Eighteen teams ventured to Fort Worth Boat Club in Texas for the first-ever J/70 US National Championship from November 7-10. Gorgeous conditions on the opening day allowed three races, but Mother Nature had different plans for the weekend, as light air forced crews to stay ashore. Fortunately, southern hospitality kept racers smiling throughout the weekend at the recently remodeled club, culminating with Sunday afternoon’s prize-giving. James Murray’s Hestia with Zeke Horowitz, Will Howard and Steven Leuck tallied scores of 2,1,2 for only 5 points to earn the first plaque on the J/70 US National Championship trophy. Hestia was one of five boats in the One-Pro Division, securing this achievement as well.
“When it was time to put together our J/70 program, I wanted to stick as close as possible to the Corinthian nature of the sport,” summarized Murray. “But it’s an incredibly competitive Class, and to help us get up the curve faster, we decided to go with the one-pro model.” He continued, “I think we’re incredibly lucky just to be out here sailing. You’re walking around the docks, and you’re just surrounded by multiple World Champions, folks who have sailed in the Olympics. It’s an incredible Class. Our vibe from the beginning has been we’re just happy to be here. We’re lucky to be on the line with these folks. We’re just out here to become better sailors.”
Rounding out the podium were Bruce Golison’s Midlife Crisis and Al Minella’s Level5, each with 12 points. Ryan Cox’s DJ topped the eight-boat Corinthian division. Marina Lamphier helmed Beatmachine to the Mixed Plus title.
Top Five:
- Hestia, James Murray / Zeke Horowitz / Will Howard / Steven Leuck – 2 -1 -2 ; 5
- Midlife Crisis, Bruce Golison / Erik Shampain / Steve Hunt / Jeff Reynolds – 1 -7 -4 ; 12
- Level5, Al Minella / Marc Gauthier / John Wallace / Carlos Robles – 3 -6 -3 ; 12
- Stampede, Bruno Pasquinelli / Patrick Wilson / Greiner Hobbs / River Paquin – 5 -3 -5 ; 13
- Relative Obscurity, John Sommi / Victor Diaz de Leon / Willem Van Waay / Jud Smith – 4 -2 -9 ; 15
Photos from Hannah Lee Noll are available at https://gallery.hannahleenoll.com/j70-nats-2024/, and complete results may be found at https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=16334. Link to winner’s video: https://youtu.be/FN1AdYDR1Hw