The UK J/70 Class is delighted to celebrate an outstanding international success, as Brutus were crowned J/70 World Championship Champions 2023, bringing the world title back to the United Kingdom from St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
Sailed from 31 October to 4 November, the championship featured ten races in spectacular conditions. Helmed by Tom Mallindine, with team Charlie Thompson, Chris Grube, Ben Saxton and Elisabeth Whitener.
Despite a difficult start to the regatta — scoring a 53 in the opening race (later discarded) — Brutus III delivered an exceptional recovery, never finishing lower than 13 for the remainder of the series. This consistency and resilience saw the team finish on 54 net points, securing a deserved world title in an extremely competitive fleet.
Speaking after the win, Charlie Thompson said:
“St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful places to sail in the world. We feel incredibly privileged to be able to race in a fleet against the very best sailors. I’m one of the oldest bowmen in the fleet and now a World Champion!”
A Proud Moment for the UK J/70 Class
This victory marks a hugely proud moment for the UK J/70 Class. Brutus become the second British team to win the J/70 World Championship, following Eat Sleep J Repeat’s victory in 2019 in Torquay.
The J/70 Open World Championship is widely regarded as one of the toughest tests in one-design sailing, bringing together the very best teams from around the globe. The 2023 championship featured 83 teams from 15 nations, underlining the scale and significance of the achievement.
Overall Results (Top Five – 83 boats)
- Brutus (GBR1123) – Tom Mallindine / Charlie Thompson – 54 pts
- Midlife Crisis (USA26) – Bruce Golison – 81 pts
- Dark Energy (USA819) – Laura Grondin – 108 pts
- Savasana (USA49) – Brian Keane – 115 pts
- Mindset (BRA1226) – Ralph Rosa – 125 pts
Corinthian Results (Top Three – 28 boats)
- Lee Sackett & Dave Kerr – USA
- Andres Ducasse – Ducasse Sailing Team (CHI)
- Ragna Agerup – Ragnarok (NOR)
One-Pro Results (Top Three – 13 boats)
- Tim Ryan – Vamos (AUS)
- Ahmet Eker – Eker (TUR)
- James Golden – Derecho (USA)
Teams competed from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA, making this a truly global championship.
The UK J/70 Class extends its huge congratulations to the entire Brutus team on a world-class achievement.
Complete results available here
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