66 teams to contest Landsail Tyres J-Cup
by Louay Habib 24 May 2018 05:18 AEST
25-27 May 2018
Landsail Tyres J-Cup © Tim Wright /
www.photoaction.com
A bumper entry of 66 teams is set for the Landsail Tyres J-Cup this Bank Holiday Weekend. The 19th edition of the ever popular J-Boats festival has eleven different examples of the J-Boats range, featuring four National Championships for the J/88, J/97, J/109 and J/111 Classes. Organised by the Island Sailing Club, the action is exciting and highly competitive, racing on tight Solent courses.
An international fleet of J/111s will be racing, featuring eleven teams from Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The J/111 World Championship will be held in Breskens, Netherlands this September, and the Landsail Tyres J-Cup is an important part of the build up, as Paul van Driel, owner-driver of Sweeny explains: "We have a great fleet for the J-Cup and Sweeny is really looking forward to this event, we are preparing by all means for the upcoming Worlds. In recent regattas all the teams have put a huge effort into improving their performance. The J-Cup is extremely important for us since it is our last chance before the Worlds to see where we stand in this international field, we expect really close racing."
The ever popular J/109 Class will have eleven teams on the start line for their National Championship, including last year's winner David Richards' Jumping Jellyfish and 2016 National Champion Joe Henry's Jolly Jack Tar.
The J/70 Class will be out in force with 21 teams entered including top contenders for the J/70 UK Grand Slam Series. Ian Wilson's Soak Racing will have Irish Olympian Marshall King on the tiller, Swansea's Philip Rees will be racing Bryn, and Doug Struth's DSP will represent the Royal Southern YC, with Geoff Carveth on the team. Martin Dent's Jelvis will also be in the mix.
The J/88 Classes will be contesting their National Championship at the Landsail Tyres J-Cup. 2016 National Champion and J-Cup winner, Gavin Howe's Tigris, will be looking to win back the title. David and Kirsty Apthorp's J Dream has been runner up and third in previous championships, and will be hungry for their first J/88 National Title.
Andy and Annie Howe's Black Jack II will be going for a hat-trick of National Titles in the J/97 Class. Bob and Jon Baker's Jaywalker return after coming runner up last year, and this year the J/97 Class at the J-Cup will be strengthened by Robert Hunt's Jumblesail 2 from Hamble, and Yann Gindre's L'Opale from La Trinite Sur Mer.
"Something we often say is, if you own a J-Boat, why wouldn't you go to J-Cup?" commented Annie Howe. " It always has an atmosphere quite different to other regattas, maybe it's because we all have something in common, both in the boats we race and the outlook of the people who own and race them. But for us it seems to encapsulate what we have always strived for, serious racing on the water and serious partying off the water. We haven't missed a J-Cup since we got our first J-Boat in 2009. Every Cup is a bit different and we've had a blast at every single one of them."
Six teams will be racing in the J/92 class. Robin Stevenson's 2015 J-Cup winner, Upstart and Guy Stansell's Captain Scarlet, are both members of the Sussex Yacht Club in Shoreham. Brian Malone's Blue Diamond Dodjer and Jack Banks' Nightjar will be representing the host, Island Sailing Club, Ralph Mason's Jabberwock will be racing, and David Greenhalgh's J'ronimo, a former overall winner of Black Group at Cowes Week, will be representing the Royal Southern Yacht Club.
"We have had great racing in the J/92 fleet in the past, and this J-Cup looks like it will be a great event." commented Robin Stevenson. "Solent conditions are different to Shoreham but it looks like we will have a variety of wind strength and flat water for the regatta. The fun ashore is standard issue for the J-Cup, it is great to meet up with old friends, and Cowes has been a great venue for 21 Cowes Weeks!"
Six One Design Classes will be racing at the Landsail Tyres J-Cup, with additional IRC entries from Mike Lewis' J/80 Jester, Piotr Nahajski's J/95 Jollity, Angus Bates' J/133 Assarain IV, Mike and Sarah Wallis' J/122 Jahmali and the holder of the J-Cup, Chaz Ivill's J/112 Davanti Tyres.
A maximum of nine races are scheduled over three days from Friday 25th May to Sunday 27th May. The J-Cup has always featured fun ashore, and hundreds of sailors will enjoy a daily prize giving and crew supper at the Island Sailing Club, with video debriefs provided by North Sails. The winner of the J-Cup will be announced at the Gala Dinner & Final Prize Giving at the Cowes Yacht Haven Event Centre.
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With thanks to our sponsors; Landsail Tyres, North Sails, B&G, Fusion, Fastnet Insurance, Grapefruit Graphics, Rigit, Harken, Wight Vodka, Dolphin Covers, Liquimoly, Frontline Image and MMC Divers.
www.j-cup.co.uk