Who will be the 36th J/24 World Champion?

The legend lives on 37 years after Rod Johnstone built the first J/24. Seventy-one teams from 13 nations are registered to compete in the 2014 J/24 World Championship in Newport, Rhode Island. The J/24 Class continues its legacy of comprehensive International representation at its World Championships, with the following countries on hand this year: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and the United States. Sail Newport is proud to be hosting the 2014 J/24 World Championship. Open to those who have qualified, this event will bring together the best of the best from around the world for five days of fantastic competition in the waters off Newport. Racing commences Monday, September 22 and continues through Friday, September 26. Photos will be available on the J/24 Class Facebook page, as well as complete results at http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=982. The fleet boasts an impressive array of talent and past champions from around the globe. A full list of entrants may be found on the regatta website. Past J/24 World Champions include: Mauricio Santa Cruz, Alejo Rigoni, Tim Healy, Andrea Casale, Anthony Kotoun, Jens Hookanson, Lorenzo Bressani, Brad Read, Kazuyuki Hyodo, Vasco Vascotto, Terry Hutchinson, Vince Brun, Chris Larson, Bill Fortenberry, Ken Read, Jim Brady, Larry Klein, John Kostecki, Francesco de Angelis, David Curtis, Ed Baird, John Kolius, Mark Bethwaite, Charlie Scott. About the J/24: A stable sailboat for family togetherness, the J/24 has also been the competitive launch pad for the careers of numerous America’s Cup professionals. The worldwide acceptance of J/24 design, the strong one-design Rules and the strength of the International J/24 Class Association have led to the J/24 being selected as the platform for the International Sailing Federation’s (ISAF) Nation’s Cup, the ISAF Women’s World Match Racing Championship, the Rolex Women’s International Keelboat Championship and US Sailing’s St. Francis International Masters Championship (aged 55+). While some of the world’s best sailors have the latest version J/24, a well-prepared 1977 model, built to the same shape and weight with rigid end-grained balsa core construction can still win the J/24 Class World Championship even after 30,000+ miles of trailering. That’s “One Design” racing! The International J/24 is presently built in the U.S., Argentina and Italy, and has more than 5,600 boats in 27 countries.