Wednesday, November 24, 2010

J/Newsletter- November 24th, 2010

J/111 offshore one-design sailboat- sailing downwindCommand A Rocketship with Finger-tip Control!
J/111 Wins SAIL's 2011 Best Boats Award
(Boston, MA)- "There’s a lot to like about the new J/111— an aggressive rig, racy good looks, a hull form that loves to be driven- and tying it all together is one of the best production-boat cockpits we’ve seen. J/Boats has had decades to improve on the simple trench it carved out of the aft deck of the J/24, and it hit the ball out of the park on this one."  And, "to those lucky sailors who will have the opportunity to crew aboard a J/111 in the years to come: have fun, and make sure you get a chance to drive this beauty. It’s an experience not to be missed." Contact your J/Dealer for more information or a demo today.  Out West, Jeff Brown at JK3 Yachts in San Diego or Norm Davant at Sail California in San Francisco have 111s in the water for those who dare venture into the twilight zone of joy, happiness and peace-of-mind at 20+ knots surfing offshore.  Contact Jeff at jeff@jk3yachts.com (SoCal) or Norm at norm@sailcal.com (NorCal).   Read more about SAIL's Best Boat Awards selection of the J/111

J/108 shoal-draft performance cruising sailboat- upwind in big seas off FranceJ/108 Launched, Spectacular Sea-trials
(Les Sables d'Olonne, France)-  Launched this past week, the J/108 fulfilled lofty goals to continue the tradition of legendary J performance in a shoal-draft cruising boat.  The combination of the J/108's twin rudders and unique keel/ centerboard design have proven so far to exceed performance expectations.  In moderate to strong breezes and enormous three meter swell running from North Atlantic storms into the Bay of Biscay, the J/108 performed admirably, easily sailed upwind by two people (see photo) in what could be described as "difficult" conditions for shoal-draft boat going to windward.  Reports from the builder Didier LeMoal and J/Boats' Florida dealer, CrossCurrent Marine's Craig Crossley, were that upwind "she steers like a dream, the twin-rudders permit you to point the 108 anywhere you want, instantaneously, with no lag in response to the wheel- a remarkable attribute of this particular shoal-draft design".  Like her smaller twin-sister, the 108 can do a "hockey-stop", turning 90 degrees within half a boat-length.  And, going backwards under power it's easy to "parallel-park" onto a dock or back into a slip with ease, inspiring enormous confidence in maneuvers that cause many anxiety.

The J/108 will be spending time in Florida and Key West during Race Week at the Galleon Resort.  Learn more about it now, contact your local J Dealer or J/Boats- ph# 401-846-8410 or info@jboats.com.  For demos you may also contact Craig Crossley at CrossCurrent Marine- craig.crossley@gmail.com or phone +1-401-330-6135.   For more J/108 sailboat information.

J Cruising sunset- the ultimate sailing experience in the South PacificJ/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

As November sailing comes to an end, Americans have a lot to be "thankful" for, celebrating their Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends- also America's busiest time of year to travel anywhere.  A bit like "brownian motion" at the atomic level, Americans are seemingly scattering to the winds to get together with one another in huge tribal gatherings, eating a bit too much food and drink and being thankful that a crazy lot of people, known as "the Pilgrims", actually sailed for 66 days across the Pond from England, landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts; survived their first winter (thanks to some nice American Wampanoag Indians); and held a feast to honor the Indians in the autumn of 1621.  From the sailing perspective, the top J's racing the San Diego YC Hot Rum Series have a lot to be "thankful" for, keeping their boats in one-piece, not running into anyone and not shredding a few too many sails on a chaotic day in San Diego Harbor.  Also celebrating and being incredibly "thankful" for their remarkable success were the Japanese match-racing team in the Asian Games.  And, perhaps most "thankful" of all are the English J/97 and J/109 teams sailing the Hamble Winter Series- JIKA-JIKA and J-DREAM-- with a bit of luck one of them may be top dog for the series! The J/Community and Cruising section below have some really interesting, and heart-warming, stories this week.  Check them out!   Read on! More importantly, if you have more J/Regatta News, please email it or upload onto our J/Boats Facebook page!  Below are the summaries.

Regatta & Show Schedules:

Oct 9-Dec 11- Hamble Winter Series- Hamble, England- http://www.garminhamblewinterseries.co.uk
Nov 6-Dec4- Hot Rum Series- San Diego YC, San Diego, CA- http://www.sdyc.org/
Jan 10-14- J/24 Australian Nationals- Sydney, OZ- http://j24australia.com.au/
Jan 17-21- J/80 Midwinters- Key West, FL- http://www.j80.org
Jan 17-21- J/105 Midwinters- Key West, FL- http://www.j105.org
Jan 17-21- J/95 Midwinters- Key West, FL- http://www.jboats.com/j95
Jan 17-21- Key West Race Week- Key West, FL- http://www. premiere-racing.com
Feb 12-16- J/24 Midwinters- Davis Is YC, Tampa, FL- http://www.diyc.org
Feb 24-26- J/22 Midwinters- Davis Is YC, Tampa, FL- http://www.diyc.org
Mar 9-11- J/30 Mardi Gras Midwinters- New Orleans YC, New Orleans, LA- http://j30.us/blog
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.

J/109 one-design, cruising, racing, sailboat- sailing upwind in EnglandHamble Winter Series 6th Weekend
JIKA-JIKA and J-DREAM Bidding for Overall Title!
(Hamble, England)-   With two more weekends to go in the 2010 Garmin Hamble Winter Series most classes will be fighting it out all the way, but in the IRC3 and J/109 classes two boats are  dominating. With another win on Sunday Mike and Jamie Holmes’ J/97 JIKA-JIKA looks set to clinch their points series, as does David and Kirsty Apthorp's J-DREAM in the J/109s. If this form can be maintained they should both be strong contenders for the "Garmin Yacht of the Series" award for the best overall performance of all Black Fleet classes!

12-18 knots of cold north to north-easterly breeze coupled with a strong west-going tide made it a challenging day for both competitors and the race committees. The Black Fleet courses were cascaded down tide across the entire width of the Solent from a start on the Ryde Middle, while inshore the White Group was set a full trapezoidal course with a separate finishing boat, to cycle the three races with minimum delays.

The White Fleet points battle resumed after last week’s abandoned racing, with a small but keen fleet of J/80s braving another cold day.   The J/80s continued to have a competitive series.  Through race 14, the leader continues to be OI! sailed by John Cooper with 16 points after winning two more races.  Second is AQUA-J skippered by Patrick Liardet with 26 points after getting two 2nds.  Just 4 points shy is Gordon Craigen's SWALLOW with 30 points.  The Royal Air Force team on SPITFIRE are lying fourth with 58 points. Mike Lewis' JESTER is hanging in fifth with 78 points.

In race 10 of the J/109s, J-DREAM skippered by Kirsty and David Apthorp reaffirmed their leadership at the top of the standings with a convincing win.  Second was OUTRAJEOUS sailed by Richard and Valerie Griffith and third was ARIA sailed by Luca Rubinelli.  Overall, the Apthorp's J-DREAM continues to strengthen lead with just 9 points followed in 2nd by Dave McLeman's OFFBEAT with 24 points, 3rd is OUTRAJEOUS sailed by the Griffiths with 29 pts, 4th is ARIA led by Luca Rubinelli with 32 pts and 5th AUDAJIOUS skippered by David Jobson with 45 pts.

In IRC Class 3 the J/97 JIKA-JIKA sailed by Mike and Jamie Holmes again crushed the competition and grabbed another victory over tough competition.  Currently, the Holmes' J/97 has only 10 points for the series and leads by 12 points over the next closest boat.  Hanging onto 4th place is Ed Holton's J/110 SHADES OF BLUE.

The series continues on November 28th with one race for the Black Fleet classes, while three races are scheduled for the sportsboats in the White Fleet.  Report contributions from Jontey Sherwill.  Full sailing details of the 2010 Garmin Hamble Winter Series.  Photo courtesy- Tim Wright- photoaction.com

J/80 fleet for Asian Games- ready to go sailing in match racingJapan Wins Gold Match-racing J/80s
(Guangzhou, China/ Shanwei Sailing Center- Nov. 20th)- Japan won the Gold Medal in Open Match Racing of Sailing at the 16th Asian Games in co-host city Shanwei. This is a tribute to the long-term focus of the Japanese Sailing Team in the match-racing arena, no doubt helped by the presence of Peter Gilmour and his influence on the Japanese America's Cup programs over time. A surprise Silver Medalist was the Indian team skipper by Balraj Balraj.  Third was Korea getting the bronze led by Sungmin Cho.  Here are the standings for the Asian Games Sailing medalists and their crew:

1. Gold- Japan- OKAMOTO Yasuhiro- skipper, SAKAMOTO Wataru, WADA Daichi, YOSHIFUJI Hiroaki

2. Silver- India- BALRAJ Balraj- skipper, HELEGAONKAR Trunal, SINHA Atool, TARAPORE Farokh Fa, YADAV Shekhar Sing

3. Bronze- Korea- CHO Sungmin- skipper, KIM Sungwok, LEE Dongwoo, NAM Yongjin, PARK Gunwoo

Read more about their in the Sailing section here on the Asia Games 2010 site.

J's sailing San Diego Hot Rum regatta series in the harbor.Rough and Tumble Hot Rum Series
J's Hanging Tough On Nasty Saturday
(San Diego, CA- Nov. 20th)- Saturday dawned grey, cool, hazy and wet.  Intermittent showers and a nasty WNW wind gusting from 8 to 25 knots was the order of the day.  San Diego postcard sailing weather?  Not. More like what Seattle's Puget Sound is renowned for with grey days and frenetic breeze.  With a ginormous swell pounding the surf beaches around Point Loma, the SDYC PRO wisely kept the fleet "inside".  For the uninitiated, that simply means blasting around the inner San Diego Harbor, getting huge wind bends (or mind bends), massive hell-holes created by monster cruise ships and even more massive US Navy aircraft carriers and avoiding a strong outbound ebb current up to 1.5 knots to further spice things up a bit.  Sounds like fun?  Sure, for those not intimidated by a 1,001 port starboard situations and moving packs (sidewalks) of spinnakers entangled en'masse downwind squeezed along the shoreline trying to stay out of the current.

After two races, the J/105s again proved they're hard to beat in these crazy "pursuit-style" races, where the slowest start first and the fastest last.  First boat across wins.  By virtue of where they start, the J/105s often get "launched" on the rest of the fleet and this is reflected in their consistent placings near the top of the fleet.  Overall J's have 8 of top 15 spots.  The J/105s are 3rd, 5th, 7th and 11th.  J/120s are 6th and 13th.  And the J/125 9th and J/111 10th so far.  Leading the J/105s in Class 3 is WINGS sailed by Dennis and Sharon Case.  Second in J/105s is Dave Vieregg's TRIPLE PLAY and third BLINK! sailed by Steve and Lucy Howell.  In Class 2, the J/120 CC RIDER sailed by Chuck Nichols is leading Jeff Brown's J/111 by 2 points.  Class 1 has the J/145 BAD PAK and a bunch of J/125s battling it out in the top 10.  For more San Diego YC Hot Rum Series sailing information.

Bacardi National Keelboat Championship
J/105 MAYHEM Repeat Winners
(Bermuda- Nov. 22nd)-  The Bacardi National Keelboat Championship was completed this past weekend for the J/105 class. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club was the host club for the annual Bermuda Sailing Association (BSA) event. Winds eased throughout the day on Saturday forcing the sailors to continue to change gears and adjust equipment to deal with the constantly changing conditions. Defending National Champion Jon Corless and the crew of MAYHEM prevailed by a slim margin and were re-crowned National Champions. Sailing with Corless were Jen Quinn, Rebecca Roberts, Craig Scott, Jeff Roach and Jordan Smith. All six of Bermuda's fleet of J/105s made it out to the Great Sound. MAYHEM edged out her nearest rivals by two points, leaving a tie-breaker to determine second place. James Macdonald's PASSION ended up taking second while Chuck Millican and his crew onboard ELUSIVE were third.  For more J/105 Bermuda Fleet sailing information.

J/24s racing in Texas J/24 CircuitHappiness Is The J/24 Circus Regatta
(New Braunfels, Texas- Nov. 19-21)- The last stop of the Texas Circuit took place on November 19-21, 2010 at Lake Canyon Yacht Club in Canyon Lake. It was a triumphant win for the "happy" gang on-board Bob Harden's MR. HAPPY.  They not only won the last regatta, they won the whole bloody season and join the ranks of other famous Texas sailors like John Kolius, Scott Young, Jay Lutz who've preceded them as winners of this epic, season long series held at some of the best watering holes in Texas.  Ever popular, this year's J/24 Texas Circuit continues to see strong, competitive fleets and rarely does the same boat win successive events-- must be too much tequila and salsa during the previous victory celebration that might have something to do with that issue.

While Bob and crew won, it was not without a strong challenge from Bryan and Vicki Dyer on RUMLINE.  They started out strong with a 1-2-4, throwing down the challenge to the others to match them.  However, they could not keep up the pace, falling off the proverbial cliff in the last two races with a 5-3 to drop them out of content for the series against the HAPPY crowd.  Third overall was Stuart Lindow racing TROPICAL AGGRESSION, finishing strong with a 2-2 to cement their claim to the bronze.  Fourth was Doug Weakley sailing AMBASSADOR with 26 points and fifth was J/24 Southwest Champion Kelly Holmes-Moon racing BADMOON with 32 points.   For more J/24 Texas Circus Regatta sailing information.

J/Community

What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide

J/105 SAIL BAB team racing off Cleveland , OH* The Cleveland SAIL BAB Team Ready To Roll at KWRW 2011- Skipper Jim Sminchak of Cleveland’s Lakeside Yacht Club and the crew of his J/105 IT prevailed over a strong field in SAIL’s 2010 Best Around the Buoys (BAB) contest and will be heading to Florida in January to take part in 2011 Key West Race Week.

Team IT received the nod based on its outstanding performance this past year in a number of regattas on the Lake Erie, including the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club Regatta; the Lakeside Yacht Club Regatta; the 73rd Annual Falcon Cup, organized by the Mentor Harbor and Cleveland yacht clubs; and the offshore portion of Edgewater Yacht Club’s Cleveland Race Week. In each case, it took first place in its PHRF division and, in all but Cleveland Race Week, won first overall as well.  The crew also competed in a number of one-design events, including ILYA Bay Week and the Detroit NOOD regatta. In both cases, it took first.

According to SAIL publisher Josh Adams, the crew of it won out over the other 70 entries in this year’s BAB due to a combination of its performance on their local racecourse and its cohesion over the years. “With Best Around the Buoys, we aimed to reward a team for its local PHRF racing performance with a berth on the national stage at Key West Race Week,” Adams said. “Jim Sminchak and crew stood out as a winning team committed to performing around the buoys in their region. Their success and the impressive volume and quality of entries to BAB serve as a testament that PHRF racing is alive and well across the United States.”

Adams added that the BAB selection panel was particularly impressed by the team’s involvement and success in a wide range of events, including handicap racing, one-design racing and point-to-point races. Over the year’s, team it has also competed aboard a number of different boats, including a Tartan Ten, a J/22 and a Farr 30. Sminchak said his crew’s wins are no accident, but come as a result of “countless hours of practice, boat preparation and team bonding. Our training has us ready to compete at any regatta”.

Sminchak said he’s been sailing on Lake Erie all his life, after being introduced to the sport by his parents. He added that he and his crew are doing the same with their kids to keep the tradition alive. “Most of the crew has been sailing with us for more years than I can think of. We think of our group as family and we are competitive, love to sail and most importantly like having fun,” Sminchak said. “We take our kids or other young sailors along as much as possible, as we do believe that we need to show or teach them the world of keelboat sailing.”  As for Key West, Sminchak said he and his crew are looking forward to the opportunity, but know they have a lot of work to do. “We will get to grips with [the regatta] in the next couple of weeks when I know of all the plans. With the J/111 being so new, we will have a hill to climb in learning what will make it go,” he said.  Photo courtesy of David Mathias.   For more information on the SAIL BAB winner.

J/80 sailor Lee's new book on life and sailing* Now and Zen-  We sail for a lot of different reasons.  Some people like to win races, but they don’t even really like the pure act of sailing.  Some people never win a race in their life, but they just love being out the water.  Then, there are those of us for whom sailing can become an act of personal salvation.  Lee Carlson has an excellent story to tell about how sailing gave him back his life through his book “Passage to Nirvana”.

You can read the whole version of the events in Lee’s life that led up to his need to write this book, but the short version is that a culmination of some pretty negative things – a nasty divorce, his mother falling down a flight of stairs and dying, topped off by being hit by a car and sustaining a traumatic brain injury – gave the net result of his book. Somehow, Lee found the resolve to recover his life and did so largely because of the support of his fiancĂ© Meg, and their boat, aptly named “Nirvana”.  Toss in some Zen, and you have a book not so much about Lee’s life, but lessons that can be applied universally.  Here’s a quick Q & A with a guy who has had more than his share of bad luck, but who has also had the good fortune to have the ability to turn it around.  Scot Tempesta at Sailing Anarchy did one of his famous "SA InnerViews" with Lee--- here's the intro, you gotta read the rest.  Absolutely amazing and inspiring story.

SA - What is your background in sailing?  Where, and on what, have you sailed?

Lee - I was born on the Navy base in San Diego when my father was on a destroyer there. I started sailing soon after I was born, going out with he and my mother in a Star. I grew up at the Buffalo Canoe Club on Lake Erie. I raced with some of the top Lightning sailors in the world, and I also raced the usual and not-so-usual assortment of dinghies and small keelboats: Tech Dinghies, Lasers, 420's, 470's, Albacores, Sharks, J24's. Then I graduated to larger keelboats: Ted Hood's fantastic centerboard one tonner “Abino Robin”,  an Ericson 39 “Warlock” on Lake Erie and LIS, Eight-Meters on Lake Ontario (changing headsails in the middle of the night in freezing 8-ft. seas while clinging to a knife-edge bow with no lifelines is not something one ever forgets), and other bigger custom keelboats. Those were the days of the SORC and I raced on the maxi Windward Passage, on a mini-maxi that was a Doyle team boat, as well as racing captain of a Dubois 46 and as crew on assorted other boats. I also cruised fairly extensively, first on my family's Islander 37 on the Great Lakes, with a few charters in the Caribbean. My father bought part ownership of a 34-footer with a family in Miami, and we used to do family vacations in the Bahamas, before the drug scene got too bad. For my honeymoon my wife and I bareboated in the Virgins. When I moved to New York City to become a magazine editor, I raced a number of different boats on Long Island Sound, such as an Evelyn 32. Before my accident I was crewing regularly on a J/80.   Read the rest of Scot's SA InnerView here.   For the book, you can get it here.

J/24 sailors Ken Read and Tom Leweck interview* Ken Read, Russell Coutts, Paul Cayard, Tom Leweck and participants in the Bitter End YC's annual Pro-Am Regatta always have a good time.  A fascinating element of the event is to listen to what the top sailors have to say about many facets of the sport of sailing.  Tom Leweck has attended for years, as has Rodney Johnstone from nearly the beginning of the event on J/24s over 25+ years ago.  This year Tom had some rather interesting interviews.  This interview is led by Ken and Russell with audience participation- interesting YouTube video to watch.

* The Editor's Tufts Jumbo Sailing Team classmate, Nevin Sayre, has long promoted the need to grow youth sailing and broadening the scope of those youth programs.  Nevin not only understands the competitive side of sailing, he understands that competition isn't what sailing is all about.

So it is no shock to him that the sport in the U.S. is struggling to turn youth sailors into life sailors, because the focus in most junior programs is to turn youth sailors into youth racers. From his position with BIC Sports, Nevin provides his observations in the second half of this two part  series:

Sailing could learn a lot from the history of the snow industry. There was a time when archaic long skis were strapped on to a kid's boots and he/she was shown primarily one option. If they made it through basic training, most kids were introduced to gates and racing was the one game to play. Snow sports at that time were on the fringe. Then came a revolutionary new era in
the mountain industry, inspired by snowboarding, technology, innovation, and new materials. A combination of modern equipment, new formats, and style made snow sports (boarding and modern skiing alike) attractive to kids. The gear and culture was COOL and junior programs started to offer new alternatives for free riding, freestyle, etc for the kids who weren't inspired by the same one format their parents were weaned on.

And you know what? There was still probably the same number of racers, but snow sports became attractive to "other kids", and participation numbers went through the roof! Would the explosion of snow sports have happened if kids were introduced to skiing with gear from 50 years ago and racing gates was the only focus of every junior program?

So why is sailing so popular in, say, a country like France? One of the reasons has got to be that kids in France are as likely to learn to sail on a windsurfer or multihull or skiff as they are in an old school dinghy. Kids are given modern gear and can choose alternative formats that they find attractive. More kids become passionate about sailing.

The U.S. has been particularly slow in changing its one-dimensional thinking, but it is encouraging to see more junior programs are finding new alternatives that strike a chord with the "other kids". More and more programs now offer windsurfing and recreational "Reachers" programs with low emphasis on race results and a stronger focus on sailing a variety of different modern boats. Instead of going around buoys until the kids are dizzy, on a given day they might borrow a big boat, try windsurfing, practice freestyle sailing, or "adventure sail" to a different harbor for ice cream. They are getting a wide range of valuable sailing skills, and, like at the mountain, the experience is more about hanging with their buds - doing the sport with each other and not always against each other. -- Read more about Nevin's interview on Scuttlebutt here.

J/24 and J/39 sailor- Vincenzo Onorato sailing Americas Cup 34* Vincenzo Onorato- another former J/24 and J/39 sailor from Italy (and leader of the famous MOBY Lines providing ferry service to the islands of Elba, Corsica and Sardinia)- is now the leader of the MASCALZONE LATINO AC34 Challenge.  Vincenzo was a good sailor when he was racing his J/24 and J/39 and was always an honorable and fun-loving person that loved the sport of sailing and, most importantly, included many of his friends and family.  Recently he wrote Michele Tognozzi, editor of FareVela (a leading Italian sailing publication):  "Dear Michele,  I read Fare Vela Online with interest, every day. I have also read the criticism leveled at my club, seen as a sleeping partner of the Defender rather than a Challenger of Record worthy of its name. I partly feel responsible for these opinions as a direct result of our scant communication on the work we are carrying out. Oracle and Mascalzone, and their respective yachts clubs, inherited a disastrous Cup in terms of image, a result of the long and, I point out, legitimate litigation with Bertarelli. Russell and I meet almost every week and our teams are in daily contact.

All decisions taken are thoroughly discussed and thought through. It is also true we are going through an international economic environment, to say the least disastrous, and this is a further incentive to act with utmost care and caution. My silence doesn't mean I'm not doing anything,  but that we are humbly working, among other things, on carrying water to our mill. I'm Italian and my mill is called Italy, I would like to take to our country a series of events of the next Cup, just like I did last summer in La Maddalena.  A Jesuit priest that taught me in school used to say: Look at the substance of things, not their form. That's what I'm doing.  Your faithful and devoted reader, Vincenzo Onorato".  Full story can be read on Scuttlebutt USA here.

J cruising sailors looking over Bora Bora bayThe J Cruising Community

J Cruisers continue their adventures around the world, below are a selection of most excellent "blogs" written by their prolific publishers.  Some terribly amusing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom are contained in their blogs. Read some! You'll love it.

ARC 2010 Starts - 233 Yachts Cross the Line in Sunshine- the J/122 SKY HUNTER II (bow# 205) is participating with renowned English sailor, Peter Bainbridge from Southampton, England, sailing Division I Cruising.  SKY HUNTER 2 is a cruising version of the J/122 with more accommodation and less sail area.  This will be her first Atlantic crossing. There will be 5 crew on board and with the average age of the 3 'seniors' nearly 70 years old, means they will avoid too much foredeck work by not using a spinnaker.

The 25th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) started in spectacular style with 233 yachts from 26 nations sailing across the start line off Las Palmas de Gran Canaria heading for their final destination, 2,700 nautical miles away in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.  The early morning rain and dark clouds cleared away, to be replaced by bright sunshine and the light NE wind filled to provide a reaching start. For the thousands of spectators ashore and afloat it was a picture perfect start to the 25th ARC. After crossing the start line in 8-10 knots and light swell, a colorful display of spinnakers were hoisted to help the yachts on their way. The forecast is for the light north easterlies to continue for the next few days.

News from the fleet can be found on the official ARC website where daily yacht position reports will be displayed and visitors can view individual route maps for each yacht.   Each yacht is fitted with a Yellowbrick iridium tracker, with positions updated automatically every 6 hours. Crews will also contribute daily logs and images direct to the site which can be viewed here.

Glen Gustaffson is sailing his J/46 this year in the Caribbean 1500.  He says, "There are two J/46's and I believe one J/40 in the event, which has a record turnout this year.  We are pumped up and looking for a fast ride to the Islands.  I'll see if I can get a story together on the J's in the event, and send it on after we reach Tortola.  There is live tracking on the website- http://www.carib1500.com

J cruising directions- roll the dice and go!  Sailing to anywhere, anytime!* The J/42 JARANA continues their epic voyage around the Pacific. Continue to read about Bill and Kathy Cuffel's big adventure cruising the South Pacific headed for New Zealand.  A recent update from Bill and Kathy- "Hello, all!  We have safely arrived in Opua, New Zealand from Tonga. It was a remarkably fast passage. Some statistics: Time: 6 days, 3 hours.  Total distance: 1023 miles.  Distance sailed: 1020 miles.  Distance motored: 3 miles.  Average speed: 7.0 knots.  Fuel used: 3 gallons (12 hours of engine idling for power generation).  Best memory: sailing into the Bay of Isles, hand steering in 25 knots of breeze, watching the sun rise behind us, lighting Cape Brett up in a warm red glow. Next is New Zealand!" Their blog is here: http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/

* Prolific writers, Bill and Judy Stellin, sailed their J/42 JAYWALKER around the Mediterranean and Europe and back across the Atlantic for nearly three years.  Their blogs/journals can be found at- http://blog.mailasail.com/jaywalker.  The earlier journals have been compiled into two self published books which can be found at: http://www.blurb.com.  Search for "SEATREK: A Passion for Sailing" by Bill Stellin or William Stellin."  Fun reading when rocking back in a chair watching your storm-lashed windows take a beating in the gale roaring outside and listening to the crackle of a roaring fire.  It is winter "down under" you know.  The Argentineans are freezing.

J/130 sailing ARC Rally arrives Portugal- leave a message on the sea wall!* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary will have just finished their double-handed crossing of the Atlantic, landing in Portugal on their J/130 Shazam after completion of their ARC Rally. Read the latest news at http://www.sailblogs.com/member/shazam/.

* Several J/160 owners are island hopping across the world's oceans, fulfilling life long dreams to cruise the Pacific islands, the Caribbean islands, the Indian Ocean and all points in between.  Anyone for Cape Horn and penguins??  Read more about their adventures and escapades (like our J/109 GAIA, J/42s PAX and JAYWALKER and J/130 SHAZAM friends above).

J/160 land tender- 1944 vintage Willies Jeep!!SALACIA, the J/160 owned by Stephen and Cyndy Everett has an on-going blog describing some of their more amusing experiences (http://www.salacia1.blogspot.com).  
A recent excerpt- "Stephen and Ross were enthralled by Roger's "Willies 1942 WW2 American jeep". Both boys took it for a burn and one is now at the top of Stephen’s wish list. When Roger was restoring it he was delighted to find a genuine WW2 American Hard hat under the back seat...."

-  Bill and Susan Grun on the J/160 AVANTE are also sailing in the Pacific archipelago, read more about their great adventures on their blog (http://web.me.com/susangrun).  Check out there recent travels- now past Fiji!  A recent excerpt- "Things Unplanned Run Amuck in Tahiti- Boats have feelings, don’t you know?  They do not like to be left alone, unattended and seemingly unloved.  This is a fact of which both The Captain and The First Mate are well aware, but given their lifestyle, they have no choice.  Avante must go it alone every once in a while, and they know they eventually will have to deal with nautical hurt feelings and the consequences which follow."  The rest of the thread is both humorous and quite educational- many lessons learned!

* Long-distance cruising communications advice for those who wish to be connected beyond a cell phone/ WiFi connection (10 miles) anywhere on the planet- try SailMail.com- a remarkable SSB communications network good for up to 5,000 Nautical MILES of connectivity! How cool is that!  Founded by renowned superstar navigator Stan Honey and friends, here's good info for long-distance datacomm fanatics.  Stan says, "SailMail has worldwide coverage, but as with any HF propagation, you have to be knowledgeable about selection of which station to use, what time of day, and what frequency.  The only holes in coverage worldwide would be a very noisy marina where battery chargers on nearby boats prevent SailMail use.  In those situations most folks use WiFi or GSM anyway, and use SailMail when they are at sea, or in most remote anchorages.  There is lots of information on the website at www.sailmail.com about SSB choice and modem choice.  The Icom M802 radio and AT140 tuner are currently the best choice."

J/95 shoal-draft performance sailing boat- off Naples, FLFeatured Boats

J/95 #1 Available in Florida!

J/95s are on a roll in the southeast with five boats sailing in the area by this fall (at least four planning to participate in the January Key West Race Week). Sarasota Yacht and Ship is the brokerage side of the J/Southeast dealer CrossCurrent Marine, and they are thrilled to have landed the first brokerage listing for this wonderful shoal draft performance daysailer. Boat is fully optioned with carbon sails, mast, V boom and sports an extension electronics suite. Please contact Craig Crossley at 401-330-6135,  craig@crosscurrentmarine.com (or craig.crossley@gmail.com) for more information.

About J/Boats

Started in 1977, J/Boats continues to lead the world in designing fun-to-sail, easy-to-handle, performance sailboats that can be enjoyed by a broad spectrum of sailors.  The International J/24 has become the most popular recreational offshore keelboat in the world with over 5,400 J/24s cruising the waves. Today, there are 13,000+ J/Boats, ranging from the International J/22 to the J/65 and ranging in style from one-designs to racers, cruisers to daysailers and, of course, the ubiquitous J sprit boats- J/Boats' innovation in 1992 for easy-to-use asymmetric spinnakers and retractable carbon bowsprits (J/80, J/92, J/95, J/105, J/109, J/110, J/120, J/122, J/130, J/133, J/125, J/145, J/160).

J/Boats has the best track record in sailing for innovation and design as evidenced by:  15 Sailing World/ Cruising World Boat of the Year Awards in 14 years; 2 SAIL Awards for Industry Leadership; 2 American Sailboat Hall of Fame Designs (J/24 & J/35); and the three largest ISAF International One-Design keelboat classes (J/22, J/24, J/80).

Counting crew, every year there are over 100,000 friends to meet sailing J's, populating the most beautiful sailing harbors and sailing the waters of 35+ countries around the world.  Sailing is all about friends.  Come join us and expand your social network everywhere!    For more information on J/Boats.


Read Kimball Livingston's SAIL update on the J/Boats story- A Band of Brothers.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

J/Newsletter- November 17th, 2010

J/111 offshore one-design sailboat- sailing downwindTeam IT Are SAIL "Best Around Buoys" Winners

A Rainbow Coalition of Sailors in Cleveland Having Fun- Ready to Race New J/111!

(Newport, RI)- The "Best Around the Buoys" Competition is SAIL's grass-roots initiative to reward PHRF sailors for their team's performance at the local racing level and encourage racers to set a goal of sailing on the national level at events like Key West Race Week.

Saving Sailing- by Nicholas Hayes- a book about community sailingThe catalyst of the idea was rooted in a discussion with Nicholas Hayes, renowned for his "Saving Sailing" book that was published recently.  In it, Nick's call to action to all those involved in sailing-- whether they may be individuals, organizations, communities, boat builders, internet newsletters, websites, forums or publishers and NGOs-- to recognize that all organizations need a constant assessment and re-thinking of their model that contributes to the development of the recreation and sport of sailing.  For those involved at the "main street" level, this means considering things like shared fleets designed for inter-generational use (7 to 70), schedules that can fit into a family’s complicated schedule and a social network so parents can start developing colleagues and support networks and understand that they’re not the only ones out there (e.g. mentoring).  See the recent article by SAIL Interviews with Nicholas Hayes on Saving Sailing-  or just get Nick's book to begin to appreciate the challenges we all face as sailors to both maintain and grow the activity we love.

SAIL magazine best around the buoys sailing project- contestAnswering this call, the team at SAIL led by Josh Adams created the SAIL Best Around the Buoys program designed to encourage "community-level" local and regional sailors to compete for a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to jump aboard a hot race boat and show the world they can be competitive and have fun with a good "club team" at an event like Key West Race Week. The Best Around the Buoys Highlights for that one lucky team are as follows:

    * The winning team earns regatta entry, housing, dockage and entry in Key West Race Week
    * A new J/111 speedster, well-equipped by industry partners, as their rocketship around the cans
    * A new suit of North Sails racing sails to turbo-charge the 111.
    * A go-fast bottom job supplied by Pettit Marine paints
    * Hardware and sailing gear by Harken Yacht Equipment 

The 70+ entries came from across literally every corner of America.  Name it and you can come close to having an entry from that mud puddle, bay, lake or famous sailing harbor somewhere near you- desert, mountain, ocean or elsewhere.  The stories crossed the spectrum of human experience (and tragedy), many were heart-warming and emotional, some both extraordinary and unbelievable, others mind-blowing, some saddening but inspirational.  In all, it would be hard to say there were really any losers, because in the eyes of those who've lived similar experiences, they were all winners in both life and in the game of sailing.

In the end, the most difficult part was up to SAIL's selection panel which was comprised of experienced, knowledgeable sailors, each with at least 25+ years of sailing/ racing experience.  However, one team seemed to epitomize the essence of what the competition was all about- team spirit, having fun with family and friends, engaging local sailors to join them and learn about sailing, including kids and women in all facets of their sailing program to enjoy sailing in their community.  Plus, it helped that a strong track record (despite sailing with a cast of thousands) ensured the "rainbow coalition" of sailors on TEAM IT, Jim Sminchak and crew, were the ultimate winners sailing on the waters of Lake Erie off Cleveland, Ohio.  Congratulations to Jim and his team!  More SAIL Best Around Buoys information here.


J Cruising sunset- the ultimate sailing experience in the South Pacific

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

Never a dull moment if you're a J sailor, whether you're an armchair sailor chillin up north, or you're a frostbiter points east or west, or hanging on for dear life in a southerly buster Down Under.  This past week saw plenty of hot action in Europe with the continuation of the Hamble Winter Series on the Solent on the southern coast of England; the J/80 World Champion teams continuing to get better in Spain while supporting charities; and the Italians enjoying a sublime Winter Championship on their J/80s.  Over in Asia, the Chinese National Sailing Committee are hosting the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou on the south coast of China in near perfect "Corpus Christi-like" conditions.  In the Americas, a bunch of Canadians and Americans sailed the classic Round The County Race in the Seattle/ Vancouver area, subjecting themselves to gorgeous eye candy-- the spectacular mountain ranges surrounding the Sound and the Straits of Juan de Fuca.  Just south are the Southern California surfer dudes and dudettes going for a spin on their J's off San Diego in the on-going Hot Rum Series!  Read on! More importantly, if you have more J/Regatta News, please email it or upload onto our J/Boats Facebook page!  Below are the summaries. Don't forget to visit the J/Cruising Community section below- some of the best offshore sailors we know!  Some great updates on their various cruising blogs, too!

Regatta & Show Schedules:

Oct 9-Dec 11- Hamble Winter Series- Hamble, England- http://www.garminhamblewinterseries.co.uk
Nov 6-Dec4- Hot Rum Series- San Diego YC, San Diego, CA- http://www.sdyc.org/
Jan 10-14- J/24 Australian Nationals- Sydney, OZ- http://j24australia.com.au/
Jan 17-21- J/80 Midwinters- Key West, FL- http://www.j80.org
Jan 17-21- J/105 Midwinters- Key West, FL- http://www.j105.org
Jan 17-21- J/95 Midwinters- Key West, FL- http://www.jboats.com/j95
Jan 17-21- Key West Race Week- Key West, FL- http://www. premiere-racing.com
Feb 12-16- J/24 Midwinters- Davis Is YC, Tampa, FL- http://www.diyc.org
Feb 24-26- J/22 Midwinters- Davis Is YC, Tampa, FL- http://www.diyc.org
Mar 9-11- J/30 Mardi Gras Midwinters- New Orleans YC, New Orleans, LA- http://j30.us/blog
 
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.


J/109 one-design, cruising, racing, sailboat- sailing upwind in EnglandHamble Winter Series 5th Weekend
J/109 OFFBEAT Wins on Remembrance Day
(Hamble, England)- A cold calm morning marked the restart of the 2010 Garmin Hamble Winter Series with a two-hour wait for racing to get underway.  This long postponement was broken at its halfway point by two guns, these marking either end of the two-minute silence to observe Remembrance Sunday.  

By midday the expected breeze filled in from the north, and with seven Black Fleet classes to start these were combined into three groups to shorten the sequence. A single course was set for all classes, with the Fastnet Insurance and North Ryde Middle buoys as the first two marks of a six-mile course, with East Bramble as the finish. As the shifting breeze steadily backed and built to over 20 knots by the finish what had been conceived as a windward leeward course soon turned into power reaches and provided some exciting moments for the concentrated fleet.

Despite the challenging conditions most of the front-runners maintained their form, with David McLeman's J/109 OFFBEAT taking their first win with the all-conquering J-DREAM slipping to 9th in class and in IRC Class 3 the J/97 JIKA-JIKA sailed by the corinthian team led by Mike and Jamie Holmes again crushed the competition and grabbed yet another victory over Kevin Sproul's professional team on the Beneteau First 30.  The J/97 JIKA-JIKA is proving time and again that a solid all-round design will always beat purpose-built "wedges of cheese" around the track- anywhere.  Currently, the Holmes' J/97 JIKA-JIKA has 9 points for the series and leads by 11 points over the next closest boat.

The J/80s continued to have a competitive series.  Through race 11, the leader continues to be OI! sailed by John Cooper with 14 points.  Second is AQUA-J skippered by Patrick Liardet with 23 points.  Just 3 points shy is Gordon Craigen's SWALLOW with 26 points.  The Royal Air Force team on SPITFIRE seem to be lacking in the "gatling gun" department, pulling up a bit short on their ability to decimate the competition, lying fourth with 58 points.  Ian Atkins' boats.com is hanging in fifth with 69 points.

The J/109s continue to set the pace for large offshore one-designs in England.  It's not coincidental that certain teams continue to hang in the top five despite what are obviously challenging conditions.  A good measure of fleet depth but also the capabilities of certain teams.  Near the top in most events happens to be J-DREAM, Kirsty and Dave Apthorp's team are clearly not relying on "bangers and mash and Guinness" to power them to victory.  "Pasties" for sure are not part of their lexicon.  Nevertheless, there's is a story of remarkable consistency over the course of time.  This past weekend was an exception, finishing 9th and staring at a few transoms they've never seen before-- "who are those blokes?" was a refrain overhead a few times.

In race 9 of the J/109s, Dave McLeman's team on OFFBEAT sailed well to claim the coveted winner's thorny wreath to wear down at the pub after the races.  Second was J2EAU sailed by Steve and Jody Maine, third ME JULIE raced by Dom Monkhouse, fourth was AUDAJIOUS captained by David Jobson and fifth was DESIGNSTAR skippered by Roger Phillips.  Overall, the Apthorp's J-DREAM continues to lead with just 8 points followed in 2nd by Dave's OFFBEAT, 3rd is OUTRAJEOUS sailed by Richard and Valerie Griffith with 27 pts, 4th is ARIA led by Luca Rubinelli with 29 pts and 5th AUDAJIOUS skippered by David Jobson with 37 pts.  The series continues on November 21st with one race for the Black Fleet classes, while three races are scheduled for the sportsboats in the White Fleet.  For more sailing information of the 2010 Garmin Hamble Winter Series.

J/80 Fundeso Charity regattaJ/80 FUNDESO Charity Regatta
(Bilbao, Spain- 13th Nov)- A wonderful charity regatta was recently hosted at Real Club Maritimo de Abra in Bilbao, Spain.  However, this year after waiting for more than two hours on land the committee decided to suspend sailing for the day because of wind gusts up to 45 knots.  A wise decision despite the fact that a number of J/80 World Champions in attendance said they had just sailed in conditions nearly as severe in Newport a month earlier!

Nevertheless, the Spanish J/80 sailors fun-loving approach to life and sailing were not going to hold them back.  Salsa and flamenco dancing on tables anyone?  Another rendition of Frank Sinatra for the ladies?  Or, something more sublime like a seminar about tactics, strategies, how to sail better and tuning?  The latter did take place during the day and some of the other happened to take place in the night as a show of solidarity to those supporting FUNDESO! 

J/80 sailing off Spain's Bilbao coast.During the evening in the halls of RCMA and CSR the "III Dinner FUNDESO" brought together supporters, friends and supporters of this humanitarian organization to the delight of many.  "The foundation works to build a more just and more humane society through development programs involving comprehensive and sustainable strengthening of civil society in Latin America, Africa and Asia. FUNDESO also carries out projects to raise awareness to Spanish society of inequalities in life around the world. FUNDESO was founded in 1995 by Rafael Guardans Cambo after years of pursuing such endeavors himself." 

How seriously do the Spanish sailors take such humane efforts?  Well, in their act of solidarity to those in need, several World Champions and Olympic Medallists in sailing co-signed and dedicated a photo for auction for FUNDESO- including Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez, Gold and Silver in Athens and Beijing, triple World Champion and three-time European Champion in the 49er Class; Jose Maria "Pichu" Torcida, the two-time J/80 World champion; and the indefatigable Peter Rossi, the 2009 TP-52 World Champion and 2010 runner-up on MATADOR and winner of Copa del Rey in 2009 and 2010.  The J/80 Bilbao fleet thanks everyone for their generous collaboration and contributions!  You can learn more about them and why the Spanish J/80 teams support them at http://www.fundeso.orgFor more J/80 Bilbao sailing information.

J/80 one-design sailboat- sailing on Lake Garda, ItalyItalian J/80 Winter Championship XXXV
(Tigullio, Italy)- The fourteenth of November.  1400 hours. On a lake in Italy.  Mediterranean climate.  Warm. Sunny. Gentle warm breeze. Anything wrong with this picture?  Not if you live in Italy.  Or, you live someplace else driving a desk and wish you could be there!

The beginning of the Winter Championships in Tigullio started this past weekend in Italy.  For those of you so inclined, they still have room on some of their boats for refugees from America and northern Europe to join them for the next few weekends!  They promise an enormous amount of generous, warm-hearted, real-Italian hospitality, fabulous food, extraordinary wines, delectable truffles, deliciously yummy breads and tasty cheeses and a lot of love to spread around to any fun-loving J/80 sailors!

J/80 Italian sailing team- sailing around markThe PRO managed to run two splendid races on the first day.  Only a mild "scirocco" with 10-12 knots, warm, mild, dry air gracing one's skin, beautifully replenishing the strains of a weeks worth of abuse driving a desk at the office.  As our Italian friends say, the Tigullio is no longer the "Gulf of Nesci" and continues to give an "elixir" for anyone taking days of sailing and racing for the benefit of their well-being.  Out on the water it just so happens that JENIALE crushed the faithful with MONTPRES in second and OLD SPIRIT third.  In the second race, JENIALE walked away again (next time feed them more red wine at dinner!), second was J'BES and third OLD SPIRIT.  While these are just the first rounds of sailing, the next are on November 28.  Still time to book Alitalia or British Airways and join them!  Sailing Photos by F. Prandini.  For more J/80 Italian Winter Series sailing information.

China hosting Asian Games for sailing in GuangzhouAsian Games J/80 Tour de Force
(Guangzhou, China)- South China's host city of the Asian Games is one of the top ten cities in China.  For most Westerners this may mean nothing.  However, taken in the context of most cities around the world, Guangzhou is in the world's top 20!  Or, perhaps for many of you, a more sobering thought taken in the context of history, over half of the world's top 20 cities are in China-- and Beijing is not the biggest! 

Taking place on the water off the Shanwei Water Sports Centre is a remarkably well-organized and efficiently run regatta with a fabulous technical tour'de'force of media employing every imaginable means of technology to bring it home to the Chinese masses- live on-water video, helicopters, remote control drones doing live video and so forth.  Nothing is spared to ensure the event is brought to the living rooms of those in the Asian/ Middle Eastern World.  Remember, the "Golden Triangle" comprised of Japan to China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and points in between comprise over $20 trillion USD in GDP today....hmmm, a bit more than America.

J/80 fleet for Asian Games- ready to go sailing in match racingSailing in this event are an Olympic cross-section of classes, including Lasers, Optimists, and Hobie 16s.  Plus, J/80s for match racing.  So far, the Malaysian Team is doing quite well in the J/80s match racing.  Not far off the pace are the Singapore and Chinese teams.  The list of teams competing in the event include China, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Bahrain, Singapore, Malaysia and India. According to Jim Johnstone in Xiamen, China "we got the J/80s ready for the Asian Games this past week.  The list of countries participating in the event will someday read like a "who's who" for top Asian sailors.  The event so far has been very good, the area that they are sailing in is quite windy this time of the year.  Best compared to American sites like Corpus Christi, Texas where it blows 20+ knots each day and it's relatively warm.  The teams have had two brand new 3/4 oz conventional spinnakers blow-up and one T-bone, but we are dealing with those things. Since there are only 8 teams it is not hard to pull two boats out of the rotation and switch on the dock." 

J/80s sailing at Asian Games in Guangzhou, ChinaThe 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, opened in dramatic style with a ceremony which drew on Guangzhou's rich maritime history, held in a purpose built arena, located on a small island on the Pearl River. Sailing is one of the 42 sports in this multi-sport event, held every four years in Asia, allowing athletes from all over the Asian continent to compete.

Perhaps most remarkable about this event is the degree to which national sailing authorities (NGO's) in Asian nations take national pride and success in such endeavors as seriously as they do.  It does not take one to scratch the tablets of world history very deeply to appreciate their perspectives in the age of discovery and exploration in the 16th century onwards.  Asia was at the cross-roads of powerful commercial interests and sailing ships, captains, navigators, navies were integral to their successes or failures over the course of time.  Seems to many that they're learning from such experiences fast and accelerating quickly past many of their friendly Western friends not only in the sport of sailing, but in business and culture, too.

Indicative of this change is how sailing is perceived by leaders in the Middle East and Asia and how strongly, in fact, they support sailing as a sport and activity for their growing middle classes.  Leading up to the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, a number of sailors and their sponsors in these countries issued some very interesting statements supporting such endeavors.  Read more about their sailing initiatives in the Sailing section here on the Asia Games 2010 site.

J/109 one-design cruising racing sailboat- sailing in Seattle on Puget SoundRound the County Race
Showdown at Peapod Rocks
(Seattle, WA- Nov. 19)- In 1790, Francisco Eliza, captain of the 16-gun Spanish pacqueboat, Saint Carlos, sailed around a complex of islands in what was to become Washington State, naming the islands the ‘San Juan Archipelago’.  197 years later, the Orcas Island Yacht Club took the same approach as Captain Eliza, sailing around the archipelago— now San Juan County— and called it the Round the County Regatta. In its 23rd running, Round the County has become one of the most popular end-of-the season races in the Pacific Northwest.

Round the County starts at Lydia Shoal off Obstruction Pass, which separates Obstruction and Orcas Islands, two of the fabled San Juan islands. This year the race went clockwise; other years it has gone counterclockwise. Either way, the racers overnight at Roche Harbor, once the home of a limekiln, which supplied that key ingredient for tons of cement, used to rebuild San Francisco following the big one of 1906. After a quiet night at the now posh Roche Harbor, the fleet sails around the other half of the County, finishing at Lydia Shoals.

The race always falls on the first or second weekend in November. The day temperature in early November is in the low to mid 50s (Fahrenheit) and the winds can be light and variable to howling. The race also highlights the Northwest’s long-standing allegiance to the PHRF handicap.

73 boats registered for this year’s race despite a forecast for the weekend for - yes, rain (what else would you expect?)- but also light and variable southerly wind. Predicting the weather in the Pacific Northwest is difficult. Much changes as the Pacific fronts collide with the mountainous terrain of western Washington State and the long rocky shore of Canada’s Vancouver Island. This Round the County proved that point.

Three starts were scheduled at Lydia Shoal in Rosario Strait between the sprawling, mountainous Cypress Island to the east and Orcas and Blakely Island to the west. Rain seemed written on the underside of the solid blanket of low hanging gray. Strong current ebbed south through Rosario. The wind was, as predicted, an underwhelming two knots from the southeast.

J/105 sailing in Puget sound near Seattle and VancouverThe small boats were away at 0840 hours. They hugged the steep-sided, Blakely Island shore. Chris White’s blue-hulled J-80 CRAZY IVAN took the early lead ghosting under a big asymmetric chute, white against the dark green mass of Douglas Fir blanketing the steep hillside. Mid-sized boats were off at 0850 hours, with the majority on port tack. A few spoilers, coming in on starboard, caused mayhem at the committee-boat end, forcing a phalanx of port-tackers to go wide, with some having to tack to starboard in the light air.  The boats fanned out across the current driven waters of Rosario Strait. Fingers of wind reached into the jumbled fleet beckoning, with the fickleness of a wickedly beautiful woman, first one boat forward only to drop it in favor of another. The rain did not fall. After the first hour, the maddening fingers of southerly breeze settled into a slowly building southeasterly. The current was with the fleet, adding about 2.5-3.0 knots of VMG to a boat’s hull speed.

The first turn for the fleet is Davidson Rock, situated at the southeastern tip of Lopez. This is the point where the race turns west, out the Straits of Juan de Fuca, keeping the shores of Lopez and San Juan Islands to starboard as it steadily arcs toward the north where San Juan Island becomes the eastern shore of Haro Strait.

The wind held steady from the southeast. Strategy and tactics began to play out on the chess board of Juan de Fuca Strait. Some boats turned west not long after passing Davidson Rock, but others carried straight south seeking stronger wind and a gybe angle to keep them off the islands’ lee shores. With eight knots of southeasterly breeze, and favorable tide, the fleet makes the half way point Salomon Bank Buoy with ease. A race committee boat noted times in case the race had to be called before its 1800 hours limit.

Not long after Salmon Bank, the steady southerly—quickly and unpredictably—swung round to the northwest. Poled-out spinnakers were suddenly against the forestay. Jibs and genoas went up as spinnakers were snuffed below. Tacking up the shore became the strategy, although constant care was needed to avoid perilous wind holes or tangles with the kelp.  That's how it ended for the first day of racing on Saturday.

For Saturday night, the fleet stayed at Roche Harbor, which had plenty of open slips this time of year to dock the fleet. Overnight a 35-knot front blew through, but the morning dawned clear. Sun sparkled the water as the fleet checked in for the start of racing on Sunday. The wind was light; the tide ebbed in Spiden Channel as the boats reach across toward Stuart Island’s aptly named Turn Point, home to one of the most beautiful lighthouse settings in the San Juans. The southerly breeze continued to build as the fleet rounded Turn Point heading northeast up Boundary Pass, Canada is on the port side. The big boats legged-out as the breeze rose to 14 knots.  At 19 knots of true wind, at least one spinnaker was turned to long, ineffective ribbons. The sun was warm. White caps pocked the sea, and the air was clear and clean as only it can be in the Northwest. Alden Light, on Patos Island, was the halfway mark and the turning point to the southeast for the day’s 34 mile leg.  To escape the hard current, a number of boats tucked behind Patos popping into the current at the last moment as they rounded rocky Alden Point.

The real showdown came at Peapod Rocks just off the east shore of Orcas not far from the fleet’s southerly turn around the island’s eastern most Point Lawrence. The current was pounding north up Rosario Strait. The old adage warns never go inside Peapod, but the tack carrying a boat beyond Peapod put her broadside to the sweeping current with little breeze apparent all across the Strait. A few brave tacticians venture across the flooding tide while the majority of boats tack the eastern shore of Orcas, inside Peapod Rocks, working hard to keep out of the current,

The wind was fading as boats, having pealed down to light number ones, broke from the Orcas shore on their last tack out toward the Lydia Shoal line. Only then did they witness those boats that went wide of Peapod Rocks, mad with delight, on a steady southeasterly lifting right to the Lydia Shoal Buoy.

A number of J's took part in this classic Northwest event, savoring the gorgeous scenery and the extraordinary camaraderie that is unique to sailors in this part of the world.  In Division 0, Bob Brunius's J/120 TIME BANDIT took 5th and Lynn Adkins J/124 TINETTE sailed nicely to stay out of trouble and get 8th.  In Division I, the J/109s were seemingly match racing around the track both days.  In the end Adam Korbin's J/109 ASTRAL PLANE finished 2nd and Dave MacLean's J/109 ILLUSIONIST was 3rd.  Like the J/109s, there were to well-sailed J/33s in Division II that are strong competitors in the light conditions often seen in the Sound and Straits. Todd Koetje's J/33 HRAVN finished 4th and not too far behind, other than a few tactical errors, was Tom Kerr's J/33 CORVO in 7th.  Early race leader in this division,  Chris White's J/80 CRAZY IVAN, ended up struggling in some of the lighter patches against the bigger boats and finished  8th.  Finally, in Division III, Jim Bottles beautifully maintained J/30 CELEBRATION sailed strongly to get a 4th!  Article contributed by Stephen Orsini.  For complete Round The County sailing results.

J/Community

What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide

J/24 sailboat- sailing in New South Wales, Australia*  What do you do when you are near the finish line and a crew member falls overboard?  Tell them to hang on and keep racing!! Ouch! Can't imagine J/24 racing in New South Wales, Australia is that competitive?!  In Saturdays fantastic MHYC Race on 13th November, the J fleet comments are that a lot of fun was had – blue skies, good solid breezes, dolphins on the start line, shrimp on the barbie, lots of cold tinnies.  However, probably not so much fun for the wet crew member off the J/24 J-SPOT!!  Post race comments from Skipper Adam were along the lines of telling him they were only 20 miles from the finish line so he better hang on!  Tall story for sure--- eye witnesses report it was more like 150 meters.  The picture says it all.  Photo courtesy of Nicole Scott- for more pics go to http://www.sailingimages.net.au  More interesting J/24 tidbits below, though one hopes many kept their crews on board most of the time!

* A long-time J/24 ace and supporter of the class, Mike Ingham, recently joined North Sails to help them on their one-design programs in general.  Mike is a past J/24 North American and National Champion. In addition to his North American and National titles in the J/24 class, he has placed second in the J/24 World Championship and is an East Coast and Great Lakes Champion. Mike will continue working out of his home in Rochester, NY, where he lives with his wife and three children.  Another long-time J/24 expert and champion, Vince Brun (btw he sailed in the first J/24 Midwinters in 1978 in Key West!!), had this to say about Mike, “he will be a wonderful addition to our team of J/24 class experts and will give us the opportunity to reach out to even more J/24 sailors nationwide.” In addition to many victories on the race course, Mike has coached at Cornell University, the University of Rhode Island and Yale University. He has been a personal coach and training partner for many successful sailors and has won numerous awards and including being named an All-American at Cornell University in 1986.  Photo is J/24 North American Champion, Pat O'Toole using North Sails.

J/80 sailing with Quantum Sails at J/80 Worlds* An avid supporter and sailor in the J/80 class, Kerry Klingler, was recently appointed J/Boat Team director at Quantum Sails.  Kerry is a past J/80 World and North American Champion. Quantum Sail Design Group has established a new J/Boat Division, which will focus on expanding the company’s line of J/Boat sails and providing support for J sailors worldwide (photo here of Nextel Spanish World Champion team). Another expert J/24 and J/Boat sailor, Ed Reynolds, President of Quantum Sail Design Group says the focus reflects the company’s commitment to serving one of the largest and most active sailing communities in the world. “We recognize the loyalty J/Boat owners have for their brand and their interest in high-performance sails backed by the greatest level of expertise and support. We believe J/Boat owners deserve this level of dedication to their sailing needs and with our already strong track record we are uniquely positioned to provide it.”   Noting Klingler’s experience in sail design for J Boats, Reynolds adds, “Kerry’s designs have been very well received and highly successful; he will be bringing this expertise to the Quantum family, helping us expand our product offering. We already have an incredibly talented J/Boat team with reps who are very active and successful in the J/Boat one-design classes. This year, Quantum sails have won the J/22, J/24 and J/80 World Championships. Under Kerry’s leadership, we will have even more product depth, a stronger support focus and a greater presence on the water.”   In addition to Klingler, this Division includes Terry Flynn (Quantum Seabrook), Tim Healy (Quantum Newport) Scott Nixon (Quantum Atlantic) and Nic Bol (Quantum Holland), all winners of multiple J Boat National and World Championships. Klingler says he’s excited about the opportunity to collaborate with this team of J/Boat experts noting,  “Quantum has assembled an accomplished group of J Boat sailors and has great technological resources." Klingler’s J/80 sails have won three of the last four North American Championships. Klingler’s sail designs in the J/105, J/109 and J/122 classes have also enjoyed great success including the J/109 North American Championship, the J/122 IRC National Championship and top finishes in seven major J/105 regattas this season.

Ed Baird- J/24 world champion- Alinghi skipper- Quantum Racing skipper* What do Ed Baird and Terry Hutchinson have in common with Mike Ingham, Ken Read, Chris Larson and several other noteworthy (perhaps famous) sailors?  A J/24 World Championship.  Not to beat their drum for any particular reason, but Quantum seems to be targeting a lot of good talent that are coming out of the world's largest offshore one-design keelboat classes- the J/22, J/24 and J/80s.  Recently, Terry is taking a deep breath and jumping in with both feet to be Captain Fantastic (e.g. helmsman) aboard the great yacht ARTEMIS in the America's Cup 34th rendition, sailing super-fast, incredibly dangerous 72 foot carbon fiber catamarans powered by enormous carbon wing-sails.  As a result, Terry is leaving his duties as helmsman aboard the TP-52 QUANTUM RACING.  Jumping into the driver's seat is yet another J/24 ace, Ed Baird, formerly skipper of ALINGHI in AC33 in Valencia, Spain!  Ed Reynolds, President of Quantum, says Baird’s expertise as both a sailor and coach make him a great fit for the team, which clinched the Audi MedCup TP-52 World Championship title earlier this month. "Ed is an 11-time world champion, has sailed with many of the guys on our team and is very much committed to our program, which is as much about product development as it is winning races. Ed’s accomplishments both on and off the water are impressive and his analytical approach to sailing is a real asset. We’re very excited to bring him on board and will value his expertise as we work to put a new boat, rig and sails on the water."

J cruising sailors looking over Bora Bora bay

The J Cruising Community

J Cruisers continue their adventures around the world, below are a selection of most excellent "blogs" written by their prolific publishers.  Some terribly amusing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom are contained in their blogs. Read some! You'll love it.

Glen Gustaffson is sailing his J/46 this year in the Caribbean 1500.  He says, "There are two J/46's and I believe one J/40 in the event, which has a record turnout this year.  We are pumped up and looking for a fast ride to the Islands.  I'll see if I can get a story together on the J's in the event, and send it on after we reach Tortola.  There is live tracking on the website- http://www.carib1500.com

J cruising directions- roll the dice and go!  Sailing to anywhere, anytime!* The J/42 JARANA continues their epic voyage around the Pacific. Continue to read about Bill and Kathy Cuffel's big adventure cruising the South Pacific headed for New Zealand.  A recent update from Bill and Kathy- "Hello, all!  We have safely arrived in Opua, New Zealand from Tonga. It was a remarkably fast passage. Some statistics: Time: 6 days, 3 hours.  Total distance: 1023 miles.  Distance sailed: 1020 miles.  Distance motored: 3 miles.  Average speed: 7.0 knots.  Fuel used: 3 gallons (12 hours of engine idling for power generation).  Best memory: sailing into the Bay of Isles, hand steering in 25 knots of breeze, watching the sun rise behind us, lighting Cape Brett up in a warm red glow. Next is New Zealand!" Their blog is here: http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/

* Prolific writers, Bill and Judy Stellin, sailed their J/42 JAYWALKER around the Mediterranean and Europe and back across the Atlantic for nearly three years.  Their blogs/journals can be found at- http://blog.mailasail.com/jaywalker.  The earlier journals have been compiled into two self published books which can be found at: http://www.blurb.com.  Search for "SEATREK: A Passion for Sailing" by Bill Stellin or William Stellin."  Fun reading when rocking back in a chair watching your storm-lashed windows take a beating in the gale roaring outside and listening to the crackle of a roaring fire.  It is winter "down under" you know.  The Argentineans are freezing.

J/130 sailing ARC Rally arrives Portugal- leave a message on the sea wall!* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary will have just finished their double-handed crossing of the Atlantic, landing in Portugal on their J/130 Shazam after completion of their ARC Rally. Read the latest news at http://www.sailblogs.com/member/shazam/.

* Several J/160 owners are island hopping across the world's oceans, fulfilling life long dreams to cruise the Pacific islands, the Caribbean islands, the Indian Ocean and all points in between.  Anyone for Cape Horn and penguins??  Read more about their adventures and escapades (like our J/109 GAIA, J/42s PAX and JAYWALKER and J/130 SHAZAM friends above).

J/160 land tender- 1944 vintage Willies Jeep!!SALACIA, the J/160 owned by Stephen and Cyndy Everett has an on-going blog describing some of their more amusing experiences (http://www.salacia1.blogspot.com).   A recent excerpt- "Stephen and Ross were enthralled by Roger's "Willies 1942 WW2 American jeep". Both boys took it for a burn and one is now at the top of Stephen’s wish list. When Roger was restoring it he was delighted to find a genuine WW2 American Hard hat under the back seat...."

Bill and Susan Grun on the J/160 AVANTE are also sailing in the Pacific archipelago, read more about their great adventures on their blog (http://web.me.com/susangrun).  Check out there recent travels- now past Fiji!  A recent excerpt- "Things Unplanned Run Amuck in Tahiti- Boats have feelings, don’t you know?  They do not like to be left alone, unattended and seemingly unloved.  This is a fact of which both The Captain and The First Mate are well aware, but given their lifestyle, they have no choice.  Avante must go it alone every once in a while, and they know they eventually will have to deal with nautical hurt feelings and the consequences which follow."  The rest of the thread is both humorous and quite educational- many lessons learned!

* Long-distance cruising communications advice for those who wish to be connected beyond a cell phone/ WiFi connection (10 miles) anywhere on the planet- try SailMail.com- a remarkable SSB communications network good for up to 5,000 nautical miles of connectivity! How cool is that!  Founded by renowned superstar navigator Stan Honey and friends, here's good info for long-distance datacomm fanatics.  Stan says, "SailMail has worldwide coverage, but as with any HF propagation, you have to be knowledgeable about selection of which station to use, what time of day, and what frequency.  The only holes in coverage worldwide would be a very noisy marina where battery chargers on nearby boats prevent SailMail use.  In those situations most folks use WiFi or GSM anyway, and use SailMail when they are at sea, or in most remote anchorages.  There is lots of information on the website at www.sailmail.com about SSB choice and modem choice.  The Icom M802 radio and AT140 tuner are currently the best choice."

J/95 shoal-draft performance sailing boat- off Naples, FL

Featured Boats

J/95 #1 Available in Florida!

J/95s are on a roll in the southeast with five boats sailing in the area by this fall (at least four planning to participate in the January Key West Race Week). Sarasota Yacht and Ship is the brokerage side of the J/Southeast dealer CrossCurrent Marine, and they are thrilled to have landed the first brokerage listing for this wonderful shoal draft performance daysailer. Boat is fully optioned with carbon sails, mast, V boom and sports an extension electronics suite. Please contact Craig Crossley at 401-330-6135,  craig@crosscurrentmarine.com (or craig.crossley@gmail.com) for more information.

About J/Boats

Started in 1977, J/Boats continues to lead the world in designing fun-to-sail, easy-to-handle, performance sailboats that can be enjoyed by a broad spectrum of sailors.  The International J/24 has become the most popular recreational offshore keelboat in the world with over 5,400 J/24s cruising the waves. Today, there are 13,000+ J/Boats, ranging from the International J/22 to the J/65 and ranging in style from one-designs to racers, cruisers to day sailers and, of course, the ubiquitous J sprit boats- J/Boats' innovation in 1992 for easy-to-use asymmetric spinnakers and retractable carbon bowsprits (J/80, J/92, J/95, J/105, J/109, J/110, J/120, J/122, J/130, J/133, J/125, J/145, J/160).

J/Boats has the best track record in sailing for innovation and design as evidenced by:  15 Sailing World/ Cruising World Boat of the Year Awards in 14 years; 2 SAIL Awards for Industry Leadership; 2 American Sailboat Hall of Fame Designs (J/24 & J/35); and the three largest ISAF International One-Design keelboat classes (J/22, J/24, J/80).

Counting crew, every year there are over 100,000 friends to meet sailing J's, populating the most beautiful sailing harbors and sailing the waters of 35+ countries around the world.  Sailing is all about friends.  Come join us and expand your social network everywhere!    For more information on J/Boats.

Read Kimball Livingston's SAIL update on the J/Boats story- A Band of Brothers.