Thursday, August 30, 2018

40th J/24 World Championship Update

J/24s sailing at Worlds on Lake Garda, Italy (Riva del Garda, Italy)- Lake Garda lived up to its “bucket list” reputation on the opening day of the J/24 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy. Eighty-nine teams from 14 countries (Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden and United States) descended on the picturesque lake for the 40th edition of the Championship.

Day 1- Monday
With sunny skies and breeze at 10-15 knots, American Will Welles’ Kaster got out of the gate with the early advantage, posting 2,5,2 for nine points in the three races. Hungarian Tomai Bala’zs’ J.Bond 037 started the day strong with 1,2, but a 13 in race three left him with 16 points for second place. Travis Odenbach’s Honeybadger of the USA rests in third place with 29 points.

Bala’zs opened the regatta with a victory, ahead of Welles and Italian Ignazio Bonanno’s La Superba. Keith Whittemore’s Furio, USA, took the next battle, as Bala’zs dropped to second and Duncan McCarthy’s Madeleine of Great Britain put another nation on the leaderboard. The final contest saw McCarthy, Welles and Whittemore comprise the top three.

J/24s sailing on Lake Garda, Italy- WorldsDay 2- Tuesday
The leaderboard tightened up Tuesday at the J/24 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy. Lake Garda again produced fantastic conditions as the 89 teams recorded two more races, bringing the total to five, including now one discard. American Will Welles’ Kaster maintained the top spot with 18 net points, but Hungarian Tomai Bala’zs’ J.Bond 037 is just two points back in second place with 20, and Nobuyuki Imai’s Siesta of Japan launched up to third with 21 points. Both Welles and Bala’zs stumbled in the day’s final race, but benefited from the throw-out.

2016 World Champion Daniel Frost’s JJOne of Germany ruled the day, winning the first contest, and placing second in the next. Following Frost in Tuesday’s opener were two Americans: Keith Whittemore’s Furio and Travis Odenbach’s Honeybadger. Imai’s Siesta also had a solid day, leading the fleet home in race five, ahead of Frost and fellow Japanese sailor Tomomi Hatakeyama’s Gekko.

J/24s saiing upwind on Lake Garda, ItalyDay 3- Wednesday
Lake Garda delivered more of the same champagne conditions on the middle day of the J/24 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy. American Will Welles’ Kaster showed the same consistency, posting two second place finishes in Wednesday’s pair of races. Welles now boasts a seven-point advantage over Nobuyuki Imai’s Siesta of Japan, who won the opening contest but added a seven in the next. Daniel Frost’s JJOne of Germany continued his ascent up the rankings with a 4,3 to move into third at 36 points, with Keith Whittemore’s Furio of the USA looking over his shoulder one notch back.

Imai’s Siesta stayed hot, winning the opening match Wednesday in the familiar 10-16 knot lake winds. Welles and Whittemore followed. Whittemore’s Furio earned his first bullet of the series in race seven, with Welles repeating in second and Frost third.  For more J/24 World Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.