Youth Teams to Vie for a Free J/70

J/Boats has come up with a brilliant marketing idea to build interest among future boat owners in its hot new sportboat class, the J/70. The Newport, RI-based company is inviting youth teams representing sailing clubs from all over the country to compete at the first-ever US Youth Championship and win a free J/70 for a year.

The J/70 Youth Championship will take place at J/Fest New England on August 11-13, 2017.  Sail Newport will host the event at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI. "The goal of this event is to help develop and build leading-edge junior keelboat sailing programs across America," say the organizers. The winning club will be awarded free use of a fully equipped J/70, sails and trailer included, provided by J/Boats, for 12 months.

The USJCA championship will be open to 10 youth teams representing US Sailing-recognized sailing clubs or organizations.  The teams will compete on 10 brand-new J/70 Class sailboats with sails (main, jib, spinnaker) that comply with J/70 class rules. The boats will be identically rigged and tuned at base settings recommended by the sailmaker.

Teams will qualify for entry in the championship by being the top scoring youth team in the J/70 class at one of a series of regattas in various locations around the country. On the West Coast, the qualifiers will be the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta in San Diego on March 17-19 and St. Francis Yacht Club’s Sportboat Regatta on July 8-9. 

In order to be considered a ‘youth’ team, all crew must be under the age of 20 throughout the 2017 calendar year. For more info, see the Notice of Race at www.jboats.com/images/stories/pdf/J70_Youth_NOR_011217.pdf.