NORTH SAILS
WILL WELLES OF NORTH SAILS ONE DESIGN WINS THE 2014 J/24 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN NEWPORT, RI.
Welles Delivers Second North-Powered World Title in Less Than a Month
September 29, 2014 (Newport, RI) – North Sails is proud to announce that Will Welles has won the J/24 World Championships, at Sail Newport, Newport, RI. A long-time member of local J/24 fleet 50, this is the first World title for Welles and teammates Rich Bowen, Luke Lawrence and Nick Turney. Teammate Danny Rabin has previously collected two World titles.
Welles and his crew onboard Cougar finished the regatta with 38 points. Mauricio Santa Cruz’s Bruschetta placed second with 58 points, and John Mollicone with Team Helly Hansen rounded out the top three with 71 points. Eight of the top ten teams, including all of the top three boat at the year’s Worlds, were powered by North Sails.
“It feels great to win this World Championship,” said Welles. “This event was the first time our team has sailed together as one unit. Success starts with having fun and enjoying sailing. A huge part of that is the people who make up your team. We all shared the common goal of winning this year’s Worlds and every one of us dug deep to accomplish that. I am extremely proud of our teamwork.”
Welles, a North One Design J/24 class expert, sailed with a full North Sails inventory; Newport Fat Head Main, SRB+ Jib, Newport DX-7TT Genoa, and FR-3 Spinnaker. “I typically use the Newport designs; they are the benchmark in J/24 sails in my mind,” explained Welles. The competition was tough and full of past world champions. It makes a huge difference when you trust your sails are going to perform well and can focus the crew’s attention on boat speed.”
“From World Championships to National titles, North American to European Championships, 2014 has been a banner year for one design teams powered by North Sails,” said North Sails One Design President Tim Healy. “We look forward to continuing to share performance tips from class experts like Will through our Regatta Services and Dock Talk programs. These were well received by competitors at 2014 events who appreciate sail and tuning tips that help them get the most out of their North sails.”
