J/Boats News & Reviews

  • G-Spot winning streak continues against a fleet that refuses to back down

    WhatsApp LinkedIn Facebook X After two events it looks like G-Spot is sailing in a class of its own. Having dominated the season-opener Monaco sailor Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio’s crew repeated their success this weekend, never really giving the rest of the 28-strong fleet a chance to disrupt their ascent to the top. But while […]

  • A YCM classic yacht gem Viola honoured with the Neptune Trophy 2025

    A highlight of the annual Classic Yachting evening held at the Yacht Club de France was the honour paid to Viola from the Yacht de Monaco. On this occasion, when owners, crews and classic yacht enthusiasts come together to celebrate maritime heritage, the Neptune Trophy 2025 for excellence in the preservation, restoration and performance of classic yachts was presented to Viola, the superb 1908 gaff cutter belonging to Kostia Belkin, a member of Yacht Club de Monaco.

  • J/Newsletter- November 28th, 2025

    From the mountain lakes of Mexico to the sparkling winter waters of Monaco, the windswept Solent, and the sun-drenched racecourses of Australia, it’s been another packed week across the J/Boat universe.
    Championships were settled, winter series kicked off in earnest, and several teams continued remarkable runs of form—while new stories emerged that highlight the depth, diversity, and global reach of the J/classes.
    The headline comes from Valle de Bravo. There, ZAQUERO clinched the Mexican J/70 National Championship after an intense seventeen-race series. The regatta was hosted with trademark warmth and hospitality by Club de Vela La Peña. Meanwhile, in Europe, the Monaco Winter Series commenced, where G-SPOT led a formidable home-fleet showing, reaffirming YC Monaco as one of the Mediterranean’s strongest J/70 hubs.The Australian circuit delivered back-to-back fireworks. VAMOS first swept the Victorian J/70 States. Then it backed up this result with a decisive win at the NSW State Championship on Sydney Harbour. It was an impressive return to form for Tim Ryan and his seasoned crew. In Turkey, a familiar powerhouse rose to the top. TENZOR TEAM navigated a stacked fleet of past champions and podium regulars to secure the 2025 Turkish J/70 Championship.Offshore, Chilean waters produced a standout J/performance once again, with the J/99 LADY CHOPPER impressing in the Interclub Regatta in Algarrobo. In the United States, the J/24 class crowned a new national champion as TREMENDOUS SLOUCH emerged victorious in an unusually light and tactical edition of the J/24 US Nationals in Jacksonville.Across the Atlantic, the 44th Hamble Winter Series rolled into its seventh weekend, delivering another blend of Solent chaos and J/class consistency. And in California, the Hot Rum Series shook off its sluggish opener with a slightly better Round II— sending the fleet on its classic loop past Point Loma and back inside San Diego Bay.Looking ahead, excitement is building in Tampa Bay, where forty-four international teams are preparing for the 2025 J/70 North American Championship, a contest expected to test sailors with everything from flat-water shifts to short, punchy chop. This issue also spotlights two inspiring North American J/70 sailors— Lydia Woolson and Steve Knoop— whose stories speak to the accessibility, community, and lifelong passion that keep sailors engaged in the sport.
    Sailing photo credit- Paul Wyeth/ pwpicutres.com

    ZAQUERO Crowned Mexican J/70 National Champions!(Valle de Bravo, Mexico)- At the gorgeous lake high in the mountains in Valle de Bravo, west of Mexico City, a fleet of thirty J/70 teams from across Mexico participated in the four-day Mexican J/70 National Championship. Hosted by the most gracious and accommodating club one could ever imagine- the Club de Vela La Peña- the sailors enjoyed not only good racing on the lake, but plenty of the famous hospitality onshore after the racing. As has been described by sailors familiar with the club, it’s truly a family affair, and everyone is made to feel part of their extended family. 
    After a total of seventeen races sailed, with fourteen races to count (3 discards), it was the Perez family from Vallarta Yacht Club that dominated the top of the podium. In fact, it was a “nip & tuck” battle between the two family boats until the very last race! Winning by just one point was Ignacio Perez-Morett’s ZAQUERO with crew of Santiago Perez Soltero, Manuel Weiller, and Rodrigo Cuellar Dipp. Their remarkably consistent scoreline filled with podium finishes produced a net total of 33 pts in 14 races for a 2.36 average!  READ MORE HERE.

    G-SPOT Leads Monaco J/70 Winter Series- Act I(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- As they have since 2013, the Yacht Club de Monaco launched their Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, offering J/70 teams a window of competition in the middle of winter on one of the most consistent venues in the Mediterranean.Twenty-five teams from seven nations competed for Act 1 from November 6th to 9th, with YC Monaco members fielding a particularly strong fleet. In fact, YC Monaco currently boasts one of the highest concentrations of J/70s in the Mediterranean, with seventeen boats registered in the J/70 Monaco Class Association. As a result, every year the Principality attracts international teams looking to train under race conditions against a competitive and well-represented fleet. With steady breezes, clear seas, and well-oiled organization, it has become a popular winter training ground to test equipment, rotate crew, and validate tactical decisions ahead of the major competitions. READ MORE HERE.

    VAMOS Eclipses Victorian J/70 States
    (Blairgowie, VIC, Australia)- The Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron hosted this year’s 2025 Victorian J/70 States Championship for a big, competitive fleet of twenty-three teams from across eastern Australia. Boats came from near and far to test their mettle against the best the Australian J/70 fleet had to gather together.In the end, it was the globe-girdling team on VAMOS, led by their veteran skipper Tim Ryan, that started off with four straight bullets and never looked back. After the eight race series, they counted six 1st and a 3rd for 9 pts net, a breathtaking performance theirs was! Ryan’s crew included Drew Barnes, Rob Greenhalgh, and Charlie Gundy. READ MORE HERE.

    VAMOS Dominates NSW J/70 States Championship(Sydney, NSW, Australia)- Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron hosted a highly competitive fleet of fourteen boats for the 2025 J/70 NSW State Championship, with Tim Ryan’s VAMOS taking overall victory after a thrilling final day on Sydney Harbour. Ryan’s crew (Rob Greenhalgh, Jess Grimes, and Charlie Gundy) returned to form after a year apart, sailing consistently across variable conditions to secure the championship title. “What looked like being a disappointing weekend after light winds was saved by a classic Sydney nor’easter on Monday,” said Ryan. “It was our first time sailing together since the Worlds in Palma over a year ago, but the teamwork clicked straight away. Our recent European regattas definitely helped us stay sharp in a very competitive fleet.”  READ MORE HERE.

    TENZOR TEAM Tops Turkish J/70 Championship(Turgutreis, Turkey)- The 2025 Turkish J/70 Championship was shaping up to be quite the battle between several veteran teams of the Turkish J/70 circuit over the past few years. The two-time winners of the J/70 Turkish Championship 2023-2024, the winners of the TIC Winter Series 24/25, and the silver medalist of last year- TENZOR TEAM helmed by Andrey Pushkin- were aiming to defend their title. But, their main rivals- Russian BOGATYRS team, DOLCE VITA, NAUTIQUE YACHTING, CHEESE SAILING, EKER KAYMAK, AMEERA JET, and DENIZCIK- have all been podium finishers in past J/70 Turkish Championship and Tenzor International Cup events, and they promised to show their best skills as well. READ MORE HERE.

    J/99 LADY CHOPPER Wins Chile Interclub Regatta(Algarrobo, Chile)- Thirty-five boats participated in the 2025 Interclub Regatta, held on November 29th and 30th, hosted by Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico in Algarrobo, Chile. Categories included IRC Cruiser, IRC Classics, IRC Racing, and J105.The conditions on Saturday were northwest winds of 6-9 kts (315-325 degrees). All categories, except the J/105 one-design class (which raced three windward-leeward races), completed the nine-mile race consisting of a close-hauled leg, a downwind leg, and a round-the-buoy leg towards El Quisco beach and back to the starting buoy.  READ MORE HERE.

    TREMENDOUS SLOUCH Crowned J/24 US National Champions!
    (Jacksonville, FL)— Forty J/24 teams from across the continent gathered November 21-23 for the 2025 J/24 US National Championship, an event defined by patience, persistence, and tactical mastery in unusually light and challenging conditions.

Racing was scheduled to begin on Friday, but a complete absence of wind kept the fleet ashore. Saturday delivered a shifty, inconsistent breeze that allowed the Race Committee to complete three races, with a fourth race abandoned as conditions deteriorated. On Sunday, the Race Committee once again attempted to get racing underway, but the wind never materialized, solidifying Saturday’s three-race results as final. Despite the limited racing, competition was fierce, and several teams put on exceptional performances.  READ MORE HERE.

    44th Hamble Winter Series Report- Weekend VII(Hamble, England)- The 44th running of the Hamble Winter Series is now in its seventh weekend of sailing on the infamous, capricious Solent Water between Southampton and the Isle of Wight. J/teams across the board are enjoying a wide range of conditions from wet & wild to sunny and benign. Here are the last two weekend reports. Weekend VI ReportRecently qualified National Race Officer, Kathryn Clark, was the CRO for Sunday’s racing. She took the CV Baldur out towards East Knoll (4H). Kathryn commented, “The wind behaved almost exactly as forecast, mostly 12-15 kts from 035.” The plan for this Sunday, sponsored by The Bugle, Hamble, was to give IRC 1- 13 miles; IRC 2- 12 miles, and IRC 3- 11 miles. The courses would stretch from the Meon Shore to the North Shore of the Isle of Wight.A lack of shipping movements in and out of Southampton gave competitors the option to try and take advantage of the tide in the Thorn Channel. This led to a wide spread of yachts on the run from Darling Buoy (4R) to Williams Shipping (3W). “A great site from the CV”, remarked Kathryn.  READ MORE HERE.

    San Diego Hot Rum Series II Report(San Diego, CA)- The second race of the three-race long Hot Rum Series was a bit of an improvement over the first weekend’s light-air affair. This time, most of the fleet finished the iconic race course that started just off Shelter Island, exited south past Point Loma to offshore buoys in the Pacific Ocean, then back inside the harbor to the finish line next to Shelter Island.Hosted by San Diego Yacht Club for decades, the Hot Rum Series has been a popular pursuit race for J/Boats offshore sailors for decades.Using the PHRF SoCal ratings, the slowest boats start first at 10:00 AM, and by noon, the biggest, fastest boats have started. Given the normal scenario for developing winds on San Diego Bay, it takes some time for the seabreeze thermal to develop over the top of Point Loma. As a result, it’s usually the big boats that benefit from a late start with decent breeze. Here are the latest divisional results after the first two weekends of sailing. READ MORE HERE.

    J/70 North American Championship Preview(Tampa, FL)- The Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida, will be hosting forty-four teams from across North & South America for the 2025 J/70 North American Championship. Sailing in the northern reaches of Tampa Bay, the fleet will be challenged by the mix of flat waters and shifty offshore breezes, or southerlies and short, choppy waters. A strong cast of teams is participating from the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, and Bermuda.Perhaps the most notable team is Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT team, a past J/70 World Champion. Joel has a new combination of talent aboard, including another J/70 World Champion in the form of Jeremy Wilmot as his tactician, along with a famous Olympics 29er competitor- Steph Roble- from Lake Beulah, WI.new Text block ready for your content.  READ MORE HERE.

     

    J/CommunityWhat J/Sailors, family, and friends are doing around the world

    How the J/70 Can Keep Young Sailors in the GameJ/70 North American Sailor Spotlight: Lydia Woolson(Tampa, FL)- For many lifelong sailors, the story begins with a family boat or weekend sails. For Lydia Woolson, it began with summer camp.”I was seven when my parents signed me up for a sailing and paddle-boarding camp in Southern California,” she says. “They just wanted me to have fun on the water. I ended up falling in love with it.” That camp became her second home. By thirteen, she was a counselor-in-training, and by fifteen, she was coaching adult lessons and managing the paddleboard rentals. “The community there was the best part,” she remembers. “Everyone knew each other well; it was a family.”Then came a cross-country move that would shape her next chapter. “I was fifteen when we moved to Florida,” she says. “I joined the Plant High School sailing team before I even unpacked.” Through high school, Lydia dove into racing, joining both the high school and Club 420 teams. “That’s where I really learned how to race,” she says.Then came her first taste of the J/70, racing with a youth team of five. “It was a big challenge at first. I was the newest sailor on the boat,” she admits. “Sailing the J/70 showed me how important teamwork is,” Lydia says. “Everyone has their job, and when it clicks, it’s amazing.” That experience was transformative. The J/70 was the perfect bridge and contributed to my fascination with keelboat racing.”  READ MORE HERE.

    J/70 NA’s Sailor Spotlight: Steve Knoop from Chicago(Tampa, FL)- The J/70 is arguably one of the most competitive one-design classes in the world. Some of the best professional sailors regularly race in the fleet. What makes the class unique is that, while it’s incredibly competitive, everyone is willing to share notes and help one another improve.As a Corinthian sailor, it can be intimidating, humbling, and deeply rewarding to sail against the best in the world. The class actively encourages pros to host post-race debriefings, and many freely share “speed tips.” Steve remembers one day when Willem Van Waay hopped aboard his J/70 after he asked a simple trim question—”Willem immediately began marking our sheets and showing us how to optimize trim.” Other top sailors, like Ron Weed, Jud Smith, Will Felder, Zeke Horowitz, Marty Kullman, Kristen Berry, and many others, are equally generous with their insights. Even owners of entirely professional programs, such as John Heaton, often share coaching notes. In fact, the J/70 class will ban professionals who act like “bad actors,” ensuring the fleet remains both fair and collegial. The result is a rare balance of intensity and camaraderie. The J/70 class, in Steve’s view, has few—if any—equals in competitive sailing today.  READ MORE HERE. 

    The J/46 SWEET RUCA’s AdventuresThis is an ongoing story about a couple that bought a J/46 and, with little offshore experience, decided they wanted to sail around the world. The crew consists of Kate, Curtis, and Roxy the dog. Their introduction is quite amusing. “One day we woke up, saw a boat on the Internet (the J/46), and in less than 24 hours, we had the winning bid!! Kate and I purchased the boat in January 2019 with the intention of refitting her and sailing her around the world. We sold our house, left Ohio, and moved onto the boat in Newport, Rhode Island, in July 2019. That’s before the global Covid-19 pandemic!”Since then, this American couple from the Midwest has had quite the adventure cruising around the world on SWEET RUKA. Here is the short story of their travels to date. READ MORE HERE. 

    J/Gear HOLIDAY Special- 20% off!(Newport, RI)- We’re offering the J/Holiday Special from October through November 15th, 2025! 20% off on ALL orders!But the 1/2 hull models are exempt from this offer.Order early to ensure a Happy Holidays delivery!Holiday discount coupon:  JB2025HSFor any clothing, hats, blankets, and so forth, choose your J/Class logo and customize with boat name and sail number as an option. Browse all products here on the J/GEAR website:https://jgear.vsport.biz

  • J/Newsletter- November 15th, 2025

    What a week it’s been across the J/Boats world— from landmark victories in Buenos Aires to tight sailing league battles in Berlin, light-air chess matches in San Diego to classic autumn drama on the Solent. The headline of the week comes from Argentina, where Laura Grondin made history as the first woman to win the J/70 World Championship, steering DARK ENERGY to a breakthrough victory after a wildly volatile, “chutes & ladders” leaderboard that shuffled the top fifteen every single race. Meanwhile in France, Eric Brezellec’s MOJITO capped a remarkable comeback season to claim the J/80 French National Championship— the culmination of a 200-team circuit increasingly defined by mixed and youth talent surging to the top.Germany delivered its own high-stakes drama as NRV fought through a razor-tight final showdown on Berlin’s Wannsee to claim the German J/70 Sailing League Finale, edging out rivals MSC and JSC in one of the closest season-enders in recent memory. Far to the south, Chile celebrated a banner year for the offshore J/fleet, with the J/122E and J/99 leading a massive 56% J/Boat turnout at the 50th Off Valparaíso Regatta.Back in the UK, the Hamble Winter Series reached its fifth weekend with typical Solent character— tides running big, breezes shifting, and J/teams once again at the sharp end of nearly every class. And in Hamburg, the legendary Alsterglocke delivered its annual spectacle of athletic crew swaps, crowded docks, and pure fun across J/22s, J/24s, and J/70s.Across the Atlantic, the San Diego Hot Rum Series opened with a whisper rather than a roar, as ultra-light winds allowed only a fraction of the 100+ boats to finish— setting up plenty of intrigue for the next two events. And in La Rochelle, JOUR J triumphed at the Navigatlantique Trophy, closing out the French J/70 Cup with solid results across a full mix of conditions.Finally, we close this issue with a tribute to Don Trask, one of the Bay Area’s most influential sailors, builders, and community leaders— a man whose legacy spans fleets, generations, and continents.

    The New J/7 is Just What Sailing Needs: “Simplicity, Performance, & Affordability”(Rockland, ME)- In the “Off the Drawing Board” column of Maine Boats, Homes, & Harbors, Art Paine takes the new J/7 daysailer for a spin and comes back as a big fan. Said Art, “simply put, the J/7 encompasses everything that I, a lifelong sailor and mostly racers, strongly favor”. Art continues to explain,”Having captained sailboats for 50 years and shared family-wide enthusiasm for cruising under sail, not to mention reveling in one-design competition, and even designing and building sailboats, I am among the legion of sailors who are quietly heartbroken at the shrinking interest in wind-powered boats. We ask ourselves, “What’s it gonna take?” One answer I’d put forward is a sailboat that is well-designed and constructed, delivered at an affordable price, and simple to sail by beginners, while still putting a smile on an old salt’s face. With that in mind, I’ve been hearing scuttlebutt about J/Boats’ newest launch, the J/7, for some time. And the moment I caught actual sight of this latest model, I believe I saw salvation in the flesh. I feel that if sailing as recreation and sport for the common lubber is to rise again, I’ve never seen a more compelling foundation for hope. The reason the J/7 is revolutionary is that it addresses every factor that is limiting the use of sailboats. At a time when new-boat sales are reeling under the demise of affordability— and facing direct competition from old sailboats that are cheap to free— here is a fresh, efficient, and enjoyable lifestyle vessel that comes with a relatively affordable base price of right around $55 grand.”Read more of this 3-page J/7 review by Art Paine here (a PDF file):For more Maine Boats, Homes, & Harbors magazine informationhttps://maineboats.com/print/issue-197

    Grondin First Woman to Win J/70 World Championship!(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- The Yacht Club Argentino hosted the 2025 edition of the J/70 World Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the first time “down under” in the southern hemisphere. There were seventy-one teams participating from sixteen nations; including Argentina (22), Australia (1), Bermuda (1), Brazil (14), Chile (5), China (1), Spain (2), Great Britain (2), Germany (1), Italy (3), Portugal (1), Switzerland (1), Sweden (2), Turkey (3), Uruguay (7), and USA (13). Sailing started on Tuesday, October 28th, and concluded on Saturday, November 1st. The entire top fifteen of the leaderboard experienced a severe case of “chutes & ladders”, as the teams moved up and down the top ten like yo-yos on a string. There were no exceptions. And, ultimately, the winner was Laura Grondin’s DARK ENERGY from the USA, the first woman helm and owner to win the J/70 World Championship. After ten races over five days, shifting tides and reshuffled leaderboards, the regatta came to a dramatic close on the final race on the final day. The entire top five was wide open for any team that could demonstrate enough consistency, avoid the “down the mineshaft” result, and grab the proverbial “brass ring” to the top of the leaderboard.  READ MORE HERE.

    Brezellec’s MOJITO Crowned J/80 French National Champion
    (Pornichet, France)- With nearly 200 teams participating in the six regatta series for the 2025 J/80 French Cup, 2025 was an excellent year, culminating in a thrilling J/80 French National Championship. The large number of young and mixed crews participating testifies to the dynamics of the series. This is all the more true given that, for the first time in the history of the J/80 Class, the top 3 places in the  overall standings of the French Cup  are occupied respectively by a “mixed” crew and by two “espoir” (youth) crews.Indeed, Eric Brezellec’s MOJITO team from CN Saint-Cast made a beautiful return to the helm of a J/80 after a few sabbatical years and won the French J/80 Cup by sailing with mixed crews for each of the five regattas he raced on the circuit  READ MORE HERE.

    NRV Wins German J/70 Sailing League Finale (Berlin, Germany)- The 2025 German J/70 Sailing League competed for the coveted championship trophy for sailing clubs  on Berlin’s Wannsee Lake. Going into the finale, only a few points separated the three frontrunners from the overall title – Mühlenberger Segel-Club (MSC), Joersfelder Segel-Club (JSC), and Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV).The final races promised thrilling competition. Only one point separated the defending champion MSC (Hamburg) from its closest rival, the Berlin JSC. With a further point separating them, the record holder NRV was lurking, waiting for its chance to reclaim the title.For MSC, helmsman Max Augustin started with his well-practiced team, while NRV relied on its successful J/70 junior crew with helmsman Mats Schönbeck in the duel of the Hamburg clubs.An idea that became an institution“We are looking forward to a thrilling season finale with the best league sailors from German clubs,” said Sailing Bundesliga manager Anke Nowak. “It’s an idea that has become an institution over the past decade: The Segel Bundesliga has revolutionized the sporting standards in the participating sailing clubs. League teams and training on the J/70 are now an integral part of German club sailing.”For many clubs, the Segel Bundesliga has long been a central component of their club strategy. Depending on sporting ambitions and performance level, the league – the Sailing Bundesliga and the international SAILING Champions League – offers top-level sailing almost all year round.  READ MORE HERE.

    J/122E and J/99 Set Pace Offshore in Chile(Valparaiso, Chile)- The 50th edition of Off Valparaíso Regatta was raced in Valparaiso Bay on October 17-18 and was hosted by Yacht Club de Chile.  Conditions were light on Saturday, with only 1 race with westerly winds of 4-7 kts. On Sunday, the conditions were much better with southwest winds from 12-14 kts.  Thirty-three J/Boats participated in the regatta amongst the fifty-nine keelboats in the regatta. 56% of the fleet was J/Boats! That’s an amazing statistic for any regatta in the USA or Europe, but it’s truly remarkable in a South American regatta!  READ MORE HERE.

    44th Hamble Winter Series Report- Weekend V(Hamble, England)- The 44th running of the Hamble Winter Series is now in its sixth weekend of sailing on the infamous, capricious Solent Water between Southampton and the Isle of Wight. Yet again, J/teams across the board are enjoying a wide range of conditions from wet & wild to sunny and benign.The CV SEA ANGEL set up at 4J (hamblewinterseries.com) for Race Week 5 of the Hamble Winter Series, which was sponsored by Pharmacy Consulting Ltd. The plan, according to PRO Peter Bateson, was “for a challenging variety of legs up, down and across the wind and across the tide, ending after 2-2½ hours back at hamblewinterseries.com.” Wellies had been compulsory on the Hamble foreshore mid-week, which meant that some big spring tides were still prevalent in the Solent. 10-15 kts of breeze with a lot of South in it (185-200 degrees) meant there would be even more “opportunities” for cross-tide sailing than usual.With the series entering its last four weeks, one longer race is the order of the day, allowing boats to return to their berths in daylight. IRC 1&2 were sent on a 13-mile course which had two legs across the Ryde Middle Bank. IRC 3 was dispatched on a 10.9-mile course, which went to Royal Thames (4F) and then to Ben Wood (4N) on the southern edge of the East Knoll Bank.  READ MORE HERE.

    Alsterglocke- The legendary fun regatta on the Alster Lake for J/22s, J/24s, & J/70s(Hamburg, Germany)- The Alsterglocke regatta was founded in 1984 by Claus Krogmann and Robby Rottmann and has enjoyed steadily growing popularity ever since. Not only sailors, but also media outlets such as radio, television, newspapers, and the internet are enthusiastic about this event. It’s well-known throughout Germany and even beyond. Often imitated, but never equaled, it is one of the largest regularly held regattas with an impressive number of participating sailors.Sailors are known for sitting in their boats, sailing across the water, and using the wind to build speed. They occasionally need to manually adjust their sails to create optimal conditions. However, on Hamburg’s Alster Lake and during the Alster Bell event, much more action is required. Every year at the end of the sailing season, the Hamburg Sailing Club organizes a lively spectacle on the Alster. Around 90 boats participate annually, with over 500 sailors and 250 guests from all over Germany. Of course, not everyone is on board at the same time– each boat carries two complete crews of different classes. While a typical large boat usually has five sailors on board, the Alster Bell rule stipulates ten. After each prescribed lap around the dock, without mooring, and maintaining almost no speed, the crews must be exchanged.  READ MORE HERE.

    Light Start to San Diego Hot Rum Series(San Diego, CA)- The first race of the three-race long Hot Rum Series started off with a whimper. Light winds plagued the fleet, with only about one-third of the 100+ boat fleet finishing the pursuit race. Hosted by San Diego Yacht Club for decades, the Hot Rum Series has been a popular regatta to close out the end of the summer/ fall sailing season in Southern California. Using the PHRF SoCal ratings, the slowest boats start first at 10:00 AM, and by noon, the biggest, fastest boats have started. Given the normal scenario for developing winds on San Diego Bay, it takes some time for the Seabreeze thermal to develop over the top of Point Loma. As a result, it’s usually the big boats that benefit from a late start with decent breeze.  READ MORE HERE.

    JOUR J Wins Navigatlantique Trophy(La Rochelle, France)- La Rochelle Nautique hosted the J/70 Cup for the ninth and final stage of the French Cup. This 13th edition of the Navigatlantique Trophy, always a very friendly event, took place from November 8th to 10th.The first two races were held on Saturday in very light wind conditions. Then, four races were held on Sunday in stronger conditions. Finally, two more races took place on Monday in a good breeze.After eight races, JOUR J, skippered by Béatrice Joyaud and her crew of Nicolas Dore, Eliot Merceron, and Benjamin Amiot, emerged victorious with 4 race wins and 10 pts.  READ MORE HERE.

     

    J/CommunityWhat J/Sailors, family, and friends are doing around the world

    A Tribute to Don Trask on Latitude 38 (San Francisco, CA)- The Bay Area sailing community recently lost one of its most influential and passionate figures. Don Trask, a lifelong sailor, competitor, and builder of boats who shaped generations of sailors, passed away at the age of 92, on September 29, 2025, in Mooresville, North Carolina. He left behind a legacy that extended far beyond San Francisco Bay. Don was best known as both a boat builder and fleet builder of Lasers and J/Boats, a competitive Star sailor, and a mentor who fostered a generation of Bay Area sailing champions.Please read the rest of John Arndt’s celebration of Don Trask’s life in the sailing world here on Latitude 38

    The J/46 SWEET RUCA’s AdventuresThis is an ongoing story about a couple that bought a J/46 and, with little offshore experience, decided they wanted to sail around the world. The crew consists of Kate, Curtis, and Roxy the dog. Their introduction is quite amusing. “One day we woke up, saw a boat on the Internet (the J/46), and in less than 24 hours, we had the winning bid!! Kate and I purchased the boat in January 2019 with the intention of refitting her and sailing her around the world. We sold our house, left Ohio, and moved onto the boat in Newport, Rhode Island, in July 2019. That’s before the global Covid-19 pandemic!”Since then, this American couple from the Midwest has had quite the adventure cruising around the world on SWEET RUKA. Here is the short story of their travels to date. READ MORE HERE. 

    J/Gear HOLIDAY Special- 20% off!(Newport, RI)- We’re offering the J/Holiday Special from October through November 15th, 2025! 20% off on ALL orders!But the 1/2 hull models are exempt from this offer.Order early to ensure a Happy Holidays delivery!Holiday discount coupon:  JB2025HSFor any clothing, hats, blankets, and so forth, choose your J/Class logo and customize with boat name and sail number as an option. Browse all products here on the J/GEAR website:https://jgear.vsport.biz

  • SEA Index® Expands to the Caribbean with Port de Gustavia Membership

    SEA Index® Expands to the Caribbean. The Superyacht Eco Association (SEA Index®), an initiative by the Yacht Club de Monaco, proudly announces the institutional membership of Port de Gustavia, marking a strategic expansion into the French Antilles and reinforcing its leadership in sustainable yachting across the Atlantic. To date, more than 20 ports and marinas across the Mediterranean (France, Monaco, Italy) and the Seychelles have signed on.