The J/70 UK National Championship kicks off this UK Bank Holiday weekend hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club where an Irish entry is a major contender writes Louay Habib.
The event precedes the Darwin Escapes 2019 World Championship (29 Aug – 06 Sept). However, this weekend's regatta is far more than a curtain-raiser for the big event. 35 teams will be racing at the open national championships with top British teams taking on a stellar international fleet from Australia, Brazil, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the USA.
2018 J/70 UK National Champion, Doug Struth's DSP, will be defending their title and will face stiff opposition from the best of British and Irish challenges to retain the trophy. Paul Ward's Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat and Soak Racing, sailed by Ian Wilson and Greystones Olympian Marshall King, have been the top two teams in this year's UK Grand Slam Series. Martin Dent's Jelvis, Jeremy Thorp's Phan, and Graham Clapp's Jeepster will all be in the running, as will Calascione and Ripard's Calypso, and Charles Thompson's Brutus. Fiona Hampshire's Royal Thames YC team will also be one to watch.
Entry List for 2019 J/70 UK National Championship here
