Wednesday, October 28, 2015

J/Newsletter- October 28th, 2015

J/88 Oceanvolt solar sailing with solar and hydro powerElectric J/88 Oceanvolt- Boats.com Overview
(Newport, RI)- J/Boats has given its latest fast racer/cruiser, the J/88 family speedster, an added dimension— electric power. Dieter Loibner, boats.com editor, provides a brief commentary of the innovative system’s components while reviewing the boat at the Newport International Boat Show. Learn more about why the J/88 Oceanvolt model from J/Boats is being called “the Tesla of sailboats.”  Watch on boats.com YouTube channel here.   To learn more about the revolutionary electric J/88 Oceanvolt option, click here

J/105s sailing Lipton CupLipton Cup Preview
(San Diego, CA)- The life of Thomas Johnstone Lipton of Great Britain was an amazing one at many levels, not the least of which was his contribution to yachting worldwide. Sir Thomas, who was knighted in 1898 by Queen Victoria, offered all yachtsmen an excellent example of a true sportsman in the broadest sense. He was undaunted by defeat, despite his team’s inability to win the America’s Cup after multiple attempts.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland (1850), Thomas Johnstone Lipton eventually became one of the world’s great success stories. He went to work at an early age as an errand boy in a Glasgow bookstore. At the age of 15, he came to the United States as a steerage immigrant but never forgot his homeland. He first worked in a grocery store, then drove a mule streetcar in New Orleans, became a traveling portrait salesman and finally worked on plantations in South Carolina and Virginia.

Sir Thomas returned to Glasgow at age 26, with enough money to open a small grocery store. As his business grew, he opened other stores– first in Scotland and then all over Ireland, Wales and England. To supply these stores, he acquired tea plantations in Ceylon and also purchased coffee and cocoa plantations. A global entrepreneur, Sir Thomas operated a large packing house in Chicago, a bacon curing plant and bakeries in England. He had fruit orchards and factories for making jellies and jams. Within 10 years, he was employing 8,000 persons.

His passion for being on the water was undiminished by his business interests.  Ultimately, in 1898 at the age of 48, he challenged for the America’s Cup sailing the famous line of “Shamrock” designs.

J/105 sailing Lipton Cup San DiegoBy early 1903, Commodore Lucien Blochman of the Corinthian YC (later San Diego YC) knew of Sir Thomas’ respect for sportsmanship and wrote to the tea baron, requesting that a trophy be created in his name for West Coast yacht racing excellence. This exchange resulted in the San Diego Lipton Challenge Cup. On July 22, 1903, the spectacular silver trophy arrived in San Diego, compliments of Sir Thomas Lipton.

Since its inception, the Lipton Challenge Cup has been considered as one of the preeminent events in Southern California racing, and the event’s history closely follows the history of yachting in Southern California- from the CCA days, to IOR heydays and now to one-designs. Since 2002, the event has been sailed in J/105s, a very popular offshore keelboat class on the west coast.

The 2015 edition promises to be every bit as competitive as has been over the past century.  Last year, the St Francis YC team led by skipper Chris Raab won the event for the first time in decades.  Chris and his tactician Russell Silvestri (an Olympic-class sailor) will be back to defend the title against a field of sailors that includes multiple National, North American and World Champion sailors.  Participating clubs and their skippers include: Annapolis YC (Peter McChesney), California YC (Bob Little), Chicago YC (Steve Knoop), Coronado YC (Patrick Powell), Larchmont YC (Dan Pletsch), Long Beach YC (Dustin Durant), New York YC (Brian Keane), Newport Harbor YC (Jon Pinckney), San Diego YC (Tyler Sinks), San Francisco YC (Jack Barton), and Southwestern YC (Shala Youngerman).   For more Lipton Cup sailing information

J/24 sailboat crew having fun sailing!J/22 & J/24 East Coast Preview
(Eastport, MD)- A fall sailing classic will be taking place this weekend on Chesapeake Bay- the East Coast Championships for both the J/22 and J/24 classes.  Taking place from October 30th to November 1st, the fleets will be treated to the amazing hosts in Eastport, MD known as the Severn Sailing Association.  Both fleets have more than fifteen boats registered and the quality of the fleet is incredibly high.

For the J/22s, class President Sandy Adzcik will be racing and will be joined by veterans like Brad Julia, Trevor Perkins, Jeff Todd and Chris Wilson.  Teams are participating from Rhode Island, New York, Maryland and Virginia.

The J/24 Eastern Championships are sponsored by Hillman Investments.  The fleet has several class leaders participating, including past East Coast, National, North American and World Champions.  In fact, it’s quite the stellar cast for the size of the fleet.  The de facto class cheerleader for over three decades, Tony Parker’s BANGOR PACKET, will be hoping to lead an all-star group that includes Carter White’s SEA BAGS SAILING TEAM, Peter Kassal’s SPACEMAN SPIFF, Mike Marshall’s PIPE DREAM from Jamestown, RI, Robby Brown’s crew from Tampa, FL, the Samson/Deom duo on HIJACK from Montreal, Quebec and Travis Odenbach’s HONEY BADGER from New York.  For more J/22 East Coast sailing information  For more J/24 East Coasts sailing information

J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

Fall events continue to enjoy somewhat benign sailing conditions in various parts of the northern hemisphere.  In Europe, the Garmin Hamble Winter Series, the Sailing Networks Big Boat Series and the Doyle Sails One-Design Championship based in Hamble, England have had what amounts to an “Indian Summer” series of weekends- unseasonably warm and with just moderate winds and mostly sun!

Meanwhile, on the far western parts across the Atlantic, the Manhasset Bay YC Fall Series concluded on western Long Island Sound for one-design J/105s as well as PHRF racers like J/88s, J/109s, and J/111s.  Further south along the mid-Atlantic seaboard, the J/70s enjoyed their Fall Brawl Regatta at Eastport YC and the Annapolis YC Fall Series and Storm Trysail Fall Regatta also took place with one-design fleets for J/80s, J/30s, J/35s, J/105s, and PHRF/ORR racers like J/109s, J/111s, and J/122s.  Then, much farther west on the “left coast”, the San Diego YC hosted their famous J/105 International Masters Regatta.

Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below has many entertaining stories and news about J/Sailors as well as cruising blogs about those who continue to enjoy the Caribbean and the South Pacific, staying warm while others are trying to stay warm up north.  Check them out!  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 24-Dec 8- Garmin Hamble Winter Series- Hamble, England
Oct 30- Nov 1- Lipton Cup Challenge- San Diego, CA
Oct 31- Nov 1- J/22 East Coast Championship- Annapolis, MD
Nov 7-11- French J/80 Nationals- Saint Cast, France
Nov 26-30- J/24 South American Championship- Porto Alegre, Brazil
Nov 28- Dec 6- Peru J/24 National Championship- La Punta, Peru
Dec 4-6- J/22 Jamaica Jammin Regatta- Montego Bay, Jamaica
Dec 12-13- Quantum J/70 Winter Series I- Tampa, FL
Jan 9-10- Quantum J/70 Winter Series II- Tampa, FL
Jan 13- Lauderdale- Key West Race- Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jan 18-22- Quantum Key West Race Week- Key West, FL
Feb 6-7- Quantum J/70 Winter Series III- Tampa, FL
Feb 25-28- J/70 Midwinter Championship- St. Petersburg, FL
Mar 10-13- J/70 Miami Sailing Week- Coconut Grove, FL
Apr 16-19- Charleston Race Week– Charleston, SC

For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.

J/105 Masters skippers at San Diego YC“Master” Burnham Wins J/105 Masters Regatta
(San Diego, CA)- From October 23rd to 25th, the San Diego YC hosted the J/105 Masters Regatta for the third consecutive year in a fleet of matched J/105s supplied by the generosity of their local fleet.  A dozen legendary master sailors from around the world sailed inside San Diego’s beautiful harbor along the city waterfront.

The weather over the weekend cooperated beautifully on Friday and Saturday, with the classic WNW seabreezes providing the fleet with five good races.  However, the racing on Saturday was concluded early due to a minor dust-up at the windward mark when three boats got wrapped up and engaged in a slow motion pirouette that left one boat without a usable pole.  Sunday dawned with overcast skies and lots of clouds with a stalled frontal system preventing any hope for the classic seabreeze.  Despite several attempts to get a final race going, Regatta Chairman Jeff Brown and SDYC’s Jeff Johnson (Regatta Manager) concluded it was time to stop for the day and bring the fleet home for the awards.

The racing was close and the sailors enjoyed racing the matched fleet of J/105s.  It was clear from the beginning that Malin Burnham’s crew, that included Star/Etchells and offshore champions Vince Brun and Benny Mitchell on board, were going to set the tone for their regatta by easily winning the first race!  Not bad for the 88-year-old skipper, a former Star World Champion himself.  Second in the first race was Sandy Purdon from San Diego YC and third was Jon Andron’s team from St Francis YC.

After the first day of racing, Andron was leading with a 3-1 followed by Burnham with a 1-4 and Gary Jobson’s team in third with a 4-2.

Saturday dawned with the potential for a perfect, sunny day with plenty of breeze.  Mother Nature delivered in spades, providing postcard perfect sailing with breezes building into the high teens by the third race of the day.  Starting out Saturday’s performance exactly how they started Friday morning, Burnham’s team put their stamp on the regatta by posting a 1-2-4 record to ultimately win the regatta with just 12 pts total!  Andron’s crew had a slow start to the day but improved every race to score a 6-4-2 on the day and secure second overall.

J/105s sailing Masters RegattaBehind the two leaders, it was “clear as mud” who was going to take the final spot on the podium.  In the fray were Purdon, Jobson, defending Champion Augie Diaz, Don Trask, Chuck Nichols and Bob Fisher.  It was rough going as virtually every mark rounding and every finish line produced yet another roller-coaster ride for these teams.  Positions changed dramatically at each corner and consistency was not a term one could use for their scorelines.  In the end, Purdon’s 8-5-6 was enough to grab the bronze.  Just two points back was Jobson’s east coast team that closed with a 4-8-10.  Then rounding out the top five was the “Cuban Comet”-  Diaz’s team that closed with an 11-3-3 to secure 5th overall.

Regatta Chairman Brown thanked the small army of SDYC’s famous volunteers (50+) that looked after the needs of the famous participants.  He also thanked sponsors JK3 YACHTS, McCarthy Holthus and TESLA Motors (who were providing test drives in their cool electric cars).  For more J/105 International Masters Regatta sailing information

J/111 sailing Hamble Winter SeriesGARMIN Hamble Winter Series Report
(Hamble, England)- For the first time in as many years, the weather gods allowed the full programme of two races to be sailed on the first weekend of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series. Which, as race officer Kathy Smalley pointed out, perhaps should be temporarily re-named the Garmin Hamble Indian Summer Series for the time being!

For the preceding week, the forecast had steadfastly refused to predict anything above 2-3 knots for the opening day of the 2015 series, but Sunday dawned with a light southeasterly that was to build throughout the day.

All classes got underway on time helped by a sluicing flood tide, which resulted in a few individual recalls for some slightly over-keen competitors. The race team set a series of windward-leeward courses for the competing boats.  As boats headed upwind to their first mark, the wind was oscillating through no more than 10 degrees, meaning that boatspeed was the order of the day. But there were plenty of lead changes and tacking duels taking place throughout the 70-boat fleet.

In IRC 0, Cornel Riklin’s J/111 JITTERBUG won both races to top the results table, ahead of Louise Makin’s JOURNEYMAKER II in third.

In IRC3, it was BLACKJACK, the J/97 of Annie Kelly who dominated, scoring two firsts, while David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO was in third place, at the top of a batch of J/92s.

J/109s sailing Hamble Winter SeriesWeek 2
As October progresses, you could be forgiven for thinking that the thermals should be dug out – but the second weekend of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series, which this week incorporated the Doyle Sails Hamble One-Design Championships and the Sailing Networks Big Boat Championships, hosted some unseasonal sunshine and warmth to accompany the racing.

Racing on Sunday, the Garmin Hamble Winter Series fleet experienced some close racing in conditions ranging from a steady 12 knots to a shifty, frustrating 6 knots. These shifts and wind holes turned fleets on their heads and favored crews with their eyes out of their boats. Nonetheless, the race team, led by Stuart Childerley, fitted in two races for each class in the bright sunshine.

Cornel Riklin and crew on their J/111 JITTERBUG added another two first places to their score in the IRC0 class, continuing their run of bullets, ahead of fellow J/111 JOURNEYMAKER II, which scored two seconds. Christopher Daniel's J/122 AYBE completed the podium with two third places.

IRC 2, Paul Ward's J/88 EAT SLEEP J REPEAT took second in both races. This leaves the fleet extremely close, with only two points separating 3rd and 6th place.

IRC 3 saw the J/97 BLACKJACK II add another two firsts to her scoreline, with the J/92s UPSTART taking a 3rd and a 2nd.

The J/109s were also racing with IRC 3, and were won by Simon Perry's JIRAFFE which recorded a 2nd and a 1st. Joe Henry's JOLLY JACK TAR scored a 1st and a 3rd to take 2nd, and Roger Philips' DESIGNSTAR 2 took third overall.

J/88 sailing fast at Hamble Winter Series in the United KingdomWeek 3
The third race day rounded off a successful weekend of racing, which this week incorporated the final act of both the Doyle Sails Hamble One Design Championship and the Sailing Networks Hamble Big Boat Championship.

The wind was decidedly fluky for Sunday's racing, but the race team got all fleets away after a short postponement. The wind started at around 10 knots, easing through the day to a minimum of 3 knots of Northeasterly, but the race team fitted in two races to leave competitors smiling as they came off the water – despite some large shifts that meant no position was set in stone until the final tack to the finish line.

A strong weather-going tide meant that there was a general recall or two, but fleets subsequently got away cleanly – no doubt encouraged to be cautious by the Z flag flying from the committee boat. First away was the IRC 0 class. Cornel Riklin's J/111 JITTERBUG added two more firsts to continue her run of bullets, making her lead look healthy and strong after three weekends of racing. Fellow J/111 JOURNEYMAKER II took two second places, ahead of J/122 JUNO in third, making for a complete J-Boat podium at this stage.

In the IRC2 class, the J/88 JONGLEUR skippered by Richard Cooper finished 3rd in both races.

In IRC3, J/97 BLACKJACK II recorded two wins, rounding off a weekend of celebration as owners Annie Kelly and Andy Howe got engaged on Saturday! At the prize-giving, day sponsor, the Bugle pub presented them with a special champagne bottle to add to their day prize, to tumultuous applause! The J/92s UPSTART skippered by Robin Stevenson took two second places to add to their consistent scoreline.

The J/109 fleet, racing with IRC3, was won by Simon Perry's JIRAFFE, which took two bullets ahead of Joe Henry's JOLLY JACK TAR’s two second places.

J/97 sailing Hamble Winter SeriesWeek 4
Coming at the end of a week of pessimistic weather forecasts, it was little surprise to both competitors and the race committee that the scheduled start time of the fourth race day of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series was marked by a flat calm, two hoots and an AP.

But it was a day of surprises – firstly that the end of British Summer Time would be marked by warm temperatures and blazing sunshine, and secondly that a light southeasterly breeze would fill in at around 1230. This came as a particular shock to the boats that had decided that there would be no racing today and who had started motoring home – resulting in a few hurried U-turns and high engine revs as they tried to make it back to the start line in time!

The wind never rose above 6- 10 knots, but that was plenty enough for race officer Kathy Smalley to fit in a short race with the same course for all classes - a triangle between HYS, Hill Head and hamblewinterseries.com buoys. Many classes saw the overall winners surprised and in some cases back towards the rear of the fleet in the light and shifty breeze.

First away were IRC 0, where Cornel Riklin's J/111 JITTERBUG added another first, for what is a perfect run of bullets.  As a result, they are leading a J-Boats sweep of their class with 6 pts net followed by JOURNEYMAKER II in second and Chris Daniel’s J/122 JUNO in third place with 28 pts net.

J/111 sailing Hamble Winter SeriesA Z flag flying from the committee boat caused some issues in IRC2, with two boats affected, including Paul Ward’s J/88 EAT SLEEP J REPEAT in being penalized for being over the line. Nonetheless, EAT SLEEP J REPEAT finished first and took the penalty.  Consequently, the overall results so far have the J/88 ESJR in third overall with 26 pts net, top of the J/88 class in the regatta.  Next J/88s are Cooper’s JONGLEUR second, Gavin Howe’s TIGRIS 3rd and David Cule’s MAI TAI in 4th.

In IRC 3, Robin Stevenson on the J/92s UPSTART pushed class leader J/97 BLACKJACK II into second place, with Jonathan Stevens' J/97 WINDJAMMER completing the podium for the day's racing.  That result still leaves the Howe’s J/97 BLACKJACK II in control of the overall standings with 6 pts, followed by Stevenson’s J/92s UPSTART in second with 12 pts and David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO in third- currently a sweep of the podium like their colleagues in IRC 0.

The J/109s continue to have JIRAFFE in first, with Henry’s JJT in 2nd and Phillips’ DESIGNSTAR II in 3rd.

Next weekends sees competitors and organizers alike take a well-earned break, before the series resumes the following weekend. We look forward to seeing you then! Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ PWPictures.com and Hamo Thornycroft.   For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J/70 sailing one-design seriesDoyle Sails Hamble One-Design Champs Report
(Hamble, England)- The final weekend of the Doyle Sails Hamble One Design Championships didn't come with a promising forecast, but the race team, headed by Dermot O'Malley, got all races away on Saturday and Sunday in an oscillating N/NEly wind. The series featured racing for J/70, J/80, and mixed sportsboat classes.

There has been some close and exciting racing, and competitor feedback has been very positive for the four days of racing, in which 10 short, sharp races were sailed with a quick turnaround between races. This weekend in particular saw boats splitting tacks up the beat to take advantage of the numerous shifts, some reaping their rewards and others losing out as they neared the windward marks.

Points-wise, no boat had it all their own way in the J/70 class, but it was Tom Forrester-Coles' HARLEQUIN that took home the trophy, finishing the series with 18 points, six points clear of second-placed JUGADOR, belonging to Jack Davies. The podium was completed by Greg Hall's RTYC 742, with 32 points.  The rest of the top five included Patrick Liardet’s COSMIC in 4th place and David McLeman’s OFFFBEAT in fifth overall.

J/80 sailing Hamble/ SolentThings were extremely close at the top of the J/80 class, where it came down to the final race to decide the winner. Phil Taylor's J.A.T and Yannig Loyer's J out of the box finished tied on 13 points apiece, but it was J.A.T that squeezed ahead on countback with one more first place. Michael Lewis' Jester had a late run of success, taking first place in the final three races which brought her to within three points of the two leaders and clear of Jumblesail in fourth place overall.

In the IRC mixed sportsboat class the J/92S WIZARD finished up in second place overall.

And with that, the 2015 Doyle Sails Hamble One Design Championships conclude after some close racing in tricky conditions. We look forward to seeing entries from as many classes as possible next autumn, and would like to thank all competitors and Doyle Sails for their support of the event.  Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ PWPictures.com and Hamo Thornycroft.  For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J/109 sailing Big Boat Series in HambleSailing Networks Hamble BBS Report
(Hamble, England)- The Hamble Big Boat Series, ran alongside the One Design Championships on the 2nd and 3rd weekends of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series, offered top-notch racing for some of the best-sailed big boats in the country. This year, popular social media site Sailing Networks sponsored the event, which proved popular with competitors.

After four days of racing and 12 races, sailed in mainly light winds, the biggest boats raced in the IRC 0 class saw the main series leader, Riklin’s J/111 JITTERBUG placing third overall.  Just two points behind them was Chris Daniel’s J/122 JUNO in fourth position.  The J/111 JOURNEYMAKER sailed by Louise Makin and Chris Jones placed 6th overall.

Thanks go to all competitors and to sponsor Sailing Networks, for their support, and we look forward to seeing you all on the start line next year. Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ PWPictures.com and Hamo Thornycroft.  For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J/70s sailing Fall Brawl in AnnnapolisMcChesney Takes J/70 Fall Brawl Regatta
(Eastport, MD- The Eastport YC and friends at Storm Trysail Club hosted the J/70 Fall Brawl Regatta, a popular event for J/70 sailors at it often marks the first stop heading south from the northeastern USA to Key West Race Week and other events on the winter circuit- like the Quantum J/70 Midwinter Circuit in Tampa, Florida.

The regatta saw light to moderate winds, shifty and streaky, that enabled the EYC PRO to run seven races for the thirty-one boats sailing the regatta.  Sailing a very consistent series was Peter McChesney from Annapolis YC, posting a 6-1-4-4-1-3-4 for 23 pts total to win the regatta by just four pts.

Tied with McChesney after Saturday’s racing but not able to keep up the pressure and the pace was Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD from Eastport YC.  Filter’s scoreline of 4-5-2-2-9-2-3 was good enough for 27 pts.

J/70 woman skipper- Jen Wulff sailing Annapolis Fall BrawlJust off the pace of the leaders and with a legitimate chance of winning the regatta going into the last race was Peter Bowe’s Annapolis YC team sailing TEA DANCE SNAKE.  After posting a 1-6-7-3-2-1 in the first six races, all Bowe’s crew had to do was finish 3rd or better to win the regatta.  Unfortunately, their can of “whupass” must’ve expired by midday, for they could only manage a 10th in the 7th race to take the bronze on the podium with 30 pts total.  It was TEA DANCE SNAKE’s best showing to date in a major J/70 regatta.

Rounding out the top five was Geoff Becker’s (current Lightning World Champion) PAPA WHEELIE from Severn Sailing Association, taking fourth overall with 43 pts.  Taking top women’s skipper award and holding on to 5th overall was Jen Wulff sailing with husband Ray and crew on JOINT CUSTODY.

More than half the fleet sailing the J/70 Fall Brawl are headed south to sail in the Quantum Key West Race Week and Quantum J/70 Winter Series at Davis Island YC in Tampa, Florida.   Sailing Photo credits- Dan Phelps/SpinSheet   For more J/70 Fall Brawl sailing information

J/122 Orion sailing Fall Series AnnapolisBig J Fleet @ Annapolis Fall Series
J/122 Wins Storm Trysail Fall Regatta
(Annapolis, Maryland)- The Storm Trysail Club's Annapolis Fall Regatta provided a preview of close inshore racing expected at Quantum Key West Race Week in the IRC, ORC and One-Design Divisions.  Participating in this year’s event were J/80s, J/30s, J/35s, J/105s and J/122s, J/111s sailing in the handicap classes.

The road to Quantum Key West Race Week started with last weekend's 3-day Annapolis Fall Regatta, organized by the Chesapeake Station of the Storm Trysail Club and co-hosted by Eastport YC and SpinSheet Magazine. After three days of conditions ranging from light to moderate breeze and on courses varying from windward-leewards to a short offshore tour of the Chesapeake Bay, the fleet enjoyed over a half-dozen races for most classes.

Part of the gear-shifting was due not only to the conditions which ranged from a bright and sunny 10-16 knots on Friday to a cool and rainy 7-10 knots this morning, but also to the event's unique racing formats. Friday's 23-mile offshore race took the fleet from Annapolis across to the Eastern Shore, north upwind under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge halfway to the approaches to Baltimore Harbor, then back south to the Eastern Shore again before reaching back up the Severn River to a finish near the harbor in Annapolis. This race was scored as two races: times were taken at the northern-most mark for a 1.0 point-weighted race, while the elapsed times for the entire course were used to score a 1.5 point-weighted race.

Using ORC scoring within the same class, Paul Milo's J/122 ORION from Annapolis took victory by a 5.5-point margin, with all bullets and two seconds in the no-discard series. Milo also plans to head south for Key West, but via some distance races as well, including the Ft Lauderdale-Key West Race, the Miami-Havana Race, as well as Quantum Key West Race Week.

J/111 sailing Annapolis Fall SeriesAsked about his feelings on use of ORC for the first time, Milo commented "I think the system is great, it's based on measurements, its transparent, and it seems fair across the boat types. If we offered it more here in the Chesapeake I would definitely consider doing more racing here, particularly the distance races that we enjoy."

Taking second in ORR Class was Marty Roesch’s J/111 VELOCITY, posting all top three finishes to finish 5 pts back from Milo’s ORION.

On the IRC Class side of things, Milo’s ORION took 3rd in class behind two custom IRC boats followed by Bill Sweetser’s J/109 RUSH in 4th in class.

"We're really pleased to offer this regatta again this year to bring competitive big-boat racing to the Chesapeake," said PRO Dick Neville. "This year we had had a good turnout. We're always trying to innovate and make this event interesting, and I think we succeeded with that this year with our long course and the introduction of ORC scoring. Everyone had fun, and I thank our competitors for coming out to race, our Committee for all their efforts, and our sponsors at SpinSheet for all their support."

J/105s sailing Annapolis Fall SeriesAnnapolis YC Fall Series
In the J/105 class, sixteen boats enjoyed the weekend of sailing with Cedric Lewis on MIRAGE posting three bullets on their way to winning the class with just 14.5 pts.  Sailing nearly as consistently was Scott Gitchell’s crew on MIRAGE that completed the series with 18 pts.  By winning the first race long distance race for double-points, Jim Konigsberg’s INIGO was well-placed to win the regatta, but faded into the last two races with a 4-9 to drop into third overall.  The balance of the top five included Matt Robbins’ ALLEGIANCE in fourth with 34 pts, closely followed by Andrew Cherner’s CRASH just 1.5 pts back.

J/35 sailing Annapolis Fall seriesThe seven-boat J/35 class enjoyed good racing overall.  Nevertheless, it was James Sagerholm’s AUNT JEAN that again showed her transom to the fleet for most of the races, compiling five bullets of six possible races to win with just 7.5 pts.  However, just behind them it was a fight for who would end up on the podium.  Winning the battles and the war was Peter Scheidt’s MAGGIE, finishing with 17 pts to take the silver.  Just out of the money was Benjamin Travis’ BZING, taking third with just 18.5 pts.

The J/30s had a three-way battle over the weekend.  In the end, it was Rob Lundahl’s RAG DOLL that took class honors over Tristan & Sheila Keen’s INFECTIOUS SMILE in 2nd and Ron Anderson’s INSATIABLE in 3rd place.

With seven boats, the J/80s enjoyed good sailing with John White’s NOAA’s ARK winning class, followed by Dave Andril’s VAYU in 2nd position and Tom Walsh’s WINDRIDER in the 3rd spot.   Sailing Photo credits- Dan Phelps/SpinSheet   For more Storm Trysail Club's Annapolis Fall Regatta sailing information   For more Annapolis YC Fall Series sailing information

J/88 sailing Manhasset Fall seriesJ/Teams Top Manhasset Fall Series Regatta
J/88 Wins PHRF 2, J/29 Smokes PHRF 3
(Manhasset, NY)- The 37th Annual Manhasset Bay YC Fall Series took place over the past two weekends on western Long Island Sound.  There was an enormous presence of J sailors in the event with a large J/105 class of nine boats and various J’s sailing in all PHRF handicap fleets with terrific performances in the seven+ race series.

Starting with the “big boats”, PHRF 1 Class saw Paul Strauch’s J/111 ANDIAMO sailing a very consistent regatta, nearly pulling off a class win save for a 7th in their 4th race that had to be their “toss” race.  Their scoreline of 3-2-2-7-1-3-3 was good enough for 14 pts net and third overall, just 3 pts out of 1st!  Taking fourth was stablemate SPIKE, the J/111 sailed by Sam Talbot.

J/105s sailing Manhasset fall seriesJ crews dominated PHRF 2 Class with Doug McKeige and the crew of the J/88 JAZZ having an outstanding performance, winning PHRF 2 on a tie-breaker with 9 pts.  Like a freight train getting rolling down the tracks, McKeige’s crew gathered steam every race and posted an impressive 4-2-2-2-1-1-1 record. Losing the tie-break was Carl Olsson’s J/109 MORNING GLORY, not able to find a way to beat the fast J/88 team, closing with three 2nds to take the silver.  Third was yet another J/88, Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION sailing the most consistent record imaginable, with six 3rds in 7 races!  Finally, fourth place was secured by Bob Schwartz’s J/109 NORDLYS.

The J/105s had good racing overall, but there is no question that past 105 champion Damian Emery is back on form, guiding his familiar ECLIPSE team to first overall with just four 1sts and three 2nds for just 8 pts total.  Second was Marcus Wunderlich’s STRATOS with 12 pts and in third was George & Alex Wilbanks’ REVELATION in third position.

J/111 Andiamo sailing Manhassest Fall seriesThe PHRF 3 Class also had a near total eclipse by J sailors.  Winning by a significant margin was Tom & Julie Sinatra’s J/29 SMOKIN’J with three 1sts and two 2nds in the record to win by the comfortable margin of 4 pts.  Taking third was Jason Viseltear’s J/80 UPSETTER and in fourth place was Todd Aven’s THIN MAN.

Finally, Robert Taylor’s J/34c MINX sailed an all top two record to take 2nd place in the PHRF Non-spinnaker class.

Of note for J/88 owners, Jeff Pawlowski of JPBOATWORKS <jpboatworks@gmail.com> does deliveries of J/88s to regattas, so if you are dying to go to Key West but did not know how to get your boat there, get in touch with Jeff.  (He owns J88 "East Eights" and will be in Key West as well).  For more Manhasset Fall Series sailing information

J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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J/44 Vamp sailing Bermuda Race* J/44 VAMP, the Bermuda Race and AJ Evans story.  As the youngest Race Chairman in the history of the Newport Bermuda Race, 34-year-old Alton J. Evans has the helm of the 50th “Thrash to the Onion Patch,” which starts Friday, June 17, 2016.

“I grew up on the Navesink River and Sandy Hook Bay,” says AJ, who lives in Middletown, New Jersey. “I started sailing with my parents, Alton and Jackie Evans, when I was 3, and attended junior sailing at Monmouth Boat Club. We started cruising when I was 7, mostly long weekends on Long Island Sound, Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as the U.S Virgin Islands and Southern California.”
© Matt Marciano

“My dad was Commodore of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club. That’s where I met my sailing godfather, Lenny Sitar, who is also a Past Commodore. Lenny invited my dad and I to go on a race, although my dad is more interested in cruising with my mom. I took to racing with Lenny and was 17 when I did my first Bermuda Race on his J/44 Vamp in 1998, and I haven’t missed one since. This will be my tenth Bermuda Race, and ninth on Vamp.”

“We’re very lucky to have a core group of sailors aboard Vamp,” says AJ (pictured at the helm in a gale). Next year will be my twentieth on Vamp, and other guys have been there much longer. That says a lot about how Lenny runs a program and takes care of his crew. I’m not the youngest anymore, by far, and it’s become a great group of reliable, talented shipmates. Lenny is a great guy and a great team leader, and quite often he can predict the weather better than the forecast!”

“Competition in the J/44 class in the Bermuda Race has been close from start to finish. During the SSB check-in days, you could drop a quarter on the plotting sheet and cover the class’ plots. In 2014, we started close to Jim Bishop’s Gold Digger and saw them next a few days later when we finished about two minutes ahead of them.”

“I really enjoy the camaraderie of the J/44 class, but I’ve been exceptionally blessed with kind invitations to sail with friends on a variety of boats all over the world, including classics. I’ve done the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the Pineapple Cup, several Annapolis to Newport and Marblehead to Halifax races, and a very funny Transatlantic Race on the clipper Stad Amsterdam. It turned from race into cruise not long after the breeze died. I’ve never laughed so hard for so long.”

A member of the Storm Trysail Club for a decade, AJ is currently on the club’s governing board. He’s a member of the New York Yacht Club and serves on the club’s Sailing Committee and Race Committee, as well as the National Sailing Hall of Fame’s Youth Advisory Board. A maritime lawyer by profession, he’s Chairman of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Maritime and Admiralty Law Special Committee.

“My involvement with organizing the Bermuda Race started when I was 29.  Sheila McCurdy, who was then the first female Commodore of the Cruising Club of America, appointed me Fleet Captain of the CCA. The Race Chairman at the time was Bjorn Johnson. I had sailed with Bjorn, and my mom has known him since grammar school. I helped Bjorn by writing the Sailing Instructions, and have enjoyed doing so ever since. I am incredibly honored that the flag officers of the CCA and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club have appointed me to this position. Not only is this the 50th edition of the Bermuda Race; it’s also the 90th anniversary of the RBYC’s partnership with the CCA in running the race.”

“The Bermuda Race is special – I think there’s something in the water, especially when it turns that indescribable blue. Some of the best parts of the race never change – the water, the Stream, the routine of offshore sailing, the first sighting of a Long Tail, that two-hour motor to RBYC, and then the dock walks, exchanging sea stories loosely based on true events. But it’s most special in that it’s the only ocean race in the world that focuses the competition on the sailors and their skill more than the boats, their designers, or owners’ bank accounts. It doesn’t have an overall trophy, although the St. David’s Lighthouse is considered the grand prize.”

“We level the playing fields by dividing the race into divisions that don’t mix movable ballast boats with fixed ballast boats, or stored power with manual power, or double-handed with fully-crewed boats, and we limit the participation of professional sailors in most divisions. No matter what anyone says, there is no science-based handicap system that can fairly rate the differences that divide the fleet. We, along with many other premiere ocean races, trust the Offshore Racing Rule to do the rest. Our format, combined with ORR, gets the most people sailing and promises everyone a fair shake.”

“I came up with the idea to permit boats in either the St. David’s Lighthouse or the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse division with a minimum performance screen of 0.50 to also enter the Open Division. This will give those boats the option to compete for the Open Division’s Royal Mail Cup, and it will give the Open Division boats (e.g. Comanche, Rambler 88 and Privateer) much more competition.  It will be a special contest to mark the 50th race. I’ve been referring to it casually as ‘The Hauling the Mail Competition.’”

AJ relishes what he calls “friendships forged offshore,” and looks forward to sailing with his friends on Vamp in the next Newport Bermuda Race. “A true friend gets soaking wet on a cold, dark night by helping you flake a jib full of water on the foredeck for little or no money,” he explains. “They’re with you whether the cockpit is full of saltwater or rum, and they’ve got a fistful of your foul weather gear when the deck’s awash.”  Courtesy of WINDCHECK Magazine

Sally Barkow sailing Bitter End YC Pro-Am regatta* Sally Barkow and Dave Ullman take early wins at Pro-Am Regatta.  The sailors in this year’s Bitter End YC 29th Annual Pro-Am Regatta come from a range of sailing experience, but almost to the person, all have significant J/Boats experience on their CV’s.

While Sally Barkow from Neenah, WI may be a two-time world champion and two-time US Yachtswomen of the Year (having  won five Rolex watches over the course of her impressive racing career), she’s spent a lot of time racing J/22s, J/24s and J/80s as part of her fleet and match-racing career growing up in the Midwest.

In addition, Taylor Canfield has been a J/24 (and IC24) ace as he grew up sailing in the US Virgin Islands, not to mention that he’s been spending a lot of time recently racing J/70s, too.

J (IC)/24s sailing Bitter End YC Pro-AM RegattaSimilarly, JJ Fetter from San Diego YC has spent lots of racing various J/22s and J/24s in her past experiences.  Likewise, Sally’s “sister” sailor from Wisconsin, Annie Haeger from Lake Beulah, WI has learned a lot sailing J/22s in various fleet and match races across the USA.  Anthony Kotoun has raced everything in the small J/Boats stable, including J/22s, J/24s (as World Champion) and recently J/70s.  Finally, none other than Dave Ullman was an early participant in helping grow the J/24 class, has raced J/22s, J/70s, J/80s, J/105s and J/125s as part of his role continuing to grow Ullman Sails worldwide.  The Bitter End YC “amateurs” will be having a fun time with these wonderful sailors!  For more Bitter End YC Pro-Am Regatta sailing information
 

J/Cruisers
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.

* The J/40 HERON REACH sailed by Virginia and Jerry is participating in the Blue Planet Odyssey project and have recently joined them in the Marquesas Islands in the Eastern Pacific.  Learn more about their adventures and experiences here- http://heronreachodyssey.blogspot.com/
Giant whale breaching in front of J/160 SALACIA off  Australia's Whitsunday Islands* J/160 SALACIA has been sailing in Australia in the Whitsunday Islands.  Guess who decided to throw themselves across their bow as they cruised comfortably to their next destination?  A giant whale!  Look at this amazing photo!

J/42 cruiser- sailing across Atlantic Ocean* Jim & Heather Wilson just completed a circumnavigation of our "blue planet Earth" in June 2013 on their J/42 CEOL MOR.  Said Jim, "The odyssey of CEOL MOR is over, for now.  We completed our circumnavigation on our J/42 when we crossed our outbound track in Britannia Bay, Mustique. We were, however, still 2,000 nautical miles from home. So we continued on through the Windwards, the Leewards, and then through the British Virgin Islands. After a farewell 'Painkiller' at the Soggy Dollar, and a last meal at Foxy’s, we made the 1,275 nautical mile passage to the Chesapeake and completed our port-to-port circumnavigation when we arrived in Annapolis on June 28, 2013. We had been away 1,334 days, completed 259 days of ocean passages, and sailed 30,349 nautical miles (34,925 statute miles). Read more about their adventures in their  well-documented blog here:  http://www.svceolmor.com/SVCeolMor/Welcome.html

J/160 sailing offshore to US Virgin Islands- rainbow over ocean* J/160 AVATAR headed for the Caribbean, again!  We LOVE these updates from our cruising J sailors that continue to criss-cross the Seven Seas. This one comes from Alan Fougere, sailing his beloved J/160 AVATAR.   Alan sent us an email update commenting on their passage south this winter, "In mid-December AVATAR completed her sixth transit to her winter Caribbean home, Grand Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI (seen above)  from her home port in Quissett (Falmouth), MA.  A crew of three, Captain Alan (e.g. me), Crew Pablo Brissett and Mark Conroy, covered the 1,500 nm trip in in her best time to date- 7 Days 5 Hours, averaging 8.7 kts, that's about 208 nm per day!  Amazing passage it was!  Rainbow at right far offshore was some of the amazing phenomenon we experienced on this fast offshore passage.

AVATAR will participate in the BVI Sailing Festival/Regatta again in 2013, where last year she won the Nanny Key Cup Cruising Class race around the Island of Virgin Gorda.  Here are some photos for you to share with the J/Community at-large.  Enjoy!"
Best, Alan Fougere/ AVATAR

Bill & Judy Stellin- sailing J/42 Jaywalker* Bill & Judy Stellin recently had an interview about cruising on their J/42 in the Wall St Journal called "Retiring on the Open Sea".  The Wall St Journal asked Bill to reply to dozens of questions that flooded into the WSJ's Editor desks. Here's the update:

Retiring on the Sea: Answering Readers' Questions
Advice about selecting a boat, ocean crossings, itineraries and safety

Wall St Journal interview- Stellin's Offshore cruising/ sailing retirementThe article in our WSJ Online December retirement report about eight years spent sailing the Mediterranean— "Retiring to the Open Sea"— prompted many questions and comments from readers.  We asked William Stellin, who wrote the story, to answer some of the most common queries.

WSJ- "What kind and make of boat did you use? Looking back, would you have picked a different boat?"

Bill- "In 1995-96, J/Boats of Newport, RI, came out with a new cruiser/racer model, the J/42. We bought hull No. 6 of this popular 42-foot sailboat and named it JAYWALKER. This was our fourth boat since beginning sailing in 1975.

Although long-distance cruising wasn't what we had in mind when we purchased JAYWALKER, it soon became apparent it had the ability to carry us easily and safely anywhere we wanted to go. Because the boat is light, it sails well in light winds, which means very little motoring is necessary.

People often ask (and argue) about what boat is best for cruising. Any boat that is strong, safe, fast, comfortable and easily handled by two people should fit the bill. One thing for sure, fast is fun—and important when trying to avoid bad weather."

READ MORE ABOUT BILL'S INSIGHTFUL COMMENTARY AND THOUGHTS ON WSJ ONLINE HERE

* 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.  Their blog is here: http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/

* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary 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/.

J/130 sailing ARC Rally arrives Portugal- leave a message on the sea wall!* 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).

-  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).  Read about their latest adventures as they've gotten to New Zealand- "Avante Cruises the Pacific".

- Eric and Jenn on the J/160 MANDALAY also sailed the Pacific archipelago, read more on their blog at http://www.sailmandalay.com.  Eric and Jenn are J/World alumni took MANDALAY up and down the West Coast (Mexico, CA), then to the South Pacific and New Zealand.  MANDALAY is back in San Francisco now, and in the J/World fleet--she is available for skippered charters, private instruction, and corporate/executive groups.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

J/Newsletter- October 21st, 2015

J/105 Masters Regatta- San Diego, CA
J/105 Masters Regatta Preview
(San Diego, CA)- The International Masters Regatta was established in 1975 by St. Francis YC member, Don Trask. For years, the world’s greatest master sailors such as Elvstrom, Buchan, Burnham, Tillman, Trask, Irish, Harken, North, Holland, Hinman and Dickson had competed in this prestigious international sailing event on San Francisco Bay. After a three-year hiatus, the San Diego YC ushered in a new era for the event and hosted for the first time in 2012.

From October 23rd to 25th, the SDYC will again host the Masters for the third consecutive year in a fleet of matched J/105s supplied by the generosity of their local fleet.  A dozen legendary master sailors from around the world will sail buoy races inside the beautiful bay alongside San Diegoʼs gorgeous waterfront.

Regatta Chairman Jeff Brown will have the help of Joanne O’Dea (Regatta Coordinator), Jeff Johnson (Regatta Manager) and a small army of SDYC’s famous volunteers (50+) to roll out the red carpet and look after the needs of the famous participants.  Helping to support that effort are sponsors JK3 YACHTS, McCarthy Holthus and TESLA Motors (sprint laps around the parking lot, perhaps?).  Everyone is invited to join the teams, sponsors and club members at the amazing 5th annual Taste of Point Loma at SDYC! It takes place on Thursday, October 22, starting at 5pm.

Joining regatta founder Don Trask from St Francis YC will be a host of top West Coast sailors who’ve made their mark in a wide variety of classes from Stars to Farr 40s and the “Congo Cup” to the Transpac Race.  Don’s fellow StFYC members joining the event are John Kilroy of SAMBA PA TI fame (past winner of the Masters) and Jon Andron (most recently a top Masters Team Racing champion).

The SoCal gang is well represented with long-time regatta supporter Malin Burnham (Star World Champion) and friends from San Diego YC, including Chuck Nichols and Sandy Purdon. In that mix of talent is Newport Harbor YC member Dennis Durgan- himself a famous offshore and match-racing champion.

The East Coast contingent will see the return of the “Cuban Comet”. Returning from Miami, Florida for a second shot at the title is Defending Masters Champion Augie Diaz from Biscayne Bay YC.  Other Easterners accompanying him to the Left Coast include Collegiate Sailor of the Year and America’s Cup veteran Gary Jobson from Storm Trysail Club, Maxi-sailor Jeff Neuberth from New York YC, and offshore champion John Rumsey from South Carolina YC.

The lone foreigner tossed into the frying pan of such amazing talent happens to be the lovable character known simply as “Fish”.  For those in America’s Cup circles over the past half-century, you’d recognize Bob Fisher from the United Kingdom as the leader of the British media contingent poking fun at every sacred cow imaginable in the yachting world. Forewarned is forearmed, Fish claims he can “see” this year after some surgery- that may be a liability! He mentioned in passing he can see “skirts” from at least 500 yards away!

While the skippers are all exceptional in their talents and how they have contributed to the sport of sailing, what is perhaps most frightening from a competitive standpoint is to see the formidable teams they have assembled to do battle on the placid waters of San Diego Harbor!  At last count, those crew members include several World Champions, Olympic Medalists, North American Champions, College All-Americans and Collegiate Sailors of the Year, match race champions (Congressional Cup, etc) and silverware from the marquee West coast offshore events such as the Transpac Race, Ensenada Race, Rolex Big Boat Series and Cabo San Lucas Race.  Should make for interesting conversations at the leeward gate!
For more J/105 International Masters Regatta sailing information

J/70s sailing off start lineJ/70 Fall Brawl Preview
(Eastport, MD- If it’s fall, it must be time for da’brawl!  What started out as a fun way to bridge summer sailing with the winter sailing events in Florida, the now annual J/70 Fall Brawl hosted by Eastport YC has become a “must do” regatta as boats and teams slowly head south, escaping the first snow flurries of winter this past weekend in New England!

The Eastporters love hosting the event and regatta participants always seem to rave about how good a time they had in Annapolis, post all the boat show madness.  Come rain or shine, chilly or warm, windy or not (most times there’s a damn good breeze), the regatta has continued to grow and gain its passionate fans.

At last count, over thirty boats have registered to sail over the October 24th to 25th weekend on the sparkling waters of northern Chesapeake Bay, surrounded by masses of trees bursting into a profusion of colors- reds, yellows, oranges- one of the most magical times of year, in fact, to be sailing on the Bay as the leaves reach peak foliage.

Blinded by the scintillating light of nature’s colorful magnificence will be a group of J/70 sailors that span the spectrum of time and experience.  Teams are traveling from as far away as Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and across the Northeast (CT, RI, MA, ME, NJ, NY, PA).  The local talent is hot and they continue to do well at the national level, such as Peter McChesney, Todd Hiller’s LEADING EDGE, Al Terhune’s DAZZLER (a J/22 World Champion), Geoff Becker’s PAPA WHEELIE (current Lightning World Champion), Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD (a general champion of everything), Jon Pollak’s MONKEY BUSINESS, and Taz Coffey’s DANGER MOUSE.

The Annapolis contingent knows their hometown turf is not an easy one to defend.  The vagaries of wind, current and general randomness can often confound even the cleverest hometown heroes.  They’re facing a formidable bunch from all points of the compass.  Foremost amongst them may be Marty McKenna’s RARITY leading the Youngstown YC group that includes Tim Finkle’s JUNIOR.  Then, John Brim’s RIMETTE (the wily fox from Fisher’s Island YC), Alex Meleney’s TRUCKIN from Vineyard Haven YC and Bodo von der Wense’s TURBO DUCK from Chester River YC round out eastern contenders.  From the Midwest is an increasingly formidable team from the M24/ M32 wars of the past- Trey Sheehan’s HOOLIGAN/ FLAT STANLEY RACING from Put-in-Bay YC in Ohio.

A number of women skippers will surely make their presence felt amongst the leaders, such as Jennifer Wulff’s JOINT CUSTODY, Holly Graf’s SPICE, Tricia Pletcher’s OCCAM’s RAZOR, Kristen Robinson’s ZOMBIE, and Cat Evans’ MOJITO.  Five women’s teams, nearly 20% of the fleet!  Amongst this group, they’ve already collected silverware as top finishers in both Corinthian and Open divisions at various major J/70 regattas.  The weather forecast looks promising, sunny and warm Saturday with southerlies and more of the same on Sunday AM, save for the prospect of a frontal passage late afternoon.  For more J/70 Fall Brawl sailing information

J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

There was a lot of J sailing activity across continental Europe this past week.  For starters, the J/70 European Championship for the Credit Suisse Trophy took place in the Mediterranean off the famous principality of Monaco.  A fleet of sixty boats was hosted by YC Monaco, their hosts warmly welcomed the sailors and they thoroughly enjoyed the fabulous hospitality of YC Monaco and their friends in Monte Carlo.

Off in the eastern Mediterranean, a coterie of J sailors (on J/111, J/122, J/133, J/109s) were participating in the challenging Rolex Middle Sea Race, a 606nm circumnavigation of Sicily and surrounding islands.  Not surprisingly, several members of the Royal Malta YC (host for the event) were significant factors in the overall results.

Also taking place in the Med were a series of J/24 regattas sailing around Italy’s rugged, picturesque coastlines; a bit north of the yachts rounding Sicily to the south!  Read the Italian J/24 regatta reports from the Italian J/24 National Championship Circuit (finale in Cervia) and the Winter Championships in Sardinia and Anzio-Nettuno.

Along the Bay of Biscay, that tempestuous body of water along the western coast of France, the Student Yachting World Cup took place in La Baule, France on a fleet of matched J/80s with universities attending from around the world- Japan, UK, France, Ireland, Switzerland, and Canada.

Finally, the J/70 SAILING Champions League report includes news from the national leagues in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany, and Austria.

Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below has many entertaining stories and news about J/Sailors as well as cruising blogs about those who continue to enjoy the Caribbean and the South Pacific, staying warm while others are trying to stay warm up north.  Check them out!  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 23-24- J/105 Masters Regatta- San Diego, CA
Oct 24-25- J/70 Fall Brawl- Eastport, MD
Oct 30- Nov 1- Lipton Cup Challenge- San Diego, CA
Oct 31- Nov 1- J/22 East Coast Championship- Annapolis, MD
Nov 7-11- French J/80 Nationals- Saint Cast, France
Nov 26-30- J/24 South American Championship- Porto Alegre, Brazil
Nov 28- Dec 6- Peru J/24 National Championship- La Punta, Peru
Dec 4-6- J/22 Jamaica Jammin Regatta- Montego Bay, Jamaica

For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.

J/70 Europeans- YC MonacoItalians Dominate J/70 European Championship
Spanish J/70 Sailors Are Rising Stars
(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- It was an all-Mediterranean affair for the top five in this year’s J/70 European Championship for the Credit Suisse Trophy.  Sixty teams representing 11 nationalities enjoyed the four days of racing provided by YC Monaco’s RC team of John Coveney & Thierry Leret.  Plus, the extraordinary crew at YC Monaco not only rolled out the gilded red carpet for the J/70 sailors, but they warmly embraced them as an extended family in the Monegasque tradition of welcoming sailors from all nations.

The regattas started off with brisk easterly breezes in the 13 kts range with a steady swell rolling in with a cross-chop on top— typical of sailing in the tricky Hercules Bay conditions.  For the next four days, the sailors were challenged by such demanding conditions and it was clear those who were familiar with the venue excelled when the going got rough.  What surprised many J/70 teams were the rapid rise of the Spanish and Italian teams to the top of the standings.

J/70 sailing teamWith the J/70 Worlds as the ultimate training ground, the Italian NOTARO Team led by Luca Domenici proved their top ten performance at the Worlds in La Rochelle, France was no fluke.  The top sailor from Anzio, Italy started off the first race with a 20th, but simply scorched the fleet for a 5-2-5-1-3, posting all top five scores to win with 16 pts net.  Domenici attributes his winning performance to his crew of Piero Vigo, Lorenzo Del Rio and Davide Bortoletto.

Another Italian crew that was at the top of the Alcatel OneTouch J/70 Italian National Championship series was the runner-up- Franco Solerio’s L’ELAGAIN from San Remo.  His team of Daniele Cassinari, Simon Alltree and Luca Albarelli also sailed well at the J/70 Worlds and, again, improved every single race to close the Europeans with a bullet in the last race.  Their record of 10-8-6-3-2-1 was good for 20 pts net.

After starting out the regatta in first place after the first day of racing, Spain’s J/80 World Champion and Olympic Medallist, Hugo Rocha, managed to keep NEW TERRITORIES and crew (Alexey Semenov, Ruben Castells, Fran Palacios) in the hunt and secure the bronze with a consistent performance; posting a 3-1-8-2-17-11 for 25 pts net.

J/70 Europeans sailing teams at YC MonacoRounding out the top five was another Spanish team in fourth, Gonzalo Araoejo’s SAILWAY with crew of Guilherme Almeida, Alberto Viejo and Joaquin “Hurricane” Cores).  Fifth was the top Monegasque crew on CARPE DIEM, skippered by Jacopo Carrain with crew of Enrico Fonda, Filippo La Mantia, and Andrea Felci.

The competition was unrelenting and unforgiving.  Multiple Black Flags, plenty of OCS’s, and massive “roller coaster” scorelines scuttled more than their fair share of champion teams.  No one won more than one race and few could even post consistent top ten finishes.

The Mexican J/70 World Champion, Julian Fernandez Neckelmann sailing with Bill Hardesty as tactician on FLOJITO Y COOPERANDO, for example, won the fourth race.  But, they could not overcome a BFD, DSQ and 18th and, subsequently, couldn’t crack the top 15 overall.

A similar scenario held true for the J/70 Midwinter and Bacardi Race Week champion, Carlo Alberini’s CALVI NETWORK.  While they sailed fast and counted a 2-1-2, they also had a BFD-13-19 to contend with; knocking them out of any possible contention for regatta honors.

Not once did the team leading the pack to the first mark win the race, with the downwind legs proving as tactically difficult as the upwind legs.  All the finishes on a reach saw some dramatic luffs with spinnakers flying, delighting spectators and getting the adrenaline pumping.

J/70 sailing- start off YC MonacoThere was everything to play for among the top ten right up to the last race, as the slightest mistake on the start (e.g. an OCS) risked any hope of being on the podium. For example, the young, very talented French team of Quentin Delapierre and Matthieu Salomon (CHARIOT PLUS- VANNES UTILITAIRES) from EV Cataschool were J/80 European Champions.  Their performance during the regatta surprised many people. After a BFD in the first race, their results in the next four races equaled the ultimate regatta winner, posting a 3-5-4-3.  However, a discouraging 23rd in the last race (a counter) dropped them from an easy podium finish to 7th overall.  Watch out for CHARIOT PLUS- VANNES UTILITAIRES in the future, a young, smart, talented French crew!

Amongst the host YC Monaco J/70 fleet, Jacopo Carrain, the Monaco Class President and head of the 15-strong Monegasque fleet reached the objective of a respectable showing with a fine performance.  Carrain’s 5th place was a reflection of the YC Monaco’s commitment to creating the largest training and competition base for J/70s in Europe. Fellow YCM member Andrea Zaoli sailing EST finished 10th.  A great showing for the Principality’s sailors!

Leading the 18-strong German fleet was Moritz Bohnenberger’s TOURING JUNIOR crew that finished 9th overall.  Just off the pace, but winning the first race of the regatta, was colleague Max Rieger on LED ZEPPELIN who finished 12th.  Bo Teichmann’s OUTSIDER was third German team in 16th place.

For having an embryonic fleet, the Swedish contingent of exactly two boats had amazing results.  Oscar Lundqvist’s FANNY was in the top five after three races, but tanked in the last three to salvage an 8th overall.  However, Lundqvist’s FANNY crew was declared J/70 European Corinthian Champions!  Meanwhile, fellow Swede, Ingemar Sundstedt’s ROCAD RACING, sailed consistently in the top quarter of the fleet to take 13th overall.

Besides FANNY’s win in Corinthians, second place went to the Spanish team on MARNATURA skippered by Luis Bugallo Ariolla from Club Nautico de Vigo and third went to Moritz Bohnenberger’s TOURING JUNIOR from Germany’s Deutscher Touring YC.  Fourth was Beppe Zavanone’s PENSAVO PEGGIO from YC San Remo in Italy and fifth was the top UK boat- Anthony Esse’s BABY J from Royal Thames YC.

YC Monaco with J/70 sailboats in frontThanks to the generosity of all the teams, the Championship raised 10,000 euros for the LENVAL Foundation that supports sick children, with a check being presented to its President, Arnaud Pouillart. The money will be used to buy pediatric equipment to detect bacterial and viral infections in A&E or after an operation. Another donation will finance the Christmas Show for the “Conte sur Moi at Le Patio” nursery that has 36 toddlers.

More than half of the J/70 European teams are leaving their boats at YC Monaco for the winter to take part in the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, with their sights set on victory at the Primo Cup– Trophée Credit Suisse!  For more J/70 European Championship sailing information   Enjoy these nicely produced sailing videos of the J/70 Europeans:

J/122 Artie sailing at start- Rolex Middle Sea RaceJ/122 ARTIE Wins Rolex Middle Sea Race
(Gzira, Malta)- The Royal Malta YC is proud to be hosting the 36th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. The race has attracted 100+ competitors from 22 countries from all over the world. The 606nm race starts and finishes in the spectacular surroundings of Malta's capital city, Valetta.  The weather forecasts of light to medium winds for most of the race have been true to form.  No records broken.  In fact, 88 ft canting-keelers (Rambler 88) were beating 70 ft record-breaking trimarans (e.g. Phaedo) through the Straits of Messina between the volcanic island of Sicily and the Italian mainland- the famous “boot”.

It was a drama-filled several days of sailing for the various J/teams in the event. Here were some of the reports.

On Monday 1600 hrs on the third day of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, a pulsating battle had emerged between six Maltese yachts close to the Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily. The six yachts are all in sight of each other, vying to be the first Maltese yacht to finish the race and lift the Transport Malta Trophy. Last year's overall winner, the J/122 ARTIE, co-skippered by Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard, leads the pack of Maltese boats by a single mile and was the first Maltese boat to finish the race last year. The six Maltese yachts are only three miles apart after 250 miles of racing!

Tuesday at 1600 hours at Favignana Rock, the scenario was not much different.  In IRC Four, Sönke Stein and David Anastasi’s Maltese J/133 OIL TANKING JUNO was in a dead heat for the class lead and, potentially, overall lead.  In IRC Five at Favignana, Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard's Maltese J/122 ARTIE held a narrow lead of just 16 minutes on corrected time from Laurant Charmy's French J/111, SL ENERGIES GROUPE FASTWAVE.

Thursday 0800 hours at the finish line- there was high drama in the early hours of Thursday morning, with five Maltese boats all finishing the race in sight of each other at the Royal Malta Yacht Club. Lee Satariano & Christian Ripard's J/122 ARTIE, was the first Maltese yacht to cross the line with David Anastasi & Sönke Stein's J/133 OILTANKING JUNO completing the scene.

Lee Satariano & Christian Ripard's Maltese J/122 ARTIE corrected out to win IRC Five and placed fourth overall in a fleet of over 100 yachts. ARTIE was also the Maltese yacht with the best-corrected time in IRC and ORC, winning both of the Teddy Borg Trophies. After the race, the ARTIE crew were happy with their performance, despite not winning the race overall, as they have done on two previous occasions.

“Mentally that was a very tough race and at times very frustrating, overall I don't think there was anything more we could have done to achieve a better result. At many stages of the race, if we could have found more wind, we would have done, but there is an element of luck to that and this year, we were not so lucky but tactically we sailed pretty well and amongst the crew, we agree that we probably sailed the boat better this year than we have ever done. We set out to win our class and we are very happy that we have achieved that.”

“I think that the fact that so many Maltese boats finished so close together shows that we are very competitive people. The level of sailing amongst the Maltese teams has definitely gone up, we have all improved, because the standard starts somewhere, someone takes that on, and so we drive each other to new levels. Maltese sailors are also taking part in more racing internationally, this race is getting bigger, and the Maltese sailors are taking it more seriously.”

The Royal Malta YC has been buzzing all day, with crews arriving back in Malta, rubbing shoulders with fellow sailors, describing the story of their own Rolex Middle Sea Race. About half of the fleet has now finished the race with many more yachts expected to arrive today and tomorrow.

In IRC Five, the J/122 ARTIE was the winner. Taking third in a terrific performance was Laurant Charmy's French J/111 SL ENERGIES GROUPE FASTWAVE from the South of France.   Sailing photo credits- Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo   For more Rolex Middle Sea Race sailing information.

J/80 Student Yachting World Cup sailorsSwiss Ecole Polytechnique Crowned Student Yachting World Cup Champions
(La Baule - Le Pouliguen)- The Student Yachting World Cup (SYWoC) is an event organized every year in France by students for students. Created in 1979 under the name of Course de l'Europe, the cup was just meant for participants from Western Europe. But, as time went by, more and more Eastern European countries joined the cup. That's why the Course de l'Europe changed its name to become the SYWoC.

The regatta lasts one whole week in France and counts about 150 competitors, representing 15 countries from all around the world. During this week, the atmosphere is both sporting and multicultural. The first night, every team participates in the crews' dinner by bringing some dishes or some beverage representing their country. This way, the students have an opportunity to meet and discover other culture before the cup begins. Each night, students can also meet at the dinner room and have some nice time with the participants.

UK university sailors at Student Yachting World Cup in J/80sThe 35th SYWoC took place from October 13th to 20th.  This year, four UK University teams were entered and every boat had a Royal Southern Academy member onboard as skipper or crew. The Oxford University team was skippered by 19 year-old Lulu Wallis; Cambridge was sailed by Damien Arnol (25), and 21 year-old Annabel Vose is heading up the Southampton University team. Annabel is a 420 World and European Champion and successfully skippered a women's match racing team to win the University World Championship last summer. Academy members Jamie Diamond & Tom Harrison joined her. The University of Strathclyde's team captain is 22 year-old Peter Cameron.

The regatta is a test of patience, perseverance and conditioning.  Up to three races per day can be sailed and by the time the crews are into the fifth day of racing, the sheer mental and physical exercise can be exhausting to some crews.

A perfect example is what happened one-day before the last race.  The name of the final winner was still unknown, even though the Swiss team was the favorite of the competition. Yet, the ranking was could still change because the teams were so close on points.  Although the morning fog delayed the first race, the sun was present on the second part of the day and the wind was stronger than Saturday, around 15 knots with highs of twenty knots. Despite the strong wind, the program was the same as yesterday, with three inshore races and one coastal race.

J/80 sailboat- at Student Yachting World cupThe 12th race took place just before midday and saw Canada make a very good start. After the first buoy, they were far ahead of the other boats, followed by Switzerland and Southampton, the defender team. Far behind came the other crews led by Ireland, who managed to catch up on Southampton at the half of the race. Unfortunately for Ireland, they faced a problem with their spinnaker that cost them one place. This leading quartet led the remainder of the race, and Switzerland managed to overtake Canada just before the finish line. Southampton and Ireland finished third and fourth, far ahead of Cambridge, fifth at the finish.

The wind began increased up to twenty knots at the beginning of the second race. Despite a promising start for Cambridge, Ireland and Southampton took the lead of the race but were very close to each other, followed by Switzerland. Ireland lost two places but was still in competition for the win of this round. Canada had a good race, but suffered from a spinnaker problem and later was DSQ’d anyhow for an OCS. At the end of the race, the battle raged between Switzerland and Southampton, the latter finally managed to win the round.

J/80 Switzerland team- winners Student Yachting World CupThe third race was the last inshore one for the day. Once again, Switzerland, Southampton and Ireland immediately took control, but were very close to each other. However, Southampton managed to widen the gap with the Swiss boat for most of the race.  But, in a surprisingly smart strategic move, the Swiss caught them by the finish! Taking third was Japan, scoring their best result of the series!

The last race was the only coastal race of the day. Southampton was unbeatable from the start, followed by Ireland. Sadly for Oxford, their great start and 3rd at the first mark didn’t hold, dropping to 8th by the finish.

On the last day, the outcome was still in doubt even though the Swiss team from Lausanne was in a good position to win the title. The English team from Southampton could still catch them, especially since two inshore races were planned.

Due to much stronger winds than the previous few days, the crews were permitted to use the small spinnaker only.

J/80 sailboat- at Student Yachting World CupThe first race of the day produced a surprising outcome.  Having learned from earlier mistakes tactically and with regards to boatspeed, the Canadian team essentially started first and ran away from the fleet, posting one of the most emphatic wins of the entire regatta!  Finishing a distant second in the windy, full-on planing race was the Southampton team (hoping to defend their title) and in third were the Swiss.  Another surprise was the 4th place finish by the Japanese Kobe university team!

The University of Southampton won the last race with the Swiss Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne behind them. Third were the Irish University College of Dublin crew, who can be proud of their performance this year.

At the closing ceremony the Swiss Ecole Polytechnique team were crowned World Student Champions with 27 pts. The trophy of the City of Le Pouliguen was given to University of Southampton for finishing 2nd overall just 3 pts back with 30 pts total.  Third was University College of Dublin with 45 pts, they also won the AGPM Trophy rewarding the crew who had the Best Performances on the Coastal Races.  Fourth was University of Cambridge from the United Kingdom with 59 pts.  Fifth was the Canadian Dalhousie University team sitting on 73 pts.  For more Student Yachting World Cup sailing information

The Student Yachting World Cup team in La Baule produced well-edited sailing videos, enjoy them here:

J/70s sailing league in SwitzerlandJ/70 Sailing League Report
(Hamburg, Germany)- Who is the best sailing club in Europe?  That was determined this year when the most successful sailing clubs raced against each other all season within their own countries, then attended the SAILING Champions League, hosted by YC Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo, Italy on the brand new fleet of matched J/70s.

What is “League Sailing” and what is the new format all about?  At the SAILING Champions League in Porto Cervo, we asked some sailors and club representatives from across Europe for their opinion on this exciting form of sailing.  Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of YC Costa Smeralda, and many others had some interesting perspectives.  Watch their commentary here.

In addition to hearing sailor’s perspectives on the SAILING Champions League, you might also enjoy the 2015 Highlights from across Europe. You can watch that here.

J/70 sailors- Denmark Sailing LeagueDENMARK
The Danish Sailing League concluded with Skovshoved Sejlklub as the overall winner after the final event in Copenhagen (25th to 27th September). Silver went to the defending champions from Hellerup Sejlklub, while Aarhus Sejlklub finished third.

The fleet sailed in front of the famous Little Mermaid in Copenhagen Harbour. The summery weather lured spectators from far and wide to watch the weekend’s thrilling racing. Among the spectators was a small delegation from Hadsund, as some of the first arrived Sunday morning with folding chairs and took their front-row seats to follow the fortunes of their local club throughout the day. Together with all the other spectators, they were able to experience the league sailing more closely than ever. Most of Sunday’s racing saw the races finish just a few metres from the quayside and brought cheering and hollering every bit as passionate as you’d witness at a football match.

The Danish Sailing League starts again in May 2016.  Here’s their Facebook sailing league page- https://www.facebook.com/sejlsportsligaen.  And, more Sejlsportlgaen sailing information can be found here- http://sejlsportsligaen.dk/

What the sailing league organizers have done better than any other sailing event in the world is to produce a combination of compelling “real-time” graphics showing how each team is doing mark-by-mark each race.  Even better yet, the giant jumbotron LED screens also show “live” standings for the entire fleet! Thanks to SAP SAILING SPORT, you can now enjoy the type of “live” leaderboards you see at a NASCAR or Formula One race. You get the complete picture of all the action on the water- it’s fascinating and it’s constantly changing, much to the delight (or anxiety) of those watching the race on the waterfront.  Here are some good examples of Sejlsportsligaen YouTube sailing videos that incorporate that real-time information:
J/70s sailing league- SwitzerlandSWITZERLAND
With ideal wind and weather conditions, the best sailing clubs in Switzerland enjoyed a thrilling finale to their first season on Lake Constance (2nd to 4th October 2015).  The new Swiss Champion is the Regattaclub Oberhofen.  Taking second overall and also qualifying automatically for the SAILING Champions League 2016 is the Regattaclub Bodensee.

With a victory in the last of 14 races, the Regattaclub Bodensee (St. Gallen) won the second and final regatta of the Swiss Sailing League from the Société Nautique Rolloise (Rolle) and the Regattaclub Oberhofen (Thunersee). With this final victory, the Regattaclub Bodensee also secured a starting place for the 2016 SAILING Champions League together with the Regattaclub Oberhofen, which won the first Swiss Sailing League event.

The Swiss Champion, the Regattaclub Oberhofen, already took part in the 2015 SAILING Champions League event in Porto Cervo and finished in ninth place.

The regatta at Lake Constance was also the qualifier for the 2016 Swiss Sailing Super League (1st League) and the 2016 Swiss Sailing Challenge League (2nd League).

For 2016, the Swiss Sailing League is planning five events all over Switzerland for the 1st League and three events including one qualifier for 2017 for the 2nd League.  Sailing Photo Credits- Claudia Somm and Peter Kupferschmied   For more Swiss sailing league information and results

J/70s sailing Netherlands sailing leagueTHE NETHERLANDS
Watersportvereniging Uitdam won the first event of the Dutch Sailing League, the “Eredivisie Zeilen” that was sailed from the 2nd to 4th October in Almere near Amsterdam.  As a result, they also claimed the Overall Champion title. Helmsman Wietze Zetzema said: “It was awesome to win here. The whole event was the best possible advertisement for the sport of sailing.”

Throughout the regatta, Watersportvereniging Uitdam had been sitting in 4th place overall, but on the last day they climbed to the top after winning four of their last five races.

This event was the only one to take place in 2015 and served as a test event for the coming year. In 2016, five regatta weekends are planned. Enthusiastic spectators lined the waterfront in Almere.  All the ingredients were there (happy sailors, great spectators, good organization) to suggest that the Dutch Sailing League is set to become one of the premier regattas in the country’s sailing calendar for 2016.

Organizer Simon Keijzer was delighted with this debut event: “The Dutch Sailing League is now a fact. We had a great weekend, everyone is enthusiastic. Next year, we will fill the league with more happy clubs and sailors!”

The crew of the Scheveningen YC Team provided a report on their experiences during the Eredivisie Sailing Test Event:

“We were fifth place during the test event of the Eredivisie Zeilen!  Fantastic.  It was fun!  And, we have a lot to learn!

Sailing seems to be something we do for our fun.  Right?  But, that concept was not going through my head when the alarm clock goes off at 0600 hrs! With black circles around my eyes I crawl to the coffee machine for a cup of the elixir of life. Then, dress up and screech to Almere in my trusty car (brakes need fixing)!

Upon arrival at the competition grounds by the Weerwater, next to the Municipal Theatre of Almere, it is clear that while it is all about a test event, it is well organized. There is a large team of people ready to manage the event, several umpires and race committee that are driving six RIBs!

Immediately in the first race, we know that this weekend is going to be rough for us, no gifts from anyone! We round the top mark in second; the pole is out, we're going to pop the chute! Then, bam, straight into the water goes our spinnaker- that’s called ‘shrimping’! Damn. Four teams sail by us as if nothing has happened. The only other boat near us wants to be sure that we really cannot get away and park it all over us. The tone is set; no one is giving an inch to anyone!

That is how it goes for the rest of the day. Many ups and downs; catch a puff and sprint ahead, others sit in little wind watching others blow by! In addition, it happens that our lofty ambitions combined with our (lack of) skills, means we keep tangling the gennaker around the forestay. We ultimately worked it out.  But, windshifts of 20-30 degrees were normal, as were big puffs and waves up to 3 feet between the breakwaters of Scheveningen. The result is inadequate for us, a provisional 10th place overall after the first day on the water.  Ouch!

The second day is perfect in terms of outcomes.  We win twice during the first (and only) two races sailed. Unfortunately, there is almost no wind on the Weerwater; that creates frustration among the sailors but also the organizers.  It was difficult racing, get one puff you win.  It was that simple.  So, we were lucky.

Fortunately, the sun was shining and we could enjoy the nice weather (despite lack of wind) before it all becomes like living in an icebox with no windows during our six month long winter!

After these two first places, we rise in the rankings to seventh place; it will be an exciting final day!

For the third day, fog, mist and fog again! Mother Nature doesn’t know what to do! It is windy, but the visibility is not more than 50 meters.  Again, postponement, or so we thought, we cannot even see the postponement flag!

We sailed well in the first race- a second place.  But, that was despite fervent attempts at failure! After a fabulously bad rounding of the bottom mark, we were perfectly on track not to finish in front of the field. But then, our tactician spoils the day!  He tells us to tack! As we get closer to the top mark, we get an increasingly anxious feeling that we will round second again!  What can we possibly screw up now!? Well, the spinnaker goes up just fine.  During the downwind leg, we seem unable to screw-up again and grab a second place behind eventual overall winners WV Uitdam!!

With this result, we steam further into the top tier and fifth overall is in sight!

The next race we do a truly professional job of screwing-up everything!  The start, the race, everything!  We start at the RC boat and are OCS.  So, we re-round and take off in hot pursuit about a mile back from the fleet.  It was quite sobering, really.  Finishing last, so far back you can hardly see anyone’s numbers- on a course so short that you should!

In the penultimate race of the regatta, exactly the opposite happens- a dream start! Everyone's too early at the start but us! Long live an RC and PRO that does not believe in general recalls! With everyone else scrambling to return and restart after their OCS’s, we sail away blissfully to an easy win! Was that it?  No.

The RC take the decision to sail another race, there was plenty of wind so they decided to take advantage of the nice sailing conditions.  So, we have the opportunity finish 5th. Can we survive our own mistakes?  Well, our start demonstrated the theme of the day, because once something happens early in the game, it kills us.  For the last start we’re too early again. But, we somehow have created a “turbo mode” and we arrive second at the top mark; it proves that we are going well. On the second beat, we’re confident we can get to first place.  Somehow, we pass the team in front and hold first place to the finish on the final downwind leg. We’re 5th overall!  Bloody amazing.  A great outcome for a team just beginning to learn how to sail a J/70 faster.  Can’t wait for next year!”   Sailing photo credits- Remmelt Staal   Facebook sailing page for Eredivisie Zeilen   Netherlands Test Event sailing video Highlights.   For more Dutch Sailing League information and results.

J/70s sailing league- GermanyGERMANY
Thrilling Finale for DSBL Division II in Uberlingen.  Showdown forming for Division I finals in Hamburg!

The fourth event for the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga’s (DSBL) Second League took place in Uberlingen, Germany from the 25th to 27th of September.  The excitement was immense because it was the final event for the DSBL Division II. The ranking was so tight, that every point was relevant – more than ever. At the end, the Bayerischer YC (BYC) won the weekend. The team with Philipp Hibler, Andreas Plettner, Poldi Lindner and Andreas Achterberg took the lead in Ãœberlingen, followed by the Lindauer Segler-Club and the Lübecker Yacht-Club. The three clubs also took the podium places in the overall ranking and will move up into the “Premier DSBL League” for 2016.

“It was a tricky event. A bit of everything. The team is experienced and so we could adapt very well. That was probably our success. We look forward to be back in the 1st League,” commented the happy helmsman, Philipp Hibler from Bayerischer YC.

In the lower portion of the fleet, six clubs (ranked 13th to 18th) will have to go into the qualifier races (9th to 11th October) to continue for next year. These six clubs were the best out of 58 clubs at the Qualifier in Flensburg and will be part of the 2nd German Sailing League in 2016: Schaumburg-Lippischer Seglerverein, Duisburger Yacht-Club, Segel-Club Ville, Schlei-Segel-Club, Seglergemeinschaft Lohheider See and Seglervereinigung 1903 Berlin.

In the 1st German Sailing League (the so-called “Premiere League”), it was also a neck-and-neck race. At the end of the day, again a local hero demonstrated their ability to get in front of the fleet. The Segel-und Motorboot Club Ãœberlingen (SMCÃœ) with Steffen Hessberger, Alexander Gaiser, Christian Zittlau and Hendrik Schaal sailed remarkably well, performing consistently over the weekend to take the top of the podium.

“We are very happy to have won at home. Finally, Lake Constance provided great sailing conditions, plenty of wind and big, choppy waves! It was a great event”, said Steffen Hessberger, the jubilant helmsman from SMCU.

The Münchner YC finished second overall in Ãœberlingen.  They were closely followed by the Berlin crew from the Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee.

The Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club from Tutzing missed the moment and could not bring home the early victory for the overall Championship. They finished in eighth place and remain within reach for their competitors (an 11 pts lead only!). So, it will prove to be a thrilling finale from the 29th to 31st of October in Hamburg! Based on the outcomes in Uberlingen, it will be a big showdown and fight to the finish for the Champion’s title in the DSBL!   Sailing Photo Credits- Sven Jürgensen.  For more Deutsche Segel Bundesliga sailing information

A collection of 2015 Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga sailing videos:
J/70 sailing league- NorwayNORWAY
The Norwegian Sailing League, the “Norsk Seilsportsliga”, will start its first season in 2016. After two qualifying events in Western and Eastern Norway in September, 15 clubs are now officially qualified for the inaugural season in 2016. The regatta in Ã…lesund (western Norway) was won by Arendals Seilforening; the eastern event in Oslo was won by Ã…sgÃ¥rdstrand Seilforening.

Karl-Otto Book and his team from Ã…sgÃ¥rdstrand Seilforening were delighted to win their qualifying races. “The goal was to qualify Ã…sgÃ¥rdstrand,” said Book, “so it was a pure bonus that we won. It was a very tight fight and fun sailing. Now we are looking forward to next year and the start of the Norwegian Sailing League.”

Oslo showed its absolute best side on Friday with brilliant sunshine and a nice breeze across the race course. Saturday the conditions were somewhat more volatile, but the race committee completed enough races to give the 15 teams a total of six flights during the two days.

Nesodden Seilforening led after the first day, but was overtaken after losing on an equal points tiebreak with Ã…sgÃ¥rdstrand Seilforening who had a win over Nesodden Seilforening. The really big battle came in the middle of the fleet, with a number of evenly-ranked teams looking to stay up in the top division. Tønsberg Seilforening qualified as the last boat, while Oslo Seilforening, which was just a point behind, could not make it. Jostein Aker (14 yrs old) from Tønsberg Seilforening was the event’s youngest helmsman and managed to qualify his club for next year’s elite division. Seilforening won all six races! “It was really fun to sail in such tight races, and particularly enjoyable to win all the starts,” said Aker who wants to sail for Tønsberg SF next year. He sails actively in several classes and finishes high up every leaderboard.

Espen Guttormsen, secretary general of the Norwegian Sailing Federation who owns the league, hopes the Norwegian Sailing League will be the start of a new series that will be as attractive as similar series in other sports. The hope is also that the Sailing League will inspire more organizations to host local events in the same format. “This format enables us to recruit young sailors locally without requiring them to invest in boats. Here, sailors only come with a bag and get to enjoy some really fun sailing,” said Guttormsen.  Facebook Seilsportsliga sailing page- https://www.facebook.com/seilsportsliga/   For more Seilsportsliga sailing information

The 15 clubs that qualified for the 2016 Norwegian Sailing League are:
  • –Ã…lesund Seilforening
  • Arendals Seilforening
  • Ã…sgÃ¥rdstrand Seilforening
  • Askøy Seilforening
  • Brevik Seilforening
  • Florø Seilforening
  • Fredrikstad Seilforening
  • Kongelig Norsk Seilforening
  • Larvik Seilforening
  • Nesodden Seilforening
  • Ran Seilforening
  • Soon Seilforening
  • Stavanger Seilforening
  • Tønsberg Seilforening
  • Trondhjems Seilforening

J/24 sailing ItalySardinian J/24 Circuit- Stage III
(Cagliari, Italy)- After the long summer break, sailing resumed for the Sardinian J/24 fleet.  After steady sailing, VIGNE SURRAU from CN Arzachena and their skipper Henry Strazzera have taken the lead in the provisional rankings by posting a 3-2 in the long races.

Following them in Stage III of the Sardinian Circuit is LNI CARLISLE owned and skippered by David Gorgerino with members of the Carloforte Sailing Team on board; they’re three points back with a 4-4.

Holding on to the third position with an 8-1 score is DODICIPUNTOUNO helmed by Gianluca Manca.  Rounding out the top five are LIBYSSONIS with skipper Daniel Bigozzi and in fourth is DOLPHINS led by Giuseppe Taras.

"After waiting for a long time the wind, the J/24 fleet had to settle for a breeze of 5-6 knots to kick off the first race and the rest of the day did not go beyond the 7-8 kts.  If you got behind early, the possibility of recovery for those who had a bad start was very difficult.  In the end, the Committee chose to give up on the third race.  It was a little bit of disappointment, but it was the right choice,” said Henry Strazzera.  The fleet was sailing on the sea off the beach of Poetto, near the marina called Marina Piccola.   The J/24s will be back at sea for their Regional Championship on 14-15 November.   Sailing photo credits- http://www.sailingsardinia.it  For more Italian J/24 class sailing information

J/24 sailing ItalyLA SUPERBA Commands J/24 Winter Championship
(Anzio-Nettuno, Italy)- The 40th Winter Championship of Anzio-Nettuno taking place on the waters of the Golfo de Anzio has an excellent turnout of 27 boats from around the region.  After a pair of victories, it is LA SUPERBA leading with skipper Ignazio Bonanno and crew of Simone, Alfredo Branciforte, Francesco Picaro and Vincenzo Picaro.

In second with (surprise-surprise) two seconds, are their long-term protagonists, the Grupo Sportivo Penitentiary Police team that is skippered by Fabio Delicate with crew of Marco Vincenti, Joseph Incatasciato, Roberto Ballanti and Francesco Maglioccola.  Lying in third with a 6-4 is PELE NEGRO skippered by Paul Cecamore.

"The regatta opened with light winds around 5 knots. As we expected, the regatta was immediately characterized by the battle with our friends on the Penitentiary Police boat and ourselves.  Thanks to a wind shift and increased pressure on the left, they rounded the first mark in first followed by us,” explained Bonanno. “About a half-leg later, however, we took the lead and won the race.  Then, in the second race we were first around all the buoys and we were in command until the end."

"Two races with two second places. That’s not bad! The races were held with a southerly that was shifty and streaky,” added tactician Marco Vincenti on the Penitentiary Police team. “Choppy waves and different shifts of 8-10 knots meant the crew had to work hard and make the right choices to do well.  The best part of the weekend was that it did not rain and we had nice warm temperatures- almost like summer.”  For more Italian J/24 Winter Series sailing information

J/24s sailing Italy NationalsDiamante Wins Italian J/24 National Circuit
(Cervia, Italy)- With three victories over four races, Pietro Diamante and his team on JAMAICA (Joseph Garofalo, Fabrizio Ginesi and Gabriele Zoppi) won the sixth and final stage of the J/24 National Championship and also took home the Trophy Francesco Ciccolo Perpetual Challenge.

In second place, was J-OC owner/skipper Fabio Apollonio Trieste, Fleet Captain of the Lago di Garda J/24 fleet. Third was KERMESSE sailed by Marco Maccaferri from CN Cervia Amici della Vela.

Four races were completed (one Saturday and three Sunday) in the waters off Cervia by a dozen brave crews, regardless of adverse weather and sea conditions.

"This time, due to work commitments, I had a different crew,” commented Diamante, President of the Italian J/24 Class.  “On Saturday, we had a moment of concern when, because of the light wind, we were able to sail only one race.  Nevertheless, during the evening, friends of mine in Cervia consoled us with an excellent dinner of fried fish and piadina. On Sunday, a light but steady wind allowed us to complete three perfect races. On behalf of the other teams, I would say that, thanks to the organization, hospitality and beautiful weather over the two days, we are all doing great!”

"Despite the little wind we managed to bring it home with four good races," added the Captain of the Romagna J/24 fleet, Guido Gains. “A special thanks to the organizers and RC/PRO, as always, to organize everything perfection both on land and at sea!”

The Italian J/24 National Circuit includes the Trofeo Nettuno in March, the Pasquavela in Porto Santo Stefano, the Trofeo Navale Academia in April, the Trofeo Nacional in Cala Galera in June, the Trofeo Menchelli in October, and the Trofeo Francesco Ciccolo in late October.  For more Italian J/24 class sailing information

J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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J/70 sailboat and Russian Trabant towing vehicle* Russian J/70 making waves with a “classic” Trabant? Yes, the most famous of all Russian automobiles is still running strong.  The Edsel Ford of the Communist Party era has now become a lovable classic that are restored far, far beyond their usable expiration date.  Here’s one in eastern Russia towing a J/70 as part of the J/70s “eastern tour” within Russia.  Check out the movie, an original Trabant with a mini-4 cylinder engine is still capable of moving it around the boat yard!  In Germany, it would be the same as having the original VW Volkswagen Bug doing the same thing!  Wonders will never cease.  The juxtaposition of the world's leading sportsboat and the Russian “everyman” car is too amusing for words.  Watch this YouTube sailing video here- proof the Trabant lives!

J/80 sailing Cyprus- SailFirst regatta* J/80 SailFirst Training program video- Ten perfectly-matched J/80s are available for regattas and training in the Mediterranean for corporate, group or club charters.
https://youtu.be/xVzKc4JNNro

After hosting several J/80 regattas and being official partner for the ISAF World Youth Championship in 2013, SAIL FIRST are open to hosting sailing events of any difficulty level and for any range of sailing experience (beginners to ISAF Group 3 Match Racers). Apart from sailing, the SAIL FIRST team offer complete “turn-key” first-class concierge services, providing you logistics help, coordination and reservations for accommodations, opening and closing ceremonies and entertainment for sailors and their families.

Cyprus offers variety of magnificent places to visit and it's hospitality is world-renowned. More than 320 days of sun and wind are available for sailing, making Cyprus a perfect sailing spot all year round.

If you wish to get more information about SAIL FIRST Sailing Club, please contact Anastasia Marinskaya at phone- +357 99168818, e-mail- anastasia@sailfirst.com, or website- http://www.sailfirst.com
 

J/Cruisers
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.

* The J/40 HERON REACH sailed by Virginia and Jerry is participating in the Blue Planet Odyssey project and have recently joined them in the Marquesas Islands in the Eastern Pacific.  Learn more about their adventures and experiences here- http://heronreachodyssey.blogspot.com/
Giant whale breaching in front of J/160 SALACIA off  Australia's Whitsunday Islands* J/160 SALACIA has been sailing in Australia in the Whitsunday Islands.  Guess who decided to throw themselves across their bow as they cruised comfortably to their next destination?  A giant whale!  Look at this amazing photo!

J/42 cruiser- sailing across Atlantic Ocean* Jim & Heather Wilson just completed a circumnavigation of our "blue planet Earth" in June 2013 on their J/42 CEOL MOR.  Said Jim, "The odyssey of CEOL MOR is over, for now.  We completed our circumnavigation on our J/42 when we crossed our outbound track in Britannia Bay, Mustique. We were, however, still 2,000 nautical miles from home. So we continued on through the Windwards, the Leewards, and then through the British Virgin Islands. After a farewell 'Painkiller' at the Soggy Dollar, and a last meal at Foxy’s, we made the 1,275 nautical mile passage to the Chesapeake and completed our port-to-port circumnavigation when we arrived in Annapolis on June 28, 2013. We had been away 1,334 days, completed 259 days of ocean passages, and sailed 30,349 nautical miles (34,925 statute miles). Read more about their adventures in their  well-documented blog here:  http://www.svceolmor.com/SVCeolMor/Welcome.html

J/160 sailing offshore to US Virgin Islands- rainbow over ocean* J/160 AVATAR headed for the Caribbean, again!  We LOVE these updates from our cruising J sailors that continue to criss-cross the Seven Seas. This one comes from Alan Fougere, sailing his beloved J/160 AVATAR.   Alan sent us an email update commenting on their passage south this winter, "In mid-December AVATAR completed her sixth transit to her winter Caribbean home, Grand Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI (seen above)  from her home port in Quissett (Falmouth), MA.  A crew of three, Captain Alan (e.g. me), Crew Pablo Brissett and Mark Conroy, covered the 1,500 nm trip in in her best time to date- 7 Days 5 Hours, averaging 8.7 kts, that's about 208 nm per day!  Amazing passage it was!  Rainbow at right far offshore was some of the amazing phenomenon we experienced on this fast offshore passage.

AVATAR will participate in the BVI Sailing Festival/Regatta again in 2013, where last year she won the Nanny Key Cup Cruising Class race around the Island of Virgin Gorda.  Here are some photos for you to share with the J/Community at-large.  Enjoy!"
Best, Alan Fougere/ AVATAR

Bill & Judy Stellin- sailing J/42 Jaywalker* Bill & Judy Stellin recently had an interview about cruising on their J/42 in the Wall St Journal called "Retiring on the Open Sea".  The Wall St Journal asked Bill to reply to dozens of questions that flooded into the WSJ's Editor desks. Here's the update:

Retiring on the Sea: Answering Readers' Questions
Advice about selecting a boat, ocean crossings, itineraries and safety

Wall St Journal interview- Stellin's Offshore cruising/ sailing retirementThe article in our WSJ Online December retirement report about eight years spent sailing the Mediterranean— "Retiring to the Open Sea"— prompted many questions and comments from readers.  We asked William Stellin, who wrote the story, to answer some of the most common queries.

WSJ- "What kind and make of boat did you use? Looking back, would you have picked a different boat?"

Bill- "In 1995-96, J/Boats of Newport, RI, came out with a new cruiser/racer model, the J/42. We bought hull No. 6 of this popular 42-foot sailboat and named it JAYWALKER. This was our fourth boat since beginning sailing in 1975.

Although long-distance cruising wasn't what we had in mind when we purchased JAYWALKER, it soon became apparent it had the ability to carry us easily and safely anywhere we wanted to go. Because the boat is light, it sails well in light winds, which means very little motoring is necessary.

People often ask (and argue) about what boat is best for cruising. Any boat that is strong, safe, fast, comfortable and easily handled by two people should fit the bill. One thing for sure, fast is fun—and important when trying to avoid bad weather."

READ MORE ABOUT BILL'S INSIGHTFUL COMMENTARY AND THOUGHTS ON WSJ ONLINE HERE

* 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.  Their blog is here: http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/

* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary 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/.

J/130 sailing ARC Rally arrives Portugal- leave a message on the sea wall!* 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).

-  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).  Read about their latest adventures as they've gotten to New Zealand- "Avante Cruises the Pacific".

- Eric and Jenn on the J/160 MANDALAY also sailed the Pacific archipelago, read more on their blog at http://www.sailmandalay.com.  Eric and Jenn are J/World alumni took MANDALAY up and down the West Coast (Mexico, CA), then to the South Pacific and New Zealand.  MANDALAY is back in San Francisco now, and in the J/World fleet--she is available for skippered charters, private instruction, and corporate/executive groups.