner’s SKELETON KEY continued their hold on the top spot in the J/111 class after winning 3 of 5 races, taking top honors in the class for the second year in a row. SKELETON is also the current J/111 North American champion after their win in January in Key West. Several of the J/111s racing this weekend in San Diego (CREATIVE and GURLI) will be shifting gears into offshore mode to prepare to race to Hawaii this summer in the Transpac Race. Read more here.

Fun-loving, Challenging Helly Hansen Regatta Annapolis
(Annapolis, MD)- The first, and largest regatta of the summer on the Chesapeake Bay for the past few decades has been the Helly Hansen Regatta Annapolis. Hosted by the experienced veterans at Annapolis Yacht Club and their partners (Eastport Yacht Club and SSA), the fleet of 240+ boats was treated to exceptional, professional race management over the three days of the regatta, with some fleets experiencing a packed agenda of up to nine races! Remarkably, J/Boats accounted for over 75% of the fleet! Here’s how it all went down over the three days.   Read more here.

J/109 WHISKEY JACK Wins Nation’s Cup
(Hong Kong, China)- The 2025 Nations’ Cup was the highlight of a spectacular day of international racing and national pride on Victoria Harbour. Held on May 4th by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, the 15th edition featured sixty-seven boats representing 19 countries, blending competitive sailing with dazzling costumes and crew camaraderie.
J/109 Whiskey Jack Win Secures England’s Fourth Nations’ Cup TitleLeading the charge was Nick Southward’s J/109 WHISKEY JACK, sailing under England’s banner. Their impressive performance in shifting wind conditions secured first place in the ATI division, marking England’s fourth Nations’ Cup title — the most of any nation. WHISKEY JACK’s win was a testament to the J/109’s proven design and offshore versatility. Read more here.

Royal Gothenburg YC Triumphs @ Swedish J/70 Sailing League Act I

(Saltsjöbaden, Sweden)- The first Allsvenskan Sailing competition of the 2025 season was hosted in Saltsjöbaden at the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) from May 3-4.
The first round of the Allsvenskan was held off Marstrand under varying conditions, and there were also varying crews at the top over the two days. In the end, Göteborgs Kungliga Segelsällskap (Royal Gothenburg Sailing Club) emerged as the winner, closely ahead of the home club, Kungliga Svenska Segelsällskapet.
The first day offered brilliant sunshine and moderate winds. GKSS did best on the day, closely followed by KSSS. But Strängnäs Sailing Club and Umeå Sailing Club also did surprisingly well and were constantly in the running to challenge for the top positions. Read more here.

J/Teams Sweep ORC Divisions @ SAILWORKZ Stellendam Regatta 

(Stellendam, Netherlands)- Stellendam Yacht Club hosted the Stellendam Regatta as the offshore sailing season opener for many classes in The Netherlands. 
For over fifteen years, this regatta has been sailed in April on the Haringvliet in front of the Marina Stellendam. It has also become the season-opening party. Here, the sailors from the ORC and the one-design classes met again after the winter season.
 Read more here.

San Francisco YC Tops J/22 Sailing League Regatta

(San Francisco, CA)- This past weekend, St. Francis Yacht Club hosted its J/22 Sailing League Regatta for seven sailing club teams from across California. The winner got an automatic invitation to participate in the 2025 SAILING Champions League event in Kiel, Germany, that will be sailed on J/70s!
The SAILING Champions League is an international high-level club vs. club fleet racing circuit that’s been held in Europe since 2014. Currently, over 500 sailing clubs compete in the series, which is focused on spectator-friendly events. An effort to expand the league to the United States has been spearheaded by St. Francis Yacht Club, which invited seven clubs for two days of competition in J/22s. Read more here.

J/Teams Silver Multi-divisions @ Race to the Straits Regatta 

(Seattle, WA)- The Sloop Tavern Yacht Club in Seattle, WA, hosted its popular season-opening offshore race- the Race to the Straits Regatta- for a fleet of 103 boats. The full course length is 30.25 nautical miles each day. Saturday’s race was from Shilshole Bay to Point Hudson, keeping the Double Bluff Buoy to port. Then, Sunday’s race was from Point Hudson to Shilshole Bay, keeping the Double Bluff Buoy to starboard. All boats are prohibited from using the Port Townsend Canal. The regatta has always been popular with J/crews over the years.  Read more here.

Excellent Sailing @ American YC Spring Regatta

(Rye, NY)- This past week, the American Yacht Club hosted its annual Spring Regatta from Friday to Sunday on Western Long Island Sound. Dozens of J/crews from around the region enjoyed racing in coastal PHRF and ORC fleets as well as one-design racing for J/44s, J/88s, and J/105s. Here is what took place for each division. Read more here.

Club Nautique de Versoix Leads Swiss J/70 Sailing Super League- Act 1

(Morges, Switzerland)This past weekend, the Swiss J/70 Sailing League began its summer-long series of events on various mountain lakes in the gorgeous, story-book Swiss Alps. Eighteen teams participated in the sailing league format of quick 15-20-minute races in the challenging, often very shifty and puffy mountain lake sailing conditions off Morges, Switzerland.
In an abbreviated regatta that saw just one day of racing, the Club Nautique de Versoix asserted their preeminence as they did last season by winning the first event. Their team consisted of Victor Casas as skipper with a crew of Romain Defferrard, Romuald Hausser, and Benjamin Delaloye. Read more here.

J/Teams Silver in Ghosting to Gusty RORC Cervantes Trophy Race

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The RORC Cervantes Trophy Race delivered a dramatic shift in conditions that tested skill and strategy from the very start, followed by raw pace for a spectacular finish. The fleet ghosted off the Royal Yacht Squadron line in barely a whisper of breeze, but any thoughts of a slow passage to Le Havre were soon blown away.
Mid-channel, the race ignited as a powerful north-easterly filled in, sending boats surging downwind at top speeds. As the 128.0nm race unfolded, the action intensified with the tightly packed RORC fleet locked in a fierce battle for IRC supremacy— dozens of boats, seconds apart, all chasing the coveted trophy and vital points for the world’s largest offshore racing series: the RORC Season’s Points Championship Read more here.

J/Puma Zip-Top: May 20% off J/Gear Special
(Newport, RI)- Puma has long been synonymous with outdoor performance gear. The J/Puma Performance Zip Top is a contrasting moisture-managing top and is built to handle robust conditions. Distinctive 2-tone design with your J/Class logo embroidered on the front. Choose from a selection of colors.
Material:86% polyester, 14% elastaneDryCELL moisture-wicking performanceUV resistant UPF
Features:4-way stretch for ease of movementSolid base with color-blocking under the armsThe Puma Cat logo on the left sleeve
Customize option with yacht name and sail number for a competitive crew team.
Comes in a broad selection of colors for every crew and is offered at a 20% discount for May.  Click here to order.

(Annapolis MD)- The Helly Hansen Regatta returns to Annapolis, May 2nd to 4th with more than 160 teams expected to race in boats ranging from 20 to 40 feet. The annual spring regatta, which is considered the premiere local sailing event of the year on the Chesapeake Bay, also serves as the unofficial kickoff for the robust and thriving Annapolis sailing scene. This year’s event will be heavily attended by J/Boats aficionados, with an astonishing EIGHT J/one-design classes: J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, J/88s, J/29s, J/30s, and J/105s! The Annapolis regatta has truly evolved into a proverbial “J/Fest”!
J/22 ClassThe dozen-boat fleet features some of the leading veteran teams, such as Jeff Todd’s HOT TODDY, Chris Wilson’s LIL’PUFFY, Kevin Doyle’s MO’MONEY, Jeff Hayden’s POLAR EXPRESS, and Chris Doyle’s THE JUG 4 1.
J/24 ClassThis seven-boat fleet features Pete Kassal’s SPACEMAN SPIFF and Sam McGuire’s THE UPGRADE.
J/29 ClassIn what amounts to a significant revival of the local fleet, seven teams will be vying for class honors; including John Burnham’s DEFIANT, Mike Bolf’s DIRTY HARRY, Elizabeth Principe’s THE DOGHOUSE, and Tom Lloyd’s ROSALITA.
J/30 ClassThe ever-present, omniscient J/30 Annapolis fleet will again post a nice turnout of good teams. Amongst those boats are Dan Watson’s AVITA, Jim McGinnis’s BLITZ, and Charlie Lutz’s POGO.
J/70 ClassTwo-dozen teams are poised to establish themselves as Chesapeake Bay Champions, include Mark Hillman’s SIX, Roy & Marina Lamphier’s BEAT MACHINE, Cate Muller-Terhune’s CASTING COUCH, Tod Sackett’s FM, and Ian Hill’s SITELLA.
J/80 ClassWith a dozen boats, the J/80s will certainly experience top-notch racing among the local veterans. Some teams that may feature at the top of the leaderboard include Mike Beasley’s BLACK SHEEP, Bengt & Marie Johansson’s BLAZE, Bert Carp’s ELEVEN, Tom & Jennifer Kipp’s KOPP-OUT, and Kyle Comerford’s LITTLE STORM.
J/88 ClassAfter Charleston Race Week, several J/88 teams elected to complete their eastern tour by sailing the Annapolis regatta. Among the eight teams are several hot, veteran J/88 crews, including Chris & Liz Chadwick’s CHURCH KEY, Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION, Andy Graff’s EXILE, Lindsey Duda’s SIN DUDA, and Bill Purdy’s WHIRLWIND.
J/105 ClassWith nearly two dozen boats, the J/105s will certainly have good, hard-fought, tight racing around the cans. Some of the title contenders maybe Bill Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO, Peter Bowe’s GOOD TRADE, Hugh Bethell’s JESTER, Ray Wulff’s PATRIOT, Bill Clary’s RUM PUPPY, and Don Santa’s SANTAS REIGN DEAR.
ORC Handicap DivisionSeveral J/crews will be participating in the ORC division, including Keith Cole’s J/124 LUCKY EIGHTS, Kevin Sherwood’s J/99 BAY RETRIEVER, Zack Bayhan’s J/109 PATRIOT VII, and Jim Sagerholm’s famous J/35 AUNT JEAN.
For more Helly Hansen Annapolis Regatta sailing informationhttps://www.sailingworld.com/regatta-series-annapolis/

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club will be hosting the first of its summer-long series of offshore sailing races for hundreds of enthusiastic sailors from across the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and others from around the world. The RORC Offshore Season Point Series is the most popular circuit of offshore races worldwide and this year it incorporates the famous Fastnet Race- a true test of endurance and teamwork.
Starting off the classic Royal Yacht Squadron starting line off Cowes, the teams will race down the Solent from Cowes to Le Havre, France on a 110.0nm race track that crosses the infamous “La Manche”, the English Channel. Over 100 boats are participating along with a formidable contingent of J/Teams.
IRC 1 DivisionIn a “big boat” race, this 14-boat division often fields the overall winners in the IRC Division. Hoping for the best will be multiple race winner, the J/121 DARKWOOD- sailed by Mike O’Donnell’s crew of Irish mercenaries. Giving them plenty of competition will be the Frenchman Francois Charles on his J/133 SUN HILL IV and the British crew on the J/45 STICKLEBACK.
IRC 2 DivisionThis 15-boat fleet will be contending with one of Great Britain’s top offshore crews, the past RORC Offshore Champion Derek Shakespeares J/122 BULLDOG. Another British J/133, Lawrence Herbert’s CORAZON, will be hoping to fulfill the time-honored tradition of J/133s getting onto the podium in almost any weather conditions!
IRC 3 DivisionBy far the largest fleet in the race will be the 35 boats participating in the IRC 3 division. Four J/99s will be giving it a go to top many French and British crews. Those J/99s include Jean-Baptiste Brians’s JOLLY JUMPER, Jean-Lion Flip’s YALLA, Alain Waha & Matt Waite’s FURTHER WEST, and Phillippe Rios’s GWAHIR VENTURI from France.
IRC 4 DivisionIn the second largest division with 29 boats will be eight J/crews! Three more J/99s, including Jerome Baudy & Clement Garitan’s AN AEL 4, Mark Kendall’s JIRO, and Steven Deutsch & Tim Tolcher’s RAGING BULL. Joining them will be four highly regarded, race-winning J/109s; including James Fitchett’s JUMUNU, Rob Cotterill’s MOJO RISIN, Gillian Burgess’s RED ARROW (from the Royal Air Force Sailing Association), and Jamie Parker’s WHITE KNIGHT 7 (from the Royal Armoured Corpos YC). Finally, going up against all of that fire-power will be Richard & Emma Breese’s J/105 MOJO,
IRC Double DivisionThe sole J entrant in this large fleet is Steven Deutsch and Tim Tolcher’s J/99 RAGING BULL. They will have their hands full with many top teams from England and France.
For more RORC Cervantes Trophy Race sailing informationhttps://www.rorc.org/2024-race-programme

(Rye, NY)- Looking forward to hosting their annual opener for the summer sailing season on Western Long Island Sound will be the American Yacht Club. Their Spring Regatta is taking place from Friday to Sunday and will feature both ORC and PHRF handicap fleets. Dozens of J/crews from around the region will be looking forward to dusting off the accumulation of winter’s cobwebs, shaking out the creases in their sails, praying the electronics still work, and getting their crews functioning as well-oiled machines, whipping them into shape with a hundred gybes, tacks, spinnaker sets & takedowns!
ORC Division Participating in this ten-boat fleet will be Al Minella’s J/112E THE ROCC and Trevor Roach’s J/121 TOUCH OF GREY.
PHRF 1In this dozen-boat fleet will be Erik Asgeirsson and Tom Stokes’s J/45 ACADIA (past class winner!), Len Sitar’s J/160 COUGAR, two J/133s (Ron Richman’s ANTIDOTE and Steve Brownlie’s ASSARAIN IV), Constantine Baris’s J/122 DIRE WOLF, and John Pearson’s J/111 RED SKY 4.
PHRF 2Leading the charge in this eight-boat fleet should be Albrecht Goethe’s J/46 HAMBURG II, Bill Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE, and Richard Wests’s J/120 CHARLOTTE.
PHRF 3With nine of the twelve boats registered are J/Teams, it’s likely a sweep of the top five is a possibility. Some of the top teams may include Robert Schwartz’s J/109 CAMINOS, John Greifzu’s J/109 GROWTH SPURT, Ray Warner’s J/99 AGENT 99, Todd Aven’s J/99 THIN MAN, and Kevin Marks’s J/99 VELOCITY 2.
J/99 and J/100 ClassesIn addition to the J/99 teams mentioned above, some of the top J/100 teams may include William Hennes’s LIBERTY, Nick Everett’s RESOLUTE, and the BLUEFIN trio (Tom Boiyle, Bob Clyatt, & Doug McKiege).
For more American YC Spring Regatta sailing informationhttps://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/16312

(Seattle, WA)- The Sloop Tavern Yacht Club in Seattle, WA will be hosting its popular season-opening offshore race- the Race to the Straits Regatta- for a fleet of 103 boats. The full course length is 30.25 nautical miles each day. Saturday’s race will be from Shilshole Bay to Point Hudson keeping the Double Bluff Buoy to port. Then, Sunday’s race will be from Point Hudson to Shilshole Bay keeping the Double Bluff Buoy to starboard. All boats are prohibited from using the Port Townsend Canal. The regatta has always been popular with J/crews over the years.
PHRF Singlehanded DivisionSailing in this fleet will be Rafe Beswick’s J/32 DRAGONFLY and Dan Wierman’s J/35 GREAT WHITE.
PHRF Doublehanded DivisionOver two dozen J/crews are sailing in the largest fleet in the regatta. Here is a short list of some of those teams:Two J/30s- Ulf Georg Gwidlis’s IMPULSIVE and Mark Meenan’s SLINGSHOTOne J/27- Mike Darcy’s ZEPHYRThree J/80s- Gerry Gilbert’s AFTERBURNER, Ryan Porter’s JOLLY GREEN, and Peter Lisy’s JOUSTERTwo J/70s- Neil Roberts’s MERCURIUS and Justin Nodolf’s PUCAEight J/105s- including John Aitchinson’s MOOSE UNKNOWN, Erik Kristen’s MORE JUBILEE, Mark Prentice’s PANIC, Drew Zangle’s JADED, and Sara Billey’s PEER GYNT. One J/88- Matt Gardner-Brown’s SEA STORIESOne J/99- David Miller’s ONE LIFEOne J/109- Kirk Fraser’s ECLIPSEThree J/35s- Tyson Varosyan’s SOLUTION, Paul Hanson’s TCHOUPITOULAS, and Chad Stenwick’s THE BOSSOne J/112E- Stephanie Arnold’s MYSTERYTwo J/111s- Steve Kirsch’s FLASH and Jay Renehan’s HOOLIGAN,
For more Sloop Taven YC’s Race to the Straits sailing informationhttps://www.styc.org/Race-to-the-Straits

Dent’s JELVIS Crushes J/70 Spring Champs(Warsash. England)- The Warsash Sailing Club concluded the Warsash Spring Championship for IRC Divisions and the J/70 Class last weekend. A total of nine races were sailed for the tenacious sailors taking on the always capricious, ever-changing Solent.
IRC 1 DivisionNearly sweeping the top five were five J/teams. The J/111s prevailed again, with Chris Jones & Louise Makin’s JOURNEYMAKER II taking class honors, followed by Paul Griffiths’s JAGERBOMB. Fourth was Jim Chalmers’s J/112E HAPPY DIAZE, fifth was Derek Shakespeare’s J/122 BULLDOG, and sixth was Ellie Wollmann’s J/111 FREQUENT FLYER.
IRC 2 DivisionIn a near repeat of their colleagues in IRC 1, five J/crews took five of the top seven places! Taking the silver medal was Kevin Taylor’s J/99 JUMP 2 IT, with Rob Cotterill’s J/109 MOJO RISIN garnering the bronze medal. Then, fourth went to Peter McConnell’s J/109 KARABOUDJAN. Sixth was David Richard’s J/109 JUMPING JELLYFISH and seventh went to Louise Davis’s J/109 JEROBOAM.
J/70 ClassWinning this twenty-two-boat fleet was Martin Dent’s JELVIS with 19 pts net. Then, rounding out the podium was Arthur Farley’s GENIUS winning the tiebreaker at 25 pts each over Henry Edwards’s JOSKIN.
For more Warsash Spring Series sailing informationhttps://warsashsc.org.uk/

(English Harbour, Antigua)- The 56th edition of Antigua Sailing Week took place this past week, with sailors enjoying spectacular Caribbean weather conditions with, plenty of sun, strong tradewinds, and big, white-capped seas for adrenaline-packed sailing. In the end, it was another powerful testimonial to J/Boats designs excelling in the demanding racing conditions.
CSA Racing 3 DivisionBefore the start of racing, most racing pundits in Antigua knew the ultimate battle for division honors would be between two past Caribbean Offshore Series and Antigua Race Week Champions- Steve Rigby’s British crew on the J/122 EL OCASO and Sir Richard Matthew’s famous TEAM OYSTERCATCHER from London, England sailing the chartered LIQUID. After a ten-race battle trading all podium finishes, it was Rigby’s EL OCASO team that won with 16 pts net. Then, taking home the bronze medal was Sir Richard’s TEAM OYSTERCATCHER- LIQUD with 24 pts net.
At the start of the final day of racing several boats were still in contention to win each of these classes. “We started today in second place, so we’re really surprised to win,” says Rigby, “but we had an amazing first race of the day and won the second as well. We’re delighted.”
“There are five boats that could have won this regatta,” he adds. “We’ve won four races and the next boat won three, so it’s been very competitive and it really could have been anyone’s regatta, so we’re delighted, despite the boat’s success in the past. It feels like the most competitive regatta that El Ocaso has ever been in.”
After a week of intensely close racing, Steve Rigby’s chartered J/122 EL OCASO triumphed in CSA Racing Class 3 and claimed Antigua Sailing Week’s most coveted prize, the Lord Nelson Trophy. This recognizes the CSA Racing 2, 3, or 4 class winner with the fastest overall corrected times calculated on a time-on-distance basis.
What’s the appeal of Antigua Sailing Week? “The seas are amazing. The weather’s amazing. It’s been rather rainy this week, but despite that, we had amazing racing, so we love coming here,” Rigby continues. “We love the people, we love what happens here, and can’t wait to come back next year.”
Other J/Teams in the highly competitive division were Marc Emig’s J/133 CREDIT MUTUEL- JIVARO from Marseilles, France taking 5th place and Peter Lewis’s J/121 WHISTLER from Barbados finishing in 6th position.
CSA Racing 4 DivisionFrom the beginning, it was known among the sailing glitterati in Antigua that a top contenders in this large division includes Ryan Hope Ross’s J/105 MORE ZESSIN from St. Maarten Yacht Club. As a multiple Caribbean winter circuit regatta winner, this well-tuned J/105 has been on the podium so many times, most everyone seems to have lost track of them all. In the end, Hope Ross’s J/105 MORE ZESSIN took home the silver medal for their efforts.
CSA Club Class B DivisionThis class encompasses a mix of smaller boats, ranging from Carrack & Tyden Jones’ J/30 ABSOLUTE PROPERTIES (Blue Peter) to assorted other classic racers. Like their stablemates, the Jone’s J/30 team of virtually all Antigua Sailing School youth sailors took home the silver medal after losing a disappointing tiebreaker at 11 pts each!
For more Antigua Sailing Week regatta informationhttps://www.sailingweek.com/

(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- The largest sailing event in France, the SPI Ouest-France Banque Populaire Grand Ouest, brought together its partners on Thursday, January 30, at the Ouest-France group headquarters to launch the 47th edition, which will be held from April 18 to 21, 2025, in La Trinité-sur-Mer (56). Hosting the epic regatta is SN La Trinite sur Mer, with nearly 200 volunteers to support the organization and actively participate in welcoming the nearly 2,500 expected sailors.
For decades, J/sailors have religiously flocked to the regatta always held over Easter Weekend. Again, a large fleet of J/80s will be participating as well as a growing fleet of J/70s. In addition, a large offshore contingent of J’s will be sailing offshore in IRC and Osiris handicap divisions.
Day 1- Rain & Wind to StartThe 47th edition of the SPI Ouest-France Banque Populaire Grand Ouest began under very rainy skies.As predicted, the wind conditions (20 knots established from the southeast) and a rough sea gave race management a hard time. The first starts were given at 11:00 for the majority of the fleet. However, the start of the J/70 class was delayed until 12:30. The sailors took the opportunity to share a friendly moment in the Spi village before facing a heated Quiberon Bay. Due to these very strong conditions, the Hansa and Miniji were forced to stay ashore without being able to take any starts. The day unfolded under incessant rain and a constantly strong wind. The one-designs raced two races while the J/99 class completed three races. At the end of the day, several sailors had been washed out and boats with minor damage among the 461 competing crews.
Day 2- Less Wind, Beautiful DayThe second day got off to a flying start with the traditional Voiles et Voiliers grand parade.
Under the Morbihan sun, the many spectators were able to admire the fabulous ballet of the 461 boats under full sail, in the channel of La Trinité-sur-Mer. The very light conditions forced the sailors to wait in Quiberon Bay before the wind picked up. A test of stoicism that ended at 12:30 p.m. In a 6 to 10-knot westerly wind, the race committees were able to launch two to three races for all series. The J/80s made their debut with three races.
Day 3- Easter Egg Hunt On this Easter Sunday, while the ritual egg hunt at the town hall of La Trinité-sur-Mer was in full swing in the village, the crews headed towards Quiberon Bay for their third day of racing.
Despite cloudy skies and a fresh breeze, all series benefited from the optimal wind conditions, which remained between 10 and 15 knots all day.
Day 4- Strong Steady BreezeOn this final day, the sailors set sail early in the morning to make the most of the weather conditions. With races underway and competitors fully fueled, the ingredients were there to round off the 47th edition of the benchmark regatta for amateurs and professionals in style.
All series completed one final race before packing up their gear and closing this enchanting interlude. Gilles Bricout, the new race director, along with the race committees and their teams, managed to get the 2,345 sailors sailing in all conditions: wind, sun, rain, and calm.
J/70 ClassTwenty teams participated in this year’s edition, a significant jump over last year’s entries. The battle for class supremacy came down to two teams; Phillippe Gzuigne’s SAILING IMPACT and Beatrice Joyaud’s D-DAY. In the end, it was Guigne’s SAILING IMPACT crew of Cedric Pouligny, Damien Scelo, and Cedric Meunier that won class honors with 16 pts net. Just one point shy of the gold was the top woman helm- Beatrice Joyaud. Her team on D-DAY included Eliot Merceron, Nicolas Dore, and Ben Amiot. Between her team and Guigne’s, they took most of the top two finish positions in the nine-race series. Rounding out the podium taking the bronze medal was Richard Fromentin’s LECLERC SPORT HENNEBONT and his crew of Elorri Golhen, Pierre Louiset, Valentin Massu, and Theau Guilcher.
The balance of the top five included Tangi Le Goff’s HYDRO SAILING TEAM in fourth and Herve Leduc’s JIBE SET/ PIERRE OCEANE in fifth place.
J/80 ClassThis fifty-five-boat fleet featured many top veteran teams from past battles in the largest one-design keelboat class in France. Not surprisingly, it was the multiple past French J/80 Champion- Simon Moriceau on PL YACHTING/ ARMEN HABITAT- that took class honor with just 7 pts net in seven races! Moriceau’s team consisted of Julien Augereau, Vincent Guillarm, Simon Bertheau, and Alice Bigot. The silver medal went to Pierre Laouenan’s CV AILEE ECOLE NAVALE team of Morgan Rio, Jean Queveau, Damien Ieh, and Tiphaine Ragueneau. Rounding out the podium was a top Spanish team- Jaime Piris’s MERCURY AVATOR and his team of Antonio Piris, Alfredo Portilla, and Jesus Gonzalez.
The rest of the top five included Julien Plessis’s OUROBOROS in fourth place and Luc Nadal’s veteran crew on GAN’JA in fifth position.
J/99 ClassA large contingent of eleven J/99s sailed as a one-design class for the first time at SPI Ouest. The fleet was treated to a full-blown “schooling” on how to sail a J/99 fast and smart. With four bullets in their seven-race scoreline, Julien Bentz’s WHIMJY 99 team (Baptiste Roynette, Jerome Samuel, Romain Troube, Vincent Fertin, Rose Bentz, Tessa Bentz, and Nemo Trouble) sailed away from the fleet, tossing a 3rd place (!!), to win with just 8 pts net! Not to be too outclassed was the Spanish team on Emigdio Bedia’s GORILON that won three of seven races to take the silver medal with 14 pts net. The GORILON crew consisted of Alvaro Lopez-Doriga, Daniel Martini, Jaime Salcines, Javier Sanchez-Barcaizteg, Juan Bedia, and Victor Gonzalez. Rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was the famous Swedish team of BLUR, led by Peter Gustafsson. His crew consisted of Mattias Bodlund, Simon Kindt, Jens Allroth, and Fredrik Rydin.
The balance of the top five included Eric Kerscaven’s PL YACHTING in fourth place and Herve Bihan-Poudec’s LEONARD in fifth position.
For more SPI OUEST France regatta sailing informationhttps://spi.ouest-france.fr/

(Vancouver, BC, Canada)- The annual Southern Straits Race took place this past weekend, hosted by the West Vancouver YC in British Columbia- the Canadian side of the infamous Straits of Juan de Fuca that separate the wild and majestic Olympic Peninsula from the Canadian Maritimes to the north.
The race is a popular one in the Pacific Northwest for the offshore racing fraternity. Like the Swiftsure International Yacht Race that sails later in the year, the West Vancouver YC has also evolved the race over time to be more accommodating to the reality of today’s lifestyles. The participants have the choice of three courses- the Long Course (140nm), the Medium Course (106nm), and the Short Course (73nm). A majority of the J/Teams participating sailed the Long Course (mostly 35 footers on up), while the smaller J’s did the Medium Course.
ORC 2 DivisionIn this competitive fleet, Tolga Cezik’s J/111 LODOS took the bronze medal, missing the silver by a mere 5 minutes and overall by 15 minutes corrected time! Fourth went to John Murkowski’s J/122E JOY RIDE just 4 minutes in arrears of her stablemate.
ORC 3 DivisionTaking the silver medal in this large dozen-boat fleet was John Polglase’s J/109 DOUBLE TIME.
PHRF 4 DivisionWinning this class was the veteran J/109 SPYHOP team led by David Schulte, taking class honors by nearly 20 minutes over the next boat!
PHRF 5 DivisionSweeping this fleet were two J/teams. Winning was Nick Conti’s J/92 LIVE WIRE, followed by Bruce Townson’s J/112E KAJOFI.
PHRF 6 DivisionJ/Teams also faired well in this fleet taking two spots on the podium. Winning was David George’s J/29 RHUMB LINE, followed by Mardy Grosman’s J/30 DESPERAFO– two classics still have it in them!!
For more Southern Straits Race sailing informationhttps://www.wvyc.ca/on-the-water/racing/southern-straits

(San Francisco, CA)- The battle-hardened, hard-core sailors of San Francisco Bay, accustomed to the worst their Bay can dish out, were pleasantly surprised to contend with a very sybaritic weekend of sunny weather and light to moderate wind conditions! Hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club, their Spring Fest regatta had one-design fleets of J/24s, J/88s, and J/105s.
J/105 ClassWith twenty-four boats, the J/105s were again the largest class by far participating in the event. After five races, there were many familiar teams at the top of the leaderboard. Winning was Tim Russell’s NE*NE with a 6-7-2-1-1 tally for 17 pts. Ten points behind to take the silver medal was Ryan Simmons’s BLACKHAWK with a 4-14-1-5-3 record for 27 pts. Then, rounding out the podium garnering the bronze medal was Ian Charles’s MAVERICK with a 2-3-3-6-16 scoreline for 30 pts.
J/88 ClassThe winner of this tightly-fought class was determined on a tie-breaker at 8 pts net each. Winning the regatta on the tie-breaker countback was Dave Corbin’s BUTCHER with a 4-4-1-2-1 tally. Losing that battle to earn the silver medal was Tom Thayer’s SPEEDWELL with a 2-3-2-1-4. Rounding out the podium on the bronze medal step was Christos Karamanolis’s PELAGIA with a 1-2-3-3-3 record for 9 pts— close racing!!
J/24 ClassThe half-dozen J/24s had fun, close racing amongst the top of the leaderboard. Winning was Brandon Mercer’s TENACIOUS CUTTLEFISH with a 2-2-4-1-1-1 record for 7 pts net. Taking the silver medal four points back was Jasper Van Vliet’s EVIL OCTOPUS with a 1-3-14-3-3 scoreline for 11 pts net. The final bronze medal step on the podium was determined by a tiebreaker at 13 pts each. Winning that battle on the countback was Darren Cumming’s veteran crew aboard DOWNTOWN UPROAR with a 6-1-2-2-4-4 scoreline for 13 pts net. Losing that countback to take fourth place was Robin Van Vliet’s LITTLE WING.
For more St. Francis Yacht Club’s Spring Fest sailing informationhttps://www.stfyc.com/racing