(Wakayama, Japan)- Forty-four J/24 teams are gathering together from
eight nations for the J/24 World Championship in Wakayama Japan. The
competition begins Monday, September 19 and continues through Friday,
September 23 for the entrants representing Australia, Germany, Great
Britain, Japan, Korea, Peru, Singapore and the USA. The host, Wakayama
Sailing Club, is excited to host this major event for the first time in
over a decade in Japan. Teams are already in Japan practicing and
preparing for the regatta.
The
talent-laden fleet has an amazing cross-section of J/24 teams from
around the world. For example, the Australian National Champion, “the
Black Prince of Sandringham”- David Suda, is making an appearance on the
equally infamous PACEMAKER. Then, past multiple European Champion, Stu
Jardine, will be bringing along a bunch of his fast mates from the
United Kingdom to sail yet another incarnation of TEAM STOUCHE UK! From
Germany is Stephan Mais’ RUNNING MEN and Dan Frost’s JJ-ONE. From
Korea’s fleet in Seoul are June Lee’s SUP SUP HAE, Nabyul Ha’s SUMMER
SANTA, and Cheol Park Ki’s ULSAN COLLEGE. Vladimir Borstnar’s SINGAPORE
is sailing for Singapore, of course. The four USA teams are formidable
quartet, including the freshly-minted 2016 J/24 North American Champion
Will Welles on COUGAR. Welles’ nemesis that tied him on points for the
N.A. title in Toronto, Canada will also be racing- Travis Odenbach’s
SEA BAGS SAILING TEAM. Finally, two top West coast boats will be in the
mix, like Mark Laura’s BABA LOUIE from Seattle, WA and Mike Johnson’s
PEARL.The Japanese fleet is showing up with over twenty boats on the starting line. Familiar teams include Tokuma Takesue’s GEKKO, Tuji Hiromoto’s WHITE SQUALL, Yoichi Matsumoto’s JELLYFISH and Hidetaka Nakanishi’s BLACK PEARL. For more J/24 World Championship sailing information
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