Cascais J/70 Winter Series - Portuguese National Championship
by Press CNCascais 29 Sep 2025 13:47 BST
26-28 September 2025
The Clube Naval de Cascais hosted the Cascais J/70 Winter Series - Portuguese National Championship from September 26 to 28, 2025, bringing together 22 boats from 8 nations for a regatta marked by tactical racing, international talent, and the powerful influence of Storm Gabrielle, which swept across the Atlantic toward mainland Portugal during the event.
This Championship held particular weight, as it served as a qualifier for the 2026 J/70 World Championship, also set to be sailed in Cascais.
Day 1 - sunshine and steady racing
Sailors opened the regatta in near-perfect conditions, with sunshine, light waves, and medium breeze on Course A off Guia.
In the first race, Portuguese teams set the tone with POR 1282 Another Affair, POR 284 Navis Portugal, and POR 1046 UON filling the podium. The second race brought international drama as the American entry USA 1474 Airplane, skippered by John Evans, sailed into the top three alongside POR 1797 Bábá and UON (POR 1046). The day concluded with a commanding victory for Navis Portugal (POR 284), with Canada's CAN 282 Trial taking second and Airplane (USA 1474) again showing consistency in third.
At the end of Day 1, the leaderboard stood:
- POR 284 - Navis Portugal
- USA 1474 - Airplane
- POR 1046 - UON
John Evans (USA 1474 Airplane), before racing: "It's my first time sailing in Cascais and I'm really excited to be here. Beautiful place. We know the hurricane is on its way, which could be a little bit challenging with the big waves expected tomorrow. But we're here to have fun, learn the area, and hopefully perform well."
Diogo Pereira (POR 284 Navis Portugal), after the opening day: "We focused on keeping everything in control and not speaking too much during the races. We had good speed, good starts, and stuck to our strategy. Sailing here, especially on Course A, feels natural to us, and today that paid off."
Aaron Dury (CAN 282 Trial), reflecting on Race 3: "We had a really good start, and on both downwinds we managed to pick up a couple of spots to finish second. Conditions have been awesome so far—we're really enjoying Cascais."
Day 2 - heavy weather, high stakes
With Storm Gabrielle drawing closer and the possibility of no racing on Sunday, the Race Committee extended the program to four races on Saturday instead of three. It proved the right call: sailors faced a long and demanding day in grey skies, building seas, and a strengthening breeze.
The day opened with Race 4, where Navis Portugal (POR 284) once again showed why they were the team to beat, controlling the fleet from start to finish and holding off Bábá (POR 1797) and UON (POR 1046).
In Race 5, the script flipped as Another Affair (POR 1282) capitalized on a strong start and excellent downwind speed to secure their first bullet of the regatta. Navis Portugal stayed close in second, while Solyd/SailCascais (POR 8) fought hard for third, making their mark on the leaderboard. It was at the finish of this race that the first rain showers rolled across the course, a sign of the storm to come.
By Race 6, conditions had shifted noticeably: rain was steady, and gusts were pushing crews to the limit. The Americans seized the moment—Airplane (USA 1474) executed brilliantly on both upwinds, finding clear lanes and extending downwind to take a convincing win. Behind them, Another Affair (POR 1282) continued their resurgence with a second place, and Bábá (POR 1797) added another solid finish to their scoreline.
The final race of the day, Race 7, was the most physical of the championship. With heavy rain and a building breeze, UON (POR 1046) delivered a flawless performance, staying in phase with the shifts to claim the victory. Close behind, Peixaranha (POR 1846) sailed an inspired race into second place, while Bábá (POR 1797) rounded out the podium after a gritty fight in the toughest conditions yet.
At the close of Day 2, the leaderboard stood:
- POR 284 - Navis Portugal
- POR 1797 - Bábá
- POR 1046 - UON
Nuno Espírito Santo Silva (POR 1797 Bábá): "It went really well. Four very competitive races today. The fleet is tight, everything comes down to the last 100 meters, and that makes it great fun. A bit of rain, yes, but plenty of good breeze. Everyone's enjoying it."
Day 3 - Storm wins the day
Two final races were scheduled for Sunday, but by mid-morning the Race Committee hoisted AP over H, deferring ashore as gale-force gusts swept the course. By 12:30, racing was officially abandoned due to safety concerns, cementing the results after seven races.
Final Standings - Portuguese National Championship:
1st - POR 284 Navis Portugal (Portuguese National Champions)
2nd - POR 1797 Bábá
3rd - POR 1046 UON
Other international highlights included Lenny (EST 1796) from Estonia winning the Corinthian 1st place on this Championship.
Nuno Espírito Santo Silva (POR 1797 Bábá): "Once again, Cascais proves itself as a world-class sailing venue. The fleet here is extremely competitive, and it was a fantastic championship."
Diogo Pereira (POR 284 Navis Portugal): "We couldn't be happier. We've sailed together for a long time, and to win the national title at home makes it even more special."
Sustainability commitment
The event was proudly certified as part of the Clean Regattas program by Sailors for the Sea, achieving Silver Level recognition for its sustainability practices.
The Cascais J/70 Winter Series - Portuguese National Championship was made possible thanks to: Câmara Municipal de Cascais, SailCascais, Vista Alegre, Turismo de Portugal, Marina de Cascais, Visit Cascais, Cascais News, Sailors for the Sea