Preview: 2024 J/70 North Americans

Published on April 29th, 2024

For the 2024 edition of the J/70 North American Championship on May 1-4, the Vallarta Yacht Club in Nuevo Nayarit has attracted 26 teams from the USA, Mexico, Canada, and Argentina. Situated just around the famous Bahia de Banderas to the west-northwest of the Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta, up to 11 races are planned for Banderas Bay.

The notable Mexican teams include Alejandro Perez Ontiveros’s Algarete, Fernando Perez Ontiveros’s Black Mamba, Eduardo Perez Ontiveros’s Duque, Eduardo Saenz’s Nimbus, Ricardo Brockmann’s Vincitorre, and Ignacio Perez Morett’s Zaguero.

The American contingent is surprisingly formidable given the fact that none of the top five teams in the recent Florida winter series in either Miami’s BACARDI or Davis Island YC’s regattas are in attendance. Nevertheless, the teams that are sailing are stacked with North American and World Championship crews. Here are those contenders with a shot at the 2024 J/70 North Americans title:

• David Jannetti’s Very Odd (Enigma) will have Travis Odenbach and Willem Van Waay as crew (both North American and World Champions in J/24s and J/70).
• Kevin Downey’s Mr Pitiful has familiar names from the Pacific Northwest like Brian Thomas onboard- between them past J/24 North American and J/24 World Champions
• Mike Brevik’s 4 Locos includes brothers Ron and Darren Rosenberg as crew- both extremely talented Olympic-caliber sailors.
• Mike Goldfarb’s War Canoe with pro-sailor Brian Kamilar.