Jannetti, Cox and Deardorff Crowned J/70 Champions as Santa Barbara Delivers a West Coast Statement
by Hannah Lee Noll 13 Jul 07:02 BST
July 10-12, 2026
J/70 U.S. National Championship 2026 at Santa Barbara Yacht Club © Hannah Lee Noll
The 2026 J/70 U.S. National Championship concluded Sunday with David Jannetti's Odd Racing winning the Open title, Ryan Cox's DJ securing the Corinthian Championship, and Scott Deardorff's CAKE taking Mixed-Plus honors. Beyond the podium, the championship reinforced the emergence of the West Coast as one of the strongest regions in North American J/70 sailing.
More importantly, the weekend confirmed something many sailors on the West Coast already knew.
The J/70 fleet out west has arrived.
Hosted by Santa Barbara Yacht Club, the championship brought together 37 teams representing California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Massachusetts and New York. Nearly two-thirds of the fleet competed in the Corinthian division, while Mixed-Plus teams raced comfortably among the overall leaders rather than in a separate conversation.
After entering the final day with six teams separated by just nine points, the championship remained wide open. Odd Racing answered the challenge with another consistent Sunday, finishing second in Race 6 before the final race of the weekend was abandoned shortly after the start. Their 2-18-2-1-1-2 scoreline, discarding the 18th, secured the National Championship with just nine net points.
Andrew Loe's Dime finished second overall on 17 points, while Ryan Cox's DJ completed the overall podium on 21 points while simultaneously winning the Corinthian National Championship. Cox sailed with RD Burley, Mike Uznis, and Stanton Smith - all West Coasters. J/70 North American Champion Dalton Bergan's Mossy also demonstrated the strength of the amateur fleet by finishing fifth overall, while Mixed-Plus champions CAKE and runners-up Yolanda both earned top-10 finishes. Former SBYC Commodore Scott Deardorff teamed up with his daughter Emma Deardorff, SBYC Commodore Matt Wilson, and Heidi Ziskind to take the win in the Mixed-Plus division.
For Cox, the championship represented years of progression within the class.
"I got a boat about five years ago," he said. "I learned a lot sailing with Team Hedgehog, trimming before moving into the driver's seat. The goal was always to qualify for Worlds, and now we've done that."
Just 30 miles south of Santa Barbara at Ventura Yacht Club, Cox credits the strength of Southern California's growing J/70 community for helping elevate his team.
"We're here quite a bit. They've got the best J/70 fleet in California. It's really exciting to have a National Championship so close to home."
Jannetti praised both the competition and the venue after securing the title. "It was a fight all weekend," he said. "The top teams sailed incredibly well, and Santa Barbara was amazing. We had a terrific time, and we'll definitely be back."
Jannetti sailed with Willem van Waay, tactician Geison Mendes, and James Golden. Van Waay pointed to simple execution as the difference-maker.
"Our goal was to get off the line clean, find space, tack to the right side, and manage the fleet. Everyone stayed calm, trusted each other and just focused on doing their jobs."
That calm extended well beyond the racecourse.
Each evening, sailors stepped off the docks, onto the beach, kicked off their shoes, and settled into Santa Barbara's California vibe. Cold beers from sponsor Brewhouse, Peake Winery wines, beachside sunsets and dinners overlooking the Pacific Ocean became just as memorable as the racing itself.
Saturday featured a lively tactical debrief facilitated by Seattle fleet founder Ron Rosenberg, bringing together competitors on the yacht club porch to learn from the top five teams.
Behind the scenes, Santa Barbara Yacht Club delivered an exceptionally well-run championship. SBYC Race Director and Principal Race Officer Brad Schaupeter ran the event alongside the J/70 U.S. Class leadership Chris Howell and Julie Howell and Regatta Chair Geoff Fargo. Despite weather that included prolonged morning postponements, fading afternoon breezes and one abandoned race on Sunday, the race committee team and Vakaros RaceSense technology efficiently completed seven championship races over the weekend.
The event also reflected the remarkable growth of J/70 sailing throughout the western United States. Seattle's rapidly expanding J/Pod sent a dozen entries south, joining one of California's strongest local fleets for the largest gathering of West Coast J/70s in recent memory. Combined with a fleet composed of two-thirds Corinthian teams and strong Mixed-Plus participation, the championship highlighted a healthy, diverse class that continues to grow at every level of competition.
Some championships are remembered for a winner. Others are remembered because they signal something bigger.
Santa Barbara's first J/70 U.S. National Championship felt like the latter.
The racing was close. The hospitality was unmistakably Californian. And by weekend's end, the message was clear: the West Coast is no longer an emerging region for J/70 sailing. It's one of the class's strongest homes.