Racing: In Toronto, J105 NAs Return to Hecht’s Niuhi
September 25, 2025
In the finale of the J/105 North American Championship, Randy Hecht claimed victory for the third time, with crew Russ Silvestri, Ethan Doyle, Maggie Bacon, David Janinis and Stephen Marsh. Despite light winds for the first three days of racing, Hecht and his team showcased exceptional consistency throughout the regatta, finishing with a net score of 25 points in the no discard series.
Conditions at Royal Canadian Yacht Club were challenging, as light winds dominated most of the event. But Saturday brought big breeze at 20-28 knots and 1meter waves for the final races – three races were sailed on this last day. Hecht, who previously won this Championship in 2022 and 2023, proved his expertise once again among the 18 teams, taking the top spot in the overall standings. Locals Terry McLaughlin and Rod Wilmer’s Mandate just edged out Bruce Stone’s Arbitrade by only one point to earn the runner-up position. Another battle took place at the fourth and fifth positions as John Trumpener’s The Usual Suspects narrowly beat Frank McLaughlin’s Starcross.
Top Five (12-race series):
Randy Hecht USA 27 SFYC (25) – 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 4, 2, 1, 5, 2, 3, 1
Terry McLaughlin/Rod Wilmer CAN RCYC 83 (54) 2, 7, 6, 12, 10, 6, 1, 4, 2, 1, 1, 2
Bruce Stone USA 98 St. Francis YC (55) 4, 2, 2, 2, 11, 3, 4, 5, 4, 7, 8, 3
John Trumpener CAN 293 RCYC (83) 9, 14, 5, 8, 17, 7, 5, 2, 1, 4, 4, 7
Frank McLaughlin CAN 371 RCYC (84) 6, 6, 3, 16, 5, 1, 3, 9, 9, 11, 9, 6\
With files from J105 Class Association
