J/80 UK Nationals Preview!

(Lymington, England)- There are only 10 days to go until the J/80 Nationals at Royal Lymington YC that start on Saturday 27th August. With 23 boats entered so far and more expected, this is looking like it will be a spectacular event. Entries will be accepted until 9am on Saturday 27th August.

Amis Production drones are revving their blades, Seahorse Magazines are fattening the pig for the Hog Roast, Skyscanner are sound checking the Sunday night band, North Sails are trimming last minute sails, Berthon are sweeping the docks, Nick Cox are sizing up the gear from Helly Hansen and Royal  Lymington YC are readying the Ribs. The extensive number of sponsors and the great sailing waters of Christchurch Bay mean that this event will be a classic of the J/80 calendar; if you haven’t entered already, then don’t miss out!

A full shore-based program has been arranged for the Championships and subsidized tickets can now be purchased for the two main social events by visiting J/80 Nationals Social Events.  For more J/80 UK Nationals sailing information

White Crowned J/80 North American Champ

(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- The J/80 Class Association held the J/80 NA’s for the first time ever outside of the USA on Lake Ontario, hosted by the ever gracious National Yacht Club in Toronto.  The four–day event featured a North Sails clinic on day one along with a very well attended reception sponsored by the J/80 class organization. Fantastic on-land hospitality was enjoyed throughout the event thanks to NYC and the local fleet volunteer organizing committee.

“With a total sixteen boats competing (six USA - ten Canadian) we had three days of windward leewards racking up 12 close quarter races,” said Lawrence Alexander, J/80 Class Vice President. A well-informed fleet, courtesy of Commanders Weather, saw great sailing on Humber Bay. A variety conditions starting with a gusty easterly with 1 m chop on Friday to two days 10 - 15 kts from the NW with a fairly flat race course. Janet Geisberger – PRO wasn’t surprised with the 180 that presented itself between race two and three on Sunday thanks to a strong thermal sea breeze. Janet and her team ran a flawless regatta.

Only 11 pts separating first and third made for an exciting rally between the leaders. In the end, John White’s USA 1162 took the regatta along with crew Jonathan Bartlett, Debbie Gosselin and Shane Zwingelberg.  “NYC ran a great J/80 NA’s really doing an awesome job,” said John White.

Second place was handily secured by CAN 1007 Double Oh with local sailors Richard Reid, Rossi Milev, James Niblick and Gayle Gray. Gary Panariello on USA 1313 Courageous along with Jeff Jordan, Mike Coe and Ashley Love comfortably secured a third overall.

Rounding out the top five was top Canadian woman skipper, Trudy Murphy, on FEISTY and in fifth place was the American team of COOL J led by Alex Kraus.

Generous sponsorships from Helly Hansen, North Sails One Design, FOGH, Slam, Steam Whistle Brewing, Creemore Springs Brewery, Mount Gay Rum, The Source, Commanders Weather, Cell Trade, Ontario Yachts and the J/80 class org. helped make this years championship a great event.

The J/80 class continues to grow, as sailors of all skill levels want to join in this competitive and inclusive fleet as it refocuses as a North American success. It's a terrific all-around boat for one-design racing and a perfect fit for local fleet development says Alexander.     Watch a nice J/80 NA’s sailing video from Ashley Love at T2P.TV here on YouTube   For more J/80 North Americans sailing information

Tabares Three-Peats J/80 Worlds

French COURRIER JUNIOR Team takes Silver
(Sotogrande, Spain)- The Spanish skipper, Rayco Tabares and the HOTEL PRINCESS YAIZA TEAM won the J/80 Marina Sotogrande World Championship and became the only crew to win the triple crown of the J/80 class! The top French team that had been leading the regatta from the first day, Erik Brezellec’s COURRIER JUNIOR, finished second.  Then, another past two-time J/80 World Champion, Ignacio Camino’s Barcelona-based crew on BNFit took the third podium position.

For the finale, the Race Committee had to wait a couple of hours in order to have wind conditions stable enough to start a race that would decide the World Championship. There was a lot of tension and premature starts that did not affect the French crew on COURRIER JUNIOR, or the Spanish (Canary Island’s crew) on PRINCESS YAIZA, who both sailed flawlessly.

Right after the start of the last race, PRINCESS YAIZA was leading the front group off the starting line, sailing their own race. Meanwhile, the regatta leader, COURRIER JUNIOR, was fighting hard after a bad start to stay in front of the second big pack of boats off the starting line. In the end, it was Tabares’ team managed to secure a 3rd place in the final race and were watching with tremendous anxiety how the finishes would end up behind them.  In a large clump of boats coming into the finish line was Brezellec’s COURRIER JUNIOR.  However, it was not to be a triumphant finish for the embattled French crew.  With seemingly the World Championship waiting on a silver platter for them to take home to France, their chances slipped away in the waning few meters in the final race, taking 10th and losing victory by just two points!  Clearly, Brezellec’s crew was disappointed.  Conversely, it was pandemonium for Tabares’ crew.

Commented Tabares after arriving to shore, “Since yesterday, looking at the scores, we knew it was very difficult to win; the French crew on COURRIER JUNIOR were very fast and to get six boats between us was going to be complicated. The only way to win was to sail our own race. We were very nervous in the last downwind leg, because if they finished seventh, they would beat us, but it was a superb finish. We are very, very happy to have achieved our third world title!”

Tabares writes a new page in the history of the International J/80 class as the first skipper to win three world titles in this hotly contested class. “To take the “triple crown” is an honor; this class is very difficult and the fleet is very competitive. For now, we are the only team to achieve a triple crown, but for sure we won’t be the only ones, but I also hope to increase it!” said Tabares.

Behind Tabares and Brezellec were Ignacio Camino in third, Eivind Melleby’s Norwegian team HIGH SEAS in fourth and Marc De Antonio’s BRIBON—MOVISTAR (the 2015 J/80 World Champion) in fifth.  For more worlds info click here.