Sandberg Estates J/70 World Championship at Real Club Náutico de Palma – Day 4
by Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds 19 Sep 12:25 PDT
13-22 September 2024
Douglas Newhouse and Jeremy Wilmot’s team maintains its lead in the standings after the discard has been factored in, just one point ahead of the Brazilian team ‘Mindset’ in second place and five points ahead of third place, from the USA, ‘Rowdy’.
A lengthy day unfolded in the bay of Palma for nearly one hundred boats engaged in the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds. Despite challenging wind conditions during this third round, organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) alongside the J70 International Association, the fleet successfully added two new races to their tallies, allowing for a discard and intensifying the competition for the title.
The third day of the World Championship started early. Hoping to capitalize on the morning breeze, the fleet departed from the RCNP shortly after 09:00, with the first race scheduled to begin at 10:30. After the first race was canceled just after the start due to a sudden wind shift, teams resumed the championship’s third round just after 11:00, with eight knots of north-easterly wind.
As in earlier races, the fleet’s performance was inconsistent, with the top three positions occupied by three teams not in the top ten: Laura Grondin’s USA ‘Dark Energy’, Swedish Flip Engelbert’s ‘Elvis’, and Brazilian Haroldo Solberg’s ‘Oceanpact’, who finished first, second, and third, respectively.
Following the day’s first race, the race committee had to hoist the postponement flag, waiting for the anticipated thermal wind from Palma’s bay. After adjusting the race course and with wind conditions now between eleven and fourteen knots from the south, the fleet returned to the starting line at 15:15 for the second race.
This time, the victory went to John Heaton’s USA ‘Empeiria’, achieving his first podium finish. Second was Richard Witzel’s USA ‘Rowdy’, followed by Ralph Vasconcellos’ Brazilian ‘Mindset’ in third.
With a total of five races recorded, the third day of the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds concluded with the introduction of the discard, which led to notable changes in the top ten standings and tightened the competition among teams aiming for the intercontinental podium.
Douglas Newhouse and Jeremy Wilmot’s ‘Yonder’ from the New York YC, who placed 23rd and 17th today, remains at the top of the leaderboard due to their strong performances on the first two days. They lead by one point over second-placed ‘Mindset’ from IC Rio de Janeiro and five points over third, ‘Rowdy’ from Chicago YC. Behind them, four additional teams are also vying for the title, with just nine points separating the top six.
Tomorrow, Friday, marks the penultimate day in Palma’s bay, with everything still up for grabs.
The Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds 2024 is organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the International J/70 Association, sponsored by Sandberg Estates, with institutional support from the Palma City Council, the Spanish Navy, the Balearic Islands’ Port Authority, the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, and the Balearic Sailing Federation.
Results after Day 3: (top five)
1. [USA] Yonder, Douglas Newhouse/Jeremy Wilmot, 32pts
2. [BRA] Mindset, Ralph Vasconcellos, 33pts
3. [USA] Rowdy, Richard Witzel, 37pts
4. [USA] Catapult, Joel Ronning, 39pts
5. [USA] Savasana, Brian Keane, 40pts
For more information, visit www.rcnp.es/j70worlds
