J/70 European Championship 2026 at Real Club Nautico de Barcelona - Day 1
by Julie & Christopher Howell 21 Jul 21:02 BST
20-26 July 2026
J/70 European Championship 2026 in Barcelona - Day 1 © Christopher Howell
The 2026 J/70 European Championship got under way Tuesday on the waters off the Real Club Nautico de Barcelona with the first two races of the series, kicking off a week of world-class competition. A fleet of 82 teams from 24 countries will battle for the continental title.
Opening day featured classic Mediterranean conditions, with a thermal south-easterly breeze ranging from 6-11 knots—enough wind to complete the scheduled two races and provide an early test in a Championship already marked by remarkably close competition among the favourites.
The opening race was won by Great Britain's William Edwards (GBR 1905) helming Sardonyx, who crossed the finish line just seconds ahead of Brazil's Renato Cunha (BRA 1527) aboard Tô Nessa. Spain's Marcelo Baltzer (ESP 1122), skipper of Let It Be, finished third. The second race produced a different winner, with American John Heaton (USA 169) steering Empeiria to victory. Spain's Món Cañellas (ESP 1706) and Hang Ten claimed second, while Brazil's Ralph Vasconcellos Rosa (BRA 1226) aboard Mindset completed the podium.
With two different race winners, consistency proved to be the key for the day. Sweden's John De Champs, sailing Lexie, posted finishes of sixth and fourth to take the early overall lead. Crewmember Simon Sivitza explained the team's performance, "The races were very challenging, with constant position changes and lots of passing throughout the fleet. We managed to take advantage of a few favorable wind shifts to stay with the leading group and finish both races inside the top 10. We're very happy with how the Championship has started."
After two races, the provisional overall standings are led by John De Champs and Lexie, followed by John Heaton aboard Empeiria, with Gulboy Guryel and Denizcik in third.
Spain's best performance of the day came from the HSN Sailing Team, skippered by Javier Padrón, which sits fourth overall while also leading the Corinthian division. With eight races still to be sailed, the Championship remains wide open.
Event Information and Results at www.j70eurobarcelona2026.com