Top: JEEZ LOUISE, owned by Jamie Arnell, challenged Saturday's temps with bright uniforms. Bottom: kites gleam downwind under brighter skies. Photos courtesy of Eddie Mays
75 boats in five classes competed at the J-Cup 2008, hosted by the
Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble, England. But the highlight was surely the 32
boat fleet of J/109s racing for their UK National
Championship. This was, to date, the largest gathering of J/109s anywhere in the world.
For the team on board JOHNNY BLUE II, the long walk up to the podium had a
familiar feel to it. Having won the event in 2007 in a borrowed boat,
they were defending their title this year, and the very fact that this
team put together such consistent programmes makes their achievement
all the more poignant.
The Dubarry Boot for Outstanding Achievement went to Simon 'Sling'
Ling and the RAF's RED ARROW. These guys cannot
possibly sail together, with the same team, every single week because
their work commitments within the RAF would never allow it. They have
worked hard to get to know the boat whenever the opportunity arises and
the fact that this team, skippered by Sling, finished fourth in the
J/109 UK National Championship made them the obvious choice for this
award.
Jonas Grander was awarded the North Sails
Boat of the Day prize for scoring a bullet in his first regatta in his
new boat.
The J-Cup itself, the trophy from which this event takes its name,
is awarded each year by the team at J-UK. It does not necessarily go to
the boat with the lowest points score. This year the J-Cup was
presented to Michael Ewart-Smith and Ben Richards on ZELDA.
These two gentlemen have been absolutely instrumental in
driving and protecting the development of the J/109 UK One-Design
Class. The fact that there were 32 boats racing one-design at this
event, the largest fleet of J/109s anywhere in the world, ever, is
testament to this fact. 
1st JOHNNY BLUE II Bruce Jubb 15.0
2nd ZELDA Ben Richards Royal Southern Yacht Club 23.0
3rd SHIVA Matthew Boyle Royal Southern Yacht Club 28.0
4th RED ARROW RAFSA RAFSA 37.0
5th J-DREAM Kirsty Apthorp RORC 44.0
6th JUMPING JELLYFISH David Richards RAFYC 62.0
7th JAHMALI Mike Wallis Royal Southampton 65.0
8th OFFBEAT David McLeman Royal Southampton 66.0
9th JOUSTER Adam Wright Papercourt SC 77.0
10th FIRESTORM Jon Perry & Simon Murphy RAFYC 80.0
11th TIGH SOLUIS II Dr Ken Grant Holy Loch 84.0
12th ARIA Luca Rubinelle RORC 87.0
13th OUTRAJEOUS Richard & Valerie Griffith JOG 96.0
14th MOJITO Gary & Sasha Fry RORC 96.0
15th J2EAU Steve & Jody Maine 106.0
16th JEEZ-LOUISE Jamie Arnell Brighton Marina YC 118.0
17th HIGH TENSION Andrew Given KYC 120.0
18th JUMUNU Elliot Wishlade Royal Temple Yacht Club 123.0
19th DESIGNSTAR 2 Roger Phillips Hill Head Sailing Club 129.0
20th JOYRIDE Michael Jones 133.0
21st BASIC INSTINCT J. Hearth Starcross Yacht Club 143.0
22nd JURA Kevin Moll 148.0
23rd BETH Guy Knight Itchenor Sailing Club 148.0
24th JUNO Tony Dawson Island Sailing Club 151.0
25th BATFISH II Bill Blain Royal Southern Yacht Club 153.0
26th JEBOCH David Carter Brighton Marina YC 187.0
27th MAJADOR Jonas Grander Royal Swedish Sailing Society 188.0
28th AUDAJIOUS David Jobson HRSC 188.0
29th JANGADA TOO R Palmer RLymYC 190.0
30th YEOMAN OF WIGHT Max Kenna Island Charters 193.0
31st STALKER Steven Tapper Parkstone Yacht Club 199.0
32nd ME JULIE Dominic Monkhouse 204.0
