Headlining the event will be the two protagonists that have won the past two J/70 World Championships, Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY from Rye, NY and Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT from Wayzata, MN. Both men are in their mid-60s and are living proof that you can be competitive at any age in the world’s toughest one-design class. They will be having to contend with a number of crews that have maintained a high-level of consistency, like Brian Keane’s SAVASANA that was not only 2nd in the 2017 J/70 Worlds in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy, but recently won the Quantum J/70 Winter Series held on Tampa Bay, Florida. In fact, Keane was second to another contender, the winner of the recent Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta in the J/70 Class, Pamela Rose’s ROSEBUD from Chicago with Morgan Reeser aboard for sail trim and tactics. Throw in two more past winners of the J/70 Winter Series- Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE from Fort Worth Boat Club in Ft Worth, TX and John & Molly Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES and it looks like you may have a hard time handicapping this horse race. Plus, one cannot forget other world champion-level contenders like Jud Smith’s AFRICA from Marblehead, MA; Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS from Long Beach, CA; and Jack Franco’s 3 BALL JT (another 2018 winter series winner).
As usual, the foreign contingent has a few solid teams in the mix. YC Monaco’s 2017 Sailor of the Year, Vincenzo Onorato, will be racing his famously-named MASCALZONE LATINO (e.g. “latin rascal”); Ahmet Eker from Istanbul, Turkey is sailing EKER KAYMAK; and from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is Flavio Andrade’s CARURU.
In the Corinthians Division, look for Jenn & Ray Wulff’s JOINT CUSTODY team from Annapolis, MD to be at the top of the leaderboard. Plus, other crews like Andrew & Melissa Fisher’s BUTTON FLY from Greenwich, CT; Frank McNamara’s CHINOOK from Boston, MA; Jim Cunningham’s LIFTED team from San Francisco, CA (he was Etchells 22 Midwinter Champion); Ed Keller/ Billy Lynn on USA 28 from Marblehead, MA; Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD from Annapolis, MD; and Nancy Glover/ Mark Foster on WINTERWIND from Marblehead, MA. For more J/70 Midwinters V sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.