J owners were out in force (accounting for 10% of the 900+ entries) at 2008 Skandia Cowes Week, the pinnacle event of the UK sailing season. Most impressive was the record 39 boat turnout in the J/109 class, the third consecutive year that the J/109s have sailed as a class. Add to that the 23 boat J/80 class, the “J/Sprit” class loaded with J/92s and J/105s, and the various J’s sailing IRC, and Cowes Week was like a J owner rendezvous!In J/109 action it was former UK National Champ, ZELDA (Ben Richards & Michael Ewart-Smith) who put on the show, winning 5 of 7 races to capture the title over Matt Boyle’s SHIVA, last year’s Cowes Week winner. The J/80 class made a splash with two major awards received. First, Chris & Liz Savage of SAVAGE SAILING TEAM won the J/80 class and were additionally awarded the Overall White Group Trophy for most outstanding performance (200+ boats). The Skandia Young Skipper's Trophy for the top performing yacht skippered by a young person under the age of 25 was presented to 21-year-old Sebastian Ripard sailing his J/80 AGAINST MALARIA.COM.
Six J/122s sailed within in the 42 boat IRC-2 fleet. The J/122 JOLLY JOKER (pictured above), skippered by Rodolphe Marchais of France, topped the J/122 fleet and finished 3rd overall in class. J/122s took 5 of the top 12 spots. In more J Sprit action, Duncan McDonald on his J/90 JOE showed jets with five bullets to capture the J Sprit class over the J/92 J’RONIMO and J/105 JEOPARDY. Cowes Results Pictures by Rick Tomlinson