Epic crowd for J/70 World Championship

A record 26 nations and 102 teams are entered for the J/70 World Championship 2026 to take place September 8-12 in Cascais, Portugal. The venue offers outstanding racing conditions, a proven track record of organizing major events, and a vibrant sailing atmosphere just outside Lisbon.

What stands out among the entries is that the USA has the largest contingent with 18 teams, and there are nearly equal numbers of boats from the host nation Portugal (12), Spain (11), and Brazil (10).

A list of countries: ARG (2), AUS (4), AUT (1), BER (1), BRA (10), CAN (1), CHI (1), DEN (3), ESP (11), EST (1), FIN (3), FRA (4), GBR (6), GER (4), HUN (2), ITA (3), MEX (2), MON (2), NED (2), NOR (1), POL (1), POR (12), SUI (3), SWE (6), TUR (4), and USA (18).

More than a dozen teams can win as several have already won World, European, North American, and South American Championships The list reads like a “who’s who” of mercenaries at the top of the leaderboard in those championship events.

Here are the highlights of those teams that are viable contenders:

• The Australians are fielding a few good teams, such as Tim Ryan’s VAMOS, Robert Davis’s NUTCRACKER, and Rod Warren’s JOUST 70.
• The Austrians have Thomas Mueller sailing PHANTOM 7
• The Brazilian group has several formidable teams, like Sam Albrecht’s EL ENEMIGO Team, Ralph Vasconcellos Rosa’s MINDSET, a “sleeper” team skippered by Marcos Pinto Rizzo Soares with multi-Olympic medallist Lars Grael as tactician, Renato Faria’s TO NESSA, and Haroldo Solberg’s OCEANPACT.
• Chile has a perennial Corinthians champion contender- the Ducasse Family aboard DUCASSE SAILING TEAM.
• Top Danish teams will be in the mix- Peter Buhl’s SIRENA CHICO and Sten & Lukas Mohr’s LADY IN RED.
• The Spanish group has more World Champions than anyone can count! They include Luis Albert’s PATAKIN, Joan Cardona Mendez’s YUPI, Luis Martinez Dorestre’s HSN SAILING TEAM, Luis Bugallo Arriola’s MARNATURA, and Luis Martin Cabiedes’s NOTICIA.
• The three Finnish teams will be quite strong as they’ve been leading both open J/70 and sailing league events. Those teams are Henrik Lundberg’s TEAM ELVING, Victor Mesterton’s LIQUID SUN, and Lucas Karlemo’s LIQUID SUN/ SOLID FUN.
• The two French contenders are Denis Infante’s well-traveled EURO-VOILES team and Beatrice Joyaud’s JOUR J team (she is frequently the top women’s helm).
• The leading British crews are Martin & Ruby Dent’s JELVIS and Ian Dobson’s SARDONYX.
• The Germans have both open J/70 and tough sailing league experiences- Michel Grau’s PAINT IT BLACK and Kai-Uwe Hollweg’s DIVA.
• For having one of the strongest fleets in the world, the Italian contingent is shockingly “light”. The sole contender is Mauro Roversi’s J CURVE from Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
• Two Mexican champions are sailing from the Perez family; Alejandro Perez on ALGARETE and Ignacio Perez Morett on ZAGUERO.
• Monaco is fielding two national contenders in the form of Stefano Roberti’s G-SPOT and Sam Poons’s CHARISMA V teams.
• The host Portugal is fielding at least two top contenders- Vasco Serpa’s SAIL CASCAIS and Nuno Espírito Santo Silva’s BABA with Hugo Rocha as tactician (a multiple World Champion).
• The Swiss mountain lake sailors are known contenders- Nick Zeltner’s SUI 1737 and Lorenz Kausche’s TARTE-3NUITS.COM. Remember, one of them is a J/70 World Champion in Monaco!
• The Swedes have been fast learners, are talented, and have been competing in both the USA and European circuits. Those teams include Per Roman’s GARM, Jonas Jkellberg’s INTERMEZZO, Filip Engelbert’s ELVIS, the Sylvans’ LIMONCELLO, and Magnus Tyreman’s TYRA.
• The Turkish fleet has participated widely in European and USA circuits, too. Their top teams are Ahmet Eker’s EKER KAYMAK and Gully Guryel’s DENIZCIK.
• The USA contingent will be a formidable, highly-competitive group, to say the least. Multiple contenders have proven abilities at the Worlds, Europeans, and National levels; including Doug Rastello’s GOOD TO GO, Alec Cutler’s HEDGEHOG, Jim Murray’s CALLISTO, Rich Witzel’s ROWDY, John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA, Andre Loe’s DIME, Michael Goldfarb’s WAR CANOE, Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE, Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS, Paul Green’s PROGRESS, Brian Keane’s SAVASANA, Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT, Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY, and the Mckillen family (Maggie’s MAGATRON and Ryan’s SURGE).

Event details – Entry list – Tracking

Source: J/News