This past week saw the completion of a major milestone for sailing in Asia. The Qingdao International Sailing Centre in Qingdao, China hosted the second annual Asian J/80 Championship for a fleet of seventeen J/80s from across Asia (China, Russia, India, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia).
Over in Europe, there was more J/80 activity. The J/80 Copa de Espana was sailed off La Coruna, Spain, hosted by Real Club Náutico de La Coruña for a fleet of twenty boats. Then, north of them, the Hamble Winter Series continued its second weekend of racing off Hamble, England; racing was taking place on the Solent and Southampton Water.
Over in the Americas, the famous fall race sailed in western Long Island Sound took place last weekend; the Stratford Shoal “Gearbuster” Race. Indian Harbor YC hosted the event, a 46.0nm “sprint” from Greenwich, CT to Stratford Shoal and return for a fleet of PHRF and PHRF Doublehanded teams. J/Crews virtually swept every podium in classes they sailed- J/111, J/122, J/92, J/105, J/27s, J/88s, and so on. Simultaneously, the Storm Trysail Club’s Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta was a “de facto” J/Fest, with fully 82% of the boats participating being J’s from the 88s up to 44s. Larchmont Yacht Club hosted the event for one-design classes for J/105s, J/109s, and J/44s and PHRF Classes that included J/111s, J/122s, J/92s, and so on.