J/Boats News & Reviews

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- For the first week of August, the Cowes Combined Clubs hosted their annual highlight of the summer sailing season on the Solent- the famous Cowes Race Week off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yet again, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors graced the quaint seaside town with raucous parties and challenging sailing on the capricious waters of the famously fast-flowing Solent Water.
Again, dozens of J/Teams were sailing for a full seven days on the water and garnered plenty of silverware! Cowes Week 2025 delivered everything sailors could have hoped for: competitive racing, changing conditions, and the kind of dockside entertainment that makes the week so memorable. Here’s the roundup for the J/Boat fleet:

J/70 – Short Series (Aug 2-5)JELVIS (Martin Dent) dominated with seven wins from nine races, finishing nine points clear of CASTING COUCH (Cate Muller-Terhune), with CALYPSO (Ali Hall) taking third.
J/70 – Overall WeekIn the J/70 Overall series, YETI RETURNS (Jack Davies) claimed the title ahead of XV MANTA (Izzey Hung & Rob Stein) in second and VALKYRIE (Patrick & Thomas Seely) in third.

IRC 2 DivisionThe J/112E LEON (David Franks) was in imperious form, winning five of six races to take the class title ahead of another J/112E JACK RABBIT (Rutger Krijger & Caroline van Beelen) and YES (Adam Gosling).
Capping an outstanding week, LEON also clinched an impressive 3rd place overall in the prestigious Black Group – an epic achievement!

IRC 4 DivisionThe J/99 WARP 5 (Jan Scholtes) edged the J/105 JAVELIN (Richard Newsom) on countback to take the title, both tied on 8 points. The J/92 NIGHTJAR (Libby Finch, Jack & Joe Banks, Penny Jeffcoate) claimed a strong 3rd, ahead of sister J/92 J’RONIMO (David & Libby Greenhalgh) in 4th and another sister J/92 JAMBO (Simon & Sally Shillaker) in 5th.
J/109 ClassJOULE (Arjen van Leeuwen & Silvy Leijh) was so consistent that they had the class sewn up with a day to spare.
DocksideThe evenings were as lively as the racing – the pontoon was buzzing with stories, tactical debates, and more than a few celebratory toasts.
Tuesday’s sundowners featured the infamous “Dark & stormy” dock drinks sessions. While Wednesday’s beer delivery crew ensured supplies reached the fleet after racing – possibly the best logistics operation of the week!!
For more Cowes Week sailing informationhttp://www.cowesweek.co.uk

The Scandinavian venue lived up to expectations as a tough venue for the ILCA Senior European Championship Trophy. A week that saw 12 races completed in changeable conditions and an XXL field of 153 contestants. It was in this demanding context that Jérémy Moutout, representing Yacht Club de Monaco, held his own finishing 91st in the silver group having pocketed three solid races in the Top 20.

The past few weeks have reminded us why sailing is more than just a sport — it’s a wonderful connection between people, places, and the sea. From the brisk, salty air of the Baltic to the golden glow of a California sunset, the world’s sailors have been chasing wind, glory, and the pure joy of competition. The calendar has been packed with marquee events, and every race has offered its blend of drama, skill, and spectacle.
In Kiel, Germany, the SAILING Champions League Final brought together an extraordinary gathering of club teams from across Europe and beyond, turning the historic port city on the Baltic Sea into a vibrant showcase of precision racing and national pride. Meanwhile, on England’s Solent, Cowes Week once again filled the water — and the quayside pubs — with color, energy, and the unshakable traditions that make it one of sailing’s crown jewels.
Across the Atlantic, American waters were equally alive with competition: Marblehead’s storied Race Week delivered record-breaking speeds and tight fleet battles, California’s Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race kept navigators guessing until the finish, and Lake Superior offered its brand of brisk, challenging beauty in the Trans-Superior Race.
Farther afield, the J/70 one-design class continued to shine as a global racing phenomenon, from the mirror-flat waters of Lake Garda to the high mountain lakes of Switzerland, the sea breezes of Finland and Norway, and the bustling summer waters of Austria and Sweden. Every venue told its own story, yet all shared a common thread — the passion and precision that define great sailing.
This week takes you inside those stories: the hard-fought duels, the moments of triumph, the razor-thin finishes, and the friendships forged along the way. So, tighten your sheets, check your telltales, and join us for a tour of the sailing world at full speed.

Danish KDY Team Crowned SAILING Champions League Winners!
(Kiel, Germany)- For the grand finale of the SAILING Champions League 2025, the world’s best sailing club teams competed head-to-head — a top-tier event in the heart of Kiel, a city steeped in sailing tradition. The elegant Hotel Kieler Yacht-Club served as host, offering direct access to the water and a maritime atmosphere — it was ideal conditions for three days of high-level competition.

A total of 33 clubs from 17 nations qualified for this year’s final — a remarkable cross-section of the European and global club sailing scene. Teams from Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, and Germany competed alongside participants from overseas, including Australia, the USA, and New Caledonia. The format remains the tried-and-tested league system, sailed in identical J/70 one-design class sailboats, with short, intense races right in front of the yacht club — fast-paced, spectator-friendly, and thrilling to watch.

Read more here.

Cowes Week 2025 Update

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- For the first week of August, the Cowes Combined Clubs are hosting their annual highlight of the summer sailing season on the Solent- the famous Cowes Race Week off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yet again, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors will grace the quaint seaside town with raucous parties and challenging sailing on the capricious waters of the famously fast-flowing Solent Water. 
Again, dozens of J/Teams are sailing for a full seven days on the water! Here is how that all breaks down by division.  Read more here.

J-CURVE Victorious @ J/70 Cup Italy- Lake Garda

(Riva del Garda, Italy)- With 50 teams from 21 nations on the starting line, the third stage of the J/70 Cup 2025 concluded in Riva del Garda, confirming its status as one of the most popular and international events on the Italian one-design sailing calendar.
The smooth and high-level running of the event was made possible by the impeccable organization of Fraglia Vela Riva, in collaboration with the J/70 Italian Class, and the precise and timely work of the Race Committee, chaired by Valentina Bravi. The support of Vakaros RaceSense technology was also crucial, allowing for smooth management of the start and course control phases, contributing to the technical success of the event.
The final day saw the final two scheduled races, bringing the total number of races completed to eight, the maximum scheduled for the event. A lighter and more irregular Ora than in previous days, gradually declining, nevertheless, accompanied the fleet until the series’ conclusion. Read more here.

Mesterton Crowned Finnish J/70 National Champion!    

(Mariehamn, Finland)- An excellent fleet of two dozen teams from across Finland participated in the 2025 Finnish J/70 National Championship in Mariehamn, Finland, hosted by the very capable RC/PRO team from Ålandska Segelsällskapet. In the end, eight races were run, much to the delight of the exhausted but very happy crews!
It was a “tale of two cities” for the top of the leaderboard. In one corner, it was a full-on battle all weekend long for the top of the podium between two very well-sailed teams. Read more here.

TnT Detonates J/105s @ Marblehead Regatta
J/70 RELATIVE OBSCURITY sets new speed record- 21 kts- in flat water!(Marblehead, MA)- Marblehead, Massachusetts, with its iconic deep harbor and jam-packed mooring field, is as picturesque as a New England coastal town can be— a Shangri-La in the shadow of madcap Boston. And, perched around the harbor are three equally iconic yacht clubs that have been hosting the region’s biggest summer sailing celebration for 135 years: Marblehead Race Week.
The rotation of hosting duties between the Boston, Corinthian, and Eastern yacht clubs is a longstanding tradition that ensures the burden is shared among them. This year, competitors of the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series at Marblehead Race Week were hosted by Eastern, the grandiose clubhouse on “the Neck.” With a large turnout of sailors, friends, and family expected, Eastern was bustling every evening.
One of the big highlights of the regatta was the huge squall that hit the fleet on the second day. In the chaos of the squall, while wildly exiting the windward mark offset in traffic, Bruce Golison’s crew on the J/70 MIDLIFE CRISS collided with another boat and retired from the race with both boats sustaining damage. Read more here.

J/Teams Win 2 Divisions @ Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race
(Santa Barbara, CA)- An annual mid-summer classic in southern California has been the 80.0nm Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race. It has been a tradition for Santa Barbara and King Harbor sailors for 52 years! In recent years, the race has been popular with a significant number of J/sailors hoping to challenge the straightforward, but wildly tricky race course.
From the start to the first turning mark- the Anacapa Islands- is a relatively straight shot on starboard tack with Code Zeros or spinnakers to the western end of the islands, leaving them to port. Thereafter, it becomes a “roll of the dice” to avoid the massive wind shadow to leeward of the high peaks in the standard NW breezes. Once escaping that windless hole, “death grip”, the fleet generally heads toward Point Dume, a prominent point with very tall cliffs and mountains just to the west of Malibu. The southeasterly flowing winds tend to accelerate near the shoreline by a solid 3 to 8 knots, so it more often than not pays off to go this route, instead of doing a straight shot offshore from Anacapa to King Harbor beneath the Palos Verdes peninsula. From Point Dume, it’s a coin flip on which gybe to take to the finish line inside the King Harbor breakwaters. Read more here.

Breault Dominates U.S. Match Racing Qualifiers

(San Francisco, CA)- The recent U.S. Match Racing Qualifiers held on San Francisco Bay provided the talented match racing teams all they could handle for breeze and challenging boat-handling conditions. Hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in their fleet of J/22 one-design sailboats, eight teams sailed a total of 14 races each over the two-day weekend in two round-robins. The final standings after those two round robins determined the two finalists. Read more here.

J/112E 2nd ORC Overall & J/99 1st PHRF Overall in Trans-Superior Race!

(Duluth, MN)- The 326.0nm race from Sault St. Marie, MI, to Duluth, MN, can be notoriously treacherous in the cold waters of Lake Superior. The 2025 edition proved to be a relative “walk in the park” as the teams enjoyed early windward work, then sybaritic off-wind reaching conditions for the balance of the race. Many J/Teams found the sailing conditions to their liking and collected a significant amount of silverware for their hard-earned efforts. Read more here.

Club Nautique de Versoix Wins Swiss Super League- St. Moritz

(St. Mortiz, Switzerland)- The third act of the J/70 Swiss Super League was hosted by the Segel-Club St. Moritz. A total of sixteen teams from across the Alpine nation looked forward to sailing the often tricky and challenging Lake of St. Moritzersee. 
After a fourteen-race series, it was a bona fide war that broke out between the top five teams. No one gave anyone else any breaks during the weekend; everyone was fighting “toe and nail” for the last little bit of advantage sailing into the finish line. In short, the top five teams all finished within SIX points of each other after 14 races! That’s the kind of racing that causes sleepless nights and persistent anxiety on the race track!. Read more here.

RegattaClub Bodensee Tops Women’s Swiss Sailing Super League- Neuchâtel

(Neuchâtel,  Switzerland)- During early summer, the women’s J/70 sailing club teams in Switzerland were training hard and getting warmed up for the season. Their first event during mid-summer was held on Lake Neuchatel. Hosting the dozen women’s sailing teams for the weekend of sailing was the Cercle de la Voile de Neuchâtel. Read more here.

Hekk Paulsen Crowned J/70 Nordic Champions!

(Gressvik, Norway)- With the largest turnout ever, the twenty-five J/70 teams from across the Nordic region enjoyed extraordinary hospitality and great racing from the co-hosts of the J/70 Nordic Championship in Gressvik, Norway. It was the combination of Kongelig Norsk Seilforening and Hankø Yacht Club that ran the regatta in conjunction with the GRUNDIG Hanko Race Week. Read more here.

Agerup Anointed Queen of GRUNDIG Women’s Regatta 2025

(Oslo, Norway)- The Kongelig Norsk Seilforening (Royal Norwegian Yacht Club) was host to fifteen all-women entries for the 2025 GRUNDIG Women’s Regatta sailed off Oslo, Norway. The format was the sailing league style, with teams rotating in after every race.
It was truly inspiring to see such strong interest in all-women sailing events, and the level of competition compared to the previous year had certainly improved quite dramatically. To be sure, the winner had just completed her campaign for training earlier in the summer by taking 5th place in the J/70 Nordic Championship held at the GRUNDIG Hanko Race Week against twenty-five other J/70 teams. Read more here.

GKSS Wins J/70 Swedish Sailing League- Långedrag

(Långedrag, Sweden)- For the second event in the J/70 Swedish Sailing League, eighteen teams from across Sweden assembled in Langedrag to battle for the ultimate series prize- the best sailing club in Sweden. The host club, Goteborg Kungl Segel Sallskap (GKSS), rolled out the red carpet for all of their sailing friends and happened to also provide them a lesson in how to win a regatta!
For three days, Sweden’s eighteen best sailing clubs participated in Långedrag, as the sailing league continued its hunt for this year’s champion. Friday and Saturday were dominated by fresh winds and changeable weather, where the reigning champions, Halmstad Sailing Association, were best and were in the lead. Read more here.

Mesterton Leads Finnish J/70 Sailing League- Helsinki    

(Helsinki, Finland)- The Aland Sailing Association held the second act of the Finnish J/70 Sailing League in the picturesque harbor of Helsinki, Finland. A total of fifteen sailing clubs from across Finland enjoyed a beautiful weekend of sailing and a total of eight races for each team. Read more here.

Segelclub Mattsee Tops Austrian J/70 Sailing League- Attersee

(Maurrach, Austria)- The second stop of the Austrian Sailing League took place on Lake Attersee, organized by the Union Yacht Club Attersee. Two weeks after the opening event in Velden am Wörthersee, the 18 teams met again on six identical J/70 class sailboats. Starting this regatta, the overall leaderboard saw Burgenland Yacht Club (BYC) leading the overall standings, closely followed by the Mattsee Sailing Club (SCM) and the SCTWV Achensee.
The first day of the regatta offered ideal conditions with 10 knots of wind and some tricky gusts. As the race progressed, the region’s typical rose wind subsided. No further races could be sailed on the final day. A total of 21 races were counted. Read more here.

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Get your J/Gear 20% off special here- ORDER your special discount items here. 

J/99 Leads Sweep of PHRF Division, silvers PHRF Overall!(Duluth, MN)- The 326.0nm race from Sault St. Marie, MI, to Duluth, MN, can be notoriously treacherous in the cold waters of Lake Superior. The 2025 edition proved to be a relative “walk in the park” as the teams enjoyed early windward work, then sybaritic off-wind reaching conditions for the balance of the race. Many J/Teams found the sailing conditions to their liking and collected a significant amount of silverware for their hard-earned efforts.
ORC A DivisionIn this seven-boat division, Robert Klairmont’s J/160 SIROCCO finished fourth with her ORC handicap time of 2 days 12 hrs 11 mins 12 secs.
ORC B DivisionThese five boats saw complete domination by J/Teams of not only their division, but in ORC Overall standings as well. Winning was Kevin Lemonds’s J/109 JANINE, with Tim & Cathy McGuire’s J/112E ELEVATION garnering the silver medal for both division and ORC Overall! Congratulations to both crews for their most excellent performance!
PHRF A DivisionNo one expected a clean sweep of PHRF A division by J/Teams, but that’s exactly what happened. Led by Jim Nacthman’s J/99 RAMBLER in first (2nd PHRF Overall), they were followed by Dale Peters’s J/109 ZIG ZAG in second (4th PHRF Overall), then Bob Asher’s J/99 SHING-A-LING in third, Chris Wells’s J/41 NORTHERN HARRIER in fourth, and Rich Baker’s J/120 BLACK SWAN in fifth place! That was quite the statement by these excited J/crews!
PHRF B DivisionA duo of classic J/35s enjoyed their long battle for division honors in this eight-boat fleet from the start. In the end, it was Keith Stauber’s PAPA GAUCHO II that took fourth place, beating their friends and stablemate Bob Vander Ploeg’s BOBSLED that finished fifth place.
PHRF Doublehanded DivisionIn this five-boat fleet, Chris Nimmer’s J/32 SISU took fourth place after three days of racing!
For more Trans-Superior Race sailing informationhttps://www.transsuperior.com/home

(Santa Barbara, CA)- An annual mid-summer classic in southern California has been the 80.0nm Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race. It has been a tradition for Santa Barbara and King Harbor sailors for 52 years! In recent years, the race has been popular with a significant number of J/sailors hoping to challenge the straightforward, but wildly tricky race course.
From the start to the first turning mark- the Anacapa Islands- is a relatively straight shot on starboard tack with Code Zeros or spinnakers to the western end of the islands, leaving them to port. Thereafter, it becomes a “roll of the dice” to avoid the massive wind shadow to leeward of the high peaks in the standard NW breezes. Once escaping that windless hole, “death grip”, the fleet generally heads toward Point Dume, a prominent point with very tall cliffs and mountains just to the west of Malibu. The southeasterly flowing winds tend to accelerate near the shoreline by a solid 3 to 8 knots, so it more often than not pays off to go this route, instead of doing a straight shot offshore from Anacapa to King Harbor beneath the Palos Verdes peninsula. From Point Dume, it’s a coin flip on which gybe to take to the finish line inside the King Harbor breakwaters.
Many J/teams over time have won not only their divisions, but also overall in the PHRF division. This year, there were only strong performances in various divisions. Here’s how it all went down.
ULDB A- 7 boats1. Dan Murphy’s J/125 JAVELIN
ULDB B- 7 boats3. Jeff Shew’s J/121 RAVEN
PHRF A- 7 boats3. Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s J/122 WARRIOR4. Mark Stratto’s J/122 CHEEKY7. Scott Wildman’s J/122 RESOLUTE
PHRF B- 8 boats1. David Newland’s J/92 DREAMLINE3. Juan Lois’s J/105 ROCINANTE4. Stephen McMillan’s J/99 MERLIN5. Jack Mayer’s J/109 ZEPHYR
For more Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race sailing informationhttps://sbyc.org/sb-kh

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- For the first week of August, the Cowes Combined Clubs are hosting their annual highlight of the summer sailing season on the Solent- the famous Cowes Race Week off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yet again, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors will grace the quaint seaside town with raucous parties and challenging sailing on the capricious waters of the famously fast-flowing Solent Water.
Again, dozens of J/Teams are sailing for a full seven days on the water! Here is how that all breaks down by division.

Day 1: Light winds, building breeze, and spectacular racingThe bigger boats were moved from the Squadron Line to a Committee Boat start off Beaulieu, with the remaining committee boat fleets starting just off Thorness. All classes were initially postponed for two hours, moving to a single AP as the breeze slowly made its way up the Solent.
The wind that took its time to build, and kept everyone on their toes as they tried to get the first starts from the Squadron line. At 1300, the breeze seemed to be building as forecast, and at 1324, a call was made to lower the AP.
First off was the 36-strong J/70 Class. The following classes became a bit bunched as the breeze went more east and proved rather fickle for a while.
Meanwhile, in the western Solent, the larger boats on the committee boat started delaying their first starts until 1425 and were rewarded with a consistent breeze, giving fabulous racing for all the fleets.
As racing got underway with the J/70s, several boats left it a bit late to get the right side of the line after the lengthy postponement, resulting in a general recall. The class eventually got away at 1340, with individual recalls which saw six boats scoring OCS.
As the fleet tacked up the shore, it gave spectators on the shore a fantastic view. Bruce Huber’s ENDEAVOUR emerged as the early leader, while SARDONYX suffered the misfortune of running aground in front of the crowds. The J/70’s course took them round Gurnard, then across to Contessa 32, west to Jane, then Hill Head before finishing at East Knoll. CASTIGN COUCH took the first race win, followed by ENDEAVOUR, LADY KHUMBU, and JELVIS fourth.
Faye Chatterton on LADY KHUMBU described the start: “A bit wacky and wonderful as it always is, tide against not a lot of wind… we managed to sneak around the fleet to finish third in the first race from pretty deep off the line. It took a lot of patience.”
The class managed to fit in two further races, both won by JELVIS, but a win and two seconds saw CASTING COUCH, leading the class at the end of the day, JELVIS second, and CALYPSO third.

Day 2: Tight racing, big waves, and family funFirst to set off for the day were the J/70s at 1030. As with most of the day’s Squadron starts, the fleet fought it out for the pin end, with the breeze steadier and stronger than inshore.

Day 3: Weekend warriors and inspiring figuresA few keen souls also made the most of the gusty, stormy conditions. A couple of the Cape 31s went out for a morning practice, with a few blown-out spinnakers the reward for their efforts, just in case anyone was doubting the race committee’s decision.
Today was Charity Day. Sailing is such a brilliant vehicle for so much charity work, and there are various organisations that use the sport and Cowes Week as a great way to help all kinds of disabled or disadvantaged groups.
The official Cowes Week charities this year are the RNLI and Autism on the Water, which provides free-of-charge sailing for autistic people and their families.

Day 4: Series winners and racing womenThe classes starting from the Squadron line were all off on time, bunching to start from the pin end before the wet, windy beat to the first mark. Today, these include a few of the cruiser classes and smaller IRC boats, as well as the small keelboat and one-design classes with just a few individual recalls in some of the keener fleets.
As the start sequence progressed, the wind built to around 19 knots. Later in the day, spectators enjoyed the entertainment of these fleets finishing close inshore on the Squadron line.
Committee Vessel 1 started the larger IRC classes to the east, where they saw around 10-14 knots and shifty conditions. The J/70s were on Committee Vessel starts all day for the three races, which completed series racing for both classes.
Winner of the J/70 Mini Series was Martin Dent’s JELVIS, followed by Cate Muller-Terhune’s CASTING COUCH. These two were neck and neck until today, but it was JELVIS who pulled ahead, counting two wins and a second for the day.

Women’s DayWomen’s Day aims to highlight the achievements of female sailors across the fleets competing in Cowes, and also encourage an extra effort with female participation. While some have been sailing all week, for others it was an excuse to sail with an all-female crew or female helm for the day.
Racing off the Committee Vessel 4 startline, IRC4 had three female helms who were battling it out around the course. Sarah Allen was just one of the female skippers in this class, also with an all-female crew on the J/105 TAIKA. “We had slightly lighter winds, so there were lots of holes and a huge amount of shifts – the shifts were like 30 degrees, so there were lots of tactical tacking and lots of wins and losses on that. A tactically interesting race, a long day on the water, we enjoyed it tremendously – champagne sailing and sunshine.”
“We’re sailing with a great bunch of girls on the boat who are all really good sailors. This is our first season, so we’re still learning a lot. We’ve got Susan Glenny, who is an excellent offshore sailor and skipper, but we also had a young Tara Scully who’s done Nacras and things, but it’s her first time on the mainsheet. We had a great little battle with the J/92 J’RONIMO with Libby Greenhalgh helming, and another really good all-female crew was Libby Finch’s J/92 NIGHTJAR, so it was neck-and-neck in our group.”
“It’s nice to see so much support for women’s sailing, and when we’re all working and being mums, it’s really nice to have a day out on the water and being together and learning.”

Day 5: Another Glamma DayThe day started with light variable winds, which meant all classes were postponed initially for two hours, with the White Group boats starting on the Squadron line postponed for three hours. Black Group got off at 1300, but White Group had a further lengthy wait for the breeze.
In IRC 2, there was a really good battle on the water between David Franks’ J/112E LEON, Rutger Krijger & Caroline van Beelen’s J/112E JACK RABBIT, and Adam Gosling’s YES! Today, these three were battling around the course as they approached the first windward mark. YES managed to get ahead as LEON and JACK RABBIT jostled for position around the mark, LEON snuck the inner berth, forcing JACK RABBIT to give them room. But, on the hoist, it was JACK RABBIT that got ahead. The three later crossed the line in short succession, YES first with JACK RABBIT hot on her heels, LEON just slightly further behind. LEON led the class by some margin with a clean sheet of firsts going into the day, but on corrected time, it was JACK RABBIT that took the day’s win, YES second, and LEON third.
Sailing in the J/70 fleet for their mini-series has been 21-year-old Arthur Farley, who’s campaigning for the Olympics in the ILCA class. Unfortunately, a collision occurred on starboard tack his racing short. “We were almost joint third, we were looking to stay on the podium, and we’ve obviously got our redress, but think we ended up fifth or something. I’ve only just started racing J/70s, predominantly learning this stuff. Cowes Week is a really enjoyable one to do and usually it doesn’t clash for us, so I’ve done five so far!”
For more Cowes Week sailing informationhttp://www.cowesweek.co.uk

Seven IMOCAs are all set to take on The Ocean Race Europe, a 4,500 nautical mile loop across the Old Continent. Team Malizia, founded by Yacht Club de Monaco vice-president Pierre Casiraghi, will be on the start with Boris Herrmann at the helm of the team’s boat, Malizia-Seaexplorer. After two days of high-speed races on 8 and 9 August, the starting gun for the main event will be fired on 10 August. With Boris Herrmann’s experience and a competitive crew driving the boat, the goal is a podium finish.

(Harbor Springs, MI)- Traveling far and wide, sailors from across the Great Lakes always look forward to their mid-summer favorite event, the famous Ugotta Regatta hosted by Little Traverse Yacht Club in Harbor Springs, MI. Rolling out the proverbial red carpet for a fleet of J/70s and offshore handicap racers in ORC and PHRF Divisions, everyone enjoyed the great racing and the famous t-shirts dispensed at the crack of dawn early Saturday morning for hundreds of passionate sailing enthusiasts- a Ugotta Regatta tradition!
J/70 ClassWinning, or more accurately, dominating this ten-boat fleet was local hero Sean O’Brien and his McFLY team with just 15 pts total. Their scoreline was all podium finishes of 2-1-1-2-1-3-2-3!! Second place was Martin Johnson’s AQUAHOLIKS with 30 pts, and third place was Roy & Marina Lamphier’s BEAT MACHINE with 35 pts.
ORC B DivisionIn this nine-boat fleet, it was Matt Schaedler’s J/122 BLITZKRIEG that took class honors. Just one race was held on Saturday, as there was no wind for Sunday’s race.
PHRF A DivisionWinning this ten-boat fleet was Jim Caesar’s J/109 LIQUID LOUNGE. The next J/109 was Chris Chatain’s DAYBREAK in seventh place, followed by Jim Milliken’s J/109 DRIVE 2 in eighth place.
PHRF B DivisionFinding the sybaritic sailing conditions to their liking were a pair of J/88s, both of whom unsurprisingly ended up on the podium! Winning was Lindsey Duda’s SIN DUDA, followed by Andy Graff’s EXILE to add the bronze medal to his Chicago-Mackinac Race gold medal for winning the ORR Doublehanded Division for the third time in a row.
For more LTYC Ugotta Regatta sailing informationhttps://ltyc.org/ugotta-regatta

 
(Newport, RI)- An increasingly popular regatta during the busy Newport sailing season has been the Safe Harbor Newport regatta. It’s a fun event both on and off the water. The sailing on Narragansett Bay is always fun and challenging, dealing with currents and shifty winds. But, where the Safe Harbor regatta has developed an enthusiastic following amongst sailors is their “apres sailing” events onshore at their world-class yacht harbor facility. With great food, a huge tent, and great bands on Friday and Saturday evenings, the parties are well attended by the eccentric mix of yachties off the magnificent super yachts and the enthusiasts on a range of offshore racing/ cruising yachts.
PHRF Nav B DivisionFour J/crews are sailing in this division, all capable teams that have podiumed before. Sailing are Jim Phyfe’s J/44 DIGGER, Mark Nannini’s J/120 SALACIA, Brian Nelson’s J/112E HONEY BADGER, and Doug Curtiss’s J/111 WICKED 2.0.
PHRF D DivisionThis eight-boat fleet is nearly an all “J” class. Five J/109s are participating- John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT, Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING, Cam Nash’s MISTRAL, Brooke Mastrorio’s URSA, and Bill Kneller’s VENTO SOLARE. Joining them are John Sartorius’s J/120 ALIBI and Joe Brito’s J/121 INCOGNITO.
PHRF E DivisionThis is another fleet dominated by J/Teams. Four of the five teams are Js, including two J/105s (Chris Tate’s BLITZ and Ned Joyce & Andy Reservitz’s DARK’N’STORMY 2), Kevin Dakan’s J/110 MEMORY, and EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT. ORC B DivisionA trio of J/122s will be doing battle in this ten-boat fleet, all of whom are silverware winners in multiple regattas over time. Those J/122s are Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE, David Rosow’s LOKI, and Jack Gregg’s TARAHUMARA. Joining them will be Ed Kaye’s J/111 PRAVDA 2 from Marblehead, MA.
For more Safe Harbor Newport Regatta sailing informationhttps://yachtscoring.com/emenu/17003

 
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- For the first week of August, the Cowes Combined Clubs will be hosting their annual highlight of the summer sailing season on the Solent- the infamous Cowes Race Week off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yet again, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors will grace the quaint seaside town with raucous parties and challenging sailing on the capricious waters of the famously fast-flowing Solent Water.
Again, dozens of J/Teams will flock south from their glass tower offices in London and other parts of the United Kingdom and look forward to engaging their passion for sailing for a full seven days on the water! Here is how that all breaks down by division.
IRC 1 DivisionSailing in this fleet will be Ellie Wollmann’s J/111 FREQUENT FLYER and twin J/122s (Nick Southward’s WHISKEY JACK and Derek Shakespeare’s BULLDOG).
IRC 2 DivisionA pair of J/112E’s will be racing in this dozen-boat fleet, the Dutch team on JACK RABBIT (Rutger Krijger & Caroline van Beelen) and the British crew on David Franks’s LEON.
IRC 4 DivisionThis nine-boat fleet is quite literally an all J/Boats division, an internecine battle to say the least. There are two J/99s (Jan Scholtes’s WARP 5 & Charles Balman’s SNAPSHOT), two J/105s (Sara Allan’s TAIKA & Richard Newsom’s JAVELIN), two J/97s (Stew Hawthorn’s JES & Alastair Fry’s JAB CRAB), and three J/92s (Simon & Sally Shilaker’s JAMBO, David & Libby Greenhalgh’s J’RONIMOO, & the trio on NIGHTJAR- Libby Finch, Jack & Joe Banks, & Perry Jeffcoaste).
J/70 ClassAs the largest international one-design class at Cowes, the thirty-four J/70s will have very competitive racing off the iconic Royal Yacht Squadron starting line. Several class veterans will be in the mix at the top of the leaderboard, including Ali Hall’s CALYPSO, Cate Muller-Terhune’s American team on CASTING COUCH, Patrick Liardet’s COSMIC, Marshall King & Doug Struth’s DSP, Graham Clapp’s JEEPSTER, David McLeman’s OFFBEAT, William Edward’s SARDONYX, and Jack Davies’ YETI.
J/109 ClassThis nine-boat fleet is never lacking for passionate, enthusiastic owners who, year after year, enjoy sailing their J/109s around the cans in the always capricious Solent waters. Amongst those veterans are John Smart’s JUKEBOX, Chris Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN, Rob Cotterill’s MOJO RISIN, and the Dutch team of Arjen van Leeuwen & Silvy Leijh’s JOULE.
For more Cowes Week sailing informationhttp://www.cowesweek.co.uk