Hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron from June 14-16, the rapidly growing J/70 class held their National Championship in widely varying, challenging sailing conditions on the Solent. Winner in the J/70s was Ruairidh Scott on North Sails. The J/70 UK Nationals were the first major UK one-design regatta. J/70 crews will then go on and sail one-design at Cowes Week and at the J-Cup Regatta at the end of August. The first day of the regatta on Friday could not have been nicer. Fleets were presided over by PRO Captain Simon Van Der Byl. Conditions on the race-track (in the area of Brambles Bank) were some of the Solent’s finest with a brisk but variable 10-18 knots from South to Southwest. The first race for the J/70s saw newcomer to the Class, Russell Peters and his team on Bob, in first at the first windward mark. But, Race 1 and Race 2 ultimately belonged to Ruairidh Scott and his boys onboard North Sails who scored bullets in both. Ben Field, tactician for North Sails explained, “We got the boat going well, we took the shifts and tried to play every little lift and header. Russell did a tremendous job keeping the pressure on, as did the guys in Team RABF Spitfire.” Ruairidh added, “The first race was really close but at the start of the second we saw a potential fight brewing at the pin and we came up to avoid it. We got a clean start and then worked the shifts as they arrived to our advantage.” At the close of racing, North Sails led the J/70 UK Nationals with Bob in second place with five points and Simon Ling’s Team RABF Spitfire in third, also on five points. It was a challenging day on the water for all on Sunday. Having completed the first two races of the championship on Friday in sublime race conditions, competitors were sent ashore and racing was abandoned before the first start sequence on Saturday, as an easily sailable 21 knots quickly built to a steady 33 knots in the course area near Mother Bank on the Solent. Three races were scheduled for Sunday, of which two were completed by the J/70s in a fading breeze of between 6-12 knots which swung between 230 and 190 degrees. Sunday was a ‘double bullet’ day for Ruairidh Scott and the boys on the J/70 North Sails. For Ruairidh, these two wins completed his perfect regatta score-line and stamped convincing authority on this first J/70 UK National Championship title. Fleets were invited to a Pimms loaded prize-giving on The Platform at the Royal Yacht Squadron on Sunday afternoon. In the J/70 Class, the Best Corinthian Team was Simon Ling and the boys on board Team RAFBF Spitfire Powered by SLAM. In third place at the 2013 J/70 UK National Championship was Simon Ling and his crew from Team RAFBF Spitfire Powered by SLAM with 12 points on their score-sheet. Second overall was Russell Peters and his team from Bob with 9 points. Ruairidh Scott, Hugh Fletcher, Ben Field and Matt Curthoys sailing North Sails stepped up to accept the J/70 UK National Championship title, never having lost a race. They were presented with a J/70 half-model. For more J/70 UK Nationals sailing information, click here.