Tom Mallindine and Charlie Thompson’s Brutus III, of Great Britain, with team Chris Grube, Ben Saxton and Elisabeth Whitener, won the J/70 World Championship in St. Petersburg after 10 races sailed in spectacular conditions. Brutus III started the regatta with a 53 (later discarded), but then never finished lower than 13 to demonstrate their determination to win and ending with 54 net points.
Thompson, owner of Brutus III, said St. Petersburg is “one of the most beautiful places to sail in the world. We feel incredibly privileged to be able to race in a fleet against the very best sailors. I’m one of the oldest bowmen in the fleet and now a World Champion.”
Bruce Golison’s Midlife Crisis (USA) withstood a UFD penalty in Race 2 to fulfill the runner-up position with 81 net points. Laura Grondin helmed Dark Energy to third place overall and earned her place as the regatta’s top female skipper.
Two-time US Corinthian National Champions Lee Sackett, Dave Kerr, Michael Booker and Erica Trejo, on USA 1516, won the battle for the Corinthian World Championship edging out the family team on Ducasse Sailing Team, of Chile, led by Andres Ducasse.
The experienced squad on Brian Keane’s Savasana, which had been the frontrunner team throughout the year leading up to the Worlds, finished fourth overall, with its discard being a 26, and Brazilian skipper Ralph Rosa led his team to fifth overall to round out the top-five.
