Month: October 2025

As autumn deepens across the Northern Hemisphere, the J/Community continues to prove that the sailing season never really ends — it just shifts latitude. From the glittering Gulf of Naples to the cool breezes off Lake Thun, October has delivered a mix of passion, precision, and perseverance that defines J/Sailing at every level.In Italy, FRAPORITA etched her name into class history as the new J/22 World Champion under the watchful gaze of Mount Vesuvius. Meanwhile, on the serene alpine waters of Spiez, the ringing of a Swiss cowbell marked both the close of the Swiss Sailing League’s 10th season and a new chapter in women’s sailing with the spirited HEIDI Cup. Across Europe, the J/70 scene buzzed with competition — from JOUR J topping the COYCH Regatta in Hyères to the growing anticipation of the J/70 World Championship in Buenos Aires, where seventy-nine teams are set to test their mettle in the choppy brown waters of the Río de la Plata.Back home in the U.S., fall classics unfolded in familiar rhythm — Annapolis delivered another vibrant East Coast Championship for the J/22s and J/24s, while San Diego’s Don Trask Masters Regatta honored a legacy of excellence and camaraderie sailed in a fleet of J/105s. The Rolex Middle Sea Race fleet set off once more from Malta, chasing history and horizons alike, while women sailors in Texas embraced the empowering spirit of the J/105 Mermaid Regatta in Houston.And in quieter corners of the J/World, stories continue to unfold — from the SWEET RUCA crew chasing the sun across the South Pacific, to J/24 World Champions trading full-scale yachts for radio-controlled ones in Newport Harbor, still proving that competition (and fun) know no scale.As the trade winds shift south and the northern days grow short, our global fleet keeps finding new ways to celebrate the joy of J/Sailing — wherever the season takes them.

FRAPORITA Crowned 2025 J/22 World Champions!(Naples, Italy)- For the first time in International J/22 Class history, the World Championship was sailed in Naples, Italy, hosted by the Lega Navale Italiana Napoli, a club with a long-standing tradition of excellence in regatta management. The club has a J/22 fleet that has sailed locally in the gorgeous Golfo di Napoli for decades, all within sight of the famous Mount Vesuvius. The Gulf of Naples hosted a week of great international sailing for the 2025 J/22 World Championship. A total of nine races were held: three on Monday, three on Tuesday, and three on Thursday. On Wednesday, the fleet was grounded due to a lack of wind, and on Friday, the wind failed to exceed 4 knots, rendering racing impossible. On Thursday, despite rain and challenging conditions, the wind held, and the race course provided some spectacular challenges. READ MORE HERE.

A Swiss Cow Bell Rings In a Decade of the Swiss Sailing LeagueRegattaclub Bodensee Win Swiss J/70 HEIDI Cup!(Spiez, Switzerland)- With the ringing of the Swiss Cow Bell, the 10th season of the Swiss Sailing League came to a close. Marking not only the end of another successful year, but also a heartfelt farewell to Markus Blaesi, who has led the League through an incredible decade of growth and innovation.The Heidi Cup, hosted in Spiez on Lake Thun, takes inspiration from the renowned Helga Cup in Hamburg, Germany, an event that champions women’s participation in sailing. This three-day regatta challenged sailors with light and variable winds, a familiar Swiss story where the breeze seems to appear only after the final race. As sailors around the world know all too well, the Monday after the regatta often brings perfect wind!Fourteen women’s teams, twelve from Switzerland and two from Germany, competed on a fleet of seven J/70s, a class that has become the standard across Europe for League-style racing. READ MORE HERE.

JOUR J Tops French J/70 COYCH Regatta 
(Hyeres, France)- The eighth and penultimate stage of the J/70 Coupe de France took place in Hyères from October 17th to 19th, hosted by the Hyères Yacht Club. The dozen-boat fleet enjoyed a total of nine races over the three-day weekend.The J/70s returned to Hyères for the first time since the 2022 J/70 European Championship, magnificently organized by the Cercle d’Organisation du Yachting de Compétition Hyèrois. READ MORE HERE.

Raab Wins Don Trask J/105 Masters Regatta 2025(San Diego, CA)- The 43rd running of the Don Trask Masters Regatta was hosted last weekend by the San Diego Yacht Club, from October 20-22, 2025. This year’s slate of twelve competitors brought together a truly international cast of Master skippers from Canada, Germany, Mexico, and the United States. Over the three days of racing, teams competed on the chartered J/105s in a round-robin format in South San Diego Bay. After sailing a dozen races, a new “young” Master emerged as the regatta winner!By a narrow margin of just 3 points, the ever-colorful Chris Raab and his team from Newport Harbor Yacht Club won the 2025 Don Trask International Masters Regatta, finishing with 59 points after three days of racing. Heading into the final day, with breeze ranging from 5-10 knots and warm sunny skies, the top three boats, led by St Francis Yacht Club’s skipper Tracy Usher, were separated by just 3 points. Remarkably, the top half of the fleet was separated by just 10 points, leaving the competition wide open.  READ MORE HERE.

TREMENDOUS SLOUCH Crowned J/24 East Coast Champion, PINATA Tops J/22 ECs!(Annapolis, MD)- Hosted for the 47th time by the Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis, MD, the fleet of thirty-four J/24s and fourteen J/22s had a weekend of fun & frolic sailing off the mouth of the Severn River. The SSA’s experienced RC/PRO team managed to fire off nine races in the three days of racing, much to the delight of the race-hungry sailors.J/24 ClassWith thirty-four J/24s in the deeply talent-laden fleet, it was going to be a fierce battle for the best position at the start and all the turning marks as each team fought for a razor-edge advantage.  READ MORE HERE.

J/122 NOISY OYSTER Wins IRC 5 @ ROLEX Middle Sea Race(Gzira, Malta)- The Rolex Middle Sea Race is full of wonder and surprise. The most beautiful course in the offshore yacht racing world starts and finishes in a location overwhelmed with history. In keeping with the theatre, the final prize-giving is no ordinary event. Staged within the awe-inspiring 16th-century Sacra Infermeria—originally constructed by the Knights of St John as a hospital and overlooking Malta’s Grand Harbour—the setting is as magnificent as it is historic. Honouring the accomplishments of all 117 participating yachts, the ceremony once again proved to be a stirring and unforgettable celebration.The 2025 edition of the Mediterranean’s most renowned 600-mile offshore race will be remembered as one of the most tactically challenging in its near 60-year history. Defined by genuine camaraderie and unwavering team spirit, it was a testament to resilience, endurance, and determination.  READ MORE HERE.

J/105 Mermaid Regatta Mindset: Finding Your Podium by Lifting OthersA Skipper’s Most Valuable Asset: Why Emotional Intelligence (and Neurodivergence) Drives High-Performing Teams(Houston, TX)- What a weekend at the Houston Yacht Club J/105 Mermaid Regatta! Enjoy this wonderful, insightful perspective from skipper Elizabeth Quintanilla that recently sailed in the Mermaid Regatta on a friend’s J/105. “My post wrap-up thoughts are inspired by the lyrics in Pink’s song- ‘Try’:”Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flameWhere there is a flame, someone’s bound to get burnedBut, just because it burns, doesn’t mean you’re gonna dieYou’ve gotta get up and try, try, tryGotta get up and try, try, try”
READ MORE HERE.

J/70 World Championship 2025 Preview(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- The Yacht Club Argentino is hosting the 2025 edition of the J/70 World Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As the first time the J/70 Worlds has been hosted “down under” in the southern hemisphere, the turnout of seventy-nine entries is quite remarkable! They represent 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 will be taking place from Tuesday, October 28th, to Saturday, November 1st, with teams experiencing the muddy, choppy waters of the Rio de la Plata. Amongst the 79 entries are some very talented teams, all with their eyes set on getting onto the podium. Here’s the breakdown of the top teams from various nations.  READ MORE HERE.

110th Lipton Cup J/105 Regatta Preview(San Diego, CA)– The 110th Challenge for the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup returns to San Diego Yacht Club for the weekend of October 24-26. Named after legendary yachtsman and tea baron Sir Thomas Lipton, the Lipton Cup is one of the most highly anticipated regattas of the season and one of the most highly coveted trophies in Southern California.The three-day regatta brings together twelve teams from across the United States and Mexico to compete in a round-robin format. The regatta is sailed in J/105s, which are loaned to the event by individual SDYC members. In addition to racing the J/105 one-designs, each team is required to rotate between the boats, sailing each boat once over the course of three days to keep every aspect of the regatta even.Lipton Cup Event Chair, Dave Vieregg, discusses his plans for executing a memorable regatta, stating, “We will follow our successful event format from previous years, including the J/105s, round robins, and most importantly, the South Bay venue, one of the best places to race on the planet with its flat water and sea breeze. I think the racers will have a great time on and off the water and am looking forward to seeing what the weekend brings.” READ MORE HERE.

VOTE for J/24 HEADCASE as World Sailing Team of the Year!!(London, England)- World Sailing is currently collecting votes for their annual awards, one of which is “Team of the Year.” Of the four teams nominated, one of the nominees for Team of the Year is HEADCASE from Ireland, the 2025 J/24 World Champion & Corinthian World Champion.HEADCASE has been a highly competitive amateur J/24 team on the international scene. They were the top Corinthian boat at the 2023 J/24 Worlds in Greece, and they won their third J/24 European Championship in a row earlier this year- a Three-Peat!! They put on a dominant performance at the 2025 J/24 Worlds in Plymouth in boom-busting conditions.The winning team will be determined by 50% of the popular vote and 50% of World Sailing expert panels. We encourage you to check out the nominees. You will see HEADCASE is just five guys racing their J/24 and having fun. They don’t have a slick media team managing a website!You can help by going to VOTE at World Sailing.  Here is the link to the site. Click on the link to get started    https://www.sailing.org/2025/10/17/finalists-revealed-for-the-2025-world-sailing-awards

J/24 World Champions Dominate DF95 National Championship!(Newport, RI)- During the recent DF95 USA National Championship, the brothers Read (Ken & Brad) from Newport, RI, put on a clinic on how to sail radio-controlled sailboats fast, sail clean, get good starts, and play the shifts and wind streaks in their backyard pond known as Newport Harbor. Brad won, with older brother Kenny in second, 55 pts clear of the third-place finisher!SAIL Newport hosted the three days of racing for the 60-boat fleet, with sailors from across the country- Seattle to Boston, Minnesota to Texas. Executive Director of SAIL Newport, Brad Read, played the delicate role of host and competitor. His selection of Tom Kirk to be the RC/PRO was a good choice, as “TK” kept the radio-control sailor boys on their toes and the pace rapid as he ran the races with military-like precision and speed- 14 race “flights” per boat (each flight consisting of “A-B-C-D” fleets of about 15+ boats each- exactly 56 races run in total!!). Congratulations to RC/PRO Tom Kirk- job well done!!  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

(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- The Yacht Club Argentino is hosting the 2025 edition of the J/70 World Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As the first time the J/70 Worlds has been hosted “down under” in the southern hemisphere, the turnout of seventy-nine entries is quite remarkable! They represent 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 will be taking place from Tuesday, October 28th, to Saturday, November 1st, with teams experiencing the muddy, choppy waters of the Rio de la Plata. Amongst the 79 entries are some very talented teams, all with their eyes set on getting onto the podium. Here’s the breakdown of the top teams from various nations.
Argentina: as the host country, the “locals” are a talented group. Amongst their contenders are Francisco Van Avermaete’s SI QUERIDA, Nicolas Cubria’s POCO LOCO, Ezequiel Despontin’s 707, Guillermo Parada’s NILDO, Fernando Gwozdz’s MUTADITO, and Matias Pereira’s BLUE.
Bermuda: having recently won the J/70 Corinthian World Championship in Marblehead, MA, Alec Cutler’s HEDGEHOG and his US Naval Academy Sailing Team buddies (all All-Americans, by the way!) will certainly be hungry and hoping to carry that momentum to the leaderboard at the J/70 Worlds.
Brazil: without a doubt, the “sleeper” group of sailors in this year’s J/70 Worlds has to be the Brazilian contingent. This group is talented and very well-traveled, having been to most major regattas in Europe and the USA in the past few years on a very regular basis. Their level of sailing continues to grow, and don’t be surprised to see one of them on the podium. Those teams include Sam Albrecht’s EL ENEMIGO, Jimmy Koch’s WIZARD, Ralph De Vasconcellos Rose’s MINDSET, Renato Cunha Faria’s TO NESSA, and Haroldo Solberg’s VIKING- OCEANPACT.
Chile: like their cross-Andes mountain neighbors, the Chilean sailors are no strangers to traversing the imposing 14,000-foot volcanoes that make up the Andes Mountain range between Argentina and Chile. Notable teams that have fared well on the international J/70 circuit are Vernon Roberts’ MORENITA, Andres Ducasse and family on their DUCASSE SAILING TEAM, and Mauricio Flores’s KINTSUGI.
Espana/ Spain: as a juggernaut of sportboat sailing in Europe in the past decades, and producing multiple J/80 World Champions, the Spanish J/70 Class is placing all their bets on a past J/80 World Champion- Luis Albert on PATAKIN and his crew from Real Club Nautico de Palma. Albert’s PATAKIN team has consistently posted top-five finishes in European J/70 circuits.
Great Britain: as a perennial power in the J/70 class, with two J/70 World Champions, it’s surprising more British teams aren’t represented. As such, the two who are participating should represent their little island nation well. Past J/70 World Champion Charles Thompson is sailing BRUTUS III with his friend Tom Mallindine as helmsman. And, Martin Dent is sailing with his daughter, Ruby, as a sharp, ruthless tactician on JELVIS. Either one of these teams can win, place, or show, and certainly can finish in the top ten.
Italy: the Italian participation is surprisingly light, considering its large, talented fleet. Nevertheless, one of those top teams is Mauro Roversi’s J-CURVE, and a top woman helm will be Sofia Giondi sailing WANDERLUST.
Sweden: the fast-growing Swedish J/70 class is going from strength to strength, with many of their top teams being products of their increasingly competitive Swedish J/70 Sailing League. Two of their top teams are sailing- Per Roman’s GARM and Filip Engelbert’s ELVIS.
Turkey: the Turkish J/70 fleet continues to grow and gain experience. Their Cyrillic-writing neighbors to the north have sponsored the TENZOR Cup Winter Series on the eastern Mediterranean north of Istanbul. As a result, the Turkish teams are improving rapidly. Leading that charge is Ahmet Eker’s EKER team and their colleagues on DENIZCIK, skippered by Gulboy Guryel, could surprise a few people.
Uruguay: the cross-river (Rio de la Plata) neighbors of the Argentineans are the J/70 fleet based in Punta del Este and Montevideo, Uruguay. Several experienced teams should do well, including Diego Wulf’s SHAMBHALA, Pedro Garra’s PLAN B, Antonio Garcia’s CHAPULIN, and Bruno Centanaro’s PURA JODA.
United States: Counting several World Champions and the current Open J/70 South American Champion amidst the American contingent, it’s dead certain the incredibly formidable fleet of “gringos” from the north will predominate on the podium and the top 10 positions. Leading the charge will be Peter Duncan and his RELATIVE OBSCURITY team. But, several crews will give Peter’s mercenaries (Jud Smith, Willem Van Waay, & Victor Diaz de Leon) a run-for-the-money, including two teams from Chicago, IL (Rich Witzel’s ROWDY and John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA), Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER, Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE, Cate Muller-Terhune’s CASTING COUCH, and Brian Keane’s SAVASANA.
Women skippers: There are more than a dozen women skippers racing the Worlds. However, don’t be surprised if the Americans sweep the podium for the Top Women Skipper awards- Maggie Mckillen’s MAGATRON, Cate Muller-Terhune’s CASTING COUCH, Laura Grondin’s DARK ENERGY, and Laura Sigmund’s NORBOY from Chicago.
For J/70 World Championship sailing information and resultshttps://viramos.com/championships/814266b9-7043-4391-bd4e-e05350b94417
For more Yacht Club Argentino regatta informationhttps://yca.org.ar/
#J70Worlds #BuenosAires #YachtClubArgentino #Sailing #RioDeLaPlata #Argentina #WomenInSailing #Regatta

(Hyeres, France)- The eighth and penultimate stage of the J/70 Coupe de France took place in Hyères from October 17th to 19th, hosted by the Hyères Yacht Club. The dozen-boat fleet enjoyed a total of nine races over the three-day weekend.
The J/70s returned to Hyères for the first time since the 2022 J/70 European Championship, magnificently organized by the Cercle d’Organisation du Yachting de Compétition Hyèrois.
After nine races, Béatrice Joyaud’s JOUR J won with five race wins and 13 points net after a discard race. Following her to take the silver medal with one win and 18 pts net was Xavier Moulin’s POLLUX. Rounding out the podium on the bronze medal step was Francois Barbet’s EURO VOILES with one win and 25 pts net.
The balance of the top five included Richard Fromentin’s COCODY LECLERS SPORT HENNEBONT with one win and 28 pts net in fourth place, and Patrick Torfou’s JIMINY CRYCKET with one win and 43 pts net!
Top five teams:1. JOUR J- Beatrice Joyaud, Nicolas Dore, Eliot Merceron, Maxime Hazard- 13 pts- winning 5 of 9 races.2. POLLUX- Xavier Mouli, Pierre Roques, Heloise Arnal, Francois Roques, Alban Roques- 18 pts.3. EURO VOILES- Francois Barbet, Swan Berier Joyet, Theo Di Guglielmo, Clement Peduzzi, Cecilia Zander- 25 pts.4. COCODY LECLERS SPORT HENNEBONT- Richard Fromentin, Sylvain Pellisier, Thomas Nicol, Joan Marion5. JIMINY CRICKET- Patrick Torfou, Christophe Dyen, Leo Vielus, Mateo Portal
For more French J/70 COYCH Regatta sailing informationhttps://www.classej70france.com
#J70 #CoupeDeFrance #Hyeres #YachtRacing #Sailing #Regatta #COYCH #HyeresYachtClub

Regattaclub Bodensee Win Swiss J/70 HEIDI Cup!(Spiez, Switzerland)- With the ringing of the Swiss Cow Bell, the 10th season of the Swiss Sailing League came to a close. Marking not only the end of another successful year, but also a heartfelt farewell to Markus Blaesi, who has led the League through an incredible decade of growth and innovation.
The Heidi Cup, hosted in Spiez on Lake Thun, takes inspiration from the renowned Helga Cup in Hamburg, Germany, an event that champions women’s participation in sailing. This three-day regatta challenged sailors with light and variable winds, a familiar Swiss story where the breeze seems to appear only after the final race. As sailors around the world know all too well, the Monday after the regatta often brings perfect wind!
Fourteen women’s teams, twelve from Switzerland and two from Germany, competed on a fleet of seven J/70s, a class that has become the standard across Europe for League-style racing. Thanks to the League’s forward-thinking decision five years ago to invest in robotic mark technology, the race committee completed eight full flights over the weekend. The RoboMark system, now used in more than 16 events across Switzerland and beyond, continues to improve efficiency and consistency in race management.

The winning team, Bodensee Sailing Club, included Dani Rast, co-founder and Marketing Manager of RoboMark GmbH. Dani shared her reflections on the event:
“I feel very lucky to sail with this group of women — surrounded by women. I grew up sailing mostly with men and never imagined I’d one day compete in an all-women’s event. This weekend, our team of six rotated through five positions, using the Heidi Cup as both a competition and a training opportunity for next season. I love sailing with this team, and I deeply appreciate the environment Markus created for women to build confidence on the racecourse.”
As the sun set over Lake Thun and the final bell rang, it wasn’t just a trophy that was passed on — it was a celebration of community, progress, and the spirit of Swiss sailing. The Swiss Cow Bell, serving as the perpetual trophy, perfectly captures that sound of tradition echoing through the valleys and over the lakes of Switzerland.

The winning Regattaclub Bodensee Team from Switzerland (above) consisted of skipper Lisa Naef and crew of Dani Raast, Irina Hotz, Tessa Egli, Mirjam Abegglen, and Nathalie Winiger.
Taking the silver, just one point back, was the Regatta-Verein Greifswald Team from Germany with skipper Karen Stein and crew of Katie Bell, Franziska Siskowski, and Christine Kobs. Then, rounding out the podium in third place was Sophie Mosegaard’s Thunersee Yachtclub Team of Rahel Pfister, Fiona Scharer, Nina Herold, Michele Guggisberg, and Martine Schaer.
The balance of the top five included Erin Cross’s Cercle de la Voile de Verve-la-Tour Team in fourth place and Stephanie Rosse’s Yacht-Club Luzern’s Ladies Team in fifth place.
Follow the Swiss J/70 Women’s Heidi Cup regatta on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/swisssailingleague
For Swiss J/70 Women’s Results on Manage2Sail.comhttps://www.manage2sail.com/en-US/event/45859359-8625-43ce-a207-61a749cf031b#!/
For more Swiss J/70 Women’s Heidi Cup sailing informationhttps://swiss-sailing-league.ch/fr/
#J70 #WomensSailing #SwissSailing #HeidiCup #LakeThun #SailingLeague #RoboMark #RegattaclubBodensee