J/70 South Coast Championships

(14-15 May 2022)

Hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron

Sixteen J/70 teams competed for the J/70 South Coast Championships, the third Grand Slam Event for the J/70 UK Class. Martin Dent’s Jelvis scored four bullets in the six races held to win the Open category. Jonathan Calascione’s Calypso with Geoff Carveth at the helm was the best Corinthian team for the regatta.

2022 J/70 South Coast Championships

The J/70 South Coast Championship was hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron. Race Officer Philip Warwick and his RYS team were roundly applauded by the fleet for running six excellent races in highly changeable conditions. The start to Day One was delayed waiting for a sea breeze to fill in and that patience was rewarded with three races in a 7-11 knots south-westerly with brilliant sunshine. The final race of Day One finished after 6pm. The Race Committee was back on station the following day by 9:45 am for three more races. A rain affected day in a southerly front with the wind speed providing planing conditions for the J/70 fleet.

Quotes from the Boats

Jelvis  – Martin & Ruby Dent and Jack & Henry Wetherell.

Winning this weekend’s RYS South Coast Championship, against a strong field including Olympic medalists and multiple world champions, has seen Martin Dent’s J70 Team, Jelvis, continue their good form, winning the first three Grand Slam Events of the 2022 Season.  Martin Dent commented: 

“This weekend the J/70 racing was, as usual: epic racing!  While our scoreline was strong, the racing was incredibly close, multiple lead changes and finishes with sometimes three boats overlapped crossing the finish line. Philip Warwick (Race Officer) did a fantastic job, holding his nerve and well positioned in the Solent to give us three good races on a difficult Saturday, and on the Sunday, when the breeze was up, it was spectacular. The detail that the RYS team race team went into, not only setting start lines with perfect bias but also the gate, to balance the one-sided race course was first class.”

Martin Dent – Jelvis

Calypso  – Jonathan Calascione, Geoff Carveth, Dave Kohler, Morgan Peach.

“Early in the season it is good to have a mix of conditions. With the big events coming up like the Nationals, the Europeans, and the Worlds, you don’t know what conditions you are going to get, so did get a range of conditions this weekend was very useful. The South Coast Champs was a Grand Slam event and very well managed by my club, so I was very glad that they did a good job. Calypso is delighted with the result and our start to the season. Calypso has gone back to being a Corinthian team, as we were 2015-19. Our ambition is to push the Pro’ teams and who knows, it would be really cool for a Corinthian team to win the Nationals. It is also great to see young sailors coming into the class like Finley (Dickinson), we want the J/70 UK Class to be the place where young sailors want to race at a very high level.”

Jonathan Calascione – Calypso

The next J/70 UK Class Sprint Series event will be Round Two, hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club as part of their Champagne Charlie Platinum Jubilee Regatta (4-5 June). The next J/70 UK Class Grand Slam event will be Round Four with the Southern Championships, hosted by the Royal Thames Yacht Club (11-12 June).