FALMOUTH boat Black Dog – Team Gul – won the 2016 J-Cup and the UK National Championships on the Solent at the weekend.

Hosted by Royal Southern Yacht Club in the Hamble, racing took place over three days in the Solent in a variety of conditions.

First was Black Dog, skippered by Stuart Sawyer. Marco van Driel’s Dutch J/111 Sweeny finished the regatta in second place, with fellow Dutch team Red Herring, skippered by Sjaak Haakman, third and last years champions Tony Mac’s McFly in fourth 4th place.

Sawyer Stuart said: “It is great to be national champions, and that has come from a big effort from all of the Black Dog team, who have put in a lot of hours and training. Roger Ford, our resident pirate, has done exceptionally well as tactician, and he is really starting to get to know the Solent waters now.”

In Race 7, Black Dog matched Dutch boat Sweeny all the way around, and coming into the finish it was very close. Black Dog only needed to keep behind them to win the regatta overall, but the crew managed another win to put the icing on the cake.

Sawyer Stuart added: “The team have had to be very precise to come out on top, we have been getting out early, practising our manoeuvres getting our transits, so that we could relax a bit at game time and enjoy our mantra of having fun.”

Black Dog is heading back to Falmouth now for six weeks, before heading back to Cowes for the World Championships at the end of July.

American, French, Swiss and Australian teams will be joining the Dutch for the Worlds, and that will bring another dynamic in as well.