(Torquay, Devon, England)- 79 Teams, 20 Nations, 5 Continents. On Monday September 2nd, racing will start at the Darwin Escapes 2019 J/70 World Championships, hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club. This will be the sixth edition of the J/70 World Championship and the first to take place in the United Kingdom. Five days of windward-leeward racing are scheduled with up to 14 races in the stunning, yet tricky sailing grounds of Torbay.
American teams have reigned supreme at the J/70 Worlds, with skippers from the United States winning the open title on four occasions, and a largely USA crew winning with Mexican skipper Julian Neckelmann in 2015. Peter Duncan's RELATIVE OBSCURITY winner in 2017, and Joel Ronning's CATAPULT winner in 2016, will both be competing.
Italian teams have totally dominated the European Championship winning every year since 2014. Reigning J/70 European Champion, Claudia Rossi, and past European Champions from Italy (Alberto Rossi & Carlo Alberini), will all be competing. Can they overcome American dominance in the class? Time will tell…
British teams have never made the Open Division podium at the J/70 World Championship. Hoping to break that streak on home soil are two top contenders who showed their form in last week's J/70 UK National Championship, Open Division winner Paul Ward's EAT SLEEP J REPEAT and Corinthian Division winner King & Wilson's SOAK RACING. Doug Struth's Corinthian team racing DSP was British champion in 2018.
Spanish teams looking to win the Open Division for the first time include the 2018 J/70 Worlds Corinthian Champion, Luis Bugallo's MAR NATURA. Pichu Torcida's NOTICIA has a world-class crew with eight J/80 World Championship titles. On current form, is Spain’s Luis Albert's PATAKIN as one of the strong contenders.
J/70 teams from all over the world will be competing at the Darwin Escapes 2019 J/70 World Championships: Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the USA.
The Darwin Escapes 2019 J/70 World Championships, hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, will have up to the minute coverage as the drama unfolds at Facebook here. For more Darwin Escapes 2019 J/70 Worlds sailing world information.