LIONHEART CLAIMS KOHLER CUP SEASON-LONG POINTS TROPHY

Inaugural J Class World Championship wraps up in Newport

Newport, Rhode Island welcomed the J Class Association for the inaugural World Championship this week. Six yachts competed over five days of racing, battling for the World Championship title and season-long points trophy, the Kohler Cup. Competition was tight between the six yachts, Hanuman, Lionheart, Ranger, Svea, Topaz, and Velsheda, with frequent lead changes throughout tactical courses on Narragansett Bay. The final leaderboard is a true reflection, showing seven points between first and third place and only a 13 point difference from top to bottom.

North Sails is the official sailmaker of the J Class Association and is proud to have taken part in a historical year of racing. All the yachts at the World Championship raced with North 3Di sails, a unique combination of the industry’s most advanced sail technology paired with the classic lines of the J Class fleet.

Congratulations to Lionheart, the first J Class World Champion as well as winner of the 2017 Kohler Cup. North Sails would also like to commend Hanuman and Ranger who finished second and third respectively.

“Thank you very much to the New York Yacht Club for hosting this fantastic regatta, it’s been phenomenal. I would of course like to thank my crew and family. This is a family boat, I sail with my sons and my wife and it’s really a gift to be able to do this,” said Lionheart’s Harold Goddijn at last night’s prize giving.

“Congratulations to the Lionheart team for doing an amazing job this week and throughout the year,” said Ken Read, skipper of Hanuman and president of North Sails. “Thank you to our hosts, the New York Yacht Club and to the city of Newport for their strong support on the water. This was an opportunity for sailing to come back, for crew work and sail handling to be front and center in the world again. All the teams here did an amazing job, everyone had their day, and it was so fun to be a part of. On behalf of the entire Hanuman team, it’s been a pleasure.”

Competitive racing in the J Class will continue with the release of 2018’s Kohler Cup schedule early next week. View all 2017 race results at jclassyachts.com.