(Barcelona, Spain)- The 2018 J/80 Catalonia Championship was hosted by Real Club Nautico Barcelona over the past weekend for a fleet of twenty-one teams from across the region. A total of five races were held over the two days in relatively light winds, very unsteady in direction, and with quite a swell rolling across the race track. As a result, it meant a tough test for skippers, tacticians and crew that had to work hard in each of the races to stay in contention for the regatta.Winning the regatta was past J/80 World Champion Marc de Antonia; his BRIBON MOVISTAR...

(Hong Kong, China)- The annual Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Around the Island Race is one of the biggest inshore events in Hong Kong. It is a 26.0 nm race around Hong Kong Island involving Class Keelboats, Dinghies, Beach Cats and Cruisers.Winning IRC 2 Class and taking 12th overall in what was decidedly a big-boat race was David Mitchell’s J/145C REDEYE, rounding the 26.0nm course in 3:58:16, for an average of nearly 6 kts. Fourth in IRC 2 was Rick Van Den Berg’s J/111 JUGGERKNOT. Taking 5th place in the IRC 3 Class was Nick Southward’s J/109 WHISKEY JACK.In the...

(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- For many sailors in the northern hemisphere Easter regattas are the first major test of a new season. Perhaps the most competitive Easter regatta of all is SPI OUEST France- the largest inshore regatta in France and home to some of the world’s most competitive sportsboat and IRC fleets in Europe.The fleet is based in La Trinité-sur- Mer and racing takes place in the splendid surroundings of the Quiberon Bay in southern Brittany. The islands of Belle Ile, Houat and Hoëdic offer shelter and also spectacular scenery for coastal races. Lorient is only 15 miles...

(San Diego, CA)- The annual fall bacchanalian festival in San Diego known as the “Hot Rum Series” took place last weekend, hosted by the San Diego YC. A fleet of 136 boats is participating in the series of three weekend races that take place on Saturdays. The race is a simple “pursuit style” event, where the slowest boats start first and the fastest boats start last; whomever crossed the finish line first boat-for-boat is declared the winner. As has been the case over time, the building seabreeze often benefits the bigger faster boats that start late. In last weekend’s event,...

(Pornic, France)- The 2018 edition of the French J/80 National Championships took place in Pornic, France and was hosted by the CN Pornic club from November 1st to 4th. Forty-four teams from France, England, Spain, and Ireland enjoyed a total of nine races sailed over the four-day event on the beautiful Bay of Biscay. The fleet enjoyed a wide variety of weather conditions. Nevertheless, it was quite apparent one crew stood head and shoulders above the rest of the teams from the four nations that were participating; Simon Moriceau’s team on ARMEN HABITAT (Jean Queveau, Pierre Loic Berthet, Paul Medinger,...

(Moscow, Russia)- On Tuesday, November 20, the PRO-Yachting project will complete the 2018 sailing season with their annual gala prize-giving award banquet at the Royal Yacht Club in Moscow, Russia. The occasion is the “PRO-Yachting Persons of the Year Award.”By tradition, PRO-Yachting will celebrate the most significant yachting events of the season and the people who have made a significant contribution to the development of sailing in 2018. The awards will be granted for the following categories: “Children's Coach of the Year”, “Sailing Event of the Year”, “Teapot of the Year”, “Discovery of the Year”, “For Lighting of Sailing”, “Photo...