Sandberg Estates J/70 World Championship at Real Club Náutico de Palma – Overall
by Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds 21 Sep 09:47 PDT
13-22 September 2024
The Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds has crowned its champion. After five demanding days of racing on the Bay of Palma, the American duo, Douglas Newhouse and Jeremy Wilmot, aboard “Yonder,” were named world champions of the class on the event’s final racing day, hosted by the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) in collaboration with the International J/70 Class Association.
A consistent north-easterly wind averaging ten knots allowed the Race Committee to start the last race of the competition on time at 11:30. Victory in this race went to British competitors Charles Thompson and Tom Mallindine with “Brutus II,” while Spanish sailor Luis Albert’s “Patakin” secured second place, and Brazilian team Renato Faria’s “To Nessa” came in third.
Having been in the lead since day one, the “Yonder” team from New York Yacht Club managed to finish the final race in eleventh place, which was enough to secure their title, making them the new world J/70 champions. They finished with a ten-point advantage over the runners-up, achieving two podium finishes in the eight races held while discarding a 23rd place.
Consistency and the capacity to race without significant mistakes were essential for success at the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds.
“After extensive planning, hard work, training, and teamwork, we’ve achieved our goal of winning the world championship, which is truly remarkable. We had the best regatta of our lives, and the team fought valiantly,” Newhouse said upon arriving at the docks in RCNP.
The second podium position was secured by Brazil’s Ralph Vasconcellos with “Mindset” from IC Río de Janeiro, while the current title holders, “Brutus II” from the Royal Southern Yacht Club, managed to climb back to third after starting the day in fifth, thanks to their victory in the final race.
In addition to the intercontinental title, the event also recognizes the top boats in Corinthian (non-professional crews), One Pro (one professional sailor onboard), Youth, Women’s, Mixed divisions, and the first team to finish with a woman at the helm.
The Corinthian division winner was Pedro Garra’s “Plan B” from YC Punta del Este, Uruguay, followed by Alec Cutler’s “Hedgehog” from Royal Bermuda YC (Bermuda) and the Italian team Sofia Giondi’s “Wanderlust” from YC Rimini, who placed second and third, respectively.
In the One Pro division, Tim Ryan’s “Vamos” from Cruising Yacht Club Australia came in first, also achieving an impressive fifth overall. Ignacio Pérez’s “Zaguero” from Vallarta YC finished second, while Nuno Espirito Santo’s “Baba II” from CN Cascais (Portugal) took third place.
The local team, Maria Boyer’s “Balearia,” claimed victory in the mixed division, while the youth division was won by the Dutch team led by Sven Van Der Plasse with “Moore DRV” from WV Wolphaartsdijk.
The American team “Team Convergence,” captained by Ava Wilson from Chicago YC, topped the Women’s division, while the first team to finish with a female helm was Laura Grondin’s “Dark Energy” from New York YC/GKPYC, who also finished in fifteenth overall.
The awards ceremony, set for 18:30 on Saturday, will provide a special conclusion to the Palma event. Prizes will be awarded to all winners at this competition, which saw nearly 100 teams from 25 countries and over 400 competitors.
Key attendees at the ceremony include Rafael Gil, president of the RCNP; Marcelo Blatzer, president of the J/70 class in Spain; Michael Schwalbach, CEO of Sandberg Estates; Javier Sanz, president of the Baleares Port Authority; David Salom, general director for sports in the Ajuntament de Palma; Javier Núñez de Prado, director of the Baleares Naval Sector; and Catalina Darder, president of the Baleares Sailing Federation.
The Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds 2024 is being organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the International J/70 Association, sponsored by Sandberg Estates, with institutional support from the Palma Town Hall, the Spanish Navy, the Baleares Port Authority, the Spanish Royal Sailing Federation, and the Baleares Sailing Federation.
Overall Results: (top five)
1. [USA] Yonder, Douglas Newhouse/Jeremy Wilmot, 55 points
2. [BRA] Mindset, Ralph Vasconcellos, 66 points
3. [GBR] Brutus II, Charles Thompson/Tom Mallindine, 68 points
4. [USA] Rowdy, Richard Witzel, 83 points
5. [AUS] Vamos, Tim Ryan, 96 points
Corinthian Results: (top three)
1. [URU] Plan B, Pedro Garra, 195 points
2. [BER] Hedgehog, Alec Cutler, 195 points
3. [ITA] Wanderlust, Sofia Giondi, 198 points
One Pro Results: (top three)
1. [AUS] Vamos, Tim Ryan, 96 points
2. [MEX] Zaguero, Ignacio Pérez, 183 points
3. [POR] Baba II, Nuno Espirito Santo, 192 points
Mixed Results: (top three)
1. [ESP] Balearia, María Bover, 379 points
2. [NED] UCAJB4U, John Engelsman, 498 points
3. [USA] Team Convergence, Ava Wilson, 614 points
All Female:
1. [USA] Team Convergence, Ava Wilson, 614 points
Female Helm:
1. [USA] Dark Energy, Laura Grondin, 162 points
Youth:
1. [NED] Moore DRV, Sven Van Der Plasse, 574 points
For complete results, visit here.
More information at www.rcnp.es/j70worlds
