Marina del Rey, CA (August 3, 2021) – The stage is set for the long-awaited J/70 World Championship to be held August 7 to 15, 2021. After the 2020 edition was cancelled at the same venue due to the pandemic, 62 teams from 11 nations are lined up to try again.
Forty-four teams tuned up at the Pre-World Championship on July 31-August 1, with summer weather offering breeze in the high teens on day one with slightly lighter conditions on day two. With single-digit finishes in all six races – including bullets in Races Two and Four – Bruce Golison and the crew of Midlife Crisis captured the Pre-Worlds title.
Although the World Championship fleet represents a dip in numbers from the pre-pandemic roster, there remains an impressive line-up with reigning 2019 J/70 World Champion Paul Ward along with 2016 Champion and 2019 runner-up Joel Ronning in the field. They will be pushed by 2017 World and 2021 North American Champion Peter Duncan along with Brian Keane, Bruno Pasquinelli, and José María Torcida – all podium finishers in past J/70 World Championship events.
Eager teams from across the US and the globe have been practicing in the waters of Santa Monica Bay since early June. Regatta Chair Marylyn Hoenemeyer gave a shout-out to US Sailing who jumped in to assist foreign entrants in securing a National Interest Exemption with Homeland Security; particularly those from flagged nations.
“Everyone who requested clearance has received it, and we appreciate the huge effort US Sailing made to ensure these competitors can come and fight for the title.”
Additionally, the qualification process was adapted to allow candidates to petition J/70 Class officials for an invitation based on prior performance. J/70 competitors who had qualified in 2019 to sail in the 2020 event were automatically extended.
A practice race on August 10 will precede five days of competition on August 11-15.
Source: scuttlebutt – https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2021/08/03/ready-again-for-j-70-world-champs/
