In preparation for the 2026 J/80 North Americans and Worlds regattas in July next year, CORK/Sail Kingston in collaboration with the J/80 North American Class Association, hosted a 3-day “test event” regatta in Kingston Canada on June 27-29 employing the Vakaros RaceSense starting system – a first for J/80s in North America. A dozen J/80s and a slightly smaller fleet on J/70’s from fleets across eastern Canada and northeastern US enjoyed 3 spectacular sailing days with a total of 8 races run in the champagne sailing conditions that Kingston, “the freshwater sailing capital of the world”, is known for. Day 1 included some unsettled weather with shifty winds and rain to start before settling in to 10-12 knots from the south. Day 2 saw a solid 20 knot southwest system wind blow throughout the day with brilliant sunshine and 25C temperatures. Day 3 started with light air under cloudy skies before the 12-15 knot Kingston thermal filled-in by early afternoon. US sailors Conor Hayes “More Gostosa” from Winnipesaukee Yacht Club, and Brian Gibbs’ “Blind Faith” from Jubilee Yacht Club along with Kingston Yacht Club’s “Breakaway J” (Hugh McGugan) battled it out for the top 3 spots in the J/80 fleet with Hayes winning the event followed by Gibbs and McGugan. As promised, the Vakaros RaceSense system along with a GPS-enabled pin boat, delivered a “no general recall” and “next start quick turnaround” experience throughout the regatta as the sailors gained experience with Vakaros-enabled starting. The J/80 2026 Worlds are set for July 18-27, 2026, and North Americans July 8-12 2026 – both hosted by CORK and Sail Kingston, and the fleet is looking forward to competitors attending from around the world!
