A Fresh New Take on the Small Keelboat- the J/7 CRUISING WORLD Review
(Newport, RI)- A fresh take on the small keelboat, the J/7 brings performance, stability, and simplicity to a modern daysailer.
With the new J/7, J/Boats has distilled nearly five decades of design experience into a modern 23-foot keelboat that’s as approachable as it is spirited. Designed to be trailerable behind a midsize SUV, the J/7 offers seating for up to six in a deep, secure cockpit, a compact cabin for storage and overnights, and a simple sail plan that delivers the crisp handling J/Boats are known for. Aimed at families, beginners, and club programs— but with enough sparkle to keep experienced sailors engaged— the J/7 promises to double your sailing days with a blend of comfort, stability, and pure fun on the water.
The J/7’s layout emphasizes comfort and ergonomics without over-complication. The cockpit spans 8.5 feet with long bench seats, angled backrests, and space for six adults. READ MORE HERE.
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J/70 World Championship 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. READ MORE HERE.
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Spectacular Finale for the J/22 World Championship in Naples
(Naples, Italy)- The 2025 J/22 Worlds in Naples came to a close after an intense week of competition, with nine races completed in a wide range of conditions— from light morning airs to steady south-westerly sea breezes and strong north-easterly “Grecale” wind gusting up to 25 knots. Throughout the week, the Bay of Naples displayed its full range of moods: bright days with summer-like temperatures and sparkling sunshine alternated with cloudier skies and even one day of heavy rain, when racing went ahead in challenging, but manageable conditions. The variety of wind, weather, and sea states provided a complete test of skill and endurance, perfectly capturing the versatility that defines the J/22 class.
The Dutch FRAPORITA team, a multiple-time J/22 World Champion, once again demonstrated remarkable consistency and control to claim the 2025 world title. Led by skipper Jean-Michel Lautier and crew of Giuseppe D’Aquino and Denis Neves from VW Brassemermeer sailing club, they started out with three straight bullets to dominate the fleet on day one. They never let their foot off the gas pedal for the next three days of racing. In fact, the team “firewalled” the gas hard to close with three more bullets for a remarkable “podium-only” scoreline of 11 pts net in nine races. READ MORE HERE.
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44th Hamble Winter Series Reports
(Hamble, England)- The 44th running of the Hamble Winter Series is now in its fourth weekend of sailing on the infamous, capricious Solent Water between Southampton and the Isle of Wight. Yet again, J/teams across the board are enjoying a wide range of conditions from wet & wild to sunny and benign. Here are the reports from the first three weekends.
Week 1 Report
In the build-up to the 44th Hamble Winter Series, all eyes were focused on the GRIB weather prediction files to see how Storm Amy would affect the proceedings. Try as they might, the Race Team could not find a forecast that would allow racing on Saturday, 4th October. This made the decision easy for Matt Stein, the RC/PRO for the Hamble One-Design Championship. He was able to cancel racing on Friday morning, giving those competitors who had to travel, including one from Italy, plenty of notice.
By Sunday, Amy had lifted up her skirts and headed East. She left behind a good sailing breeze, interspersed with a number of interesting gusts. Matt Stein took the CV Flightwing out to 4S (Royal Southern buoy) with the intention of giving the J/111s and J/70s four races to compensate for the missed Saturday. RC/PRO Peter Bateson headed towards 4V (Hamble Yacht Services) before settling the line for the IRC classes half a mile East of 4S.
On the One-Design line, nineteen teams started in the J/70 fleet. This was the last of their Grand Slam events for the 2025 season, so no pressure! Three J/111s started first and went to a further windward mark. The windward mark on Race 2 for the J/70s arrived as a strong gust met the fleet. There proceeded to be a number of boat handling challenges as the kites went up. READ MORE HERE.
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San Diego YC Repeat Winners @ Lipton Cup J/105 Regatta
(San Diego, CA)– After an exciting weekend of tight racing in quintessential San Diego weather, the 110th Challenge for the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup concluded on Sunday, October 26. The prestigious, invitational-only regatta brought together 12 highly competitive yacht club teams from across the United States and Mexico including Club de Yates de Acapulco, Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, American Yacht Club, Balboa Yacht Club, Bayview Yacht Club, California Yacht Club, Coronado Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club, New York Yacht Club, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, San Diego Yacht Club, and San Francisco Yacht Club. Regatta Chair, Dave Vieregg, stated, “We had an incredible collection of highly skilled teams racing in the 2025 Lipton Cup. It was an honor to host them at SDYC and watch the competition. The Challenge for the Lipton Cup is Southern California racing at its finest.”
The regatta kicked off on Thursday, October 23, with registration, weigh-ins, and a practice race so the teams had a chance to get their bearings on the member-loaned J/105 boats they would be racing over the next three days. To keep racing as fair and even as possible, the Lipton Cup regatta is structured in a round robin format where each team sails one race on each of the twelve J/105s, switching between races from the temporary floating dock brought down to the South Bay for the event. READ MORE HERE.
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Silverware for J/Teams @ RORC Seasons Points Championship 2025
(London, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025, a milestone marking a century of dedication to ocean racing and yachting excellence. Since the 1930s, the RORC has organized a full season of offshore races. In 2000, the Club introduced the first RORC Season’s Points Championship, scored under the IRC Rating System. A quarter of a century on, the RORC Season’s Points Championship has become the largest and most prestigious offshore racing series in the world. The 2025 edition attracted over 600 boats and over 7,000 sailors representing six continents. Over time, various J/Teams have won their respective IRC Divisions or won it Overall. This year, two more teams silvered on the podium. READ MORE HERE.
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J/105 Fleet 3 Shines with Strong Season and New Regatta
(Annapolis, MD)- While many one-design classes across the country are facing participation challenges, the J/105 Fleet 3 on the Northern Chesapeake continues to thrive, with competitive turnouts, lively events, and an enthusiastic community spirit centered in Annapolis.
Annapolis YC’s 2025 Wednesday Night Racing showcased the fleet’s depth, fielding 27 boats in Series 1 and 29 in Series 2— the largest class in either series. Beyond weeknight racing, the J/105s have also dominated many weekend regattas, including the Helly Hansen Sailing World Series, AYC Fall Series, and the Chesapeake Championships, frequently drawing 20 or more J105s—figures rivaling those of recent national championships. READ MORE HERE.
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GOOD TRADE Wins Chesapeake Bay Championship
(Annapolis, MD)— Peter Bowe’s team on GOOD TRADE won the 2025 Chesapeake Bay Championship in an extremely tight 20-boat fleet in what host Annapolis Yacht Club called “epic conditions.”
The two-day event had better-than-expected wind on Saturday and “the breeze we yearn for all year on Sunday,” according to Annapolis YC.
Saturday: Shifty Southerly and Tight Racing
PRO Steve Kling posted an AP on Saturday while waiting for the breeze to settle in across the course. The first race got underway around noon against a strong ebb tide, which caused two general recalls.
Throughout the day, a shifty southerly built from 6 to 10 knots, making for great sailing for the 20 competitors. After three races, Kyle Bollhorst’s JUGGERNAUT won the day— living up to its name by closing with two bullets. MAYHEM was only a point behind, followed by WARBRIDE, the winner of the AYC Fall Regatta against another 20-boat fleet. READ MORE HERE.
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The J/46 SWEET RUCA’s Adventures
This 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.
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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: JB2025HS
For 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
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