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Thirty teams converged on the Solent for the 2026 UK J/70 National Championships, creating one of the strongest domestic fleets in recent memory.

The 2026 J/70 UK National Championships take place from 26 to 28 June on the Central Solent, hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club. Close to 30 teams are expected on the start line for Round 4 of the J/70 UK Grand Slam Series, and as ever in the J/70 the entry list mixes top Corinthian teams with a scattering of Olympic, America’s Cup and world champions.

The Royal Thames Yacht Club treated the class to four excellent races on a really interesting race course on the Solent.
A delay whilst the gradient was mixed with an emerging thermal breeze, gave the assembled teams on Bramble Bank an early-season social.

A glorious start to the UK season on the Solent, which delivered two standout days of racing in a steady south easterly. 25 teams lined up for Grand Slam 1, hosted by the Royal Thames Yacht Club, with tight racing and a constantly shifting leaderboard.

Grand Slam 1, 25th-26th April, hosted by the Royal Thames yacht club, gets the UK J/70 season underway and marks the start of the class’s seven-event Grand Slam series. More than 20 J/70s will set out from the Hamble River and Cowes, meeting on the Hill Head plateau for the first racing of the season.

The GS series has continued to grow, with huge momentum building across the fleet; 2025 saw record numbers of new teams and owners joining the Class. A total of 52 teams took part in the 2025 series (up from 42 in 2024), with 75 UK class members now active both at home and internationally.

After briefly considering the option of a near certain gentlemanly second place or a gloves off, no quarter given, duel to the death, we sharpened the boat knife and prepared for that rare and exciting event – a match race within a fleet race to win the series and become South Coast Champions.

This decision follows the proven success of RaceSense at major international events and represents a significant step forward in delivering fairer, faster, and more efficient racing for both sailors and race officials.

Following the launch of the Corinthian World Championships in 2023, the Mixed Plus Worlds represent a further evolution of the class. Designed not just to create another championship, but to actively reshape who gets to compete, and how teams come together.

The 2025 J/70 UK National Championships, one of the most anticipated highlights of the season, fully lived up to expectations. This year’s event was made even more special as part of the Royal Thames Yacht Club’s 250th Anniversary Regatta, providing a fitting stage for a standout Nationals.