Somewhere behind the curtain that hides the master regatta control panel, there is a wild haired maniac pulling levers and pushing buttons. This is the only logical explanation for the variety of conditions on hand for the Seattle 2024 J/24 World Championship presented by Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. There have been crystal blue skies most of the week, but Friday, a nasty rain squall. There has been flat water and steady breeze, but also up-range conditions frisky enough to get some teams to switch to jibs. There has been steady, even current across the course, but occasionally one-sided current advantages. Any competitor who came to Seattle looking for the full range of conditions got that and more. The first and most important thing regatta organizers need to host a World Championship is wind. Equally important is sponsorship. When the Seattle J/24 Fleet and Corinthian Yacht Club got the chance to host this event, the first person to change the dream into a reality was J/24 sailor Kurt Dammeier. Regatta Chair for the event Jon Anderson explained, “Our title sponsor is a J/24 sailor in our community, Kurt Dammeier, driver and owner of Amuse Bouche, bow 79. Kurt is the CEO and Founder of Beechers Handmade Cheese. Kurt has such a rich passion for the sport and for our fleet, and he and his company were so quick to step up to help us deliver our promise of hosting a world class event. The generosity of Kurt and his entire team has been incredible! We could not have put on this great of an event without him. Kurt was essential because he wrote the most significant check. But he did not stop there. Contestants have been enjoying his Beecher’s Handmade Cheese after racing in many forms, ranging from macaroni and cheese to soups. Everyone also got a Beecher’s Handmade Cheese t-shirt. Kurt has also been organizing training sessions for boats in the fleet, and traveled to the J/24 National Championship in Lake Minnetonka, MN last month where he finished on the podium in third place. In addition to wind and money, a regatta can’t be great without strong competitors. In the 56-boat fleet at the 2024 Worlds, there are a full complement of podium finishers from past Worlds, six teams of rising youth sailors and four all-female teams. Four boats came from Japan and three from Italy. Friday, Travis Odenbach extended his first-place lead, but it was La Superba from Marina Militare Italiana that won the day with a third and a first. This stunning performance raised La Superba from 11th place to fifth, putting them in striking distance of third place overall with only 6 more points than Siesta from Japan. Photos from Dennis Pearce: https://www.dennispearcephotography.com/Sailing/J/24-Worlds-2024
Event website/results: https://www.J/24worldsseattle.org/home.
International Class Association
