MONACO, Oct. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The sailing world has gathered in Monaco for the J/70 world championship. For the 2022 edition, more than 400 sailors from 23 nations and 90 boats are ready to go at sea and the competition looks tough with half the participants having already seen their names on trophies as the Olympics, the America's Cup or other top circuits. "When you go to a world championship you know you will sail against the top people in the class. Everyone we expected to be here is here. At the end of the day, it's about each team executing, getting the job done and being consistent," explains the US veteran of the America's Cup and multiple world championships Chris Larson. "It's not so much about the other individual competitor, it's about you going and getting your job done," he adds. Larson is sailing with Smokeshow team alongside the world champion sailor Alan Terhune, the experienced J/70 sailor Patrick Wilson and the owner Paul Sevigny.
On the Monaco quays it is possible to run into the Brazilian legend Torben Grael (five Olympic medals, four of them in the Star class), the Italian sailor Pietro Sibello (in charge of the mainsail on the Italian Challenger Luna Rossa at the last America's Cup) and British sailor and Olympic medalist Saskia Clark. And the list goes on taking in Luis Bugallo, Marshall King, Ian Wilson, Peter Duncan, Jud Smith and Paul Ward, who've been crowned J/70 World Champions in recent years. Luca Domenici, José María Torcida Seghers and Jonathan Calascione complete the class line-up with their European results.
"First of all, to us hosting the world championship means the ending of the pandemic because it should have been held in 2021, but it had to be postponed to 2022 - summarizes Oliver Campana, president of the Monaco J/70 Class Association - It is also very meaningful to us as the last one we had here in Monaco was in 1976. Therefore, to host such an important competition with 90 boats coming from all over the world is an honor for the Yacht Club." This World Championship also sheds light on environmental initiatives adopted by the YCM: "Our Committee Boat has been operating on biodiesel for five years now. As for those of our semi-rigid safety boats which aren't electric, they are running on bioethanol. We have dynamic positioning buoys that avoid any damage to the seabed. And last but not least, this J/70 World Championship is partnered with RAMOGE, one of the longest established environmental protection agreements in the world," concludes Campana.
The event is organized by Yacht Club de Monaco, in partnership with the Monegasque Sailing Federation, FxPro, Xerjoff, Sebago and technical sports clothing brand Slam which is supplying garments for all crew members on the podium.
For more information:
LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director
Barbara Sanicola - barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it
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