J/24 class at the Plymouth Regatta 2026
by Sam Marshall 13 Aug 09:32 BST
J/24s at the Plymouth Regatta © PPSA
Fifteen J/24s descended on the Port of Plymouth Sailing Association Plymouth Regatta in July. Whilst the handicap fleets raced up the river at Saltash and Tamar River Sailing Club's, the J/24s had seven races forecast south of Plymouth breakwater.
From the outset, Shane Hewlett's Just ForPlay and James Torr's MaJic showed exceptional boat speed, rattling two wins and two seconds each off to end day 1 joint on points.
By the end of race 2, the obvious way up the course was clear, and the fleet fought for the left of the beat from the start, ultimately ending with racing ending on the U flag, with four boats binned on the final race of the day.
After the championship racing, boats joined the Cruising fleet at Saltash Sailing Club for the live music and long bar queue.
Day 2 had a slightly lighter forecast, and as the fleet motored down the river, the wind filled in enough to get the racing away on time. A third in race 1 for MaJic left Just ForPlay going into the penultimate race of the day with a strong advantage, meaning the final race was open for a pre-start match race.
Despite the tactical genius of Dave Hale on board, Just ForPlay dropped the ball, allowing MaJic to sail through to take their second event win of the year. Nick McDonald's Easy Tiger couldn't do enough to beat Sam Marshall's WiJit to threerd, rounding out the top four, with Neil Trathen's Juggernaut winning the top Westerly build prize.
The prize-giving was hosted at the crane-out at Plymouth Yacht Haven, where crews celebrated Shane Hewlett's 70th birthday, and looked forward to the National Championship in Torbay Regatta.
Following the success of the 2025 World Championship, the J is still some of the most competitive one design racing in the UK, with seven of the fifteen boats achieving a top three result over the seven races. Boats are available to buy, contact the class if you are interested in getting involved.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Boat name | Sail No | Type | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | MaJic | GBR 4248 | J24 | James Torr | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ‑3 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 | Just for play | 4241 | J24 | Shane hewlett | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ‑4 | 9 |
| 3 | WiJit | GBR 4235 | J/24 | Sam Marshall | 3 | 4 | ‑6 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 25 |
| 4 | Easy Tiger | GBR 4204 | J24 | Nick McDonald | ‑15 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 26 |
| 5 | Njos | 4266 | | Mr Tim Octon | 5 | ‑14 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 30 |
| 6 | Phoenix | 4233 | J24 | Caspar Barton / Jason Culmer | 6 | 5 | 5 | (UFD) | 7 | 4 | 9 | 36 |
| 7 | Hitchhiker | GBR4242 | J24 | Chris Randall | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | ‑8 | 38 |
| 8 | Danjerous When Wet | GBR 5238 | J24 | Mark Lewers | ‑10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 47 |
| 9 | Italian Job | GBR 4251 | J/24 | John Gorman | 8 | 8 | ‑12 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 53 |
| 10 | Jam Too | 4206 | J24 | Daniel Thompson | 13 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | ‑15 | 6 | 54 |
| 11 | Jive | 4261 | J/24 | David Cooper | 4 | 3 | 9 | (UFD) | 14 | 14 | 13 | 57 |
| 12 | Juggernaut | GBR 4026 | J24 | Neil Trathen | 11 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 13 | ‑14 | 69 |
| 13 | Javelin | GBR4067 | J24 | Phil Bailey | 12 | 12 | 11 | (UFD) | 13 | 10 | 11 | 69 |
| 14 | Jabberwocky | 5301 | J/24 | Gail Berriman | 9 | 13 | ‑15 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 72 |
| 15 | Mojo | GBR4239 | J24 | Chloe Nunn | 14 | 15 | 14 | (UFD) | 15 | 9 | 10 | 77 |