In another first for the International J/70 Class, the 2025 World Championship kicked off Tuesday at Yacht Club Argentino. This is the 11th edition of the World Championship, but the first in South America.

71 teams hit the waters of the Río de la Plata with renewed excitement as two races jumpstarted the run for the title.

Local knowledge directed race one when Fernando Gwozdz’s Petro Green Racing (ARG) went wire to wire and Juan Diego Figueroa’s Homero (ARG) was runner-up. Continuing their hot streak after winning the Corinthian World Championship last month, Alec Cutler’s Hedgehog (BER) placed third. Female helms made a statement in fifth and six places: Margaret McKillen’s Magatron and Laura Grondin’s Dark Energy (both USA). Winds came from the Southeast around 12-15 knots with choppy waters upwind and mode changing downwind in planing conditions.

 J70s in Buenos Aires – 2025 J/70 World Championship © Matias Capizzano

A wind shift caused a short postponement before race two as the breeze ebbed off a bit. A pack of Americans charged forward, led by Grondin’s Dark Energy (USA). The leeward gates were quite busy with multi-lingual commotion. Teams used wing on wing maneuvers to slay the downwinds. Samuel Albrecht’s El Enemigo (BRA) and Brian Keane’s Savasana (USA) took the silver and bronze spots in race two.

Results after Day 1: (top five)

1st: Laura Grondin, USA Dark Energy with Taylor Canfield, Ian Liberty, Edward Hackney, 7 points
2nd: Samuel Albrecht, BRA El Enemigo with Gustavo Thiesen, Rayco Tabares Alvarez, Silvio Morelli, 11 points
3rd: Travis Odenbach, USA Honeybadge with Dave Hughes, Andy Horton, Chris Stocke, 18 points
4th: Peter Duncan, USA Relative Obscurity with Willem Van Waay, Jud Smith, Victor Diaz De Leon, 18 points
5th: Haroldo Solberg, BRA Viking Oceanpact with Geison Mendes, Mario Tinoco, Gabriel Silva, 18 points

“We had great boat speed all day. A good start, good speed—makes for a good race,” summarized Grondin. After an OCS in Race 1, Grondin’s team clawed back to a top finish with raw speed, then nailed Race 2. “I don’t sail; I race sailboats,” she stated.

Leading the 30-boat Corinthian Division is Ducasse Sailing Team (CHI): Andrés Ducasse, Ignacio Ducasse, Rodrigo Ducasse, Francisco Ducasse. They are in sixth overall, joined in the top 10 by fellow Corinthian Cutler’s Hedgehog in seventh.

Leading the nine-boat One Pro Division is 707 (ARG): Ezequiel Despontin, Pablo Despontin, Sebastián Halpern, Gabriel Marino.

Racing continues through Saturday with up to 10 races planned. Boats are on hand from 16 countries and four continents: ARG, AUS, BER, BRA, CHI, CHN, ESP, GBR, GER, ITA, POR, SUI, SWE, TUR, URU, USA.

Sponsors include Life Seguros, Almarena Madero Urbano, Galeno, South American Rigging/Marlow/Velo, Ansilta, Eximia, Windsail, Emergencias, Fantoche, and Vacalin

Follow live via Vakaros RaceSense: J70 2025 World Championship ARG

Find out more at yca.org.ar/2025/01/15/2025-j70-world-championship

by Julie & Christopher Howell