Mike Ewart-Smith and Ben Richards (the 2006 J/109 National Champions) lead the 2007 Championship after scoring two blistering bullets in Zelda.
The J/80 Sportsboat Class, Daryl Conyers leads with a three, one scoreline in Oceans Eleven.
Class One, which is the IRC 'big boat' class was dominated by Stewart Hawthorn's J/133 Jump. Having recruited local experts Nigel Gray and John 'the boy' Willerton, Jump won both races.
In the J/105 Class it was indeed a 'J-Dream' day for David and Kirsty Apthorp in their boat of the same name. Having won both races they are happy and confident heading into the second day of racing but Paul Griffith's Fay-J is only three points behind.
In Class 3, the smaller IRC Js feet enjoyed fierce competition. Pip and Pete Tyler's Neilson Redeye lies in first place and Andrew Roberts and Steve Etheridge's Just in Time is in second. Childhood friends, racing rock-stars and sailing adversaries, Duncan MacDonald and Kevin Sproul have old scores to settle elsewhere in this fleet, both are tacticians on other J/92s. Sproul is sailing with Colin Wall on True Love and MacDonald is teamed with Charlie Wise and crew on J'Ronimo.
* Photos by Lee Whitehead, info@photolounge.co.uk at
http://www.spinnakerweb.net/gallery_20.html
Fifty one boats enjoyed near perfect conditions in Plymouth for the first day of racing at the J-Cup 2007 which is being hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club. Split in to five classes on two courses outside the breakwater, competition commenced in a fleet that included some of the UK's hottest sailing names. Temperatures soared and blessed with a northerly breeze that peaked at around twenty knots, this three day regatta which incorporates the 2007 J/109 UK National Championship, has started on the best possible footing. Photos @ 
