Cascais J70 Summer Cup 2025 - the first qualification event for the 2026 Worlds
by Press CNCascais 15 Jul 2025 13:02 PDT
11-13 July 2025
Held from 11 to 13 July at the Clube Naval de Cascais, the Cascais J/70 Summer Cup marked the start of the national qualification process for the much-anticipated 2026 J/70 World Championship, which will also take place in Cascais.
The event delivered three days of intense racing under ever-changing weather conditions, pushing teams to adapt constantly throughout each race.
A total of nine races were completed - three each day - with 16 teams on the water. There was no room for mistakes: the density of the fleet and the high level of talent meant that every tactical decision had a direct impact on final results.
Day 1 - Light breeze and grey skies, but three races successfully completed
The opening day was marked by a grey sky and light breeze from the west, ranging between 6 to 8 knots. Despite the tricky conditions, the race committee managed to complete all three scheduled races. POR 36 - Odessa stood out with a strong performance.
Day 1 winning crew - POR 36 - Odessa:
- Anna SMOTROVA
- Artem BASALKIN
- Maksim CHEKUROV
- Egor POPOV
Anna Smotrova, pleased with the day, commented: "Very good results, very nice racing. Every race was very nice weather, very nice wind."
Day 2 - Clearing skies and increasing breeze: Classic Cascais starts to show.
With the sun breaking through the clouds, day two brought a north-northwest breeze between 10 and 13 knots, setting the stage for three technical races. MEX 1046 emerged as the top performer of the day.
Day 2 winning crew - MEX 1046:
- John TAVARES
- Paulo MANSO
- Gonçalo RIBEIRO
- Bernardo FREITAS
Bernardo Freitas reflected on the day:
"So today we had three races, wind from north-northwest. Classic Cascais before the well-known "Nortada". The breeze picked up during the day, with the right side being slightly biased. I think not only we managed to start quite well on all the races, we found our way through the race course."
John Tavares, making his debut in the J/70 class, added: "Very good, very good. We are now getting more the feeling of the boat. It's the first time I'm sailing J/70. But with this crew it's very easy to do things right and look smart. This guys are absolutely amazing. It was a very solid day."
Day 3 - Summer finally arrives: building breeze and close racing
The final day brought the long-awaited classic summer Cascais conditions. The wind started around 10 knots and built steadily throughout the afternoon, reaching 17-18 knots in the last race. The conditions made for high-intensity, high-speed racing, with teams fighting for every inch at the finish line.
Gonçalo Ribeiro, from MEX 1046, summed up:
"Well, we were pretty lucky, all the regatta. It was the first regatta for John, but obviously Cascais yesterday and today delivered what it is known for — great conditions. Yesterday we had something like 12 to 14 knots, and today we started with 10 knots and built up, I think the last one like 18, 17 knots — so yeah, that's what people are willing and looking for in Cascais."
Final Overall Results - Cascais J/70 Summer Cup 2025
1st Place - MEX 1046
John TAVARES
Paulo MANSO
Gonçalo RIBEIRO
Bernardo FREITAS
2nd Place - POR 1282
Tiago MORAIS
Miguel OLIVEIRA
Francisco OLIVEIRA
João OLIVEIRA
3rd Place - POR 1797
Nuno ESPÍRITO SANTO SILVA
Hugo ROCHA
Fran PALACIOS
Alejandro MUSCAT
Top Corinthian Team - POR 1846
Vasco PASSANHA
Pedro COSTA ALEMÃO
Guilherme GOMES
Matilde BANDEIRA
Nuno BAJANCA
Looking ahead to the 2026 Worlds - more qualifiers on the horizon.
The Cascais J/70 Summer Cup marked the beginning of the national selection process for the 2026 World Championship. The next qualification events are scheduled for late September, followed by the Winter Series kicking off in November, also hosted in Cascais.
With a technically demanding fleet, shifting weather patterns, and a world-class racecourse, the event confirmed the depth of talent in both the national and international J/70 scene and reinforced Cascais' status as one of the world's top sailing venues.
This event was made possible with the support of the Câmara Municipal de Cascais, SailCascais, Turismo de Portugal, and Vista Alegre.