2025 J/22 North American Championship at Rochester Yacht Club
by Julie & Christopher Howell 6 Oct 06:54 PDT
October 3-5, 2025
The final day of the J/22 North American Championship hosted by Rochester Yacht Club in New York brought conditions that mirrored the first two days—light and shifty, demanding patience and precision from both sailors and race officials.
Despite the challenges, the Race Committee excelled, successfully completing seven races while adapting to every breeze shift thrown their way. Congratulations to the podium finishers among 25 boats:
- Adam Burns, Todd Hiller, John Goller - Youngstown Yacht Club / Annapolis Yacht Club - 17 points
- Brad Julian, Matthew Schubert, Emerson Smith - Annapolis Yacht Club - 21 points
- Travis Odenbach, Jay Miles, Justin Damore - Rochester Yacht Club - 33 points
Day One Recap: The Championship kicked off under light but steady conditions. Sailors faced a northeast breeze of 4-8 knots, which held just enough to complete three races. Race management kept things moving smoothly, and with help from Vakaros technology, there were no general recalls. The front-runners were Jeff Hayden (SSA), Adam Burns (YYC) and leading the pack in first was Travis Odenbach (RYC), keeping the hometown club well represented.
Day Two Recap: Winds hovered between 3-8 knots throughout the day. Saturday's opening race was very light and shifty. Then, the breeze picked up to a steadier 6-9 knots, making for a more tactical and enjoyable race. Race Committee tried to pull off another contest but ultimately abandoned as the wind faded again. Brad Julian took bullets in both races to shoot up the leaderboard.
Off the water, sailors enjoyed Rochester hospitality—including Fifth Frame Brewing hosting dinner, dancing and live music.
Complete results may be found at J/22 North American Championship.