A record fleet is shaping up for the 2026 J/70 World Championship, with 26 nations and 102 teams confirmed for the regatta at Cascais, Portugal, from September 4 to 12.
Club Naval de Cascais, one of Europe's most experienced sailing clubs, will host the event at a venue just outside Lisbon renowned for strong racing conditions and well-run regattas. Around 750 people are expected in total, including sailors, coaches, families and support crews.
The United States leads the entries with 18 boats, followed by host nation Portugal with 12, Spain with 11 and Brazil with 10. Smaller but no less serious contingents will arrive from as far afield as Australia, Chile, Mexico and Turkey.
Australia's challenge rests with three campaigns: Tim Ryan's *Vamos*, Robert Davis's *Nutcracker* and Rod Warren's *Joust 70*.
More than a dozen teams arrive with genuine claims on the title, having already won world, European, North American or South American championships between them.
Brazil's line-up is particularly strong, headlined by Sam Albrecht's *El Enemigo* team and a "sleeper" crew skippered by Marcos Pinto Rizzo Soares, with multi-Olympic medallist Lars Grael calling tactics. Spain brings what might be the deepest pool of world champions of any nation entered, including Luis Albert's *Patakin* and Joan Cardona Mendez's *Yupi*, the latter fresh off retaining the J/70 Mixed-Plus World Championship title in Copenhagen.
The host nation won't be short of firepower either. Vasco Serpa's *Sail Cascais* and Nuno Espírito Santo Silva's *Baba*, with multiple world champion Hugo Rocha on tactics, headline the Portuguese charge on home water.
Italy's contingent looks strikingly thin for a nation with one of the strongest domestic fleets in the world. Just one boat, Mauro Roversi's *J Curve* from Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, will fly the flag.
The American challenge is arguably the deepest of all. Bruce Golison's *Midlife Crisis*, Peter Duncan's *Relative Obscurity* and Joel Ronning's *Catapult* have all proven themselves at world, European and national level, while the McKillen family will field two boats, Maggie's *Magatron* and Ryan's *Surge*.
With 102 boats from 26 countries already locked in, Cascais looks set to host one of the largest and most competitive J/70 world championship fleets yet assembled.
