Epigen J/24 World Championship Melbourne 2026

Great news—the North Sails J/24 One Design Sale has been extended until 30 September 2026!

J/24 Worlds competitors can receive 15% off J/24 One Design sails, plus free shipping.

If you’re considering new sails for the upcoming J/24 World Championship, there’s still time to place your order.

View the full J/24 range and order online:
https://www.northsails.com/en-au/pages/j-24-class

For advice on sail selection or your current inventory, send us a direct message and we’ll connect you with Aaron Cole at North Sails Australia.

Thank you to North Sails for supporting the J/24 World Championship

The Epigen J24 World Championships 2026 is shaping up to be something special.

Sandringham Yacht Club,
Melbourne
November 2026

Www.j24worlds2026.com

USA J/24 Class Association Musto

It began with four words: ‘I’ll go halves.’

Twenty-two years ago, Simon Grain mentioned that he wanted to buy a J/24. Lisa’s answer was immediate: ‘I’ll go halves with you.’ The decision launched a boat partnership, serious sailing and a serious relationship.

Lisa and Simon raced at the 2006 J/24 World Championship at Sandringham. Now the championship is returning to the same club, and so are they - this time among the volunteers bringing it to life. Simon designed the event website; Lisa built and hosts it, work that sits squarely in her professional métier.

Her preferred recipe on the water is precise: perfect wind over perfect sunshine, ideally 10 knots with some cloud. Focused and nervous is how she describes herself. The smile behind the NSW Women on Water Cup suggests there is room for joy as well.

The Epigen J24 World Championships 2026 is shaping up to be something special.

Sandringham Yacht Club,
Melbourne
November 2026

Www.j24worlds2026.com

USA J/24 Class Association Musto

Race Officer Clare Cope understands how much invisible work goes into delivering fair and seemingly effortless racing. Joining the World Championship team offered her the opportunity to lead and learn alongside people at the top of their craft.

The event also unites two important parts of Clare’s life. As a psychologist, she is fascinated by how teams perform under pressure. As a Race Officer, she sees those principles in action on the water and behind the scenes.

Clare describes herself as “calmly enthusiastic”: focused, encouraging and always ready to keep things light. She believes patient teamwork is the foundation of speed, accuracy and high performance.

Her ideal sailing conditions are pure Goldilocks: not too light, not too strong, but just right. Given the chance to sail anywhere tomorrow, she would choose the Galápagos.

Her sailing bag contains layers for whatever the forecast gets wrong, while the emergency snacks are already hidden aboard. Music control goes to somebody else:

“Given the chance, I’d play the cheesiest sailing songs ever recorded — which is precisely why the job goes to someone else.”

Clare’s favourite sound is the starting signal, when all the preparation culminates in one glorious moment. After racing, she wants a cold drink, a hot shower and a bowl of chips.

“Once I’ve got a salty chip in hand, we can talk about anything.”

Has she ever blamed the wind for something that was really her fault?

“Of course. It’s wildly unpredictable. Nothing to do with me.”

The Epigen J24 World Championships 2026 is shaping up to be something special.

Sandringham Yacht Club,
Melbourne
November 2026

Www.j24worlds2026.com

USA J/24 Class Association Musto

Her final job as chair was to make sure the event could keep moving without her.

Megan Aulich loves hosting regattas at Sandringham Yacht Club: the facilities, the race management, the J/24 community and, importantly, the debrief afterward. After two Australian Championships, multiple Victorian Championships and Women in Sailing events, staying away from the Worlds organising committee was never especially likely.

She chaired the committee from its beginning in 2023. Then 2026 brought a different deadline. Megan stepped away in May to welcome her first child, having spent the early part of the year placing the right people in the right roles and closing the gaps.

The Epigen J24 World Championships 2026 is shaping up to be something special.

Sandringham Yacht Club,
Melbourne
November 2026

Www.j24worlds2026.com

USA J/24 Class Association Musto

It is a fitting organiser’s legacy. The event kept moving because the handover was part of the plan.

First build the boat. Then build the crew.

NZL 7 is preparing for Melbourne on two fronts. A club-racing J/24 is being brought up to Worlds standard while a crew assembled only this year learns how to fit together aboard it.

Tegan Franklin skippers, with Hugo Van Blarco trimming, Sophie Aitken in the pit, Olivia Chadwick at the mast and Oliver Guanaria on the bow. Their backgrounds range from foiling and match racing to offshore sailing, dinghies and keelboats. Their final sailor joined only days before the team answered our questions.

As a youth crew, Melbourne makes the Worlds more accessible — and friends in Australian crews make the invitation warmer. They are coming for the regatta atmosphere, good memories and a very uncomplicated objective: sail hard.

The Epigen J24 World Championships 2026 is shaping up to be something special.

Sandringham Yacht Club,
Melbourne
November 2026

Www.j24worlds2026.com

USA J/24 Class Association Musto

Would you like ice and lemon in that?

BIRUBI has a clear picture of a successful World Championship: learn quickly, finish in the top half, laugh often and find a cold gin after racing.

The team's answers suggest the debrief may need one more question. How many marks did we hit today? And have we got everyone? Their best racecourse advice follows naturally: stop hitting the orange inflatable things and stay on the boat.

The crew is ambitious about the racing without pretending eight months erases the gap to the class's established teams. The humour is part of how they are approaching the challenge.

The Epigen J24 World Championships 2026 is shaping up to be something special.

Sandringham Yacht Club,
Melbourne
November 2026

Www.j24worlds2026.com

USA J/24 Class Association Musto

Ice and lemon are apparently non-negotiable.

The Worlds experience is not only for the sailors.

Partners, children, friends and supporters will have plenty of ways to enjoy Melbourne, from family activities and bayside adventures to good food and relaxed social events.

Explore the city, enjoy the waterfront and then meet the fleet when racing finishes.

Bring the people who support your campaign. This championship is for them too.

See the developing sailing and social programme at:
https://j24worlds2026.com/event-overview/

A more detailed preview of the family activities, social events and local experiences will be released closer to the championship.

The Epigen J24 World Championships 2026 is shaping up to be something special.

Sandringham Yacht Club,
Melbourne
November 2026

Www.j24worlds2026.com

USA J/24 Class Association Musto

As the J/24 Class National Secretary, Simon Grain is deeply involved in the work of bringing the World Championship to Melbourne. He was also the initiator of the original bid that secured the event for Australia.

A self-confessed “class tragic,” Simon’s motivation is straightforward:
“I want to do everything I can to help the class survive and, if possible, thrive.”

On board, Simon’s role includes the vital responsibility of keeping the chequebook dry. His sailing bag is likely to contain spare sunglasses, while Lake Garda remains a favourite sailing destination.

He enjoys both of sailing’s great sounds: the starting signal and the opening of a post-race drink. There is no music aboard his boat, and no day on the water is complete without fun and a cold drink.

And has Simon ever blamed the wind for something that was really his fault? He cannot specifically remember doing so, but concedes that it is entirely possible.

The Epigen J24 World Championships 2026 is shaping up to be something special.

Sandringham Yacht Club,
Melbourne
November 2026

Www.j24worlds2026.com

USA J/24 Class Association Musto

The first container has landed—and there’s a J/24 Irish boat inside! 🇮🇪⛵️📦

Our Irish competitors have shipped their boat halfway around the world to race at the Championships in Melbourne. Talk about going the extra nautical mile!

The craic is officially en route, the boat is safely ashore, and we’re delighted to welcome our first international arrival.

Sláinte to the Irish team—we can’t wait to see you on the water! ☘️🌏🇦🇺

The Epigen J24 World Championships 2026 is shaping up to be something special.

Sandringham Yacht Club,
Melbourne
November 2026

Www.j24worlds2026.com

USA J/24 Class Association Musto

🌡️ Around 15–21°C during racing
💨 8–13 knots is a reasonable historical starting point
🧭 Northerly and westerly breezes feature strongly in the morning
🌬️ On settled days, watch for the breeze to build and potentially shift southerly/SW as the day develops
🌊 Light mornings can mean flatter water; a strengthening W–SW breeze can quickly produce Port Phillip's short, punchy chop
☀️ BOM's current spring outlook favours warmer and drier-than-average conditions across south-eastern Australia.

The one thing we can confidently forecast? Variety 😂😂