J/24 Spring Cup at Saltash Sailing Club

J/24 Spring Cup at Saltash Sailing Club © Julie Mills

2025 is the year that the J/24 World Championship is hosted in Plymouth by the Plym Yacht Club and Saltash Sailing Club. Both clubs are actively building to an event in September that will see 60 plus J24's racing outside the breakwater in what will be a hotly contested event. Teams already entered are from as far away as America, Argentina and Australia.

Fun Fact: Plymouth is the home of the Mayflower steps where the Pilgrims boarded their boat and left England to invent America and landed initially at Plymouth Rock.

The Spring Cup is the first event in the year that sees the fleet together, sailing outside of the Breakwater where the worlds will be held. With sixteen boats entered and fifteen taking part this was going to be a congested day on the water. There was a chance to see what improvements / work had been done to the boats in the winter months. James Torr in Majic was sporting a newly faired / profiled (keel) and polished underwater profile. Chloe Nunn and her all female team were there in a new to them J24 Mojo with the antifoul removed. Tim Octon was testing NJO3 which has been chartered to an Australian team she was looking very shiny. (Anyone looking for charter boats for the worlds should reach out to the UK association as there are a few yet to be publicised).

Launching was at Yacht Haven Quay (where the visiting boats will launch for the Worlds) as usual they were very efficient and keen to get everyone launched on Friday afternoon as it is POETS day. After launching the fleet moved to Yacht Haven Marina (the base for the Worlds). The weather was looking promising for a weekend of racing outside of the breakwater for both the scheduled days earlier in the week.

Saturday dawned with a forecast of very light winds from a variety of directions and a spring tide (visitors to Plymouth especially those from the Baltic and any lake sailors be aware that there is tide and the water keeps moving) this was going to prove to be a very testing day for Dave Curnow (thank you) the PRO for the weekend and his team especially the mark layers. As it proved to be with one race completed on the Saturday.

Race One

Two laps with the wind very light circa 6 knots out of the South there was lot of jockeying for position at the pin end, won by Dave Hale in his old boat Davy J (this was going to be a common theme for the weekend). John Gorman in Italian Job (a boat he has owned from new) took a decisive choice and took the port side of the course. This saw him lead at the top mark being chased down by Dave Hale and his team who took the win with John coming a very solid second.

Race Two

This was started in a South Westerly breeze of approx 10+ knots this looked like it had set in as teams were spotted adjusting rig settings. However, Dave Curnow eventually abandoned this race when the wind died and veered 100 degrees and J24's were seen running into the windward mark with spinnakers set.

The bottle race to Saltash Sailing Club was abandoned but the social was still on. Thanks must go to the club for arranging a subsidised bar and the galley for the sailing supper. Competitors to the Worlds will have a chance to visit Saltash sailing club mid-week as there is a lively mid-week party scheduled at the club with everything Cornish (remember Jam first) being represented.

Sunday dawned with a forecast of the wind set in the South West at approx 10 knots all day the SI's have been changed overnight to accommodate 4 races in the day.

Race Three

Saw Davy J take the win but with Majic and Jive (Dave Cooper IJCA Chair) filling the podium. All three boats had taken different routes to the first top mark so it was impossible to work out if there was a preferred side to the beat. At the finish there was the opportunity to lose several places on the final run (the author did) as the bulk of the fleet finished within 5 minutes of the winner.

Race Four

Davy J again takes the win followed by Mr Mann (Shane Hewlett) and 3rd Juggernaut (Neil Trathen).

Race Five

1st Mr Mann 2nd Juggernaut 3rd Jive (wow they are fallible or was Davy J 6th having lunch) The win for Mr Mann secured them 2nd overall (What is Juggernaut doing in 2nd they are sailing so well chapeau).

Race Six

The final for the last podium place between Majic and NJO3. Davy J just got that jump on the fleet and led the fleet home. The race for 3rd overall was decided with NJO3 getting a favourable gust / shift down the final run courtesy of a moored ship which gave them two boat lengths over Majic with Mr Mann at the finish.

Congratulations to the winning team of Davy J owned by Nick McDonald and Helmed by Dave Hale they look to be the form UK boat that has the best chance at the World Championship certainly something for the other UK boats to aim for.

A notable performance by Neil Trathen in his Westerly J24 Juggernaut saw him finish 5th overall with two podiums he seems to have found significant height and speed in one of the fleets local boats (put your money on him for the top Westerly at the worlds).

Saltash Sailing Club provided glass and bottle prizes that filtered down the fleet at the prize-giving.

Roll on Fowey in four weeks if anyone wants to try racing a J24 there a number of competitive boats that can be made available direct from the association.

Overall Results: