Europe’s J/80 Elite Head for a High-Stakes Battle against Pretty Sailing in Biscay
The Abra estuary in Getxo was crowded with J80s from all over Europe, all eager to compete and an unusually tense feeling felt throughout the town for the entire 3 weeks of events.
From June 24 to 28, the Real Club Marítimo del Abra-Real Sporting Club hosted the MSC J/80 European Championship, bringing together approximately 50 boats and around 300 sailors from across Europe. Twelve races scheduled over four days, with some of the strongest crews in the class preparing to battle it out for the continental title.
The championship follows immediately after the Spanish Championship on the same waters, giving several teams valuable knowledge of the sailing conditions off Getxo.
The entry list includes multiple world-class sailors and established J/80 campaigns, including Jorge Martínez Doreste’s Moner Joyeros/Ars Sonum, Pichu Torcida’s Fredo La Estrella del Norte, Luis Martín Cabiedes’ Noticia and Ignacio Camino’s Solintal. Strong teams from France, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, UK and Ireland all turned up to compete against Pretty Sailing’s, Valkyrie.
Racing began on Thursday, June 25, with three windward-leeward races planned each day. These short, intense courses send the boats repeatedly upwind and downwind, placing emphasis on clean starts, sharp maneuvers and quick tactical decisions. One poorly judged wind shift or untidy mark rounding can turn a promising race into an extended exercise in frustration.
Add the notorious Biscay swell and sudden gusts arriving from unpredictable angles, and even the most controlled race can quickly become a tense battle against the sea, the wind and the boats around you.
The championship included open, women’s, mixed and junior classifications, reflecting the growing depth of the J/80 fleet:
Final Results
The 2026 MSC J/80 European Championship podium was:
Eurofrits & Aviko Newind Foods
Skipper: Javier Padrón Torrent
13 points
CV Ailee – École Navale
Skipper: Pierre Laouenan
22 points
Fredo La Estrella del Norte
Skipper: José María “Pichu” Torcida
39 points
Padrón went into the final day only one point ahead of Laouenan, then won the eighth and final race while the French boat finished 11th.
Valkyrie, sailed by Montgomery Spindler for Pretty Sailing, finished 31st in the final race and 37th overall out of 48 classified boats, on 213 points.
The host club brings serious experience to the task. Founded in 1898, it has previously staged Spanish Cups, national championships and the highly praised 2019 J/80 World Championships and They exceeded the hospitality of previous years while hosting this year’s event. A big thank you to the Real Club Marítimo del Abra and the town of Getxo for such a warm welcome and for hosting us. From all of us at Pretty Sailing, thank you for a fantastic event.
