A stunning day welcomed 26 teams to the 2024 J/70 North American Championship hosted by Vallarta Yacht Club in Nuevo Nayarit, Mexico. Winds at 12-15 knots, a light chop, sunshine and warm temperatures added up to three races to launch the four-day Championship. Fernando Perez Ontiveros’s Black Mamba (with crew River Paquin, Goncalo Ribeiro and Patrick Wilson) proved most consistent on the day with scores of 1,5,3 for 9 points. David Jannetti’s Very Odd (Enigma) started strong at 2,3,7 for 12 points and second place. Ricardo Brockmann’s Vincitore, a one-pro team, holds third place with 20 points. Eduardo Oetling’s Axolotl leads the eight-boat Corinthian division. Banderas Bay delivered its reliable afternoon seabreeze, providing a thrilling start to this year’s North Americans. Perez Ontiveros’s Black Mamba, Jannetti’s Very Odd and Brockmann’s Vincitore mirrored Wednesday’s scores in race one. Ignacio Perez Morett’s Zaguero followed with a win, ahead of Eduardo Saenz’s Nimbus and Jannetti. Martina Silva’s Mercenario 6 (a Mixed+ team) closed the day with a victory, with Michael Goldfarb’s War Canoe and Black Mamba rounding out the top three. Racing continues through Saturday. Photos are available on the International J/70 Class Facebook page, and complete results may be found at https://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=16125.