J-80 UK Class Association

Another three races took place today, on this penultimate day of the J/80 European Championship. It was a day that tested and challenged this most impressive fleet. Tough competition and a high level of expertise among these crews means that every race is something they all have to fight very hard for, and today the top three positions have changed again. 

The wind was constant and gradually increased throughout the afternoon, providing more stability to the conditions than this championship has previously seen. Today we have a new leader in the Spanish boat Peraleja Golf  helmed by Carlos Martinez, who took a superb first, third, and first today placing him firmly ahead of the rest of the fleet with 22 points. This is not such a surprise to J/80 followers, as they came thrid in the World’s in Keel in 2008 and again in Santander in 2009. 

Second is another Spanish boat, Mustang, helmed by Luis Martinez, a boat that is also often found in the top few places. Today Mustang had a second, eighth and seventh, giving them 32 points and thus 10 points behind the leaders. Mustang was second in the World’s in Santander 2009 and so already his reputation precedes him.

However, new to such high placing in the international circuit and thus a boat to watch out for in the future, is the Italian boat OLJ Spirit helmed by Federico Rajola. Today they came twenty-fifth, tenth and second giving them 41 points and a third overall. There you have the present top three.

Two more Spanish boats take fifth and sixth places respectively – Jose Maria Torcida’s ECC Viviendas finished the day with a fourteenth, second and eighth and 48 points whilst Rodr Camino’s Nextel Engineering took a twenty-third, fourth and fourth today and finished up with 50 points. 

To complete today’s top ten, we have Lauren Sambron’s Atlantis from France in sixth position with a twenty-first, fifth and OCS today. The British Team Baltic helmed by Henry Bomby lies in seventh position with 60 points and a fifth, fourteenth and fourteenth today. Another Spanish boat Crocs, helmed by Javier Aguado lies in eighth position with 72 points and a fifteenth, twenty-fifth and fifth today. The French boat Geodis goes down to ninth position overall with a nineteenth, sixteenth and tenth today giving him 78 points. The German boat Procedes Diva helmed by Beilken Bjoern enters tenth position, also with 78 points and today doing very well with a fourth, twenty-fourth and second. 

With only one more day’s racing to go, we wonder if the crews will have an early night? Judging by the atmosphere in the bar area at Fraglia Vela Malcesine, I doubt this will be the case. Everyone is enjoying the atmosphere and great hospitality provided by the hosts. But of course the best entertainment is on the water and they all want to win.