Cascais J/70 Spring Cup overall
by Press CNCascais 5 May 12:15 PDT
1-3 May 2026
The Clube Naval de Cascais hosted the Cascais J/70 Spring Cup from May 1 to 3, 2026, bringing together 16 teams from 5 nations for one of the final major regattas in Cascais ahead of the 2026 J/70 World Championship, set to take place this September.
Although forecasts predicted light breeze and rain throughout the weekend, Cascais once again delivered three full days of racing, with light to medium conditions that demanded tactical precision, clean starts and strong fleet management across all nine races.
Day 1 - Good To Go dominates opening day
The opening day began under mostly sunny skies, with northerly to north-easterly breeze between 7 and 8 knots and Atlantic swell ranging from 1.2 to 1.4 metres.
Before racing, Doug Rastello, helm of the American team Good To Go, explained why the team returned to Cascais ahead of the Worlds:
"There's a lot to learn about sailing in Cascais. We decided to spend more time here preparing for the Worlds because nowhere else in Europe delivers these kinds of conditions — wind, waves, current and weather all together."
With the first warning signal delayed until 14:00 due to lack of breeze, the fleet eventually completed three races.
In Race 1, Doug Rastello and the American team Good To Go immediately showed impressive pace, controlling the fleet upwind to secure victory. Lucas Karlemo on the Finnish Liquid Sun finished second, while Diego Guardamino Cruzat on Spain's Wilco secured third.
The Americans repeated the result in Race 2, with Doug Rastello once again finding clear lanes off the committee boat end. Vasco Serpa and SailCascais finished second after recovering downwind, while Luis Albert on Spain's Patakin closed the race in third.
In Race 3, Good To Go completed a remarkable hat-trick of bullets. Vasco Serpa and SailCascais once again secured second place, while Tiago Morais and Another Affair rounded out the podium after a strong final run.
Despite the American dominance in race wins, consistency across the fleet kept the standings tight at the end of the day.
Standings after Day 1
- 1st Good To Go - Doug Rastello (USA)
- 2nd Bábá - Nuno Espírito Santo Silva (POR)
- 3rd SailCascais - Vasco Serpa (POR)
Doug Rastello (Good To Go): "We decided to start at the committee boat end and tack, and it worked pretty well for us. But tomorrow will be a different day. There are very good sailors out here and you never know what's going to happen."
Day 2 - Solid Fun climbs back into contention
The second day brought slightly more pressure, with South West breeze around 8 knots and a more unstable sea state under mostly cloudy skies.
Before racing, Olympic sailor Carolina João, sailing with Diogo Pereira aboard Navis Portugal, highlighted the growing level of the fleet in Cascais: "The level is very high and it's always a pleasure to sail here. Even with a difficult forecast, Cascais delivered beautiful races again."
Four races were completed, producing major changes in the overall standings.
In Race 4, Luis Albert and Patakin secured their first victory of the regatta after a strong tactical performance on the second beat. Lucas Karlemo and Solid Fun finished second, while Finland's Liquid Sun completed the top three.
The momentum then shifted decisively toward the Finnish team. In Race 5, Lucas Karlemo and Solid Fun executed an excellent start and controlled the fleet throughout the race to take victory ahead of Patakin and Nuno Espírito Santo Silva on Bábá. On the finish of race 5 good to go had na incidente with Solid Fun and end up to be desqualified on this race.
The Finns repeated the feat in Race 6, once again showing excellent boat speed in the lighter pressure. Doug Rastello and Good To Go recovered to second, while Tõnu Tõniste and Estonia's Lenny claimed third.
In Race 7, however, the Americans struck back. Doug Rastello guided Good To Go to another race win, with Patakin second and Solid Fun third in yet another close finish.
Standings after Day 2
- 1st To Good To Go - Doug Rastello (USA)
- 2nd Patakin - Luis Albert (ESP)
- 3rd Solid Fun - Lucas Karlemo (FIN)
Lucas Karlemo (Solid Fun): "Consistency was the key today. The conditions were really tricky, with chop early on and then very light and puffy later in the afternoon. Getting clean off the line was extremely important."
Day 3 - Patakin secures overall victory
The final day delivered two more races under westerly breeze between 7 and 11 knots and slightly flatter sea state. With the top 3 teams all separated by 5 points the final two races were promising a big figth.
Before racing, Luis Albert explained the importance of Cascais as preparation for the Worlds: "We are here because the Worlds will be sailed here. Cascais offers Atlantic conditions that are very different from the Mediterranean, and we want to sail here as much as possible before September."
In Race 8, Lucas Karlemo and Solid Fun once again demonstrated outstanding consistency, winning the race ahead of Patakin and Vasco Passanha aboard Peixaranha.
Everything came down to the final race of the regatta.
In Race 9, Doug Rastello and Good To Go returned to winning form, but Patakin's second-place finish proved enough to secure the overall title. Solid Fun completed the podium once again in third.
Overall Results:
- Patakin - Luis Albert (ESP)
- To Good To Go - Doug Rastello (USA)
- Solid Fun - Lucas Karlemo (FIN)
Corinthian Division:
1st Lenny - Tõnu Tõniste (EST)
Gonçalo Ribeiro (Patakin): "Cascais delivered again. We had a little bit of everything — flat water, chop, lighter breeze and medium conditions. The level was really high and we're very happy with the result. The next event here will probably feel even closer to the Worlds."
Looking ahead
With the Spring Cup now completed, the focus turns to the final build-up toward the 2026 J/70 World Championship in Cascais.
The next major events on the calendar will be the Portuguese National Championship, scheduled for mid-June, followed by the Summer Cup in early July. These regattas will represent the final opportunities for teams to refine their performance, develop their understanding of Cascais' demanding conditions, and benchmark themselves against an increasingly competitive international fleet ahead of the season's main event.
As preparations intensify for the 2026 J/70 World Championship this September, Cascais continues to establish itself as one of the world's leading venues for high-performance one-design racing, consistently attracting top international teams and delivering world-class sailing conditions.