2026 J/70 Corinthian World Championship in Marseille - Day 3
by Julie & Christopher Howell 28 May 20:10 BST
After two days defined by light and unpredictable breeze, the fleet at the 2026 J/70 Corinthian World Championship enjoyed the conditions they had been waiting for on Thursday.
Hosted by Club La Pelle and Union Nautique Marseillaise, the Championship delivered three excellent races in classic Mediterranean conditions, bringing the regatta total to five races completed. Thursday's full schedule introduced the Championship's discard race. The result reshuffled portions of the leaderboard, rewarding teams that combined consistency with clean racing.
Competitors were greeted by sparkling seas, sunshine, warm temperatures and steadily building breeze throughout the afternoon—champagne sailing conditions in every sense. The opening race began in 7-9 knots before increasing to 8-10 in race four, with the breeze shifting slightly right. By the final race of the day, a stable 10-12 knot seabreeze settled across the course.
At the top of the standings, Bermuda's Alec Cutler and the team aboard Hedgehog maintained their impressive form and now lead the Championship with 16 net points. Just two points behind is Andrew Loe's Dime from the United States at 18 net points.
Thursday's racing produced a variety of race winners and podium finishers across the highly competitive 88-boat fleet. In Race 3, Cutler's Hedgehog took the victory ahead of Robert Davis' Nutcracker of Australia and Tonu Toniste's Lenny of Estonia. Italy's Gianfranco Noe steered White Hawk to victory in Race 4, followed by Hedgehog and Denmark's Kim Christensen aboard Soffe. Race 5 belonged to Mexico's Ignacio Perez and Zaguero, with Loe's Dime finishing second and Great Britain's Ali Hall aboard Calypso claiming third.
Off the water, the atmosphere in the regatta village reflected the day's outstanding conditions, with smiling sailors and electric energy carrying well into the evening. The Championship features teams representing 20 nations: Australia, Bermuda, Denmark, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey and the United States. Racing continues through Saturday, with a total of 10 races scheduled.