J/70 World Championship 2025 Update

(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- The Yacht Club Argentino is hosting the 2025 edition of the J/70 World Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the first time “down under” in the southern hemisphere. There are 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 continues to Saturday, November 1st. So far, the top of the leaderboard is experiencing a severe case of “chutes & ladders”, as teams move up and down the top ten like yo-yos on a string.

Day One
The initial leader on the first day was Laura Grondin’s DARK ENERGY, the first time in the history of the J/70 class that a lady helm led the top of the leaderboard at a World Championship!

Local knowledge directed race one when Fernando Gwozdz’s PETRO GREEN RACING (ARG) went wire to wire, and Juan Diego Figueroa’s HOMERO (ARG) was runner-up. Continuing their hot streak after winning the Corinthian World Championship last month, Alec Cutler’s HEDGEHOG (BER) placed third. Women helms made a statement in fifth and sixth places: Maggie McKillen’s MAGATRON and Laura Grondin’s DARK ENERGY (both USA). Winds came from the Southeast around 12-15 knots with choppy waters upwind and mode changing downwind in planing conditions.

A wind shift caused a short postponement before race two as the breeze ebbed off a bit. A pack of Americans charged forward, led by Grondin’s DARK ENERGY (USA). The leeward gates were quite busy with multi-lingual commotion. Teams used wing-on-wing maneuvers to slay the downwind legs. Samuel Albrecht’s EL ENEMIGO (BRA) and Brian Keane’s SAVASANA (USA) took the silver and bronze spots in race two.




The top five overall: 1st- Laura Grondin’s DARK ENERGY (USA)- 7 pt; 2nd- Sam Albrecht’s EL ENEMIGO (BRA)- 11 pts; 3rd- Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADER (USA)- 18 pts; 4th- Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY (USA)- 18 pts; and 5th- Haroldo Solberg’s VIKING OCEANPACT (BRA)- 18 pts. 

Day Two
Sailors were giddy on Wednesday after two more races in wet and wild conditions on the Río de la Plata. Under sunny skies, 15-18 knots of breeze paired with a running river current to equal a lively day off the shores of Yacht Club Argentino.

A new leader emerged in Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER (USA) and also two fresh names in the top five— Brian Keane’s SAVASANA and Rich Witzel’s ROWDY (both USA). Cate Muller Terhune’s CASTING COUCH (USA) ascended to sixth overall, leading the group of five women helms.

“The HONEYBADGER team likes to have fun and keep it loose. It’s unique to have this amount of talent on a boat that also happens to be really good friends,” said Odenbach.

In race three, Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER (USA) made it look easy in the heavy air. Bruno Bethlem’s ARETE (BRA) and Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY (USA) also excelled in the dramatic weather, as boats churned rapidly on the downwinds.

The exhilarating racing lasted into race four, where local knowledge ruled as Guillermo Parada’s NILDO (ARG) took line honors, ahead of Keane’s SAVASANA (USA) and John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA (USA). 


Top five overall: 1st- Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER (USA)- 24 pts; 2nd- Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY (USA)- 25 pts; 3rd- Haroldo Soberg’s VIKING OCEANPACT (BRA)- 38 pts; 4th- Brian Keane’s SAVASANA (USA)- 40 pts; 5th- Rich Witzel’s ROWDY (USA)- 46 pts.  Click here for J/70 Worlds Day 2 results overall (PDF file).

Day Three
The roller coaster scorelines started to settle in on Thursday as the discard race came into effect, with now six races scored. The day began as a light air affair, the opposite of the initial two days, but picked up to a steadier pace for the day’s second contest. Laura Grondin’s DARK ENERGY (USA) returned to the top of the leaderboard, able to toss a prior 40th and land at 37 net points just after the halfway point of the Championship. Haroldo Solberg’s VIKING OCEANPACT (BRA) moved into the runner-up position, only two points behind.

The DUCASSE Sailing Team (CHI) of Andrés Ducasse, Ignacio Ducasse, Rodrigo Ducasse, and Francisco Ducasse is keeping hold of the 30-boat Corinthian Division. Winners of the 2021 Worlds Corinthian division, they remain eighth overall in Buenos Aires, aiming for a top-ten finish. “It’s a family business, there are seven of us,” said Andrés Ducasse. “My younger brother is our coach. My older brother is our tactician. My dad helps keep everyone calm on board. We’ve been sailing the J/70 for 10 years, and my brother and I raced 470 in the Rio Olympics. So yes, we’re Corinthians, but we’ve got hours on the water.”

Light air tactics determined race 5, won by Luis Albert’s PATAKIN (ESP), with John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA (USA), and Grondin’s DARK ENERGY extending on the rest of the 71-boat fleet. 

A little more breeze of 10-12 knots made for hectic mark roundings in race 6 when Samuel Albrecht’s EL ENEMIGO (BRA), Doug Rastello on Charles Thompson’s BRUTUS III (GBR), and Renato Cunha Faria’s TO NESSA (BRA) cracked the top three.

Top five overall: 1st-  Laura Grondin’s DARK ENERGY (USA)- 37 pts; 2nd- Haroldo Solberg’s VIKING OCEANPACT (BRA)- 39 pts; 3rd- Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY (USA)- 42 pts; 4th- Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER (USA)- 44 pts; 5th- Bruno Bethlem’s ARETE (BRA)- 49 pts.   Click here for J/70 Worlds Day 3 results overall (PDF file).

Day 4
Friday was “shakeup day”, yet again, on a supremely sublime day. It was a sunny, beautiful day on the Río de la Plata with a ripping tide that challenged the teams. The standings continue to invert throughout this series, with eight of 10 planned races recorded. The final shootout is set for Saturday, after another new leader has materialized: Bruno Bethlem’s ARETE (BRA) with 68 net points, eight points ahead of Doug Rastello helming Charles Thomson’s BRUTUS III (GBR). Friday’s conditions could be referred to as a seesaw— when winds of 6-8 knots combined with significant current to test crews.

“The day was quite good. We were not too aggressive in the settings, so we could manage the tricky conditions of Buenos Aires,” said the new regatta leader. “My team? We’re all friends. We have been sailing in this Class together for a long time. They deserve this. I’m happy for them. We have no expectations. We’re just here to sail. We don’t think expectations are good, so we don’t make them. We just go out there every day and try to sail our best.”

Race seven saw Richard Witzel’s ROWDY (USA) forcing a gybe at the finish line to take the win over Mauro Roversi’s J-CURVE (ITA) and Filip Engelbert’s ELVIS (SWE).

After a brief postponement to reset the line, race eight was off with many on port tack right after the start. As boats turned downwind, a parade of spinnakers lit up the left side of the course. Cate Muller-Terhune’s CASTING COUCH (USA) earned the victory, ahead of Nuno Espirito Santo Silva’s BABA (POR), and Guillermo Parada’s NILDO (ARG).



Top five overall: 1st- Bruno Bethlem’s ARETE (BRA)- 68 pts; 2nd- Doug Rastello/ Charles Thompson’s BRUTUS III (GBR)- 76 pts; 3rd- Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY (USA)- 80 pts; 4th- Laura Grondin’s DARK ENERGY (USA); 5th- Martin Dent’s JELVIS (GBR)- 87 pts.  Click here for J/70 Worlds Day 4 results overall (PDF file).


Sponsors include Vida Seguros, Almarena Madero Urbano, Galeno, South American Rigging/ Marlow/ Velo, Ansilta, Eximia, Windsail, Emergencias, Fantoche, and Vacalin


Sailing photo credits- by Matias Capizzano
https://capizzano.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2025-J70-Worlds/C0000IQHv30m._o8

For J/70 World Championship sailing information and results
https://viramos.com/championships/814266b9-7043-4391-bd4e-e05350b94417

For more Yacht Club Argentino regatta information
https://yca.org.ar/2025/01/15/2025-j70-world-championship/