Irish luck at Monaco J/70 Winter Series, Act V

by J/Boats 22 Mar 08:30 GMT 17-20 January 2019

2019 Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series © Martin Messmer

The sixth Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series held from October 2018 to March 2019 ended in style this weekend with the fifth and final Act taking place in spring conditions (sunshine and wind) to the delight of the J/70 contestants that set up their winter base in the Principality.

Organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco, in collaboration with technical clothing supplier SLAM, the regattas were important for J/70 one-design teams to prepare for the season. Already, many of the crews from Europe and the rest of the world are focused on the 2021 J/70 Worlds in Monaco. That was evidenced by all the foreign teams, some from across the Atlantic. Among the favorites in the J/70 fleet was the Brazilian sailing star Marcelo Ferreira, loyal teammate of Torben Grael, two-time Olympic gold Medallist and bronze Medallist in the Star class.

In the J/70 class, it was only fitting that on St Patrick's Day, victory went to Marshall King's Irish team on SOAK RACING, led by the International J/70 Class President. The team dominated the weekend with two race wins and always in the vanguard, despite determined Swiss opposition on CDE CH, helmed by Nicolas Anklin. Russian Sergey Sobolev on RUS 1271 took 3rd, although two poor results cost him dearly, as fewer than two points separated him from his pursuers all the way down to 7th place. Notably, SOAK RACING also won the Corinthian category, ahead of the Swiss armada.

2019 Monaco J/70 Winter Series, Act V - photo © Martin Messmer

For the fourth season, the YC Monaco Race Committee, managed by PRO Thierry Leret, managed twenty-nine races. Amazingly, they averaged nearly six races a weekend. It was a notable accomplishment by YC Monaco's commitment to provide world-class sailing all winter long to their J/70 fleet. It was greatly appreciated by sailors across Europe, Russia, and the rest of the world. Can anyone imagine that the vision of YC Monaco's yacht racing evangelists (including HRH Prince Albert- himself an active J/24 sailor for decades) four years ago would lead to sixty-one teams participating in the 2018-2019 winter series?

In the final overall ranking for the 2018-2019 season, it was clear that HRH Prince Albert and his team at YC Monaco are producing great outcomes supporting their sailors on the European and International J/70 circuits. Consistency and competitiveness paid off for Ludovico Fassitelli's JUNDA BANCA DEL SEMPIONE. It was a successful return to the J/70 for the YC Monaco member, which bodes well for the J/70 World Championship in Monaco in October 2021.

2019 Monaco J/70 Winter Series, Act V - photo © Martin Messmer

Another YC Monaco member took 2nd place, Loïc Pompée's ALLO III, who continues to progress and will be a team to watch out for in the next J/70 Europeans. The Swiss Corinthian team, Bruno Zeltner's QUARTER 2 ELEVEN team, hung onto their 3rd place and 1st in the Corinthians after nearly 30 races.

Following the Swiss team in the Corinthians were two Russian teams; second was Dimitri Zaritskii (RUS 1271) and third was Andreï Malygin's MARIA. Notably, MARIA had no worse than a second in the middle two regattas of the series, winning both of them easily.

Dates have already been set for the seventh Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series with five Acts and more than seventy boats are lined up to participate.