Peter Duncan's Reunited Team takes the title at J/70 Midwinter Championship in Miami Season Finale
by Hannah Lee Noll 30 Mar 2025 23:45 PDT
March 28-30, 2025
Seven races. Heavy air. Fifty boats. The 2025 J/70 Midwinter Championship wrapped up Sunday with all the gusts, grit, and glory sailors can expect from a Miami regatta.
Peter Duncan's Relative Obscurity earned the title with their third consecutive win this season. The team—with tactician Victor Diaz de Leon, Jud Smith, and Willem Van Waay—last raced together when they won the 2017 J/70 World Championship in Porto Cervo. After reuniting for the 2025 season, they have now claimed victory at all three of their comeback events, completing a hat trick in dominant form.
"We got the band back together," said Duncan. "It's been a lot of fun sailing with this team again. We're getting stronger every race." He added, "It was great racing here on Biscayne Bay. The course management was excellent, and the Brazilian teams were really impressive."
Duncan also praised the J/70 Class: "You get 50 boats on a starting line, and the level of talent is just incredible. We're pretty lucky."
The 2025 J/70 Midwinter Championship delivered everything the fleet loves about Miami: warm water, big breeze, and a strong international contingent fully fired up. With seven heavy-air races and efficient race management by PRO Mark Foster using Vakaros RaceSense, the fleet tested boat handling, endurance, and tactical precision.
The Winners
Relative Obscurity (USA) - Peter Duncan
After a multi-year hiatus, Duncan's team reunited this season and came out swinging. Relative Obscurity proved they're still among the best in the world.
Mindset (BRA) - Ralph Vasconcellos Rosa
Fresh off a silver medal at the 2024 Worlds in Palma, Mindset delivered another stunning performance—holding off challengers and even forcing match racing in the final race. Ralph's core crew—Guilherme Hamelmann and Júlio Carvalho—have been with him since he bought the boat in 2021. They're now joined by Felipe Rondina, 2024 J/70 Corinthian Worlds winning tactician. The team is fast, focused, and only getting better.
OceanPact (BRA) - Victor Hector Demaison
Another standout Brazilian team, OceanPact sailed a consistent regatta and closed strong to lock in third overall. The team's sharp boat handling and steady gains made them one of the fastest risers in the fleet.
Division Champs
Corinthian: Hedgehog - Alec Cutler of Bermuda led the all-amateur fleet with a strong 12th overall. His crew included former Navy sailors Charles Pucciariello, Brad Rodi, and Ryan Cox—a team with deep chemistry and a proven track record in heavy air. This is the second consecutive J/70 Corinthian Midwinter title for the team.
One-Pro: Frequent Flyer - Paul Wollmann's team came out on top in the One-Pro division with Olympian Chris Grube onboard calling tactics.
Mixed+: Norboy - Led by Laura and Leif Sigmond, Norboy claimed the Mixed+ title with consistent results across the series along with tactician and Women's America's Cup Champion Giulia Conti.
The J/70 Class Association is grateful for presenting sponsor Nautical Ventures as well as North Sails and Bacardi.
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Looking Ahead
This event marks the conclusion of a packed winter season in Miami, which included four deep J/70 regattas including the Bacardi Winter Series. From professionals and Olympians to Corinthians and Mixed+ teams, the J/70 Class continues to deliver unmatched international participation.
Next up: the debut of the J/70 Corinthian European Championship—a brand new international title designed to celebrate the strength of the amateur fleet. It kicks off this week in Cascais, Portugal, wrapping up their winter series and launching a massive season for the J/70 Class.
2025 International J/70 Class Championships:
- Corinthian Euros - Portugal (Apr 1-6)
- Mixed+ Worlds - Italy (Jun 26-29)
- Europeans - Sweden (Aug 20-30)
- Corinthian Worlds - USA (Sept 22-28)
- South Americans - Argentina (Oct 18-23)
- Worlds - Argentina (Oct 24-Nov 1)
- North Americans - USA (Dec 1-7)