J70- small boat with Momentum in Europe?

The j70 mustered 78 entries in the worlds hosted in the famous French venue La Rochelle at the start of the summer 2015.  Not much short of the Melges 24 "worlds" in Denmark which prove to be a very European event with minimal entries from further a field.

A big number so early into the life cycle of a sports boat  shows actually the commitment of Johnson in getting the boat established. In fact only actually 20 entries were privateers, the rest being sponsored pro/semi pro - "works" teams if you like. At my own last count, that would put the boat more successful than either the latter day Melges-20 or the much berated Melges-24.

It has so far been a strategy which has snowballed or rolled down into national and regional "league" racing with the boats being loaned at venues to encourage participation amongst the best sailors from other classes. The reported ease of handling the j70 probably lends itself to this better than many other sports boats I have sailed on, and certainly larger efforts like the DS37 and the First Class - 8ms and First Class Europe of their day in international match-racing.

For scandinavia and Germany in particular this seems a very good approach, going for the "opinion leaders" and "aspiration group" who are often sponsored teams, thus linking them into affordable, well profiled class events in the leagues that "J" are nurturing. It certainly eclipses the rather limited efforts with the j80, which entered the EU market at a time when it was cluttered with new sportie classes on a national and international bases.

My first reaction to the j70 as a Melges 24 sailor was of course "WHY! not another sports boat in the same ball park!?! This will threaten the burdgeoning national and regional Scandinavian fleet ?" However although there may be some teams weigh-laid into purchasing a new j70 over an M24,  there are few M24 owners going to sell up for a new or nearly new 70. In the main centres in Denmark, Norway, the UK now and of course Italy, the owners and crews will not be looking to downsize.

What the emergence of the J70 should encourage though, is a move away from the complacency and the M24 class critical mass being something which just occurs organically, out of thin air. The class needs a bit of a kick and having an invitational/qualification league with loaned boats for the best regional/national competitors to travel to is one possible action - a bit copy cat you may say, but the m24 has been used for travel-to masters before.

Also some of the keen M24 owners should be looking at  hand-me down boat sales to local competitors in the key centers they are sailed at, or to fledgling fleets in their regions. Taking the depreciation hit more often as a form of sponsoring the class and not only encouraging new owners, but improving the quality of the stock at the mid end of amateur racing.

As a business man I am very for competition and against cosey agreements nurtured by lawyers and with off line promises in the back rooms sealing deals. I should extend this to the newcomer on the block, because the J70 is seriously raising the profile of sports-boating I would say there with that this is good for any sports boat which has local fleets of 5 or more, regional fleets of a dozen active travelling and a nationals with over 20 boats because those sold on the vritues of the J70 and sucked in by its profile, will travel home and find an established fleet to consider in what they do with their money, time and energy. The draw-through effect of the j70 marketing and profile may yet pay benefits in fleet numbers of other sporties.