Sailing: Monaco ready for the J/70 World Championship

In a few days 90 international teams from 23 countries will arrive in the Principality for the J/70 World Championship, organized for the first time by the Yacht Club de Monaco, to be held Oct. 14-22. Designed by Alan Johnstone and built in 2012, the J/70 is one of the most popular one-design classes among sailors. The event is being held in collaboration with the Monaco Sailing Federation, FxPro, Xerjoff and the technical sportswear brand Slam, which will provide clothing for all crew members on the podium, as it has done for more than 30 years for the Primo Cup.

The protagonists

Among the 90 crews are prestigious names: Luis Bugallo, Marshall King, Ian Wilson, Peter Duncan, Jud Smith and Paul Ward. They are joined by stars of the European scene, ready to do battle, such as Italy’s Luca Domenici, Denmark’s José María Torcida Seghers, and British sailor Jonathan Calascione.

Most of the teams include well-known professionals, such as Pietro Sibello, who was in charge of the mainsail on the Italian Challenger Luna Rossa at the last America’s Cup. The Anglo-Saxons will be there in force with a dozen American boats and no fewer than seven British teams. So 400 experienced sailors are expected to roam the docks in Monaco, including Ycm vice president and Team Malizia founder Pierre Casiraghi, who will be alongside Jean-Baptiste Bernaz, current Ilca 7 world champion, and says, “It is always an honor to host such prestigious regattas in Monaco. For me it is a real pleasure but also a challenge to compete with the best and represent my Club.” Playing at home are the nine Monegasque crews completing the fleet, including favorites Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda), bronze medalist at the last European Championship in the Corinthian (amateur) category, and Loïc Pompée (Sailing Racing Team), fifth place finisher at the 2021 European Championship.

Pierrik Devic (Leonteq), Stefano Roberti (Piccinina), Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-Spot), Ferdinando Matteo Scandolera (Irruenza), and Cesare Gabasio (TinnJ70) will be flying high flags, as will Anne Rodelato and her crew of Pink Wave, the only all-female team from the Principality present at the event. All are members of the Yacht Club de Monaco and the Monaco J/70 Class Association and earned a spot at the Worlds during the qualifiers of the last Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series (2021/2022). No doubt they will do everything to win at home. The boats will sail as one fleet with Open (professionals), One Pro (one pro on board) and Corinthian (amateurs) categories racing on the same course. After registration and rating inspections, the crews will participate in the opening ceremony on Monday, October 17, a highlight that will officially kick off five days of top-level racing.