J/112E Cruising World Review(Newport, RI)- “Having spent a few seasons hanging around with CW’s Boat of the Year judges, I can’t step aboard a new sailboat without stopping to measure it up against its design brief. That is the standard that our team of industry pros uses as they survey a broad range of entries each year to come up with winning models. And it makes sense, when you think about it. Each boat is built with a purpose in mind, and the good ones do their jobs flawlessly, year in and year out.
From that point of view, when I stepped aboard the latest addition to what J/Boats calls its Sport Cruising line, I knew exactly what the just-launched J/112E was intended to do: go sailing.
Oh, you could certainly sit in the roomy cockpit and soak up the rays in some sunny anchorage. And at day’s end, you’d find everything you’d need in the well-equipped galley to whip up dinner for friends. With two private cabins, there’s plenty of room for the kids or another couple, and settees on each side of the drop-leaf centerline table in the saloon could be turned into sea berths in a pinch.
But what you’d really want to do, if the J/112E was your boat, is get those sails up and go sailing, no matter the size of your crew — which is just what a few of us did aboard hull Number One, on a late autumn afternoon out on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. The breeze was light as we motored away from the dock, but once out in open water, where we had 10 knots or so to work with, the J/112E sprang to life. Upwind, the speedo read 7.2 knots, nearly matching the wind speed. Later, with the asymmetric kite set on the retractable carbon sprit and a bit more breeze, we were rewarded with a few surges of 9 knots and better. Not bad for a cruising boat!” Read more of Mark Pillsbury’s review on Cruising World
J/Fest Southwest 2016- Open for entries!(Seabrook, TX)- Planning for the 7th annual J/Fest Southwest, hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook Texas, has begun. J/Fest Southwest 2016 will be sailed on the waters of Galveston Bay the weekend of Oct 28-30th. J/Fest Southwest is a celebration of all things related to J/ Boats and sailboat racing. The October weather in South East Texas is simply wonderful with shirtsleeve temperatures and great wind conditions, especially if one of the early cold fronts blows through. J/Fest Southwest features multiple Windward/Leeward race courses and is known for top quality race management and intense racing that attracts top competition both locally and from out of state.
We are looking forward to a large turnout of J/ Boats, including the J22, J24, J70, J80, J105, J109 & J/PHRF classes. Cranes and storage for out of town boats are available and there are numerous hotels located near the club. In addition to a spectator boat for those who want to watch the on-the-water action, J/Fest Southwest 2016 will feature the “LC Roots Band” for Saturday night entertainment & dancing after we consume the traditional shrimp boil (“Frogmore Stew”) dinner. The J/Fest Southwest website (http://www.jfestsouthwest.com/) is being updated with new information as it becomes available, including an updated hotel list for out of town skippers and their crews. Seabrook is located half way between Houston and Galveston and there are numerous opportunities for family fun in the area so come on down! Questions about J/Fest Southwest may be directed to: Dave Christensen/ J/Fest Southwest 2016 Chair/ Lakewood Yacht Club- email- dc1sail@comcast.net
San Francisco Cup Preview(San Francisco, CA)- Since 1967, St. Francis Yacht Club and San Francisco Yacht Clubs have been “competing for superiority in the same field” at the annual San Francisco Cup, a match race that grants its winner a line on a trophy and a year of bragging rights. In 2014, the Cup went to St Francis YV. In 2015, it was San Francisco’s. It’s 2016 and this weekend’s SF Cup is anyone’s match.
A brief history: The first SF Cup was raced in 1967 to promote a friendly rivalry between the two clubs on the Bay. Since then, it has been raced 44 times and StFYC has racked up 31 victories. But, who's counting? This is a "friendly" rivalry!
In 2014, the two-boat match race format expanded to include six boats and three divisions: Open, Women’s and Youth. As Commodore Livingston reported in 2015, “The result was heaps livelier and more engaging.”
StFYC is bringing three horses to this race: Scott Sellers helming his J/70 1FA in the Open division; Nicole Breault helming a club J/22 in the Women’s Division; and Nolan Van Dine is helming a club J/22 in the Junior Division (19 and under). The St Francis YC teams will be as follows:
Open Division- skipper Scott Sellers with crew of Russ Silvestri, Cam Geer, and Geoff McDonald. Women's Team- skipper: Nicole Breault with crew of Molly Carapiet, Dana Riley, and Hannah Burroughs. Junior Team- skipper Nolan Van Dine with crew of Will Paulsen, Leo Findley, and Emiliano Bache.
The San Francisco YC skippers are Craig Healy (Open Division); Vicki Sodaro (Women’s Division); and Romain Screve (Junior Division).
Racing will commence in the Olympic Circle this Saturday at 1130 hours. The first team to accumulate 11 points over three divisions wins. If one team accumulates seven points before the end of racing on Saturday, racing will be halted and will recommence Sunday at 1100 hours. For more San Francisco Cup sailing information
J/120 Nationals Update(Grosse Pointe, MI)- "The Heavy-Weight Title Fight on the Lake" continues to gain momentum! According to Detroit J/120 sailor Charlie Hess, “We are now up to 14 boats registered with two more on the way. I think we will end up with 17-18 boats in total!”
Charlie continues to say, “there is a lot of great sailing on the Great Lakes, and I would like to send the invitation to all to consider a 4 race series out here to make the travel worthwhile:
- Bayview Mackinac Race - July 16-18
- Chicago Mackinac Race - July 23-25
- Little Traverse Bay Regatta - July 30-31 (Harbor Springs, MI)
- J/120 Nationals - August 19-21 - (Lake St. Clair)
SPI Ouest France Preview(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- The 38th Spi Ouest-France destination Morbihan begins this Thursday off the beautiful and quaint seaside village on the Bay of Biscay known as La Trinite sur Mer. 360 boats have registered to race for four days over the Easter Holiday weekend. Organized and hosted by Société Nautique de la Trinité-Sur-Mer, the sailors can expect wonderful hospitality, great racing and the enduring support of the famous news media organization- Ouest-France. The regatta is also emblematic of the opening of the tourist season along the western coastline of France.
As the largest regatta hosted in France, the event has achieved enormous notoriety both in Europe and worldwide, especially amongst the offshore yachting fraternity. Many of the famous names in Vendee Globe and Route du Rhum races assemble in Trinite to catch up with sailing friends and celebrate the start of a new summer sailing season.
This year the throngs of sailors will be rubbing shoulders with such famous names as Dee Caffari (the first woman to have completed a round the world sailing east to west without assistance & 6th in the Vendée Globe 2008-2009 and racing a J/80 for Oman Sail Team); Bernard Stamm (the Swiss Breton); Bertrand De Broc (now in full preparation for the next Vendée Globe), Marc Guillemot (another Vendee Globe veteran) and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (one of the oldest shorthanded sailors from The Netherlands).
The sailors will be treated to a fairly benign, almost ideal, conditions for sailing. The weather looks pretty mild for the weekend, with cool temperatures in the morning with sunny to partly cloudy skies and nice winds from the west.
The growing tribe of J/sailors in France continues its upward momentum, with 105 J/Teams participating in one-design fleets of J/70s and J/80s and IRC/ OHS classes across the range (fully one-third of the entire fleet!). The J/70s have grown to a 20 boat class in this year’s SPI Ouest and the fleet is loaded with talent. Top teams include Luc Sambron’s HEMON-CAMUS from APCC Voile Sportive, Herve Leduc’s JIBE SET- PIERRE OCEANE from SR Rochelaises, Hugo Rocha’s NEW TERRITORIES from St Petersburg YC in Russia, Jose Maria’s NEW TERRITORIES from RCN Barcelona in Spain, P. Jesus’ PETITE PALACE HOTELS from RCN La Coruna in Spain, and R. Hurdiel’s VOILE AMBITION DUNKERQUE from Dunkerque YC in France.
The J/80s again have the largest fleet in the entire regatta with sixty-seven teams on the starting line. A crowded and aggressive group, the J/80 teams will enjoy tight racing all weekend. Familiar names from past J/80 Coupe de France series are in attendance, including Thierry Launay’s AVEVA from CN St Cast, Luc Nadal’s GAN’JA from NDCV Angers, Yannick Tabarly’s JIBI from Sportboat Regatta SC, Jose Maria van der Ploeg’s NAUTICA WATCHES from CN Hodarribia in Spain, Dee Caffari’s OMAN SAIL, Simon Moriceau’s SAILING FRA 29, Andrew Hurst’s SEAHORSE MAGAZINE from Keyhaven YC in the United Kingdom, and Simone Pellissier’s VOILERIE ALL PURPOSE from Virtual Regatta YC.
In the offshore handicap world, we find E Gicquel’s J/133 BLACK JACK from Sn Baie St Malo racing in IRC 1 Class. In IRC 2 Class are four J/crews, including the brand new J/112E J-LANCE 12 sailed by Didier Le Moal, the J/109 CNP1 J’VOLE skippered by P Barouch, the J/120 HEY JUDE helmed by P Girardin and the J/120 LADY JANE skippered by P Tostivint from CN Pornic. The lone J/team in IRC 3 Class is B Fagart’s J/97 MISPICKEL VI. Two J’s are sailing in IRC 4 Class- T Bidon’s J/92S DR JEKYLL and J Croyere’s J/92 RUBAN VERT.
In the OHS handicap classes, there are three teams sailing OH1 Class, P Guennal’s J/111 J4F, E Kerscaven’s J/88 PL YACHTING, and P Jomier’s J/105 J-SQUARED. Finally, in the OH2 Class are four classic J/24s- B Le Marec’s EL NINO, A Garcia’s INSULARIS, F De Herce’s MAJIC and V Maldonado’s REGATTA COPA MEXICO EUSKADI. For more SPI OUEST France sailing information
Doublehanded Farallones Race Preview(San Francisco, CA)- This weekend marks the start of a West Coast double-handed offshore classic- the Bay Area Multihull Association’s Doublehanded Farallones Race. It is a race that has challenged some of the best offshore sailors in California and is legendary for producing outrageous sailing conditions offshore.
The biggest obstacle is not necessarily rounding the foreboding pinnacle of rocks known as the Farallones, but making it through a body of water known as “the Potato Patch” just offshore of the entrance to San Francisco Bay. Imagine what happens when several million gallons of water per minute are ebbing at 5-6 kts, emptying all of San Francisco Bay beneath the majestic Golden Gate Bridge at depths down to 330 ft. Then, just over 4nm offshore, all that water encounters the infamous Potato Patch Shoal, a four fathom bank (24 ft) loaded with kelp and massive great white sharks, that forces enormous Pacific swell driven by distant gales in the north Pacific (up to 15 ft or more in height!) to crest and break all over your boat! If it’s a blustery day in the 20-30 kts range, the waves and crests can be precipitously steep and foreboding, more like a tsunami of water!
Looking forward to that challenge are an intrepid collection of J/crews, most of them have sailed the Farallones Race in brutal conditions before and are hoping for a more benign version this weekend. Starting off with sixty-six boats in the fleet are J/120s, J/105s, a J/88 and J/90. Those teams include a trio of J/120s- Mike O’Callaghan’s PEREGRINE, Sean Mulvihill’s JAMANI and Ludovic Milin’s SAETTA. The triple J/105s include John Robison’s LIGHTWAVE, Rich Pipkin’s RACER X and Dave Miller’s BALD EAGLE. Joining them is Jim Hopp’s J/88 WHITE SHADOW and Trig Liljestrand’s J/90 RAGTIME (Rod J’s old boat!).
For more BAMA Doublehanded Farallones sailing information
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
It was a relatively quiet week in the middle of March for J sailors around the world. Nevertheless, several significant regattas took place in Europe and in the Americas.The J/22 Midwinters took place off Fort Walton Beach, Florida and was hosted by the Fort Walton YC. This was a milestone in J/22 class history since it was the furthest north “midwinters” the class has held in a long time; fortunately, the weather cooperated and the host club was amazing. Then, out west, the San Diego YC again rolled out their amazing red carpet hospitality for the HELLY HANSEN San Diego NOOD Regatta; the sailors in the one-design classes of J/70s, J/105s and J/120s enjoyed some amazing sailing in classic SD conditions. Also, enjoying their El Nino conditions was the fleet that sailed the San Francisco SSS Race around the Bay.
On the European side of the world, the BLUE PROJECT in Chiavari, Italy hosted their first ever Women’s Sailing Cup on their fleet of J/80s. An enthusiastic fleet of thirteen teams from across Europe enjoyed an amazing program; especially since it supported a famous Italian breast cancer program for women. Then, across “the ditch” (a.k.a. in French as “La Manche”) in the United Kingdom, the HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series was taking place in somewhat chilly conditions for J/70s, J/80s, J/109s and IRC teams in J/111s, J/122s, J/92s, J/97s and others.
Finally, the Mexican J/70 class continues to grow apace. They recently completed their third regatta in the Cancun Series on the northern part of the peninsula, enjoying gorgeous sailing in the deep blue cobalt Gulf Stream just offshore. And, their Mexican J/70 friends in Acapulco and Valle de Bravo are also having some fun in the regatts- the latest being the fun-loving golf-yachting event- the Copa Picacho-Izar held at Club Campestre y de Vela Ízar on Valle de Bravo.
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:
Mar 22-27- J/70 South American Championship- Punta del Este, UruguayMar 24-27- J/24 & J/70 Easter Regatta- Columbia, SC
Mar 24-28- SPI OUEST France Regatta- La Trinite sur Mer, France
Mar 25-27- St Thomas Regatta- St Thomas, USVI
Mar 26-28- J/22 French Open- Port Breton, France
Mar 28-Apr 3- BVI Spring Regatta- Tortola, BVI
Apr 2-3- J/70 Midwinters West- Marina del Rey, CA
Apr 11-16- Les Voiles de St Barth- Gustavia, St Barth
Apr 16-17- J/Fest San Francisco- San Francisco, CA
Apr 16-19- Charleston Race Week– Charleston, SC
Apr 23-29- Antigua Sailing Week- English Harbour, Antigua
Apr 29-May 1- Annapolis NOOD– Annapolis, MD
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.
Marshall Crowned J/22 Midwinter Champion(Fort Walton Beach, FL)- The twenty-six boats sailing the J/22 Midwinters off Fort Walton Beach had three good days of racing, starting out slowly and closing with awesome sailing conditions. The Fort Walton YC provided great race management and plenty of onshore festivities. After an eight race series over three days, it was a Rhode Island team that was crowned champion, Mike Marshall’s team (Mike Nicoletti and Matt Schubert) from Jamestown sailed BAD NEWS into the lead on the final day.
Day One
Jeff Todd’s HOT TODDY from Annapolis, MD won Friday’s only race to claim a quick advantage in the 26-boat fleet. With Chip Carr and Chris Ryan on board, Todd beat out Sean Clare’s WHITE TRASH and Chris Doyle’s THE JUG 4 1 in flukey winds averaging between 5-7 knots at the event. Light breeze prevented the Race Committee from starting any other contests.
Day TwoIt could not have been much tighter at the top of the heap after four races were completed on Saturday. Chris Doyle’s THE JUG 4 1 and Terry Flynn’s TEJAS were tied on points at 11 heading into the closing day of racing on Sunday. Jeff Todd’s HOT TODDY was just one point behind. Doyle is dropping an 8, leaving scores of 3,5,1,2, and Flynn has tossed a 6 for a net tally of 5,1,2,3. Todd is counting a 1,3,2,6 (throwing out a 6). Even the fourth and fifth place boats were tied— Mike Marshall’s BAD NEWS and Chris Wientjes— with 15 points each.
Saturday began with light breeze around 4-6 knots, as Wientjes snared victory from Chris Wilson’s LIL PUFFY, and Todd took third. It was another photo finish in the next battle as winds picked up to 8-12 kts. Flynn edged Todd by a nose, ahead of third-place Kurt Taken-Holtze’s TURN DOWN FOR WHAT. Chris Doyle handily collected the next win as winds lightened a bit to 6-8 kts, when Flynn and Marshall settled for the silver and bronze spots. In the final contest, Taken-Holtze was DSQ after protest, leaving Marshall, Chris Doyle and Flynn in the money.
Day ThreeThe winds piped up to 16-24 kts for the finale on Sunday. Mike Marshall’s BAD NEWS rose to the top of the fleet to capture the title with a 2-1-2 in Sunday’s blustery three races to total 20 net points.
Of the three boats within one point of first place heading into Sunday’s racing, Marshall was not one of them, but the team reveled in the conditions despite being about 70 pounds under the Class crew weight limit. Flynn’s TEJAS earned second place with 22 points, and Todd’s HOT TODDY took third with 24 pts. Rounding out the top five were Doyle’s THE JUG 4 1 in fourth place and Chris Wientjes from New Orleans YC in fifth position.
BAD NEWS ran into a little bad luck on the opening day when a big shift at the end of the only race left them with a 10th place. Day two brought intermediate conditions where, Marshall said, “I think the lightness of our boat hurt us, and we had to fight for every point.” When several boats struggled in Sunday’s heavier air, Marshall said the team “took about half of the first upwind leg to figure that we needed to do was ease the jib a little more than we thought.”Marshall also credited tactician Matt Schubert for making a few key calls on where to go. Recalling that most of Sunday’s starts saw them off the line in the top five boats, the team still had to battle to pick off boats and make up the four-point deficit they started the day with. “By being a little forward off the start, we could choose our own destiny. Boats we didn’t pass upwind, we were able to catch up with downwind. The last race we played a covering game,” summarized Marshall. For more J/22 Midwinters sailing information
Golison Overall San Diego NOOD Regatta ChampionGoebel’s J/105 SANITY & Nichols’ J/120 CC RIDER Crush Their Classes
(San Diego, CA)- More than 100 teams competing in 12 classes sailed in San Diego for the Helly Hansen San Diego NOOD Regatta, the largest national sailboat racing circuit in the United States. Bruce Golison’s J/70 MIDLIFE CRISIS came out on top, winning its J/70 fleet and the regatta’s overall title. The win earns Golison a trip to the British Virgin Islands to compete in the Helly Hansen NOOD Championship Regatta, hosted by Sunsail.
Golison, a champion sailor from Rossmoor, California, is relatively new to the J/70, which is one of sailing’s most popular one-design classes. The San Diego NOOD Regatta was the start of a long campaign for Golison, with the ultimate goal being the J/70 World Championship in San Francisco in September. For the NOOD, he assembled a team that included his brother Jay, professional sailor Steve Hunt, and Dan Morris, an Olympic-class dinghy sailor. This was their first weekend in the boat together and after a slow start on Friday, says Golison, they steadily improved, winning the regatta by only two points over Jeff Janov’s team on MINOR THREAT.“I had never sailed a sportboat before,” says Golison who is more familiar with the J/24 and Etchells keelboat classes, “so the adjustment from pole-back spinnaker sailing to reaching around was a huge adjustment.”
Over three days of racing in perfect conditions on San Diego’s South Bay racecourse, set between Coronado Island and mainland San Diego, Golison’s team had its work cut out for them with the presence of several top teams mixed among the 26-boat fleet. His toughest rivals proved to be Janov and Luis Barrios’ ZUMBALE, with local ace Willem Van Way calling tactics.
“It was actually a pretty tricky weekend,” says Golison. “It was a little shiftier than normal. It was amazing how the three of us took turns beating up each other. I think we each probably only had one race out of the top three. Then we all had at least two or three firsts. There were guys that would mix in that were always tough. It was great racing.”
Working with a new team took some getting used to, he confessed, the biggest challenge being communication during the starts. But once Golison and Hunt clicked, their starts were perfect, and in the end, it made the difference. “On the first day they were pretty average. And then yesterday we were better as we got our communication down. And then today, I think we both felt comfortable. We said we wanted the pin, so let’s get the pin, and we had pretty good luck at doing that,” commented Golison.“We have a real quiet group,” he added. “We all have confidence in each other, which is pretty amazing after one regatta. There is never any questioning. Steve is the leader on the boat. My job is to just sail the boat as fast around the course as I can.”
It was Hunt’s tactical expertise that helped them manage the day’s final race, says Golison. They went into the race with only a 1-point lead. “If Janov won the race, we would have tied and he would have won the tie-breaker, but if he beat us and didn’t win the race, then we would beat him because we would have the tie-breaker,” said Golison. “So, by winning the pin, tacking and crossing the fleet we got the jump on him, and from there, there were times we would slow him up, and times we would herd him. They are very fast and quite a test for us!”
After the first day, MINOR THREAT’s crewmember Doug McLean commented, “Obviously, we had a great day today with a 2-1-1. It was close racing all day. We were pretty much keeping tabs on Golison and the Mexicans [currently in third overall]. The three of us were dueling it out all day.” McLean says the highlight was a recovery from an OCS start in the first race. “We came back right away and banged the right corner, which got us right back into it. We fought back into second, which was pretty exciting. That could have been it for us.”
In the end, behind Golison and Janov was the Mexican team from Valle de Bravo, Luis Barrios on ZUMBALE in third, Chris Snow’s COOL STORY BRO in fourth and Tom Garrett’s SLOOP JOHN B in fifth.
In the Corinthians J/70 fleet, Garrett’s SLOOP JOHN B won followed by Chris Raab & Dale Williams’ SUGOI in second, Scott Deardorff’s CAKE in third, Chuck Sinks USA 306 in fourth and Pat Toole’s 3 BIG DOGS in fifth.
The J/105 class saw a near runaway in the form of Rick Goebel’s team on SANITY. Hopping back into the J/105 after having a rough experience sailing in the professionally crewed Farr 40 Worlds, Goebel sailed fast and managed to win four races in a row to a comfortable win. Starting and ending with bullets was another class leader, Dennis Case’s WINGS, taking second for the regatta. Past winner and third place finisher this year, Gary Mozer’s CURRENT OBSESSION 2 from Long Beach, must’ve have wondered where the SANITY and WINGS teams picked up their cans of “whupass” every day. After handily winning several events in the past few years, Mozer was having to work extra hard to just place in the top five and never winning a race. The balance of the top five included the Hurlburt/ Driscoll team on JUICED in 4th place and Stew Cannon’s J-OK if 5th.A familiar team ended up leading all the J/120s home by a country mile! Chuck Nichols’ crew on CC RIDER started off the first race with an emphatic win and never looked back, repeating that effort for the balance of the weekend with a rare streak of straight bullets! However, the fight for the balance of the podium was a rough one and was not determined until the final two races. By closing with a 2-2, John Snook’s JIM took the silver while John Laun’s CAPER crated the last two races to take the bronze. However, CAPER was fortunate to win the tie-breaker on 22 pts with Ernie Pennell’s MAD MEN (who suffered an SCP in race #2). Just barely sneaking into fifth place by one point was Mike Hatch’s J-ALMIGHTY. Sailing photo credits- Paul Todd/ Outsideimages.com For more HELLY HANSEN San Diego NOOD sailing information
Team VELEROSA Triumph in 1st Women’s Sailing Cup(Chiavari, Italy)- The first edition of the Women's Sailing Cup Italy 2016 with a triumphant “Goodbye until 2017” from the cheering crowd of women. The event was organized by the Blue Project in collaboration with the City of Chiavari and Marina di Chiavari.
The regatta was created and organized by two women, Anne-Soizic Bertin and Ivana Quattrini of Blue Project, for women to promote women's sailing, raise funds for the Italian Association for Cancer Research and spread scientific information and awareness for female cancers.
It was a wonderful weekend in Chiavari, marked by a number of celebrations, including the inauguration of the new and elegant promenade of the Port in the presence of the highest authorities. Adding to those festivities was the great enthusiasm expressed by the thirteen teams participating in the Women’s Sailing Cup. The event was punctuated by the beautiful garden and decorations around the club, designed by the locally famous Umberto Giorgi Garden; it included a beauty and Zen area and a place for massages before and after sailing! Then, the women enjoyed a brass band and gala dinner party that supported the AIRC Conference on women’s breast cancer, with a presentation given by the famous oncologist- Dr. Lucia del Mastro.
Seventy sailors from all over Italy, a team from Great Britain and one from Lithuania, battled at sea aboard the J/80s of Blue Project. At the end of a weekend of light wind and lively competitive spirit, climbing onto the top step of the podium and winning the Challenge Cup Trophy was the VELEROSA team comprised of Silvia Gatti, Licia Bologna, Elisa Dompe, Alessandra Gagnatelli and Serena Sicher. They were well coached by the champion Duccio Colombi of Phi!Number. Besides the Challenge Cup given by Marina di Chiavari and the Silver Cup given by J/Boat Italia, VELEROSA received the No1 bags by Laboratorio 38, made by the Italian designer Alessandra Lo Monaco, and made especially for them with used sails. The VELEROSA team also was awarded silver bracelets handmade in the tradition of ancient navigators by Giro di Vento of the Catania creative group- Valentina Zarbo.
Taking second place was the VELADOC team and in the third place was the Lithuanian team- FAIR WIND LADIES. Both teams received a silver cup by J/Boat Italia and the revolutionary watches by W Doubleyouwatch.
Many other prizes were awarded to other teams, including a weekend for two at the Hotel Monte Rosa Chiavari with massages at Eden Beauty & Spa, scarves by W Doubleyouwatch, accessories by North Sails and many other prizes. In addition, Navionics gave its “iOS/Android” app for free to all participants.
Evelina Christillin, Vice President of the Torino Organising Committee (TOROC) for the 2006 20th Winter Olympic Games in Turin, spurred all the participants during the gala dinner to continue to believe in the project of women sailing and solidarity. The applause to her words left no doubt- when women network together they are unbeatable and this made the new social media hashtag #WSC16 fly around the Internet.The unforgettable days and the unique atmosphere of the Women's Sailing Cup, the faces of the sailors and of all those who contributed to the realization of the event, can be relived in the videos produced by Saily.it, the principal media partner of the event. Here is one of those videos.
Besides institutional partners, many companies have supported the project of #WSC16: Chanteclair, Kappa, Concept Events, Laboratorio38, the Wind Tour, Navigando Trade, North Sails, Sail Art, Navionics, Nautica Wellness, Wine La Scolca, Hotel Monte Rosa, Acqua Minerale Calizzano, Pastamatta Creative Food, Ormeggi on Line, Umberto Giorgi Garden, Jammin' Technical Solutions for Events, Helan Laboratori Cosmetici, W Doubleyouwatch, Eden Beauty & Spa, Web Stefana, Noberasco, Hotel Stella del Mare, Tossini and J/Boats Italia.We wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to the LNI Sec. Chiavari and Lavagna, the LNI of Sestri Levante, the LNI of Santa Margherita, to all the staff who have done an exemplary job at sea, the skippers of the spectator boats and Blue Project to collect funds for cancer research. Without them, this event would not be possible.
In a magnificent location with breathtaking sunsets, favored by a near-perfect weather, the real beauty was the all the women of the Women 's Sailing Cup Italy 2016 that as a spring wind, with their genuine passion, intelligence, joy, humor, sensitivity and sympathy, thrilled the entire city of Chiavari.
In 2017, we will be in Chiavari with the Women's Sailing Cup Italy again- will you please join us? Contact Ivana Quattrini at Blue Project- Ph# +39 335 8093904/ ufficiostampa@blueprojectsailing.com/ www.blueprojectsailing.com Sailing photo credits- Saily.it
Cool HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series V2(Warsash, England)- By the end of racing on Sunday, each Black Group (BG) class in the Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series had a different class winner to the first day of racing last week, showing there is some hot competition in the classes even if the temperature was distinctly cold, like frigid!!
Barring the lack of sunshine, the conditions were much as they had been last week with a NE to ENE breeze mostly 8-15 knots and oscillating to the right and back around 20 degrees or more throughout the day. For the second week in a row, all classes got away cleanly at the start so the recall flag has yet to be used.
Apart from IRC4, the Black Group start was on the south edge of the East Knoll bank. Courses involved a first windward leg to a laid inflatable mark inshore of Hamble Yacht Services buoy and then a series of running, reaching and windward legs between there and Cowes, finishing at East Knoll buoy. Although the tide was less strong than the previous week, wind and tidal tactics were often at a premium.IRC1 Class saw the J/111 JITTERBUG skippered by Cornel Riklin take first place, and the J/122 JUNO helmed by Christopher Daniel in third. JITTERBUG is leading the class overall.
The IRC 2 class has five J/88s racing each other for one-design honors. Continuing to lead the 88’s is Paul Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEAT followed by Richard Cooper’s JONGLEUR in 2nd and David & Kirsty Apthorp’s J-DREAM in 3rd.The racing in IRC 3 class is a rough and tumbles battle. Leading the charge after weekend, two is David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO, with a 1-2 in class. Andy Howe’s J/97 BLACKJACK is moving up the leaderboard with a 3rd on the weekend to now sit 4th in class.
In the J/109 class, the second weekend still sees JIRAFFE (Simon Perry) leading with a 1-2 while JUST SO (David McGough) is closing the gap with a 3-1. JYNNAN TONNYX (Owain Franks) is just one point behind with a 2-3.
Racing in the White Group is beginning to show trends for the leading boats, with the top half of the pack finishing just seconds apart bar the leaders; JESTER (J/80- Mike Lewis) in race four and six, and JENGA 8 (J/70- Andrew Barraclough) in race five, who both managed to pull away from the pack.
The WG start was once again at Hamble winter series buoy with a combined class start for all three races. Patrick Liardet, (COSMIC- J/70), who is leading the Combined White Group and the J/70 class said at the prize giving: “Despite the wind shifts the start line remained square and the windward leeward courses worked well. Although it was a really cold day we had some good racing, particularly against JENGA 8 who kept us on our toes!” JENGA 8 won one out of three races and is lying second overall in the J/70 class. Like a “sleeper”, Steve Venables INJUNCTION is sitting in third just 2 pts back. Six points back is Nick Denny’s JALAPENO in 4th and only two points behind them is Doug Struth’s DSP.
JESTER (Mike Lewis) won two of the three races in the J/80 class with BETTY (Jon Powell) only winning one. BETTY remains at the top of the leader board for the J/80 class with a seven-point lead, followed by JUMBLESAIL (Rachel & Robert Hunt) and AQUA—J (Terence O'Neil).There was a good crowd back in the clubhouse after racing to collect the winners' champagne prizes and warm up with some hot food! Frank Roger Bowden (Nifty) won the Crewsaver Pro Auto lifejacket and Peter Rouse (Voodoo) the Helly Hansen Salt Power Jacket in the prize draw. To be eligible for the prize draw you need to be at the clubhouse for the prize giving.
The Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series is sponsored by Helly Hansen and supported by race partner’s Crewsaver and Rolly Tasker Sails. Sailing photo credits- Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com. For more HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series sailing information
Mexico J/70 Golf + Yachting Extravaganza!(Valle de Bravo, Mexico)- The Mexican J/70 class continues to grow apace and they are having a ball! They recently completed their third regatta in the Cancun Series on the northern part of the peninsula, enjoying gorgeous sailing in the deep blue cobalt Gulf Stream just offshore. Winning the series was KRAKEN, sailed by Claudio Cozi with crew of Eduardo Muniz, Jose Luis Martinez and Ricardo Schondube. Sailing well was PiQ2 in second with lady helm Luisa Imanol sailing fast, counting four bullets in her scoreline, and getting great help from her crew of Annie Arroyo, Irina
Hentschel and Olivier Calderon. Sitting in third for the series is RADIOACTIVO skippered by Luis Yokin with crew of Alfredo Moreno, Lorenzo Cellis and Cristian Garcia.On the western side of Mexico City high up in the mountains is the beautiful lake called Valle de Bravo. The J/70 class has grown quickly there and they are having plenty of fun. Recently, they sailed an event
sponsored by Jaguar of Mexico and Land Rover of Mexico- it was the golf + yachting event- the Copa Picacho-Izar held at Club Campestre y de Vela Ízar on the lake. It was a real battle for the top of the podium between Jeronimo Cervantes’ LAMPUGA and Erick Brockmann’s VINCITORE 2.0. Starting off the regatta with two firsts, Cervantes’ LAMPUGA team was hoping to keep the pressure on the fleet, but got caught on the wrong side of the course in the shifty lake winds to post a 6th in the third race. On the comeback trail after opening the regatta with a fourth was Brockmann’s VINCITORE 2.0, finishing up the regatta with all 2nds and a 1st, but losing the tie-breaker on 7 pts with LAMPUGA. Finishing third was Federico Ortiz’s PURA VIDA, winning his tie-breaker on 12 pts over Yon Belausteguigoitia’s BULLET. Taking 5th overall was Javier Prieto’s EXPRESS with 19 pts. For more J/70 Mexico sailing information
Beautiful SSS Race in San Francisco(San Francisco, CA)- The Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco held their annual springtime ritual this past weekend- the 18nm circumnavigation of San Francisco Bay, a.k.a.- the SSS Race. The event started at 11:00 at the CYC and left Harding Rock to port, Blossom Bell to starboard, Blunt Point to port, South Hampton to one side or the other, Blunt Point to starboard, Harding Rock bell to starboard and back to the finish.
It is a popular event and attracts a legion of enthusiastic doublehanded and singlehanded teams on boats that range in size from around 20 ft to 50 ft. J/crews had a fun time and a number of they were successful. Starting on the big boat side of things, in the PHRF 4 Double class, the J/44 ACEY DEUCY, team of Richard Leute/ Steve Taylor took 4th place. In PHRF 7 Single, the J/30 IONE skippered by Peter Jermyn grabbed 2nd position. In PHRF 8 Double class, the pretty little J/32 PARADIGM sailed by Luther & Robert Izmirian secured 5th place. The big winner of the day was in PHRF 9 Single, with the J/80 PAINKILLER skippered by Eric Patterson winning followed closely by another SSS veteran- the J/92 RAGTIME in 3rd skippered by Bob Johnston. Then, he was followed by the J/120 SAETTA skippered by Ludovic Millin in 4th. Finally, the PHRF 10 Double class had a number of J/105 class veterans in the mix with JAVELIN in 2nd place sailed by the team of Sergie Podshivalov & Charlie Abraham. Next was AKULA sailed by Doug & Lyndon Bailey in 6th. 10th was RACER X sailed by Richard Pipkin & Mary Mcgrath in 10th. Sailing photo credits- Erik Simonson For more SSS Society race sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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* J/120 CARINTHIA Miami to Havana, Cuba race report- from Frank Kern. “Since it was never done before, there were a lot of things that had to be invented for this race. For instance, a special Coast Guard permit was needed to enter Cuban waters as there is still officially an embargo. Race Chairman Chris Woosley got together with the right people to help the owners get that squared away. Communication with the outside world was really difficult as the internet connections were hard to get and unreliable. When we landed the Cuban officials took my satellite phone and sealed it, saying phoning from Cuba was strictly forbidden!! The following day I did phone home in secret to wish my daughter a happy birthday and to assure the outside world we were all fine.
Carinthia's strategy for the race was to get as close as possible to the Florida Keys to stay out of the current. The start was under 5 knots out of the north, not exactly ideal J/120 conditions. At Elbow Key #6 the rhumb line peels off to Havana and we stayed more north of it but started going more southwest. Fortunately the winds continued more northernly at about 10 to 15 knots as our course became more westerly. We jibed south in 20 knot wind when we got in the teeth of the a 3 knot gulf current and jibed back about 2 miles off of Cuba at Matanzas. To our pleasant surprise we got about a 1 knot push which helped us with the competition. From what I saw on the tracking Dragon, a Class 40, stayed north until Key West and then jibed south directly to Havana. We soon finished at 20:40 just after sunset. In the end, they beat us by 18 minutes corrected time, which is pretty close considering how long the race was. Was this ideal conditions for a Class 40 vs. a J/120? Was it 'courses for horses'? Who knows, as they did sail a nearly perfect race and after all they did take home the gold. My congrats to these guys for doing what 
was needed to win. We still managed to finish 1st in class B, 2nd overall. It was a great cap to our winter SORC season as we finished 2nd in the Islands in the Stream series.Marina Hemingway was a very nice harbor and I found the people there very accepting of Americans. We were glad we stayed to see a little of Havana. The Cubans are very poor but there are cracks showing it may improve. A lot has been said about the old cars and most are privately owned. It makes a great way for the locals to make some cash. Hotel space here was very difficult to get, some competitors were able to find space with AirBNB. I also heard many bathrooms did not have toilet seats, probably a symptom of communism. I know some boats dropped out of sailing here because of all the red tape BS, but it was worth it. Certainly, this was a bucket list race. When this thing comes up next, I highly recommend doing it!!”
* J/70 and huge white beluga whales in Sochi, Russia harbor? Yes, remarkably enough. This sweet whale was offering a friendly “nudge” to J/70 sailors participating in a regatta in Sochi (site of the Winter Olympics just off the Black Sea in 2010). Grigory Aksenov recorded the whole encounter. Here’s what he said, “the J/70s are now in Sochi for the winter J/70 Sailing League season. After the first event finishes, the J/70s will move back to the Volga River just northwest of Moscow’s famous Red Square for the next events in the J/70 sailing league.
These photos were taken at a “beer can” (corporate) regatta for the company "Partizan”. The guys said there were actually two beluga whales in the harbor (ordinarily, they live in Arctic Circle). They were guessing the whale pair probably escaped from oceanarium or zoo on the Black Sea- - nobody knows. They were friendly and were asking the J/70 sailors for some fish to eat. Clearly, they were well-trained and had been around people before. The sailors were also joking that they were “Russian Navy whales” guarding President Vladimir Putin's residence, because it is very near the harbor. Ha! I doubt it. But, in any case it was very amazing sight to see them swimming amongst the J/70s!”
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/
* 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!
* 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 AVATAR headed for the Caribbean, again, for 2015/ 2016! 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 regards their various improvements and refit to the boat (see above). They will again be based at Proper Yachts in St John, US Virgin Islands.
* Bill & Judy Stellin were interviewed 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
The 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/.
* 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.
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