Arkas, a company that plays a significant role in the advancement of sailing in Türkiye, has acquired four J70 boats for training and competitions at the Arkas Cesme Sailing Sports Club, which operates under its auspices. The first of the boats, which attracted attention with their designs inspired by the characters named Athos, Porthos, Aramis and Dartanyan of the world-famous writer Alexander Dumas’ novel The Three Musketeers, took the stage in the J70 Tour of Türkiye Gocek and then in the J70 Tour of Türkiye Marmaris race.
Following its acquisition of the Cesme Yelken İhtisas Kulubu by Arkas in 2017, Arkas Cesme Sailing Sports Club has been steadfast in its commitment to investing primarily in the training of new athletes and enhancing the training opportunities for existing ones. Arkas M.A.T. Sailing Team, which already provides sailing training to children and young people, has purchased four J70 model boats for universities and related groups in Izmir to be used in both training and racing. In this way, Arkas Cesme Sailing Sports Club has expanded its training program, which started with Optimist and continued with laser and catamaran, by adding the J70 class. This will give sailing enthusiasts of all ages the excitement of competition, making it easier for them to train and form teams.
J70 boats, which are used by athletes who are getting older and continuing their physical development, who can no longer use optimist and laser boats and move to higher level boats, stand out with their simple use.
A First in the World of Sailing
Another exclusive aspect of the J70 boats to be used by Arkas M.A.T. Sailing Team is the use of artificial intelligence tools in their design. Inspired by the world-famous writer Alexander Dumas’ novel The Three Musketeers, the boats will be named after the characters Athos, Porthos, Aramis and Dartanyan and will be designed by Air Brush artist Evrim Duyar.
Atos at the Races
Atos, the first of the J70s to join Arkas Cesme Sailing Club’s fleet, participated in her first race at the J70 Tour of Türkiye in Gocek on March 8-12, followed by the Marmaris leg of the same race on March 7-9.
J70s are manufactured by J Boats. Launched in 2012, the boat was designed by Alan Johnstone, who is also the designer of many J Boats models. J70 has become popular among sailors in a short time with its robust and balanced structure, which can be easily used by beginners or amateur/professional sailing athletes, and is used as a one design racing boat. The J70s are well-suited for races, training, and day trips due to their uncomplicated design and user-friendly handling. Additionally, the carbon mast is readily detachable and can be quickly tilted and transported on a trailer once the keel is retracted. With its practical use, it can be easily delivered to the desired point. These benefits in equipping and transportation are another factor in the rapid popularity of the J70s.
J70 boats, whose production continues in France, are not limited to sportsboat, IRC and one design races, but also established their own class association and started to organize competitions with a new racing system under the name of “European Champion League”. Organized for the first time in 2014, eight boats raced simultaneously on the water, matched by an umpire system.
The J70s gained global recognition after the inaugural J70 World Championship in Italy in 2017, where 161 boats competed, drawing significant attention to the event. As a result, the popularity of J70s quickly spread worldwide.
