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Savvy Navvy 2024

J/24 World Championship 2024 at the Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle - Overall

by Jay Leon 6 Oct 19:57 UTC 1-5 October 2024
Honeybadger (USA 5325) win the J/24 World Championship in Seattle © Dennis Pearce

When Seattle - a city famous for its coffee, rain, and salmon - puts on a show, you can bet your last shackle that it's going to be a great experience, especially when world-class sailboat racing is involved. Such was the case at the Seattle 2024 J24 World Championship presented by Beecher's Handmade Cheese, which concluded yesterday on the waters of Puget Sound in about 10 knots of northerly breeze and under rippled clouds that were punctuated by pockets of blue.

After the day started off with a postponement that allowed the northerly winds to gather, skipper Travis Odenbach and his Honeybadger (USA 5325) crew put on a master class by decisively earning the day's only bullet and capturing the championship title in the 56-boat fleet.

"That's a relief!" exclaimed a jubilant Odenbach moments after winning the regatta. "I've been trying to win the J/24 Worlds for 10 years!" While Odenbach has won the J/24 U.S. Nationals Championship and has previously finished second and third in the J/24 Worlds, this regatta represented a massive commitment to high-level racing in the world's most popular keelboat. "We made a plan in January," he said, noting that they carefully stuck with it. "We're from the Great Lakes, which is a little bit different because it isn't tidal." The solution, he said, was to enlist a top-notch crew, including tactician and former Olympian Dave Hughes. "I had a lot of good people who helped make this happen," he said of his talent-riven team.

Odenbach's Honeybadger crew were joined on the winner's podium by Mike Ingham, skipper of USA 5443, and his crew, who finished in second place, and skipper Kohei Ichikawa and his Gekko Diana (JPN 5450) team. Amongst Corinthians, skipper Nobuyuki Imai and his Siesta (JPN 5185) crew took top honors, followed by skipper Jakob Lichtenberg's Hair of the Dog (USA 5354) crew, and Daniel Borrer's Jesus Lizard (USA 2436) team.

In the All-Female division, skipper Elisabeth Hudson's Two Shots (USA 2342) crew was the boat to beat, followed by Lee Ann Zaretsky's Lady Minx (USA 5482) team, and Chloe Nunn's Super G (GBR 4260) squad. Amongst the Under-25 division, Sam Hopper's Saltine (USA 62) was the quickest around the buoys, followed by Ryan Milne's Jester (USA 5470) team, and Yuki Sekine's Gyosyu (JPN 5273).

While the last day yielded a single race, the regatta delivered a total of nine engaging races over five full days of racing and saw leaderboard shuffles and plenty of great competition within the fleet.

"It's been awesome," said Jon Anderson, who served as regatta chair and raced aboard Lichtenberg's Hair of the Dog. "We picked this time of year specifically because it tends to have better breeze than the rest of the summer, so it's right on the hybrid of the seasons. Seattle isn't known for a predictable Miami- or Texas-type breeze where the wind comes from the same direction and the same speed every single day, so it really puts your tactical and strategic skills to the test."

All sailors reported that the 56-boat fleet showcased the best that competitive one-design keelboat racing offers.

"That theme of, 'we get to race against Tiger Woods' is really kind of a big theme this week, because the best in the world were out there," said Ron Rosenberg, a multi-time world champion sailor who served as tactician aboard Kurt Dammeier's Amuse Bouche (USA 3379), noting that the fleet saw winds ranging from 5 to 20 knots over the regatta's nine races. "It was a really strategic regatta, even more than a boatspeed regatta, which made it really challenging for many teams. I think everyone appreciated that challenge."

While Seattle delivered great on-the-water conditions, all competitors also reported a fantastic onshore scene, which was the result of a lot of hard work from a dedicated cadre of volunteers and sponsors.

"The race committee has been top-notch, and everyday there's been snacks and things going on in the tent and a few beers if you want them," Ingham said. "They put on a great show."

Part of this great synergy between the racing and the onshore scene was made possible by title sponsor Beecher's Handmade Cheese, as the company's founder—Kurt Beecher Dammeier—is a dedicated J/24 sailor.

"The competition is fantastic, 56 boats, and there's probably 35 of them that could win a race at any time," Dammeier said. This is reflected in the results: While Odenbach and Honeybadger took three bullets, the other wins were scattered across the fleet, with no other team taking more than one bullet.

"I think it's been perfect for this regatta to have a prominent, local sponsor—that's not a bank—to be here to represent," Dammeier continued. "I hope that this can be the model going forward, with every new Worlds seeking something that's endemic to their place as a lead sponsor," he said, noting that this helps infuse the regatta with a sense of place.

The 2025 J/24 World Championship will be held on the waters off of Plymouth, England, from September 6-14. Please visit www.j24worlds2025.com to learn more about next year's J/24 championship regatta.

Overall Results:

PosBoat NameSail NoClub/OrgR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9Net
1HoneybadgerUSA 5325Rochester YC43[18]111062128
2NoneUSA 5443Rochester Canoe Club39245[28]1071151
3GEKKO DIANAJPN 5450Seabornia Yacht Club Association2[28]33426243267
4SiestaJPN 5185WSC1117[20]7167121879
5Hair of the DogUSA 5354CYC Seattle7[19]11161212118380
6WarCanoeUSA 5347CYC Seattle52752[DSQ ‑ 57]1859980
7Jesus LizardUSA 2436Borrer Yacht Racing218[23]8151225686
8La SuperbaITA 416Marina Militare Italiana122[37]62320312390
9Team TarheelUSA 5287The Florida Yacht Club620[22]113317102292
10Baba LouieUSA 2365Seattle YC/CYC Seattle9[41]10188151581093
11JadedUSA 1892Ventura Yacht Club1617[38]9221346895
12HeadcaseIRL 4247MSC 13128RDG ‑ 14RDG ‑ 14[32]2644104
13GhostUSA 5322CYC Seattle[30]SCP ‑ 1013212611111416122
14BlitzUSA 3775Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club822[35]15214142121126
15Tata PatagoniaARG 5453Club Nautico Bariloche1710251227[40]20117129
16JMANIAGRE 5367NOPF185211314[49]92724131
17CaramellaUSA 5235Toms River Yacht Club2312[43]242282339133
18Amuse BoucheUSA 3379CYC Seattle1113321010[36]301513134
19Tremendous SlouchUSA 5471CYC Seattle3314119111912[36]27136
20LOLUSA 126DCYC2421[29]528928245144
21Wind MonkeyGBR 2720Saltash Sailing Club15SCP ‑ 3217713[44]381914155
22Atom AntUSA 1980CYC Seattle1015471725[50]211312160
23Self AbuseUSA 2845CYC Seattle19311633[41]5193915177
24Evil OctopusUSA 5277Richmond Yacht Club282412[34]3233181719183
25InnaminckaAUS 4793Middle Harbour Yacht Club38[48]3425177131641191
26Zero GravityUSA 4200Dillon Yacht Club1445192218[52]452020203
27SaltineUSA 62Portland YC4426203119142929[45]212
28SparkUSA 5470Seattle YC227[49]273529363426216
29SuspenceUSA 3421CYC Seattle2938483920172[54]28221
30Bad MoonUSA 267Grapevine Sailing Club202336[42]638423325223
31GyosyuJPN 5273Koaziro Yacht Club3661426442439[55]40229
32Itchy & ScratchyGER 3593Klub am Rupenhorn3937637393423[53]17232
33PearlUSA 5477Seattle YC / CYC Seattle34[46]27283127342537243
34Tundra RoseUSA 3843CYC Seattle / GHYC ‑ NZ2716303637[41]353233246
35BLURRRRCAN 3373West Vancouver Yacht Club264331451684142[47]252
36Shell ShockedUSA 5258Dillon Yacht Club 35[52]45402430252829256
37Rhumba GirlUSA 1826Sandpoint Sailing Association3125[51]293043163746257
38SeaweedUSA 1938Oswego Yacht Club3232[40]DPI ‑ 293331324032261
39WHOO CARESUSA 2939CYC Seattle[RET ‑ 57]444DNE ‑ 57DPI ‑ 166564836267
40Alice?USA 5356NFYC423415354242[53]3130271
41Two ShotsUSA 2342Houston Yacht Club413624DPI ‑ 20403937[44]35272
42JawbreakerGBR 3525Saltash SC46[54]33414623402231282
43HANGOVERJPN 4459Suma Yacht Club493084747453326[53]285
44MAGICA FATAITA 473Circolo Nautico Cervia Amici della Vela404241RDG ‑ 41RDG ‑ 41RDG ‑ 412730[44]303
45JibaritoPUR 814Gale Force Racing25355043454731[56]38314
46IrrationalUSA 3839CYC Seattle3750[55]303821474949321
47PilgrimITA 498Lega Navale Italiana di Mandello del Lario[55]299505246553854333
48AtomicUSA 674Sandpoint Sailing Association4747263843484641[56]336
49SabawindUSA 662Canyon Ferry Yacht Club5149[56]462925445143338
50Lady MINXUSA 5482Rochester Yacht Club52[53]53323637435042345
51Super GGBR 4260Saltash Sailing Club4840[54]445022484750349
52EASY STREETUSA 3746CYC Seattle50[56]52483435544548366
53Take fiveUSA 2223California Yacht Club453939[RET ‑ 57]DNC ‑ 57DNC ‑ 57525234375
54Queen’s GambitUSA 5171North Flathead Yacht Club5333445248515046[55]377
55AbracadabraUSA 1910Ventura Yacht Club43[55]42514953494351381
56KatanaUSA 4157SSSS[54]5146495154513552389

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