J Class Barcelona Regatta 2024 – Day 4
by J Class Association 10 Oct 15:15 PDT
7-11 October 2024
J Class World Championship – October 10, 2024 – Barcelona © Sailing Energy
During the second race of the day, when the gentle and variable breeze faded, Rainbow was denied what could have been a double win, but this newest team in J Class racing was still delighted to have secured their first race victory on the J Class Barcelona Regatta leaderboard today.
Finishing second behind Rainbow, who maintained a comfortable lead by the finish, Svea now has a one-point edge overall after five races completed. Rainbow’s inaugural triumph at the regatta came thanks, in part, to their astute Kiwi tactician, six-time America’s Cup champion Murray Jones, along with British navigator Simon Fisher, who navigated Rainbow effectively through the unpredictable, light conditions. Moreover, the smallest and lightest J Class yacht in the fleet often showcased its speed when the winds were light.
Velsheda performed well at the start
Velsheda had a strong start in the first race of the day. Heading left toward the shore allowed her to reach the windward mark on a favorable tack, rounding 30 seconds ahead of Rainbow and Svea. The wind shifted right during the run, enabling Svea to overtake Rainbow and closely pursue Velsheda around the leeward gate. However, on the second upwind leg, Rainbow’s afterguard found better pressure and established a substantial lead, which they maintained to the finish. Svea claimed second place while Velsheda faced challenges due to a torn spinnaker just before the finish.
Murray Jones, tactician for Rainbow, remarked, “It feels good to win a race as we performed quite well today; the boat handled beautifully in the light breeze. To be honest, the three boats were pretty matched in these lighter conditions. We all rounded the top mark together in the first race.”
He continued, “We were hopeful for a win here, but we’ve had a lot on our plate and haven’t had much time sailing together. In lighter air, things move slower, and today we had a bit more opportunity to execute correctly. We anticipate another light day tomorrow and are optimistic.”
The wind was even lighter in the second race of the day, and Rainbow again distanced itself from its rivals, Svea and Velsheda. However, during the second beat, the ‘race abandoned’ signal was displayed, and the prospect of a double victory for Rainbow vanished under the warm autumn sun, much to the disappointment of owner Neville Crichton and his team.
After two days of racing where each team finished even, Svea, with two firsts and three seconds, now leads Velsheda by a single point going into the last day of the regatta.
Niklas Zennström, co-owner of leading team Svea, expressed excitement, stating, “What stood out today was the numerous lead changes, more than any other day this season; it was quite exciting, and the boats at 180 tons are notably difficult to steer in light conditions, providing little feedback. I’m very pleased for Rainbow to secure a win today, as this is just their second event, making their learning curve steep. They would have won the second race had it not been abandoned. We knew this regatta would be a challenge, with every team striving for excellence. Today we started even with Velsheda and now head into the final day one point ahead; it’s great racing.”
Velsheda’s captain, Will Gibbon, was thrilled to be in contention for the title on the final day, noting, “It was a challenging day. While we started well, we struggled downwind in the rough seas since we’re a heavy boat. Svea got ahead of us and affected our airflow, and we slightly overstood on the second lap. We also damaged our spinnaker on the second lap, just as we were about to catch up with Svea near the finish, merely four minutes from the line—timing was unfortunate. There was a small tear we monitored throughout the last leg, and then it gave way, so if it lasted just four minutes longer, we would have been fine. We’re feeling good as we head into the last day and thrilled to be so close; perhaps a bit more wind would help us.”
“We were closely matched with Svea all day, and there were times when they were faster and other times when we were, so positioning the boat correctly along the course gives us a strong opportunity. It was also exciting to see Rainbow win; they clearly excelled in lighter conditions, confirming their potential. They’ve dealt with quite a bit during this week, so it’s rewarding to see them gain a win.”
Racing is set to commence around midday on Friday with forecasts indicating a final day of light winds. You can follow the last day in Barcelona through tracking HERE. The J Class Barcelona Regatta awards ceremony will occur at 18:30 on the America’s Cup main stage.
Race 5 Results:
1 Rainbow 1hr 8min 15 sec
2 Svea + 2 min 17 sec
3 Velsheda +3 min 39 sec
J Class Barcelona Regatta standings after five races (no discards):
1 Svea 8pts
2 Velsheda 9pts
3 Rainbow 14pts
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