2025 J/70 Australian Championship at Sandringham Yacht Club Practice Day
by Alex Dare, Down Under Sail 15 Jan 11:08 AEDT
13-18 January 2025
2025 J/70 Australian Championship © Alex Dare, Down Under Sail
Port Phillip Bay plays host to the 2025 J/70 Australian Championships this week with 21 boats hitting the start line for yesterday's practice race to test out the Vakaros RaceSense system, and suss out the competition.
The fleet for the Nationals this year has a wide calibre of sailors and a great mix of ages, with five interstate teams, seven youth teams and 14 corinthian teams.
The class has seen a jump in popularity over the past couple of years, which has seen the quality of the racing rapidly improve and the fleet rapidly growing across Australia.
Chris Dare on Ambition emphasized how J/70 racing "is a lot closer, the spread of the fleet is a lot narrower and if you make a mistake you'll get punished".
Downwind sailing in the J/70 has become known as a highlight in these boats, with the various different modes there are to sail downwind it adds a level of complexity to the boats and opportunity to overtake.
Chris made a notable mention of the growing youth members in the fleet and how "they've come along in leaps and bounds, which is really good for the development of the class".
J70s are becoming the sports boat of choice when sailors are looking to make their way into this type of racing.
Chris said the tight measurement rules ensured every boat felt the same and being able to choose your own sailmaker gave you the opportunity to trial with sails that suit your racing style best.
Today will see the fleet hit Port Phillip for Day 1 of the Australian Championships where teams will be eager to make their mark and get themselves in the best position ahead of the rest of the week.
For regatta results, head to syc.com.au/j70-nationals