South American Teams 8 of Top 10!(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- The 2011 J/24 Worlds in Buenos Aires, Argentina sailed this past week had 58 crews from 9 countries. It marked the first time in decades that Americans did not factor as the principal leading boats in the top five. Instead, the South American teams continue to chip away at the J/24 world order once led by mostly Europeans, Australians and Americans. This year's regatta may be seen as a watershed event as it was clear the South American teams continue to ascend into the top ranks of the J/24 class worldwide and are raising the level of their game quite significantly. This year, Argentina’s Alejo Rigoni sailing LUCA with crew Gustavo Gonzalez, Joaquín Duarte Argerich, Fernando Gwozdz and Sergio Armesto are crowned the 2011 J/24 World Champion after securing the victory on the final day of racing. Rigoni's LUCA is the first Argentine team to have won the J/24 Worlds in the three decades the J/24s have been racing worldwide as the world's largest international one-design keelboat class.
After the first three days of racing, the American Tim Healy of Newport, Rhode Island was at the top of the leader board leading by nearly 20 points, a seemingly unassailable lead at a World's event. However, as they say in "da'islands", it was "movin day, mon." Just over the hump of the middle stages in the regatta, either you show that consistency or you crack. And when the cracks form in the veneer of impenetrability, sometimes things don't turn out so well or as one would want it to be. In this case, 11TH HOUR RACING sailed by Healy's team saw some of the "wheels fall of their shopping trolley". Two races were completed on the third day under sunny skies with winds ranging from 10 to 18 knots. After a general recall in each race, Principal Race Officer Teodoro Kundig was again quick to hoist the black flag to keep the aggressive fleet under control. And this little black flag would prove the undoing of many teams. In the day’s first race 18 of the 58 boats (including Healy) were scored BFD after two general recalls under the black flag. On the next attempt the fleet finally got away and Peru’s Luis Olcese hit the pin end start perfectly. Olcese led the fleet until the final few meters when he was run down by Alejo Rigoni who took the win. Conditions were more challenging for the second race as the wind had again built to around 18 knots, kicking up a very confused sea. Healy rebounded from his black flag disqualification to win the race going away followed by local favorite Matias Pereira in second.
The morning of the last day dawned with a weather forecast sure to strike fear in the hearts of the top contenders. It was certainly going to be a challenge to get a race going before noon. The RC tried to get something started in the morning and actually did start a race on the first try under black flag with the current running away from the line. The wind quickly died, as everyone expected, forcing the race to be abandoned. At 1430 the wind had finally filled enough to race and the event’s riveting, drama-laden final ninth race, also started on the first try under the black flag! American Mike Ingham on RELOADED led at the first mark, and wound up third at the end to move up to third overall in the standings. Francisco van Avermaete of Argentina on MENDIETTA won the last race to secure the 4th place overall. Luis Olcese on GUERRERO from Peru finished second overall, a remarkably strong performance and the best ever by a Peruvian team in the J/24 Worlds! Of special note was the best finish by a Uruguayan team was Pedro Garra on EXTASIS in 9th overall, the best Chilean team was Matias Seguel's team on Team VOLVO in 10th overall. Also, the top Italian team was Ignazio Bonnanino on SUPERBA in 20th overall and top Australian was Sean Kirkjian on
DEATHSTAR in 30th. Brazil's past J/24 World Champion, Mauricio Santa Cruz, had to bail from the Worlds for personal reasons, so top Brazilian team was Nelson Horn Ilha on DIFERENCIAL SAILING TEAM in 37th. Congratulations must go to the top Womens' team (pictured here), an Argentinean crew led by Mariana Crousse on NUBARRON with six women leading the charge into a very respectable 32nd place, a top half finish and beating half the American J/24 teams!
Sailing photo credits- Jorge Cousillas/ El Ojo Nautico. For
more J/24 Worlds sailing information J/24 Worlds Youtube video- an
entertaining view sailing on an Argentine J/24 team. 
* Juan Eduardo Reid, the J/Dealer from Santiago, Chile, gave us a 4th of July report- "Have a great holiday and a very nice celebration! I was sailing J/24 on Saturday, very nice to come back after 3 years away from the class, very nice winter condition (north breeze, some choppy and few showers, 12 to 15 knots). 3 first placed boats in tight with one 1 first, 1 second and 1 third each. Vernon Robert, Raúl del Castillo and Carlos Pérez where the final sequence, same as the last race of the day. I was driving for Carlos. Vernon and Raúl are very active in J/24 (and J/105 as well), both building a J/24 at Waterline Systems in Newport for the J/24 Worlds in Rochester, New York. Carlos Perez is in a retiring process to go onboard the Canadian J/105 #642 that he bought used that will arrive to Chile in September. Patricio Seguel was also racing (very active in both J/24 and J/105). Only 5 boats in the water, due to rough weather forecast (showers and windy) and most people went to the mountain last weekend for skiing in the very snowy Andes Mountains at this time of year-- Portillo, etc. Also it was the last day of racing of the season, class racing and much more sailing coming back in September!" 
