LE TIGRE Builds Commanding Lead at J/80 World Championship
(Kingston, ONT, Canada)- After storms and heavy winds kept the fleet ashore for Tuesday’s scheduled opening races, the 2026 J/80 World Championship got underway Wednesday on the waters of Lake Ontario, where 34 teams were greeted by gusty conditions averaging about 20 knots off Portsmouth Olympic Harbor. Hosted by CORK/Sail Kingston, the Championship has attracted competitors from across North America, along with international teams from Germany and Gibraltar. The waiting proved worthwhile as two exhilarating races delivered white-knuckle competition as teams began staking claim to the leaderboard.
Fresh off defending his J/80 North American Championship title on the same race course just over a week ago, James Buley’s LE TIGRE continued its impressive Kingston form. A race victory followed by a second-place finish gives Buley the overall lead with just 3 points after two races. Warren Flannery’s FEISTY sits second overall with 5 points after posting a fourth-place finish in the opening race before winning Race 2. Tied on six points are Daniel Wittig’s TURBO SLOTH, who finished second in Race 1, and Michael Grau’s PAINT IT BLACK, which recorded third-place results in both contests.
The top three finishers in Race 1 were Buley, Wittig, and Grau. Race 2 belonged to Flannery, with Buley crossing second and Grau adding his other third. Conor Hayes’ MORE GOSTOSA leads the highly competitive and robust Corinthian Division.
Day 2
Buley Sweeps Four Races, Builds Commanding Lead!
The LE TIGRE team delivered a flawless performance on Thursday, winning all four races to extend their lead. Competitors enjoyed sunny skies and a building seabreeze ranging from 15 to 20+ knots, rewarding focus, stamina, and boat speed through choppy waters. Efficient race management, supported by Vakaros RaceSense, allowed the Race Committee to complete an ambitious four-race schedule, bringing the fleet to six races overall.
With the discard now in effect, Buley’s remarkable scoreline leaves LE TIGRE atop the standings with just 5 net points. Sailing with Jackson Benvenutti, Bill Hardesty and Skip Dieball, Buley has now won five of the six races completed and carries a commanding advantage into the final two days of competition. The battle behind the leader remains tight. Wittig’s TURBO SLOTH and Grau’s PAINT IT BLACK are tied on 15 net points, with Wittig holding second place on the tiebreak.
Buley set the tone immediately by winning Race 3 ahead of Jesse Thompson’s TUBBY and Grau. He followed with another victory in Race 4, where Thompson again finished second, and Wittig took third. Race 5 saw Buley lead Grau and Jason Balich’s OVER ACHIEVER across the line, before completing the sweep in Race 6 ahead of Wittig and Christopher Hobbs’ LIFTED. The Corinthian Division continues to showcase outstanding competition of its own, with Conor Hayes’ MORE GOSTOSA maintaining its lead among the amateur teams.
With six races complete and the discard factoring into the results, the Championship enters its final stretch on Friday and Saturday. While the racing has been fiercely competitive, the camaraderie ashore has been just as strong, reminding everyone that the J/80 World Championship is as much about enjoying time on and off the water as it is about the results.
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J/80 Worlds at CORK/Sail Kingston 2026 results
https://www.cork.org/past-results/results2026/Results/J80-Worlds/Results.html