Spain’s YUPI Crowned J/70 Mixed-Plus World Champions!

(Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy)- The debut of the J/70 Mixed-Plus World Championship took place last week on Lake Garda, Italy, for a fleet of 47 teams. Hosting the sailors off the gorgeous lakeside village of Torbole was the Circolo della Vela Torbole.

The fleet from 18 nations (AUS, BRA, CYP, DEN, ESP, FRA, GBR, GER, JPN, HUN, ITA, MON, NED, POL, SWE, SUI, & USA) reflected the success of this inclusive and competitive format. The event brought together an elite mix of sailors: Olympic medalists, world-class professionals, rising talents, and skilled amateur teams, all racing under simple, accessible rules that define the Mixed Plus category. In fact, there were 25 Olympians amongst the sailors on the teams, some of them very famous sailors. Coincidentally, there was a record number of 125 women participants as skippers and crew!

Day 1- YUPI Leads After a Perfect Opening Day
Lake Garda delivered its finest conditions for the opening day of the first-ever J/70 Mixed-Plus World Championship: three races completed in a steady, warm Ora breeze peaking at 20 knots.

Spain’s YUPI took control of the leaderboard with an impressive 1-1-2. Onboard: Joan Cardona Méndez, Gerardo Prego Menor, the Tokyo 2020 Olympian Cristina Pujol Bajo, Fátima Diz Barreras and Pilar Amaro Filgueira. Their consistent performance earned them the Garmin Cup, awarded to the best team of the opening day.

“It’s fantastic to sail here with a fleet of unexpectedly high level: we hope to keep up the good work tomorrow,â€Â commented Cardona after the races. 

In second place, Australia’s VAMOS, helmed by Tim Ryan, scored a solid 3-3-5, showing consistency across the board. Third overall was TO NESSA from Brazil, skippered by Renato Cunha Faria and crewed by Torben Grael, Martine Grael, Kahena Kunze, and Kadja Brandao — a crew with nine Olympic medals between them!! In fourth place was SAILRACING from Sweden with Anton Dahlberg at the helm, followed by the top Italian team, J-CURVE of Mauro Roversi, featuring Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol, fresh off their Women’s America’s Cup win with Luna Rossa. In sixth was the ever-consistent CATAPULT (USA) with skipper Joel Ronning, a J/70 World Champion.

The fleet was stacked with Olympic sailors, one-design veterans, and international champions, but what makes this event truly special is the blend with Corinthian teams: non-professional sailors who bring passion, dedication, and sharp skills to the race course. Leading the Corinthian division is Stefano Roberti on PICCININA, followed closely by Italy’s Yann Inghilesi with CICLONE and the British team DSP skippered by Douglas Struth. In fourth place was Gianfranco Noè’s WHITE HAWK, while the German DIE RADIOLOGIE closed the top five. With small gaps between them, the racing in this category promises to be just as tight and compelling.

Day 2- YUPI Hangs Tough!
Friday was the second day of racing. Although the “Ora†breeze was lighter than yesterday, it didn’t disappoint; it blew steadily enough to deliver three fair, fun, and hard-fought races.

Holding on to the top of the leaderboard was the Spanish team YUPI, with Joan Cardona Méndez at the helm. A strong, consistent day for them, steadily improving with scores of 3-2-1 — always inside the top three. Chasing six points behind was Tim Ryan’s VAMOS from Australia, who started the day strong with victories in the first two races. In third place was the Swedish team SAILRACING, led by Anton Dahlberg, posting a 2-5-3 and now tied on points with the Australians.

Just off the podium is Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT, trailing the leaders by 10 points. One point further back is J-CURVE, skippered by Mauro Roversi. The incredibly high level of the fleet is clear when you consider that TO NESSA from Brazil — a team featuring no fewer than nine Olympic medals — currently sits in sixth place overall.

The top Corinthian team was DSP by Douglas Struth and Marshall King, in 11th place overall. Close behind were the Americans on DIME, helmed by Andrew Loe, just two points adrift, followed by PICCININA from Italy with Stefano Roberti, just one point further back.

Day 3- All Eyes on the Grand Finale in Torbole
A busy day full of tactical challenges wrapped up in Torbole on Saturday. Once again, Lake Garda delivered ideal racing conditions, with the southern Ora breeze blowing steadily from 195°, ranging between 12 and 18 knots. Shifty and gusty, the wind put both crews and tacticians to the test. All three scheduled races were completed on a race course where strategic choices made the real difference.

The day opened with a win by the Corinthian team, LIFT TICKET, highlighting the diversity and competitiveness of a highly inclusive fleet. In fact, over 50% of the sailors on the starting line were women, one of the core goals behind the creation of the Mixed-Plus format, strongly supported by the International J/70 Class.

In the second race of the day, YUPI — the Spanish team helmed by Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalist Joan Cardona Méndez — returned to form, much as they had dominated the first two days. With a win in Race 8 and a second place in Race 9, Cardona strengthened his lead in the overall standings, now eight points ahead of Australia’s VAMOS, skippered by Tim Ryan.

It was also a solid day for Brazil’s TO NESSA, who posted scores of 3-3-4 to climb back into third place overall. Joining helmsman Renato Cunha Faria and Kadja Brandao on board are sailing legend Torben Grael, his daughter Martine, and her crewmate Kahena Kunze — all three Olympic medalists. Dropping to fourth are Sweden’s SAILRACING, now 14 points off the podium, followed in fifth by Italy’s J-CURVE, skippered by Mauro Roversi.

In the Corinthian division, Andrew Loe’s DIME led the standings, but the race for the title was as close as ever. DSP sat in second, tied on points but behind due to weaker individual results. Moving up to third is Gianfranco Noè’s WHITE HAWK, just three points off the lead, after a strong showing in the first race of the day, where they rounded the top mark in first place. Completing the Corinthian top five are Roberti’s PICCININA and Keith Whittemore’s FURIO.


Day 4- Grand Finale, Grand Performance
It’s hard to imagine a better debut for the inaugural J/70 Mixed-Plus World Championship, held in the iconic sailing venue of Torbole on Lake Garda in Italy. Framing this high-level event was the unmistakable breeze of Lake Garda and the flawless hospitality of Circolo Vela Torbole, which welcomed more than 250 participants from around the world with professionalism and warmth. It was the perfect combination of sport, passion, and vision for the future of sailing, all coordinated by the expert organization of the J/70 Italian Class and J/70 International Class.


From the very first day, it was the Spanish team YUPI who set the pace at the top of the leaderboard, delivering consistently strong performances. At the helm, Olympic bronze medalist in the Finn Class at Tokyo 2020, Joan Cardona Méndez demonstrated expert fleet management and tactical clarity in every condition. The team was comprised of Gerardo Prego Menor, Cristina Pujol Bajo, Fátima Diz Barreras, and Pilar Amaro Filgueira. But YUPI’s victory was far from guaranteed. Despite leading early on, the Championship was decided in the very last race in a thrilling photo finish. That’s when the Spanish team had to respond to the charge from Australia’s VAMOS, managing to defend their lead by the narrowest of margins — just two points in the final standings. Tim Ryan and his crew delivered a 2-1 in the last two races, steadily closing the gap and earning a well-deserved silver medal. Third place went to SAILRACING, the Swedish team led by Anton Dahlberg, who finished 30 points behind the Australians. Just off the podium was Brazil’s TO NESSA, helmed by Renato Cunha Faria, followed by the American team CATAPULT, helmed by Joel Ronning.

Rounding out the top ten were: J-CURVE of Mauro Roversi (Italy), LUJZI (Hungary), BRUTUS II (United Kingdom), T-ONE (Italy) skippered by Manfredo Toninelli, and WAR CANOE (USA).

“We’re truly happy to have won this first-ever Mixed-Plus World Championship,†said Joan Cardona Méndez. “It was a special event, very different from any other regatta. The level of competition was incredibly high, and seeing so many women on the water was fantastic. Lake Garda gave us perfect conditions, and our team worked in great harmony from day one. This will be an experience we’ll always remember.â€â€¨
Just outside the top 10 came the Corinthian fleet, tightly packed from 11th to 15th place. Taking the top spot in the Corinthian division was Douglas Struth’s DSP (UK), who managed to overtake Andrew Loe’s DIME (USA) on the final day, after Loe had led for most of the event. The bronze medal went to Gianfranco Noè’s WHITE HAWK, a former Corinthian World Champion. Completing the top five were Stefano Roberti’s PICCININS (Monaco) and Yann Inghilesi’s CICLONE (Italy).


The Mixed-Plus format also included special prizes for the best all-female crew and the best female helm. The all-female crew award went to HOLLANDISCH GLORIE, skippered by Sanne Crum, while the best female helm prize was awarded to Luca Kis-Szolgyemi onboard LJUZI. Finally, the best team in the Young division was BULLA, with Matilde Garaventa at the helm.

The 2026 J/70 Mixed-Plus World Championship will be hosted by Royal Danish Yacht Club in Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 13-16, 2026.