Can a J109 out run a Melges 24 downwind ?

Witness the beauty of a sailboat gracefully traversing a tranquil river, set against a backdrop of verdant trees. The J109 Going to Red was locked in a tight tussle with the Melges 24 Supersonic. With the tide pushing the boats into Strangford Lough at over 14 knots over the ground there was only meters between the boats for the first 5 minutes of racing. We will share the last video in this series shortly to give you the result. The team at bottom up boats hope you are enjoying the short bits from the 2025 racing season, and learning a thing or two about boating.