Wednesday, August 29, 2018

J/Newsletter- August 29th, 2018

J/70s sailing off starting line2018 J/70 Worlds- Most Competitive Keelboat Regatta Ever?
(Marblehead, MA)- The J/70 World Championship may be the most competitive event in the sport of sailing. Ninety-eight teams from 19 different nations have qualified to compete in the 2018 WEST MARINE J/70 World Championship. After three days of inspections for the strict one-design class, racing for the championship will commence on Tuesday, September 25th. Five days of action are scheduled with up to three races per day. The Open and Corinthian Class Champions will be crowned on Saturday September 29th, at an Awards Ceremony at the Eastern Yacht Club.

The inaugural J/70 World Championship was held in 2014, and today more than 1,700 fast planing J/70 sportboats have been sold worldwide. Three American skippers have won the championship and all of them will be racing in Marblehead: Tim Healy (Sail Newport), Joel Ronning (Wayzata YC), and the defending J/70 World Champion, Peter Duncan (American Yacht Club). The 2018 J/70 North American Open Champion, Tom Bowen (Annapolis YC), will also be competing, as will the runner up from the 2017 J/70 World Championship, Brian Keane (Beverly Yacht Club).

Eight American skippers will be representing the Eastern Yacht Club, hosts for the 2018 J/70 World Championship, including Jud Smith, part of Peter Duncan's winning team last year, but racing his own J/70 Africa for the World Championship at his home club. “I am so excited to share my home club with these elite racers from around the world,” said Jud Smith. “Wind in September should be great, as long as there are no hurricanes, and we should see some really competitive racing.”

Nearly half of the extraordinary fleet will come from overseas, including the best teams from Europe. The current J/70 European Champion Alberto Rossi (Circolo Canottieri Aniene, Italy) and his daughter, the 2016 & 2017 J/70 European champion, Claudia Rossi (YC Costa Smeralda, Italy) will both be competing. Notably, Alberto himself is two-time Farr 40 World Champion. Top Spanish teams include the 2018 J/70 Corinthian European Champion, Luis Bugallo (RCN Vigo, Spain), and Jose Maria Torcida (RCM Santander, Spain) who has won the J/80 World Championship twice. Top teams will be competing from Great Britain including two-time (2015 & 2018) J/111 World Champion Martin Dent (Royal Southern YC).

Six teams from Mexico will be racing including, Javier Navarro (Club Izar), third in the 2018 J/70 North American Championship. J/70 teams will be competing from all over South America including; Argentina Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Teams will be travelling thousands of miles to compete at the 2018 J/70 World Championship from as far away as Australia, Germany, Japan, Monaco, Russia, Sweden and Turkey.  For more West Marine J/70 World Championship sailing information
 

J/70s sailing on Swiss lakesSAILING Champions League Finals Preview
(St Moritz, Switzerland)- Thirty-two of the world’s best sailing clubs representing twelve nations are set to fight for the prestigious silver trophy in the SAILING Champions League Final 2018, due to take place in St Moritz from August 30th to September 2nd. Whoever ends up earning the title of “Best Sailing Club of the Year” will quite literally feel on top of the world, as the winning crew will be celebrating on top of a podium that stands 1,856 metres above sea level, on the shores of Lake St Moritz.

The host club of Sailing Club St Moritz has been working closely with the city of St Moritz and the region Graubünden to make sure that this gathering of international talent is given a world-class reception in this beautiful corner of Switzerland, high up in the Alps. The 32 clubs that have made it to the Final qualified through highly competitive Semifinals, the first held in the warm winds of Porto Cervo back in June, the second in St Petersburg when the Russian city put on some very strong and challenging winds.

Quite what conditions will meet the competitors in St Moritz is anybody’s guess; it could be cold and light airs like last year’s event, or St Moritz could show its other side with warm, strong breezes as the predominant theme. Whatever St Moritz sends their way, the best sailors are those that are most adaptable to changing conditions in 15 flights of eight identically-prepared one-design sportboats.

This year’s Final will be the first time for running a four-boat Final Series which was successfully trialed a month ago in Travemünde at the inaugural Youth SAILING Champions League. The top four boats from the Qualifying stage go through to the Final Series, carrying forward their ranking from Qualifying as a single race score. So, the winner of Qualifying would carry through a race win, the runner-up would carry through two points, and so on. In the Final Series, the teams will race against each other until one team has won two races. If the winner of Qualifying wins the first race of the Final Series, they become the outright winner of the SAILING Champions League 2018. On the other hand, the maximum number of races that could take place is four, if the race wins have been evenly distributed across all four teams.

J/70 sailing in St MoritzThe aim of the format is to provide more of a climax for the spectators whilst retaining a format that is fair to those who have performed consistently over the previous days of competition. Emil Kjaer, helmsman of Kongelig Dansk Yachtklub, runner-up at Youth SAILING Champions League, commented, “The new format makes the event really exciting for the spectators and for us sailors. We like to sail under pressure.”

Based on the outcome of the first two events, the following clubs should be near the top of the leaderboard; Circolo della Vela Bari (Italy), YC Bregenz (Austria), Club de Voile Saint Aubin Elbeuf (France), Regattaclub Bodensee (Switzerland), Segel-und Motorboat Club Uberlingen (Germany), YC Monaco (Monaco), Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (Germany), Deutscher Touring YC (Germany), three from Russia (Navigator Sailing/ Lord of the Sail- Europe/ Lord of the Sail Asia), and Societe Nautique de Geneve (Switzerland).

Martin Berthod, Director of St Moritz Tourism, welcomes the sailors and visitors: “This event is an absolute high point of the year. For those that have not visited us before, I think St Moritz will take their breath away, and not just because the air is thinner up here! We believe it’s a spectacular place to stage the big SAILING Champions League Final. Thanks to the legendary Maloja winds, St Moritz and the Upper Engadine have become world-renowned sailing destinations. Furthermore, I would like to extend a special thanks to our sponsors and partners, without whose support this event would not be possible.”

The SAILING Champions League is proud to be supported by a number of key partners: Juvia, KRAFTWERK, DEDON, Breitling, Badrutt’s Palace, DKSH, SAP and Marinepool.

Livestream and results by SAP
As with all SAILING Champions League events, the final two days of racing on Saturday and Sunday will be live broadcasted by SAP from 12:00 hrs (UTC+2), with expert commentators providing blow-by-blow analysis of the racing, aided by the detail provided by SAP Sailing Analytics. The final races are schedules for Sunday, 14:00 hrs (UTC+2). The SAP Sailing Analytics provide 24/7 additional statistics and data for sailors, fans, spectators and media like GPS tracking, real-time analysis, live leaderboard combined with 2D visualization. You find all results on sapsailing.com!  Watch the SAILING Champions League Finals promo video here   For more SAILING Champions League Finals information

J/80s sailing World University Sailing ChampionshipWorld University Sailing Championship Preview
(Cherbourg, France)- The 2018 edition of the FISU World University Sailing Championship will be taking place from August 30th to September 6th on the inner harbor of Cherbourg, France.  The event is being hosted by YC de Cherbourg and supported by the FISU (International Federation of University Sports), World Sailing, and FFV (French Sailing Federation). The YC Cherbourg PRO will be Roland Galliot from France with real-time, on-the-water umpiring of all races.

J80s sailing off France- World University Sailing ChampionshipA total of nineteen teams are participating from ten nations, all racing a matched fleet of J/80 one-design sailboats supplied by the organizers.  The Open Division includes the following nations and number of teams: Australia (2), Austria (1), China (1), France (2), Italy (1), Japan (1), Netherlands (1), Singapore (2), South Korea (1), Spain (2).  In the Women’s Division, the following nations are participating: France (2), Netherlands (1), Singapore (1), South Korea (1).

There will be an overall World University Sailing Champion for all teams participating.  In addition, there will be a Nation’s Champion for the best combined scores of the Open and Women’s Division, plus there will be a Women’s Champion trophy.  Watch the introductory World University Sailing Championship video here on YouTube  For more FISU World University Sailing Championship information

Women on Water team sailing J/70Women On Water (WOW) Regatta Preview
(Sundby, Denmark)- The WOW organization has now joined the Danish J/70 Sailing League and will have their first event in Sundby, Denmark from September 22nd to 23rd.  The format will be the same as the open sailing league, eighteen teams of five women on board each boat, with teams rotating on each flight.

“WOW is expecting to get more women on the water, securing the next generation of girl sailors, and creating strong networks among women,” says Josefine Boel. "There has been a lot of support, from Sundby Sailing Association there are two teams. Henriette and I sailed a major European event last year, where there were more women. And, then we talked about how we get more women with in this.  When we spoke to the Danish Sailing League organizers, we created the WOW concept and created this event. We hoped for ten teams, but ended up with eighteen, and we even have four on waiting list! It's very overwhelming!”

J/70 womens sailing teamThe WOW concept is off to a flying start. Over 200 women have joined the network - and it does not stop there.

"Both Henriette Koch and I have an elite sailing background, but it was not what we wanted. The most important thing is to get more women sailing,” said Josefine. “Henriette is somewhat older than me, and she was the one girl I looked up to, she often beat all the boys.  I have seen many girlfriends stop sailing because they did not fit into the elite and Olympic sailing environment. There are many skilled young girls. But, there are no fun opportunities (or divisions like in soccer) for those who are not the top five percent. That is what we will try to improve. So, this is not just about sailing, but just as much to have fun, get together, and help each other. We tried to mix the teams, so there are veterans- including Dorte Jensen with a host of Olympic campaigns behind her- and young girls mixed together," continued Josefine.

J/70 WOW- Women on Water sailing teamDorthe Alvang is part of one WOW team in Sundby. She was born on the island and sailed in Roskilde before she returned to Amager. And, she has missed such an initiative women. Said Dorthe, ”I’m what you can call an ordinary sailor, there are lots of us! There is not much activity in sailing for women.  So, if you do not go all-in, there are not many opportunities to go sailing on a small sailboat.  For this WOW event, I formed a team with other women better than me. So, now we train for the competition every weekend. It is often the case in sailing that the men are very active and the women are so strangely withdrawn. So this is a perfect way to turn it up a bit and get out on the water!”

The WOW organizers invite women to the WOW meeting on Thursday, September 20th, entitled "Women on the Podium”, at HORTEN Lawyers in Tuborg Harbor.

"I've learned more about team dynamics by sailing than by going to work over the years. I have used my sailing experiences a lot in my work life. And, this is about focusing on the fact that there are too few women represented in boards and management positions in Danish businesses. Subsequently, the participants from the Thursday meeting are invited to sail at the WOW event in Sundby the following weekend. Here the participants could get a ride on a J/70 with some of Europe's best women sailors; and, further the opportunity to strengthen their network. So, it's not just about sailing together, but also helping each other in relation to the things we do- networking and collaboration," explains Josefine.
Follow the WOW Women’s sailing event on Facebook   Facebook video highlights   For more Danish J/70 Sailing League information
 

J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

The last week in August has seen an enormous uptick in sailing activity across the planet; in particular Europe with the advent of the “post-European vacation” regattas for the J/70 sailing leagues taking place from Europe to Russia.  For starters, the J/111 World Championship was held in Breskens, The Netherlands, with sailing on the North Sea. Off to the east, the J/24 Worlds were being sailed on Lake Garda, Italy, hosted by Fraglia Vela Riva in Riva del Garda for an amazing fleet of 80+ teams- the 40th edition of the regatta.

Meanwhile, the J/70 sailing leagues across Europe kicked back into high gear to complete their seasons.  In Germany, there were two events sailed on the Wansee in Berlin, one for the 36 teams in the 1st & 2nd Leagues and also the 20 teams in the German J/70 Youth Sailing League.  Over in Denmark, they also had their Danish J/70 Sailing League sail in Skovshoved with 18 teams in the Open league and also another dozen teams in their Youth League! Over in the Swiss Alps, the Swiss J/70 Sailing League took place on the gorgeous lake of Davos for 18 teams.  Up north, there were 18 teams participating in the Swedish J/70 Sailing League, sailed off Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.  Just east of them, it was the occasion for the next event in the Russia J/70 Sailing League that was sailed on the Neva River in St Petersburg, Russia.  Finally, down in Crouesty de Arzon, France, it was the 5th of seven regattas in the J/80 Coupe de France that took place- the J/80 Duo Crouesty Regatta- sailing J/80’s doublehanded.

Over in the America’s, the top women match racers participated in the US Sailing Women’s Match Race Championship, hosted by St Francis YC, and sailed in J/22’s on San Francisco Bay, CA.  Off to the Midwest, the Verve Cup Inshore Regatta was sailed on Lake Michigan, hosted by Chicago YC for fleets of J/70s and J/24s.  Still further east, the J/80s sailed their East Coast Championship in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.  Then, the Storm Trysail Club held their annual Ted Hood Regatta in Marblehead, MA for fleets of J/70s, J/105s, and handicap fleets- PHRF and ORR-EZ for J/111, J/124, J/122, J/33, J/109.

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:

Aug 30- Sep 2- SAILING Champions League Finale- St Moritz, Switzerland
Sep 7-9- Italian J/70 Cup- Trieste, Italy
Sep 7-9- German J/80 Open Nationals- Glucksburg, Germany
Sep 7-9- J/24 USA Nationals- Falmouth, ME
Sep 7-9- J/80 North American Championship- Marion, MA
Sep 7-9- J/109 East Coast Championship- Newport, RI
Sep 8-14- J/22 World Championship- Annapolis, MD
Sep 9-10- J/24 Great Lakes Championship- Sandusky, OH
Sep 12-16- Rolex Big Boat Series- San Francisco, CA
Sep 14-16- J/70 Great Lakes Championship- Grosse Pointe, MI
Sep 18-21- J/111 North American Championship- Macatawa, MI
Sep 21-23- Canadian J/105 National Championship- Toronto, ONT
Sep 21-23- J/22 Northeast Championship- Diamond Point, NY
Sep 21-23- J/80 Atlantic Telegramme- Lorient, France
Sep 22-29- J/70 World Championship- Marblehead, MA

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

JELVIS- Martin Dent- J/111 World ChampionsJELVIS Repeats @ J/111 World Championship
(Breskens, The Netherlands)- The 2018 J/111 World Championship was hosted in conjunction with the Breskens Sailing Weekend in the Netherlands.  A dozen J/111 crews participated from five nations (Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, & Switzerland). The teams raced offshore on the North Sea along the famous Benelux beaches and seashore.

Hosts for the Worlds were Watersportvereniging Breskens, Royal Yacht Club of Belgium, Koninklijke Roei & Zeilvereniging De Maas, Koninklijke Nederlandse Roei en Zeilvereniging Muiden, Koninklijke Antwerpse Watersportverenging SRNA and the Royal Netherlands Yachting Union (RNYU).

As anticipated, the powerful British J/111 contingent would prove formidable over the course of competition.  In the end, it was Martin Dent’s JELVIS that loved the big breeze and big winds and repeated their win from 2016 to be crowned the 2018 J/111 World Champion.

The first day of competition was already going to separate “the men from the boys” due to the big breeze, big waves, and difficult steering conditions in the chop that builds offshore of Breskens due to the current.  For those that relish the breeze (e.g. like the Solent sailors), they had a lot of fun offwind in the planing conditions.

The second day produced even tougher conditions than the first, with a steady 20-plus kts of wind and huge waves.  Spinnaker runs saw boats easily hitting 14+ kts boat speed most of the way down the track to the leeward gates.

J/111 JelvisDent’s JELVIS team scored an impressive, perfect 1-1-1 on the day.  The only downside was that Simon Bamford’s team on KESTREL had a massive collision with RED HERRING during the first race of the morning.

On the third day, the windspeed was gusting up to 23 kts and waves up to 8 feet high against the current!  Britain still ruled after three days of racing, with Dent’s JELVIS in an untouchable position for the final day.

In the end, the JELVIS crew won their second J/111 World Championship with a very consistent performance, reveling in the breezy, choppy conditions.  Taking second was Tony Mack's McFLY and the battle for 3rd place was won by the “Flying Dutchmen” aboard Paul van Driel's SWEENY (they were also declared the J/111 Worlds Corinthians Division winner).  For more J/111 World Championship sailing information
 

J/24s sailing at Worlds on Lake Garda, Italy40th J/24 World Championship Update
(Riva del Garda, Italy)- Lake Garda lived up to its “bucket list” reputation on the opening day of the J/24 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy. Eighty-nine teams from 14 countries (Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden and United States) descended on the picturesque lake for the 40th edition of the Championship.

Day 1- Monday
With sunny skies and breeze at 10-15 knots, American Will Welles’ Kaster got out of the gate with the early advantage, posting 2,5,2 for nine points in the three races. Hungarian Tomai Bala’zs’ J.Bond 037 started the day strong with 1,2, but a 13 in race three left him with 16 points for second place. Travis Odenbach’s Honeybadger of the USA rests in third place with 29 points.

Bala’zs opened the regatta with a victory, ahead of Welles and Italian Ignazio Bonanno’s La Superba. Keith Whittemore’s Furio, USA, took the next battle, as Bala’zs dropped to second and Duncan McCarthy’s Madeleine of Great Britain put another nation on the leaderboard. The final contest saw McCarthy, Welles and Whittemore comprise the top three.

J/24s sailing on Lake Garda, Italy- WorldsDay 2- Tuesday
The leaderboard tightened up Tuesday at the J/24 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy. Lake Garda again produced fantastic conditions as the 89 teams recorded two more races, bringing the total to five, including now one discard. American Will Welles’ Kaster maintained the top spot with 18 net points, but Hungarian Tomai Bala’zs’ J.Bond 037 is just two points back in second place with 20, and Nobuyuki Imai’s Siesta of Japan launched up to third with 21 points. Both Welles and Bala’zs stumbled in the day’s final race, but benefited from the throw-out.

2016 World Champion Daniel Frost’s JJOne of Germany ruled the day, winning the first contest, and placing second in the next. Following Frost in Tuesday’s opener were two Americans: Keith Whittemore’s Furio and Travis Odenbach’s Honeybadger. Imai’s Siesta also had a solid day, leading the fleet home in race five, ahead of Frost and fellow Japanese sailor Tomomi Hatakeyama’s Gekko.

J/24s saiing upwind on Lake Garda, ItalyDay 3- Wednesday
Lake Garda delivered more of the same champagne conditions on the middle day of the J/24 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy. American Will Welles’ Kaster showed the same consistency, posting two second place finishes in Wednesday’s pair of races. Welles now boasts a seven-point advantage over Nobuyuki Imai’s Siesta of Japan, who won the opening contest but added a seven in the next. Daniel Frost’s JJOne of Germany continued his ascent up the rankings with a 4,3 to move into third at 36 points, with Keith Whittemore’s Furio of the USA looking over his shoulder one notch back.

Imai’s Siesta stayed hot, winning the opening match Wednesday in the familiar 10-16 knot lake winds. Welles and Whittemore followed. Whittemore’s Furio earned his first bullet of the series in race seven, with Welles repeating in second and Frost third.  For more J/24 World Championship sailing information
 

J/22s sailing US Women's Match Race- San Francisco, CABreault Takes 3rd US Women’s Match Race Title!
(San Francisco, CA)- Nicole Breault ran the table at the 2018 U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club, August 24-26. Without a single loss, Breault and her St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC) crew of Molly Carapiet (San Francisco, Calif.), Hannah Burroughs (San Francisco, Calif.) and Karen Loutsenheiser (Santa Cruz, Calif.) successfully defended their 2016 title.

Allie Blecher (San Francisco, Calif.), sailing with Ali Blumenthal (Bethport, N.Y.), Beka Schiff (San Diego, Calif.) and Molly Noble (Hood River, Ore.) for Cal Sailing Club, fought hard for second in a tiebreaker semi-final against Janel Zarkowsky (Annapolis, Md.).

"It was the frosting on the cake, to have run the table, but it wasn't my expectation. I knew either Allie and Janel, coming out of the semi-finals, would be tough. We had to be ready," said Breault.

Breault, along with Carapiet and Loutsenheiser, also won the Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy in 2015.

With the win, Breault is invited to compete at the 2018 U.S. Match Racing Championship, hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club on October 19-21, 2018. She had already qualified to represent the U.S. at the 2019 Nations Cup Grand Final. Breault is the #1 ranked women's match racer in the country and #8 in the world.

Eight teams were whittled down to two during three stages of match racing on San Francisco Bay. Commencing Friday with a round robin to determine seeding, racing was initially delayed due to light winds – a rare occurrence on these waters. This allowed for a little extra practice in the J/22s provided by StFYC. By Saturday there was enough breeze to power the teams rapidly through the rounds, with Breault picking off one after another to remain on top.

Blecher's team said they were enjoying the bay's breeze-on conditions and sorry to see the Race Committee remove spinnakers when the wind reached upper limits, "though it was the right call," said Blumenthal.

Sunday once again dawned light and shifty for the semi-finals, which would determine seeding for the final and petit final. Marilyn Cassedy (Los Angeles, Calif.) won her pair against Stephanie Wondolleck (San Rafael, Calif.) to advance, but lost against Breault, finishing fourth overall.

The battle between second and third came down to a tiebreaker between Blecher and Zarkowsky. Blecher led during the first upwind and gained further when Zarkowsky scored a penalty on the downwind run. A tacking duel on the second upwind made for a close rounding and sailing down the course. Just short of the finish, Zarkowsky dropped the chute and smoothly executed a jibe, but it failed to fully clear the penalty, allowing Blecher to advance to the finals against Breault.

"I should have waited but my heart was racing and I knew what was on the line," Zarkowsky recounted. "We're glad we gave her a hard time and we're glad she'll be at the Nations Cup."

The light, shifty winds settled into a steady 15 knots heading into the final, where the first race was a textbook example of Breault and her crew's prowess. Blecher had the better start and a solid lead, but Breault clawed up her back, tack for tack, eventually seizing control and owning the first rounding. Her dialed deck crew had the spinnaker set and filled to lock in a solid lead they held to the finish.

"We've got to be really aggressive," Breault said of her mindset on that first upwind. "We initiated a tacking duel and we knew were tacking better and gaining. It was like, 'We're behind, let's fight right now.'"

Race two again saw Blecher control Breault through the pre-start and carry the lead all the way to the windward mark. Breault, on the hunt, shadowed her chute forcing her off to starboard.

"As soon as I saw her spinnaker collapse the second time, I knew we were going to reel her in," said Breault. "But it's always a struggle. We'd come out of the jibe at a crazy angle and the kite would pop and we'd ratchet forward a couple of feet."

Breault capitalizing on every micro error, took down Blecher in three races. "I felt like we were a triple threat. We had a clear advantage, being in home waters, sailing as an experienced team in boats we know," said Breault. "They gave it their all and did good match racing. From the grassroots women's sailing standpoint, there was a really good vibe. There was camaraderie among competitors and it bodes really well for the regatta going forward."

Blecher was awarded the Mrs. Charles Frances Adams Perpetual Trophy, and as the top finisher of the event who hadn't previously qualified for the Nations Cup, she will be nominated by US Sailing to participate in the 2019 regatta, also hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club.

"We had potential, we just lost to them upwind. We just don't have the time together in the boat," said Blecher. "It was nice to spice things up at the starts and it was definitely fun racing."

The U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship was sponsored by Gill, with prizes for top finishers provided by Hobie Cat and gifts for the umpires from Cameron Hughes Winery.

Randy Smith conducted a match-racing clinic with the participating sailors on Thursday, August 23.

Previous winners of the U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship include an impressive list of the top women's sailors in recent U.S. history. Cory Sertl, Betsy Alison, Sally Barkow, Anna Tunnicliffe, Stephanie Roble, Genny Tulloch, Liz Baylis, and Debbie Cappozi have all won this US Sailing National Championship.
For more US Women’s Match Racing Championship sailing information
 

J/70s sailing off St Petersburg, RussiaSurprise @ Russia J/70 Sailing League
(St Petersburg, Russia)- The fourth regatta of the season for the Russian J/70 Sailing League took place in St Petersburg, Russian, with sailing taking place in front of the Peter & Paul Fortress on the Neva River.  Twenty-seven teams participated in the event; including ArtTube RUS1 (Valery Kovalenko), Konakovo River Club (Dmitry Shunin), NAVIGATOR Sailing Team (Igor Rytov), Leviathan (Vadim Yakhinson), Calipso (Maxim Taranov), "Sail Lord- EUROPE" (Vyacheslav Ermolenko), PIRogovo (Alexander Yezhkov), Sailor EUROPE (Sergei Musikhin), Rocknrolla Sailing Team / RUS76 (Andrey Kirilyuk), St. Petersburg Yacht Club Academy of Sailing (Anna Basalkina), Region-23 (Evgeny Nikiforov), Black Sea (Carina Teliants), Navigator Sailing Team (Alexandra Peterson), DC TEAM (Denis Cherevatenko), ZID PRO (Zoran Paunovich), RUS-7 (Igor Ginzburg), X-Fit (Igor Ginzburg), Resourcekomplekt (Alexander Mikhailov), CSKA (Ilya Kozhevnikov), Imperial Yacht Club (Irina Sorokina), Sochi- South Sport (Alexey Krylov), KOMATEK Kochnev), USC (Boris Kucherenko), Parma Lukomorye (Vitaly Tarakanov), East-West (Evgeny Anishev), Skolkovo Sailing Team (Konstantin Umnov), and Yacht Club of St. Petersburg (Sergey Dobrovolsky).

J/70s Russian sailing teams- St Petersburg, RussiaFor the first two days, the fleet was blessed with strong winds and sunny skies.  By the final day, an overcast sky with intermittent rains scattered across the northern capital of Russia, but it did not dampen the spirits of the sailors as they enjoyed more great racing in 8-14 kt winds.  Forty-five races in total were run on the windy, choppy river course with each team sailing at least fifteen races.

In the end, it was a surprising outcome for the incredibly competitive fleet at the top of the leaderboard.  Winning the event by just a half point was CALIPSO, skippered by Maxim Taranov, with crew of Vladimir Shishkin, Egor Zuev, Dmitry Kolesnikov and Ilya Polishchuk.  Just missing the gold was a new top woman skipper- Vadim Yahinson; by winning her last race, she led her LEVIATHAN team (Alexander Prokofiev, Maxim and Mikhail Sheremetyev) onto the silver step on the podium.  Rounding out the top three to take the bronze was another woman skipper- Anna Basalkina and her crew of Ivan Zotov, Christian and Yakh Czech on the Y.C. ST PETERSBURG SAILING ACADEMY TEAM.

J/70s sailing on Neva River- St Petersburg, RussiaThe balance of the top five included two multi-regatta winners in the series; securing fourth place was Igor Rytov’s NAVIGATOR Sailing Team and in fifth place was yet another woman skipper- ARTTUBE RUS-1’s Valeria Kovalenko with her team of Alexander Bozhko, Igor Lisovenko and Denis Rozhkov.

What was notable about this regatta was that for the first time in the history of Russian sailing and in Russian J/70 Sailing League history, three women skippers were in the top five (two on the podium) and were significant factors in the overall competition all weekend long!

The next regatta will take place on September 20-23 at the unique sailing area in harbor of Vladivostok, Russia- the easternmost point of civilization on the Eur-Asian continent!

Watch these Russian J/70 Sailing League highlight videos on Facebook here:
DAY 1- https://www.facebook.com/russiansailingleague/videos/226085171413460/
DAY 2- https://www.facebook.com/russiansailingleague/videos/481942298986885/
DAY 3- https://www.facebook.com/russiansailingleague/videos/278706162729026/

For more Russian J/70 Sailing League information  SAILING PHOTO CREDITS- Andrey Sheremetyev   For more Russian Sailing Federation League information
 

Danish J/70 Youth teamYOUNGSTERS II Takes Danish Youth League Act III
(Skovshoved, Denmark)- The Danish J/70 Sailing League created their Youth League two years ago and it continues to grow in popularity with young kids at sailing clubs across Denmark.  The combination of young girls and boys competing on the water and socializing ashore has made it fun and exciting for them. Last weekend, they enjoyed great sailing with racing managed by the Skovshoved Sailing Club.

This year, it was the YOUNGSTER II team that won the event at Skovshoved- the second time they have done so. The team consists of brothers Jeppe & Nikolaj Borch, Amanda Ulmdal, Mathias Rossing and Nikolaj Rasmussen.

The skipper- Jeppe Borch- talked about the close sailing they experienced over the weekend, “it was very close sailing each day.  In fact, we did not win until we beat the SUNDBY MARLINS in the last race, on the last run to the finish! We luckily pulled the longest straw!  Thank goodness! The SUNDBY MARLINS got a few penalties at the start, so we got a little distance on them right from the beginning. It was great that we could finish the weekend standing at the top of the podium!”

The second place SUNDBY MARLINS, consisting of Josefine Boel Rasmussen, Kristian Schaldemose, Søren Andersen and Marc Wain, beat their previous best position in the Youth League by taking a podium for the competition. Before the competition, the team hoped for lots of fun and good wind, and they got what they came for!

SUNDBY’s female skipper- Josefine Boel Rasmussen- said that, "we were happy with the weekend. Our not so good results in some races were mainly due to our mistakes or situations where we had fouled other teams. So, when we managed to get off with free wind, it was good to sail the boat fast, get a few good wind shifts, and hit it right, even winning some races!”

With only one point separating the other teams on the podium, the game was a tough battle through the final race. The BANDHOLM WHITETAILED EAGLES team, that included skipper Bo Schulein, Ole Lindberg, Christian Torp and Peter Ammundsen, ended up landing on the podium at the last minute, even though they nearly threw away that opportunity several times. Sunday’s last race 4th place was due to the fact they had to do circles to exonerate themselves from a penalty incurred during the race; had they taken 5th, they would have finished 5th!

The balance of the top five included the DTU SAIL RACING TEAM in 4th place and the THURO PIRATES in 5th position.  Follow the Danish J/70 Youth Sailing League here on Facebook  For Danish Youth Sailing League video highlights  For more Danish J/70 Sailing League information
 

Danish J/70 sailing league actionKDY SHARKS Lead J/70 Danish Sailing League
(Skovshoved, Denmark)- This past weekend, the Skovshoved Sailing Club, together with the Danish Sailing League, hosted the third of four events in their season series off Skovshoved.  The eighteen teams that were participating had good weather all three days.

Winning the third event and cementing their position at the top of the leaderboard for the season was the KDY SHARKS.  The team consisted of Michael Hestbæk, Thomas Hartvig, Henning Lambertsen and Niels Gramkov. After decimating the fleet in Skovshoved, they now count a 2-1-1 tally for a total of 4 pts for the season series.

J/70 Danish Sailing League actionKALØVIG COBRAS made a big jump in the last day and secured 2nd place as they got two bullets in the last two races. It was undoubtedly a very good event for the KALØVIG COBRAS team (Lars Vilhelmsen, Sophus Jarvig, Nikolai Tiedemann, & Jesper Vogelius). The FAABORG FALCONS ended in 3rd place, 9 points behind.

As a result of the third round, the top five positions in the Danish J/70 Sailing League are the following:
1. KDY SHARKS (4 points)
2. FREDERIKSHAVN SEAHAWKS (11 points)
3. KALØVIG COBRAS (13 points)
4. SEAHORSENS (13 points)
5. AARHUS SHARKS (16 points)

Follow the Danish J/70 Sailing League on Facebook   Facebook video highlights.   For more Danish J/70 Sailing League information
 

German J/70 Sailing League action- BerlinNRV Leads J/70 German Sailing League
(Berlin, Germany)- Thirty-six teams from both the 1st and 2nd Levels participated in the fourth round of the German J/70 Sailing League at the club Seglerhaus am Wannsee.  As anticipated, the Wansee Lake was a challenge for the 36 clubs; the teams fought hard over the three days with spinning winds, sun, rain, and difficult conditions.

After 48 races (16 for each club), clubs from Hamburg were at the top of the podium for the second time in a row, but the outcome was made in the last race. The Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) and the Mühlenberger Sailing Club (MSC) defended their places at the top of the leader table.

"It's impressive how strong the NRV is and how they stay at the top without great mistakes,” commented Dennis Mehlig of the Württemberg Yacht Club. “Our goal was to be in the front again, so we are super happy with our result. The overall ranking has mixed up a bit because of the Berlin results.”

German J/70 Sailing League winners- BerlinBy winning seven of their sixteen races, it was quite clear that NRV was sailing in a league of their own.  Only Dusseldorf YC challenged them in most races, winning five races on their way to securing a second on the shifty lake.  Third went to Bayerischer YC, fourth was Wurttembergischer YC, and fifth was Wassersport-Verein Hemelingen.

As result, for the 1st level, NRV are counting a 1-8-1-1 for 11 pts to lead the series by 8 pts.  Second with an 8-5-2-4 tally for 19 pts is Wurttembergischer YC, and third is Bayerischer YC with a 2-7-10-3 for 22 pts.

Watch the YouTube sailing highlights of the sailing on Wansee in Berlin
Day 1- https://youtu.be/9fJZMTPnFwo
Day 2- https://youtu.be/_1CoXv4tWWM
Day 3- https://youtu.be/whZI5HSWBnI

German J/70 sailing league video- BerlinWatch more sailing highlights of the German J/70 sailing league on Facebook here
Day 1- https://www.facebook.com/SegelBundesliga/videos/2086378818344350/
Day 2- https://www.facebook.com/SegelBundesliga/videos/319780161930358/
Day 3- https://www.facebook.com/SegelBundesliga/videos/276868603040591/
Sailing photo credits- Lars Wehrmann  For more German J/70 Sailing League information
 

German J/70 Youth Sailing LeagueMunchner YC Tops German J/70 Youth Sailing League
(Berlin, Germany)- The second round of the German J/70 Youth Sailing League took place on the Wannsee lake in Berlin. Despite summer holidays all over Germany, there were 20 passionately enthusiastic youth teams on the starting line, happily hosted by the Berlin Yacht Club.

The sailors were fortunate that forecasts for 8 to 15 kt winds from the west provided the best sailing conditions they could expect on the Wannsee for two days.  As a result, it made for great sailing on Saturday but Sunday’s had to be canceled since the wind died and turned the lake in a complete “glass out”.

Winning the abbreviated event was the Munchner YC with a 1-2-1-1 for 5 pts.  Second was the Bayerischer YC 2 team with a 1-1-4-1 for 7 pts. Then, third was the One Kiel Team with a 2-5-2-1 with 10 pts. Sailing photo credits- Lars Wehrmann.  Follow the German J/70 Youth Sailing League on Facebook here.   For more German J/70 Youth Sailing League information
 

Swedish J/70 Sailing LeagueKSSS Lengthens Lead @ Swedish J/70 League
(Örnsköldsvik, Sweden)- Eighteen teams participated in the third round of the Swedish J/70 Sailing League in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden this past weekend.  What transpired over the three-day event was not unexpected regards which team continued to demonstrate speed, strong tactics, and great boathandling.  In the end, the overall leader of the Swedish J/70 Sailing League (a.k.a. the Allsvenskan Segling 2018), the KSSS (Royal Swedish YC), added yet another bullet to their season scoreline to count just 4 pts after three events (Malmo, Ekero, Örnsköldsvik).

Nevertheless, winning for the KSSS did not come easy in this event. The inner harbor of Örnsköldsvik has very shifty, puffy winds. That combined with very short legs both upwind and downwind put a premium on “short course” tactics and positioning, as well as a very strong premium on excellent boat handling.  Add in 10-20 kt winds, the speed of the race can get to you quickly, one bad tack, one bad spinnaker set, a bad gybe, a blown leeward gate rounding, all add up quickly when you are racing six teams on a short, quick track.

Swedish J/70 Sailing League actionWhile it was tough on the competitors, it was fantastic sport for the spectators along the quayside, literally a few meters offshore the boats were dueling for position from start to finish.  Plus, a few spectacular wipe-outs (broaches) downwind kept everyone entertained.

"It's fair racing, but it feels like we've been moving so fat, so quickly! You cannot relax until you're finished the race, it can be exhausting working so fast! There is so much happening during the race,“ said Tobias Bergqvist from Särö Båtklubb (the team that was in 2nd after the first day).  At the end of Friday’s racing it was blowing a solid 18-25 kts!

Saturday’s racing didn’t see much change in the standings. The wind conditions moderated into the 10-15 kts range, making it easier for crews to get around the race track in a somewhat organized fashion (e.g. fewer broaches and spinnaker “shrimpings”).  However, it did produce a tie-breaker between KSSS and the Särö Båtklubb at 14 pts each.  And, Hjuviks Boatklub was not sitting in 3rd place with 16 pts.

Swedish  J/70 Sailing League woman skipperAt dawn on Sunday, everyone was hopeful for a final showdown between KSSS and the Särö Båtklubb teams. It was not meant to be, as the weather Gods instead produced 20-25 kt winds, gusting to 30 kts.  A bit much for the eighteen crews looking at the loss of a perfectly beautiful, sunny, warm, day of sailing in true “blowing dogs off chains” conditions.  So, the third day of racing was canceled and, thus, the KSSS won the round after only seven races during Friday and Saturday.

The four who won the victory for KSSS were Mikael Lindqvist, Christian Harding, Linnea Floser and Hanna Mauer.

"It feels great to be on top. There are shifty, puffy winds inside the harbor, but we managed to handle them well,” said Hanna Maurer from KSSS.

“Varied sailing in beautiful surroundings inspired us. We dared to make quick and difficult decisions. Our experienced skipper- Mikael Lindqvist- led the team to a tight, but lovely victory. Many thanks to the organizers who gave us the opportunity to sail on such a nice sailing arena," said Christian Harding of the KSSS crew.

Swedish J/70 Sailing League winnersWith three out of four rounds completed for this year's Allsvenskan, the ruling champions and favorites from KSSS have a safe lead after a second place and two wins in the three rounds.

The rest of the teams are now chasing Särö Boat Club that is sitting in 2nd place with 3-7-2 record for 12 pts, 8 pts back from the leaders KSSS.  Hot on their heels in third place overall is GKSS with a 9-2-4 tally for 15 pts.  And, only 2 pts in arrears of them in fourth place is Hjuviks BK with a 5-9-3 scoreline for 17 pts. In short, given the wildly gyrating performances between these three teams from event to event, it would be fair to say the balance of the podium behind KSSS is wide open!

The Allsvenskan season outcome will be determined in the final round in Gottskär, outside Gothenburg, from September 7th to 9th.  Sailing photo credits- Daniel Stenhol.  Follow the Swedish J/70 Sailing League here on Facebook.   For more Swedish J/70 Sailing League information
 

Swiss J/70 Sailing League action in Davos, SwitzerlandRegattaclub Bodensee Lead in Swiss J/70 League
(Davos, Switzerland)- On the first day of the sailing on the beautiful mountain lake of Davos, the favorites, the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) and the Regattaclub Bodensee, made it clear they were in top form. In difficult wind conditions, the fresh north wind turned strong, and both teams constantly sailed in the top two places, with the Lake Constance team from Bodensee getting the best of their fellow sailors 1-1-2-3-3-3-1 tally to easily lead the fleet of a dozen teams from across Switzerland.

All crews were surprised by the massive windshifts and many found themselves, unexpectedly, at the back end of the field after one shift.  Or, they could work their way back to the top from a bad position if they caught some of those shifts to gain on their competitors.

After a poor start on the second day of the competition, the Seglervereinigung Kreuzlingen clawed their back up the ladder to take the 2nd position behind the Bodensee crew as the winner of the day.  Meanwhile, also experiencing a meteoric rise up the leaderboard was the Club Nautique de Versoix (CNV); they were third on the day and leapt from 11th place to 3rd overall was back in the race for third place from second to last place.  CNV’s tally was a blistering hot 1-2-1-4-1-2!!

Swiss women J/70 Sailing League teamOn the final day, the sun shone on the Davos mountain peaks and with a nice westerly wind between 4 to 8 kts, a further 12 races were scored and the round was completed for the regatta with the maximum program of 42 races. Thanks to the excellent organization of the Davos Sailing and Surfing Club, including President Johnny Wenger and the PRO Gian-Andrea Giovanoli, the Davos RC work ran like a well-oiled, precise Swiss clock!

Regattaclub Bodensee’s crew of Massimo Soriano, Lea Rüegg, Stefan Zurfluh and René Ott won four of their last six races to clinch their victory in the Davos event, the second to last one of the Swiss Sailing Super League Series.

The Seglervereinigung Kreuzlingen team of Tom Rüegge, Peter Fritschi, Stefan Stäheli and Michael Hermann sailed a brilliant, consistent series to easily take the silver.

Swiss J/70 Sailing LeagueWhile the leaders finally settled their scores with each other, it was nothing even close to that in the fight for the final bronze position on the podium; in fact, it was a wide-open battle until the final race between four teams! The Société Nautique de Genève, the junior team of Regattaclub Oberhofen, the Club Nautique de Versoix and the Yacht Club Bielersee were all within five points of each other before their last race! The juniors from Oberhofen seized the opportunity and overtook the favorites from Geneva to snatch the bronze, much to the delight crossing the final finish line cheering wildly and “high-fiving” each other as they headed into the docks.

As a result of the Davos regatta, Regattaclub Bodensee have increased their overall series lead with finishes of 3-2-2-1 for 8 pts total for the Swiss Sailing Super League series.  Now sitting 5 pts back is the Societe Nautique de Geneve with 13 pts total.  Then, the “fast kids” from Oberhofen closed their gap considerably with the Genevans, sitting just one point back in third overall with 14 pts total.  And after winning the first two regattas then taking a disastrous 12th in the Luzern event, the SVK Team are back in the hunt with their 2nd place finish to sit in fourth for the series with 16 pts total.  Watch out!  The SSSL Finals in Versoix is going to be a big battle between those three teams for the final two podium spots (given the fact that it is unlikely RC Bodensee will finish worse than 5th!).  Sailing photo credits- Claudia Somm / SSL  Watch the SSSL sailing highlights video here on Facebook  Watch one of the SSSL daily sailing highlights here on YouTube   Follow the Swiss Sailing Super League on Facebook here   For more Swiss J/70 Sailing League information
 

J/80s sailing in FranceGAN’JA Tops J/80 Duo Crouesty Regatta
(Crouesty, France)- Over the past weekend, the YC du Crouesty Arzon hosted the J/80 Duo Crouesty Regatta using new racing format- doublehanded racing of J/80s.  This was done because of the “European Vacation” problem; traditionally, it is always difficult to gather crews at the end of August, hence the idea of testing a new racing format. And, it was also an opportunity to show the versatility of the J/80 as the “Swiss Army knife” of sailing- the ability to sail it for a variety of purposes, such as leisure, sailing school, match race, fleet race, and now as a doublehander.

The fleet enjoyed very varied wind conditions from 6 to 18 kts, very sunny days/ hot, and the YCCA PRO managed to run six races for the nine teams that participated.  Note, this event counted as one of the regattas towards the overall J/80 Coupe de France season series.

After sailing four windward-leeward race and two random-leg courses around government markers, it was pretty clear that the top of the leaderboard had become a duel between the Nadal’s and the Pellisier’s!  Starting off fast was the husband/wife duo of Sylvain & Caridad Pellisier on the INTUITIVE SAILS with a 1-2-1 the first day for only 4 pts.  Sitting in second after day one was Frank Vallet and Remi Rabbe’s AKAJOULE with a 2-3-4 for 9 pts, then sitting in third was another husband/wife team- Luc & Maureen Nadal’s GAN’JA with a 4-6-2 with 10 pts.

However, the next day, the standings virtually flipped over on the leaderboard for the top three on the podium!  After posting a 2-1-1, the Nadal’s on GAN’JA claimed the top spot, crowned as French J/80 Doublehanded Champions!  Then, dropping to second place after a mediocre performance of 6-3-4 was the Pellisier’s on INTUITVE SAILS, losing the regatta by a half point.  Then, just on the verge of winning the event outright was Vallet/ Rabbe’s AKAJOULE, starting with a 1-2 but then adding a DNF to their scoreline to drop into third on the podium.

As a result of this regatta, the standings remain fairly fluid for the top ten in the overall season series for the J/80 Coupe de France.  Still leading is Simon Moriceau’s ARMEN HABITAT with 350 pts after four regattas.  However, by winning the Duo Crouesty event, the Pellisier’s leap into the second spot with 317 pts.  Dropping to third is Patrick Bot’s ECOLE NAVALE CG29.  Then, leaping into fourth is Nadal’s’ GAN’JA with 270.5 pts, dropping Anne Phelipon’s NAVIGANTLIQUE into fifth position with 266.5 pts.

The battle is on still to determine the final spots in the top five for the J/80 Coupe de France since there are two large regattas left on the calendar- The Atlantique Telegramme in Lorient from September 21st to 23rd and the final event will be the French J/80 Nationals in Pornic from November 1st to 4th. For more French J/80 class sailing information
 

J/70s sailing off Marblehead, MASunny, Summery Ted Hood Regatta
Healy Tops J/70s, Masur Takes J/105s
(Marblehead, MA)- The annual Storm Trysail Club Ted Hood Regatta took place from August 24th to 26th for fleets of J/70s, J/105s, and a variety of ORR-EZ/ PHRF handicap racing teams.  The regatta was significant for the forty-seven J/70s since was the last major event prior to the upcoming 2018 J/70 World Championship being hosted by Eastern YC in late September.

What was remarkable about the regatta for the J/70 class was the fact that every team in the top five had at least one or two double-digit finishes, which is how tough the fleet was over the three days.  Winning was Tim Healy’s NEW ENGLAND ROPES with a 5-11-2-6-3-3-4 tally for 34 pts, handily winning the event. Second was Brian Keane’s SAVASANA, the only boat to win two races, with a record of 1-22-4-5-5-1-8 for 46 pts. Then, third was Umberto de Luca’s Italian crew on MASCALZONE LATINO with a scoreline of 10-3-15-1-2-7-10 for 48 pts. Winning the Corinthians Division was Jim Cunningham’s LIFTED from San Francisco, CA.

The J/105s enjoyed good racing off the east of Children’s Island.  Winning that fleet with four bullets in their scoreline was Mark Masur’s Texan team on TWO FEATHERS.  Second, was Ken Bowden’s KNOTLESS and third was Jon Samel’s BLOWN AWAY.

In the ORR-EZ Division 1, Gary Weisberg’s J/111 HEAT WAVE took third, followed by Fred de Napoli’s J/124 ALLEGRO MALVAGIO in 4th, Tom Mager’s J/122 GIGI in 5th, Chris Lund’s J/133 JUMP in 6th, and Ed Kaye’s J/111 PRAVDA in 7th.

J/Crews faired better in ORR-EZ Division 2, with Dan Boyd’s J/109 WILD THING winning with Ward Blodgett & Liz Smith’s J/33 SIROCCO in third. For more Storm Trysail Ted Hood Regatta sailing information
 

J/70s sailing off Chicago, ILJ/Crews Enjoy Chicago's Verve Cup
Renz Wins J/70s, J/24s Got Boned!
(Chicago, IL)- From August 24th to 26th, the Chicago YC hosted the Verve Cup Inshore Regatta on the beautiful blue waters of Lake Michigan, right off the majestic waterfront of Chicago.  The J/70s enjoyed a total of nine races over the three days and the J/24 one-design class a total of just five races.

Sarah & Mark Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP won the ten-boat J/70 class with all finishes in the top three, including three 1sts, three 2nds, and two 3rds for 17 pts total.  Starting off slowly with a 4-4-6, Martin Johnsson’s AQUAHOLIKS virtually smoked the fleet for four 1sts and two 2nds for 22 pts total to take the silver… just imagine if they had started off the regatta with that streak?  Third was Bob Willis’ RIP RULLAH a long distance back with 43 pts.

The J/24s saw Josh Bone’s MOTORHOME actually motor home to the top of the leaderboard with a blistering 2-2-1-1-3 tally for 9 pts total. Not panicking was Richard Graef’s DON’T PANIC, collecting a 1-4-5-5-1 for 16 pts to take the silver.  Then, Cory Huseby’s BORK BORK BORK! took the bronze with an 8-1-2-3-5 for 19 pts total.  For more Verve Cup Inshore Regatta sailing information
 

J/80 sailing upwindFKA Crushes J/80 East Coasts
(Boothbay Harbor, ME)- Over the August 24th to 26th weekend, the Boothbay Harbor YC hosted the 2018 J/80 East Coast Championship.  A competitive fleet of sixteen J/80s from across the East Coast high-tailed it up to Maine to enjoy spectacular sailing in the gorgeous waters off Boothbay Harbor.

Starting off the first day leading the regatta, Les Beckwith’s crew on FKA never looked back, despite a disappointing 10th in the 5th race.  In the end, they accumulated six firsts in nine races to win with just 18 pts total.  Kevin Hayes’ MORE GOSTOSA sailed a very consistent series, collecting 5 seconds along the way, to take the silver with 20 pts total.  Rounding out the podium in the bronze position was Dan Shanahan’s LAWYERS GUNS & MANGOS with a total of 32 pts.  For more J/80 East Coast Championship sailing information
 

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

Women's J/24 sailing team* Women’s J/24 Team- Lee Ann Zaretsky, owner of the J/24 LADY MINX, had a tremendous experience sailing in last weekend’s Lambert Lai Memorial Regatta, hosted by Rochester YC.  Here is her story…

“The all-female J/24 Sailing Team, Lady MINX, recently spent a wind-whipped weekend racing on Lake Ontario in the J/24 District 7 Pendant Series Lambert Lai Memorial Regatta at the Rochester Yacht Club with many other J/24 competitors.  This regatta was organized by fleet captain Dave Stoller as a tribute to an amazing man, Lambert “Lambo” Lai and significant to many of us because Lambert called Rochester home.  For those of you not fortunate enough to have known him, he was an avid J/24 sailor and past president of the J/24 Class association.  Lambo loved racing his prized J/24, USA 5020 - Dr. Feelgood, and took pride in advancing the sport.  Case in point:  When Lambo heard I wanted to buy a J/24 and start racing it with an all-female crew, he took me under his wing.  He walked me through his boat pointing out all that I needed to know so that I was knowledgeable to find the right boat for me, and he helped me weed through the many boats I traveled to inspect over the summer of 2014.  His insights and words of wisdom were invaluable.

Women J/24 sailors on Lady MinxSadly, Lambo passed away soon after I purchased my boat.  Lady MINX was never able to race against him, but his influence, kindness, and willingness to support us lives on in our commitment to the sport and to this memorial regatta.  We sail in remembrance of this talented, respected, and likeable man and he would be proud of the Lady MINX sailing team!  While we are far from top-fleet competitors, we are beginning to turn heads and hear encouraging comments from our opponents as we make inroads sailing against the likes of Travis Odenbach, Kris Werner, Jack DePeters, Dave Stoller (new owner of Lambo’s USA 5020 Dr. Feelgood), Ed Gardner and other local experts who have been racing J/24’s for many years.

Lambo was with us in spirit this weekend!  We experienced a great regatta filled with sailing coups and conquered challenges.  On day one, Lake Ontario threw everything she had at us from gusty gusts to shifty shifts to deadpan lulls challenging both competitors and the race committee alike.  Winds were anywhere from 5 to 20+ knots depending on one’s location and timing.  To say it was challenging, is an understatement.  Weighing in at a mere 600-ish pounds of rail meat, we were easily over powered in the Women's J/24 sailing teamgusts; so we started the day with a blade but quickly realized we needed the power of a full genoa to compete in this fleet, as the competition was tough!  Race committee kept a tight starting line making it difficult for many to get off in clean air, but we managed a majority of stellar starts that kept us in the game from the get-go.  Our challenge for the 5 races that day was keeping the boat flat, tacking smoothly, and staying in phase with the shifts – all proving difficult.  But we had a secret weapon that helped us reclaim lost footage – our new Quantum hot pink spinnaker that made it a breeze to shoot downwind.  Our skill at spinnaker handling, combined with our lower weight, finally gave us a respectable advantage and we were able to overtake other contenders!

Lake Ontario calmed down a bit for day two with the winds settling into 12-15 knots and staying somewhat consistent and pleasing to all who came out to play.  It was definitely easier to keep the boat flat, to stay in-phase with the shifts, and to tack smoothly.  Alas, we found ourselves nipping at the heels of more opponents and competing for the finish with a solid pack of competitors.  We finished 3 races that day and proudly moved up a notch on the final race results.

J/24s sailing upwindSailing with an all-female team has its advantages!  We always have great snacks and drinks and we can easily share gear!  The down side is that there are a limited number of female competitive sailors, so that makes finding crew daunting.  Those of us who do sail are often already dedicated to a boat.   Lady MINX is supportive of and would like to see, more all-female J/24 sailboats on the racecourse.  If any females are interested in getting started and would like to learn from our experiences, then please contact us and we would be happy to share our insights and struggles with you.  
                               
A team is only as good as its members.  Therefore, I would be remiss if I did not thank my amazing crew for their hard work, skill, and willingness to give up the weekend to sail in the J/24 District 7 Pendant Series Lambert Lai Memorial Regatta:  trimmer – Shelly Strachan, bow – Leah Krauss, tactician – Tracie Patane-Neefuss, and mast – Stephanie Crittenden.  Moreover, final thanks goes to Lambert “Lambo” Lai for his positive support and encouragement the day that I told him I wanted to buy and skipper an all-female J/24.  Mahalo, my friend!  Your legacy lives on in those of us you touched!” Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

J/Newsletter- August 22nd, 2018

J/122E sport cruiser- cruising with family
Win the Worlds, Cruise Home- the Family-friendly J/112E Sport Cruiser
(Newport, RI)- It would be hard to imagine a more successful sailing season than the summer the J/112E sport-cruiser has enjoyed in Europe, and there’s still plenty of summer and fall sailing left to enjoy!

J/112E Offshore Sailing World ChampionsOur congratulations to Didier LeMoal, Fred Bouvier and the J/Composites team for organizing a great campaign with J/LANCE 12- capturing both the IRC European Championship and the IRC/ORC World Championship (with Netherlands J/Dealer Gideon Messink skippering).

Check out this partial list of J/112E results from some of the top events in Europe:
  • 1st Place- SPI OUEST France– IRC 2
  • 1st Place- 2018 J/CUP– IRC Overall
  • 1st Place- IRC Europeans– Overall and IRC 3
  • 1st Place- Around the Island Race (Isle of Wight) – IRC 1
  • 1st Place- Offshore Sailing World Championship– Class C
  • 1st & 2nd Place- Lendy Cowes Week – IRC 4
Even more impressive, the J/112E has been one of the few boats in each event carrying a full-on cruising interior.

J/112E women's sailing teamAs Paul Heys of J-UK reported- midway through the IRC European Championship in Cowes, England, after seeing how fast the J/112E passed their boat on the race course, one competitor hopped aboard J/LANCE 12 to see what was below. To his great surprise he discovered a V-berth cabin, main cabin table, sit-down nav station, marine head with holding tank, and a galley with stove- everything his current, purpose-built race boat was lacking (a JPK 1080). The next day he put a deposit on J/LANCE 12 and, after watching her win the Offshore Sailing World Championship, recently celebrated by winning the IRC 4 Class at Cowes Week!

Designing and building high quality sailboats that compete at the highest levels AND pass the family sailing test is no small task, which explains why so few companies do it. From the ramp launch-able J/70 to the open-course J/121, every J/ can be pushed or dialed back to the style and pace of sailing that best suits the owner. Sure, every design strikes a compromise between performance and accommodation to reach a specific design objective, but with a J/Boat there’s a big difference – we never compromise when it comes to the pure joy of sailing.

Look for the amazing J/112E at these 2018 Fall Sailboat shows- Newport, Southampton (England), and La Rochelle (France).  Learn more about the J/112E sport cruiser here.
 

J/99, Agent 99, or Bond 007?Agent 99 or Bond "007"?
(Seabrook, TX)- J/Boats Southwest has been fortunate enough to take delivery and introduce several new J/Boat models- all with Hull #7: J/70, J/88, and J/111 #007. J/Boats SW’s Steve LeMay put the following video together for fun on the J/99! They’re hoping to get J/99 007! Enjoy this Bond spoof on 007 and Agent 99!    Watch the Bond 007 J/99 sailboat spoof here.   Learn more about the J/99 here
 

J/24 World Championships40th J/24 World Championship Preview
(Riva del Garda, Italy)- The first J/24 World Championship took place in 1979 in Newport, RI. It was a memorable event. For four days, crews from around the world in the 72-boat fleet fought for world supremacy.  However, there was a “special race” that made it especially memorable for all participants that first year. On the last day of the event, the J/24 Worlds had their famous “long distance race”. In Rhode Island, there is ONLY one long distance race- the infamous “Round Island Race” of Jamestown- a 21.0nm affair.  It was a benign race to start off with; a mid-teens genoa windward beat to the first mark off the end of Beavertail Point Lighthouse.  However, from there on end, the Worlds would forever go down in infamy as one of the craziest races ever in the history of the J/24 class.

The weather forecasts were a bit odd that day, sunny, partly sunny, but rapidly-building winds from the SSW. By late afternoon, possible thunderstorms and squalls were forecast.  As it turns out, the Low/ depression grew considerably in strength as it hit the New England coastline.  On the downwind run in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, the winds rapidly increased from a benign SSW 12-18 kts to gusts well into the high 30s from the WSE! Boats were broaching everywhere, spinnakers blown out, crews hankering down for more severe gusts as squall after squall rolled over the race track. What?? Narragansett Bay?? Cannot be!  Nevertheless, the entire fleet reduced to 100% jibs and finished the race off Fort Adams in 20-30 kt winds from the SSW.

What no one expected was the jaw-dropping events for the awards ceremony held at the Newport Yachting Center that evening.  As everyone was enjoying their drinks and reminiscing about the past week, a huge black, ominous squall rolled over horizon from the west across Narragansett Bay.  Before everyone knew it, “white water” was blasting across the Bay underneath Newport Bridge and Newport Harbor, the tops of wavelets blown into a white froth, as the wind blast hit the regatta tent, it lifted it up nearly 5 feet!  Then, it settled down as everyone just about freaked out, then realized they had experienced a “hurricane-like” blast front and survived intact.  The drinks, and awards continued on that night, though a bit more subdued than one might expect.

Later, as everyone realized at that first J/24 Worlds in Newport, that Low/ depression became a “super depression” with 70+ kt winds and it devastated the RORC’s Fastnet Race 1979 with the most horrific sailing conditions imaginable for many unfortunate teams; many boats and lives were lost that year in “Fastnet Force 10”.  While Ted Turner’s famous TENACIOUS won that race, he still considered the Chicago- Mackinac Race in his equally famous red 12-Meter AMERICAN EAGLE the toughest race he ever sailed.  Many J/Boats sailors can relate to both of these experiences, many of whom sailed those two events.

The J/24 class has endured “winds of change” over the course of time, from 1977 until the present day.  Fleets around the world continue to enjoy close, fun, one-design, family racing, week to week in far-flung places around the world- such as Sydney and Melbourne, Australia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Williams Bay/ Tierra del Fuego, Chile; Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, Korea;  Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, & Valle de Bravo, Mexico; and, of course, across the USA, Europe, and the United Kingdom.

As a result, it is not surprising that a huge turnout of eighty J/24 teams are looking forward to a week of awesome racing at one of the most hallowed waters of one-design racing in the world- the northern end of Lake Garda, Italy.  Hosted by the Fraglia Vela Riva, the J/24 teams are in for a real treat of amazing sailing on what many consider to be one of the most spectacular bodies of water to sail- bar none.

Looking forward to enjoy perfect summer sailing conditions on Lake Garda are the following fifteen nations from around the world and the leading skippers from each:
  • Australia (6 teams)- Simon Grain and Hugo Ottaway
  • Brazil (1 crew)- Rento Catallini
  • Denmark (1 crew)- Fabian Damm
  • France (2 teams)- Brice Pelletier and Garcia Aorelian
  • Great Britain (14 teams)- Ian Southworth
  • Germany (19 teams)- Laura Hartje, Stefan Karsunke, Frank Schonfeldt, Peer Kock, Manfred Konig,
  • Greece (5 teams)- Nikolas Kapnisis
  • Hungary (9 teams)- Farkas Litkey, Peter Szabo
  • Ireland (3 teams)- Finbarr Ryan
  • Italy (29 crews)- Fabio Apollonie, Ignazio Bonanno
  • Japan (4 teams)- Kazuki Kumagai
  • Korea (1 crew)- Gyeongwon Jo
  • Netherlands (1 crew)- Dirk Olyslagers
  • Sweden (2 crews)- Per-Hakan Persson
  • USA (5 teams)- Will Welles, Travis Odenbach, Keith Whittemore, Bill Allen, Mike Ingham
Notably, the USA crews all have world-class talent on board.  In fact, all five teams are at least World Champions or North American Champions in various classes.  Given the tight quarters, emphasis on boat-handling, and acceleration/ boat speed, the American teams are likely to excel on the Lake Garda race-track.  For more J/24 World Championship sailing information
 

J/70s sailing one-design regattaSTC Ted Hood Regatta Preview
(Marblehead, MA)- The annual Storm Trysail Club Ted Hood Regatta taking place from August 24th to 26th is normally a fun-loving, locally-based, regatta for J/70s, J/105s, and a variety of PHRF handicap racing teams.  However, in 2018 the regatta has taken on a bit more significance since the presence of forty-six J/70 teams is an outsized, enormous fleet that is using the event as “practice” for the upcoming 2018 J/70 World Championship being hosted by Eastern YC in late September.

Not surprisingly, many of the top USA teams will be present in the huge J/70 class, hoping to test new sails, refine tuning for speed, and iron-out boat-handling techniques.  Those teams range from Minnesota to Texas, from California to Massachusetts.  From the West and South are crews like Jack Franco’s 3 BALL JT from Texas; Pat Toole’s 3 BIG DOGS from Santa Barbara, CA; Doug Strebel’s BLACK RIVER RACING from Dallas, TX; Mallory & Andrew Loe’s DIME from Seattle, WA; Glenn Darden’s HOSS from Ft Worth, TX; Jim Cunningham’s LIFTED from San Francisco, CA; Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS from Long Beach, CA; and Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE from Dallas, TX. From the Midwest and East are leading crews such as John & Molly Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES from Riverside, CT; Jud Smith’s AFRICA from Marblehead, MA (a true “home-boy” in these parts); Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT from Excelsior, MN; John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA from Wilmette, IL; Tod Sackett’s FM from Cleveland, OH; Marty Kullman’s HYDRA from St Petersburg, FL; Ray & Jenn Wulff’s JOINT CUSTODY from Annapolis, MD; Bill Lynn’s KEY PLAYER from Marblehead, MA (another “home boy”); Tim Healey’s NEW ENGLAND ROPES from Newport, RI; Oivind Lorentzen’s NINE from Stamford, CT; John Brim’s RIMETTE from Fisher’s Island, NY; and Brian Keane’s SAVASANA from Beverly, MA.

Joining that rather formidable group of top USA J/70 teams from the R.O.W. is the famous Italian crew on MASCALZONE LATINO (Vincenzo Onorato) and Renato Faria’s team from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on TO NESSA.

Meanwhile, the J/105s are turning out in force with a strong showing of nearly a dozen boats.  Notable class leaders include teams like Dave Nelson’s GOT QI from Hingham YC, Steve Hollis’ SIROCCO from Jubilee YC, and Mark Masur’s TWO FEATHERS from Ft Worth Boat Club in Texas.

A new feature for the event this year is the ORR-EZ class of nearly two-dozen boats.  Featured among them are eight J/Crews that range from 24 ft to 43 ft!  Those teams include Fred de Napoli’s J/124 ALLEGRO MALVAGIO, Tom Mager’s J/122 GIGI, Chris Zibailo’s J/112E DOPODOMANI, Ed Kaye’s J/111 PRAVDA, Gary Weisberg’s J/111 HEAT WAVE, and Dan Boyd’s J/109 WILD THING.  For more Storm Trysail Ted Hood Regatta sailing information
 

J/70s sailing off ChicagoVerve Cup Inshore Regatta Preview
(Chicago, IL)- From August 24th to 26th, the Chicago YC will be hosting the Verve Cup Inshore Regatta on the challenging waters of Lake Michigan, right off the majestic waterfront of Chicago.  Participating are seven one-design fleets, with the largest participation coming from the J/70 and J/24 classes.

Ten J/70s are racing, including top local teams like Sarah & Mark Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP, Steve Knoop’s AMERICAN FLYER, Tod Sackett’s FM, Amy Neill’s NITEMARE, Bob Willis’ RIP RULLAH and Ray Groble’s TAIPAN (a leading Midwest youth team).

The J/24s are also showing up in force, with nine boats heading for the starting line on Friday.  Many teams are traveling from all over the Midwest- from Minnesota, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois.  Locals include Mark Soya’s BREAK AWAY, Dan Walsh’s GOLD RUSH and Ed Leslie’s JAMMIN.  Visitors include three teams from Minnesota- Cory Huseby’s BORK BORK BORK, Eric Christenson’s BUBBLES, and Josh Bone’s MOTORHOME.  Two are from Wisconsin- Ben Stauber’s INSATIABLE and Ed Leslie’s JAMMIN.  Joining the fun from Indiana is Rick Graef’s DON’T PANIC.  For more Verve Cup Inshore Regatta sailing information
 

J/70s sailing off Miami, FloridaMiami J/70 Fleet Takes Flight
NEW Bacardi Winter Series 2018/ 2019!
(Biscayne Bay, FL)- The 2017/18 racing season on Biscayne Bay saw the formation of an action-packed new class, the J/70s. The hottest sport boat in sailing has come to Miami in a big way. Nine boats now call Miami home and are ready for an exciting 2018/2019 racing season, with several new regattas added to the calendar (see story on right).

This is the first new class to call Biscayne Bay home in many years and the excitement is building with other owners planning to join. There is even a Swedish team planning on buying a boat and keeping it in Miami to escape the Swedish winter.

There are currently only five boats available for immediate delivery from the factory. Interested parties should contact Mark Pincus at 305-915-1438 or mark@pincuscarlson.com

New Winter Series From Bacardi
Bacardi has announced a thrilling new series to be held on Biscayne Bay for the 2018/ 2019 racing season. The Bacardi Invitational Winter Series for the red-hot J/70 class will feature two regattas leading up to the grand finale- the Bacardi Cup.

The Winter Series regattas are December 1–2 and January 19–20. There will be trophies for each event, plus trophies for the entire three-event series, which culminates with the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta on Biscayne Bay in March.  For more Bacardi Cup J/70 Winter Series information
 

J/22 Womens match racingUS Women’s Match Racing Championship Preview
(San Francisco, CA)- Eight teams are set to face off in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco on August 24-26, 2018.

With the competition on San Francisco Bay in J/22 sailboats, teams will be racing with high stakes on the line this week. Due to a change in dates for the Nations Cup Grand Final from October, 2018 to April, 2019, US Sailing can nominate the skipper of the 2018 U.S. Women’s National Champion Match Racing team to represent the U.S. at this elite international match racing event.

The top placing eligible skipper will also be invited to compete at the 2018 U.S. Match Racing Championship, hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club on October 19-21, 2018.

A number of familiar faces in the women’s match racing circuit will be on hand this week, including defending two-time Champion (2016, 2015), Nicole Breault (San Francisco, Calif.). She returns with the same crew from her winning 2016 team, composed of Molly Carapiet (San Francisco, Calif.), Karen Loutzenheiser (Santa Cruz, Calif.), and Hannah Burroughs (San Francisco, Calif.).

Carapiet and Loutzenheiser also raced with Breault on her winning 2015 team. Breault is the #1 ranked women’s match racer in the country and #8 in the world.

After taking second place honors in 2016 and 2015, Janel Zarkowsky (Annapolis, Md.) makes a return to this Championship to take another shot at the title. Zarkowsky won as crew with Stephanie Roble in 2014.

“We are really looking forward to this year’s Championship on San Francisco Bay, especially since the list of highly-skilled and experienced teams racing this week is deep,” said Betsy Alison, Adult Sailing Director at US Sailing. “I expect the competition to be fierce as the competitors hone their skills by taking part in the additional opportunities for quality coaching and a clinic preceding the event."

Randy Smith, an active match race competitor, umpire, and longtime PRO for the Congressional Cup, will be conducting a match-racing clinic with the participating sailors on Thursday, August 23.

Previous winners of the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship include some of the top women’s sailors in recent U.S. history. Cory Sertl, Betsy Alison, Sally Barkow, Anna Tunnicliffe, Stephanie Roble, Genny Tulloch, Liz Baylis, and Debbie Cappozi have all won this US Sailing National Championship.  For more US Women’s Match Racing Championship sailing information
 

J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

The end of “European Vacation” is near!  Yes, that amazing “mandatory” vacation built into all European Union countries- six weeks!  Starts in July, ends in August.  Ever heard of the 12-hour backups on the major autobahns in Europe as 80% of European families and friends all head south to the beaches in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean?? Caravans flying all over the place, tempers flaring. Plus it’s super hot this summer in Europe with record heat and record sales of AC units.  This summer was far more chaotic than usual. Imagine that for a few days last week, Oslo, Norway was over 90 degrees while Newport, RI was bathing in just 83 degree with 90% humidity and 10-15 kt southerlies cooling down Aquidneck Island (yes, we do live on an island in Newport)!  Which was worse?? Norway!! LOL!

Fortunately, being on the water offshore brings those temperatures down quite dramatically, no matter where you live in the world.  Not surprising that a number of offshore races and regattas enjoyed near record participation as virtually everyone could not wait to get out on the water this summer in the northern hemispheres!

The J/111 World Championship update from Breskens, Netherlands, shows they just completed the J/111 Pre-Worlds in the last two days.  Now it is “game on” for the fleet of a dozen boats from five nations.  And, the epic, wild, challenging RORC’s SevenStar Round Britain & Ireland Race is finally coming to a conclusion, with an amazing performance by a double-handed J/122 crew from The Netherlands. Then, a report from this summer’s Irish J/24 Nationals at Galway, Ireland where everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.

Over in the America’s, the increasingly popular Ida Lewis Distance Race took place for a fleet of J/Teams that included four J/121s, a J/120, J/105, J/109, and J/35; just about everyone garnered some silverware.  Just further northeast, there was the famous Canadian regatta- the Chester Race Week hosted just west of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  The event had a one-design fleet of J/105s as well as handicap fleets both Inshore and Offshore that included J/29s, J/27s, J/92s, and J/120s.  Just west in Canada, it was the long-standing CORK Regatta that hosted the J/24 Canadian Nationals off Kingston, Ontario on the far northeastern parts of Lake Ontario.

Down South in the Americas, the Low Country Hook Race took place off South Carolina and Georgia.  The Low Country Hook Ocean Race goes from Hilton Head, SC to the finish off the Landings Marina on Skidaway Island, GA. The race was presented by Skidaway Island Boating Club and The Yacht Club of Hilton Head. Twenty-four boats registered with nearly half the fleet in the PHRF Spinnaker class. Of those nine boats, six were J/Boats; including two J/105s, two J/24s, one J/30, one J/100, and one J/109.

Then, traveling 3,000 miles west to the Pacific Coast (same distance to fly from London to New York), we find the J/70 Pacific Coast Championship was hosted by the amazing St Francis Yacht Club on San Francisco Bay in California; the fleet were treated to what everyone expected- near nuking wind conditions of 15-25 kts plus!  On the same weekend, the St Francis YC was also hosting the Phyllis Kleinmann Swiftsure Regatta for a large fleet J/105s and ORR handicap classes that included J/111s and J/120s.

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 pag  Below are the summaries.

Regatta & Show Schedules:

Aug 19-26- J/111 World Championship- Breskens, The Netherlands
Aug 24-31- J/24 World Championship- Riva del Garda, Italy
Aug 24-26- J/80 East Coast Championship- Boothbay Harbor, ME
Aug 24-26- Storm Trysail Club Ted Hood Regatta- Marblehead, MA
Aug 24-25- US Women’s J/22 Match Racing Championship- San Francisco, CA
Aug 24-26- Verve Cup Inshore Regatta- Chicago, IL
Aug 25-26- Vela J/24 Festival- Buenos Aires, Argentina
Aug 30- Sep 2- SAILING Champions League Finale- St Moritz, Switzerland

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

J/111s sailing in EuropeJ/111 World Championship Update
(Breskens, The Netherlands)- The 2018 J/111 World Championship is being hosted in conjunction with the Breskens Sailing Weekend in the Netherlands.  A dozen J/111 crews are participating from five nations (Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, & Switzerland). Racing will take place offshore, in the wide-open North Sea, along the fabled northern beaches of the Benelux seashore.  Hosting the event are Watersportvereniging Breskens, Royal Yacht Club of Belgium, Koninklijke Roei & Zeilvereniging De Maas, J/111 Netherlands sailing offshoreKoninklijke Nederlandse Roei en Zeilvereniging Muiden, Koninklijke Antwerpse Watersportverenging SRNA and the Royal Netherlands Yachting Union (RNYU).

For the past two days, nearly all J/111's have been practicing their skills during the J/111 Pre-Worlds Tune-Up Regatta. With close racing in continuously changing conditions, Martin Dent's British team on JELVIS took pole position with the Belgians on Sebastien de Liederke’s crew on DJINN following second and the Dutch team of Sjakk Haakman on RED HERRING in third place. Rounding out the top five were one of the regatta pre-favorites- Paul van Driel’s Dutch team on SWEENY- that took fourth place and Jorg Sigg’s LALLEKONIG was fifth.

On Thursday, the "real" work begins with a clean slate for all teams! Game on for the start of the 2018 J/111 World Championship!  For more J/111 World Championship sailing information
 

J/121 sailing doublehandedJ/Teams Sweep PHRF B/ Two-Handed Ida Lewis Race
(Newport, RI)- The forecast was not the rosiest one might expect for an offshore race.  However, with an impending front with rain showers forecast to roll into New England over the next twenty-four hours after the start, the slowly strengthening south to southwesterly winds eventually gave the fleet a reasonably quick race.  In the end, the entire J/fleet finished before noon time in the 120nm long track they were given- start to “NB” buoy (traffic separation scheme buoy at the entrance to Narragansett Bay), then east to Buzzards Tower, back west to Montauk Bell, back east to Buzzards Tower, then round “NB” again to the finish.  A simple course, but devilish in the details on how to maximize VMG (both upwind and downwind)!

Fifty-plus teams raced the 14th annual Ida Lewis Distance Race that started August 17th in the Eastern Passage of Narragansett Bay between Jamestown and Rose Island in Newport, RI. Starting first, fast out of the blocks was David Southwell’s J/121 ALCHEMY, taking the lead right off the starting line in the PHRF Doublehanded Class and never looking back, winning their fleet on corrected by over three hours.

J/121 Sarah sailing offshoreThen, in the PHRF A Spinnaker division were three more J/121 sisterships.  In their inaugural race, it was Greg Manning’s SARAH that took J/121 honors and was second on corrected, just a few minutes off from the lead.  Though finishing only ten minutes back on elapsed time, Don Nicholson’s APOLLO finished 5th on corrected.  What was fascinating about this duel was the differences in performance from the Montauk Point mark back east to the Buzzards Tower mark- a long starboard tack reach/ run under spinnakers.  After the first four legs, APOLLO was leading boat-for-boat.  However, Manning’s SARAH sailed lower and faster on the long leg back to Buzzards, passing APOLLO to leeward.  Thereafter, it was close-reaching back to the “NB” entrance buoy to Narragansett Bay, then a quick spinnaker run to the finish.

All five (5) J/Crews in PHRF Spinnaker B simply eclipsed their class, occupying all top five spots.  Perhaps unprecedented in offshore sailing history, all teams sailed hard and fast and it was a duel to the finish on handicapped time for every boat.  Winning was Bob Manchester’s J/120 VAMOOSE, followed by just 57 seconds (!) by Greg Slamowitz’s J/111 MANITOU in second, Paul Grimes’ race-winning J/35 BREAKAWAY Collegiate in third, Bill Kneller’s veterans on the J/109 VENTO SOLARE in 4th and “the kids” on the J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN YCC YOUTH taking 5th!  Congrats to all, an amazing performance overall!  For more Ida Lewis Distance Race sailing information
 

J/70 PCC winners1FA Crowned J/70 Pacific Coast Champions
(San Francisco, CA)- The St Francis YC hosted the 2018 J/70 Pacific Coast Championship over the weekend of August 17th to 19th.  As is typical for this time of year on San Francisco Bay, the seven teams racing in the event had to contend with strongly building seabreezes from the west that would peak up to 25-plus kts by late afternoon.

Perhaps the most notable performance of the regatta was that of the Santa Barbara YC Youth Team on USA 1156, after the first day they were leading the entire fleet with a record of 5-1-1 for just 7 pts total.  However, one of the kids got into an accident on Saturday evening, severely scraping his leg.  As a result, on an even windier Sunday, the SBYC Youth Team did not want to risk their injured crew member, so bowed out of the last two races.  Nevertheless, skipper Paul Harteck was ecstatic with their performance against the top West Coast J/70 teams.  Ultimately, they finished in 4th place.

J/70 Santa Barbara YC Youth Team sailing San FranciscoWatch their YouTube sailing video highlights of their first (and only) day on the Berkeley Circle race track winning one of the races here.

Winning the event by taking two bullets on the last day, obviously loving the nuking winds, was the trio of Scott Sellers, Harrison Turner, and Geoff McDonald on 1FA.  Their record of 2-3-2-1-1 for 9 pts enabled them to be crowned the 2018 J/70 PCC Champions. Never far behind them on the race track was Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER team with a 3-2-3-2-2 record for 12 pts total.  Then, ending up in the bronze on the podium was Tracy and Christine Usher on their boat- CHRISTINE ROBIN RACING- with a tally of 1-5-6-3-3 for 18 pts total.

In the Corinthians Division, winning was Kostanecki’s JENNIFER, second was the Usher’s on CHRISTINE ROBIN RACING, and third was the SBYC Youth Team skippered by Paul Harteck!  For more J/70 Pacific Coast Championship sailing information
 

J/105s sailing San FranciscoCliffhanger Final for J/105s
J/Crews Top Phyllis Kleinmann Swiftsure Regatta
(San Francisco, CA)- This past weekend, the St Francis YC hosted one of their favorite events of the year, honoring one of their long-time supporters of both offshore handicap and one-design sailing on San Francisco Bay- the Phyllis Kleinmann Swiftsure Regatta.

Nineteen J/105s showed up for the party on and off the water.  After five races, it was apparent the entire podium was going to be determined by a cliffhanger finale in the last race.  Anyone could have won amongst the entire top five, so close was the racing along the San Francisco city waterfront.

J/105 winnerIn the end, Tim Russell’s NE*NE won the countback on a tie-breaker for first place with Ryan Simmons’ BLACKHAWK. NE*NE was consistent from the start and faltered a bit in the end, posting a 4-1-1-2-8 for 16 pts.  BLACKHAWK had a 3-3-2-7-1 tally to nearly pull off the class win, also finishing with 16 pts.  Just out of the money was Bruce Stone’s ARBITRAGE, posting a roller-coast tally of 1-6-3-6-3 for 19 pts total to just hang on to third place.  Fourth went to Ian Charles’ MAVERICK with a 6-7-4-1-2 record for 20 pts.  Then, fifth place was Doug Bailey’s AKULA with a 2-2-6-4-10 for 24 pts total.  In short, had AKULA won the last race, they could have won the regatta!  And, that was apparently the case for the rest of the teams in the top five! 

J/Crews cleaned up in their respective ORR Divisions. Reuben Rocci’s J/111 SWIFT NESS won ORR B, while Barry Lewis’ J/120 CHANCE won ORR C with straight bullets!  For more Phyllis Kleinmann Swiftsure Regatta sailing information
 

J/122 Junique RayMarineJ/122 Podiums RORC Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The 2018 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race started from the Royal Yacht Squadron line at noon on Sunday 12th August, immediately after Lendy Cowes Week. The 1,805 nautical mile race around Britain and Ireland was organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club every four years and will go down in history as one of the toughest races yet in the quadrennial event.

For the 2018 race, 29 teams with close to 200 professional and Corinthian sailors started the race.  Over a dozen dropped out over the course of time due to boat damage, human damage, or electronics failures.  In fact, the weather forecast was so rough, the RORC reversed the route to protect the fleet from a potential battering.  In layman’s terms, that meant that fast reaching/ running boats would enjoy an enormous advantage for 85% of the race.  The normal course is counter-clockwise, going around Britain first to the east, then around Ireland and back to the finish.  The clockwise course meant the fleet sailed in mostly southwesterlies due to a large depression northwest of Ireland- a fast reaching port gybe from southwest Ireland to the northernmost point of the course at Muckle Flugga.

Racing in the IRC 2 Class and the IRC Doublehanded Class was the Dutch duo on JUNIQUE RAYMARINE SAILING TEAM (Chris Revelman & Pascal Bakker).  For most of the race, they lay in fourth place in both IRC Double and IRC 2.  However, as the race progressed, their perseverance produced gains on their much faster offwind competitors.  And, as things slowed down on the eastern shore of England, heading back down into the English Channel, they made enough gains to ultimately finish 3rd in IRC Doublehanded, 3rd in IRC 2 Division, and 5th IRC Overall!  Considering Revelman & Bakker were sailing a standard factory-built J/122, that is an extraordinary achievement against some of the world’s top professional sailors all in custom and semi-custom modified boats that beat them.  Congratulations to Revelman & Bakker’s tremendous achievement on their J/122 JUNIQUE RAYMARINE Sailing Team!  For more Round Britain & Ireland Race sailing information
 

J/120 sailing Chester Race WeekJ/Crews Eclipse Chester Race Week
(Chester, Nova Scotia)- After three nearly perfect sunny days, sailors brought out their foul weather gear for the fourth and final day of racing at Helly Hansen Chester Race Week 2018. Thick fog, swells and rains that varied from a sprinkling to torrential downpour didn’t dampen enthusiasm at the many start lines.

“It wouldn’t be Chester if we didn’t have these rainy days,” said Patricia Nelder, 2018 chair of on-water activities. “Despite some fog, the fleets were able to get in a few more races to finish the regatta.”

J/105 sailing Chester Race WeekThroughout the week, all four one-design fleets were extremely competitive, moving as one through their courses. It takes an extra edge to lead a fleet where all the boats are essentially identical. Doing exactly that in the J/105 class was Sean McDermott and Rory MacDonald’s McMAC, winning the class counting all bullets in five of six races.  Counting virtually all 2nds was Jim Mosher’s MOJO to take the silver with 10 pts in 5 races.  And, rounding out the podium was Barry Eisner’s BUZZ with 13 pts.

The Inshore 1 Class was simply dominated by an enormous J/Navy.  Leading the sweep of the top five were all J/29s!  Jane Filbee’s PAINKILLER marked the first time a woman skipper/ owner topped the class.  Second was Chris MacDonald’s SCOTCH MIST IV (a previous regatta winner), third went to Don Williams’ PARADIGM SHIFT, fourth to Terry Schnare’s HEAD GAMES, and fifth was Scott Covey’s RUMBLEFISH.

Dominating all four Distance Classes were J/Crews!  Winning Distance 1 Class was Stu McCrea’s J/120 DEVIATION.  Another J/120, Rick Calder’s BRILLIANCE took fourth.

J/35 sailing off Chester, Nova ScotiaAndrew Childs’ J/35 HELOC led a sweep of Distance 2 Class.  Second was Larry Creaser’s J/100 YOUNGBLOOD, third went to Rod Johnstone (yes, the designer) and Gary Bennett’s J/35 J’AI TU.  The balance of the top five included Thane MacDonald’s J/35 J-HAWK in 4th and Peter Traves’ J/35 CRACKERJACK in 5th position.

Distance 3 Class saw long-time J/92 veteran Colin Mann again wins his class on the famous POOHSTICKS.  Then, in Distance 4 Class, Jesleine Baker’s J/30 JUST ADD WATER marked yet another win by a woman skipper/ owner; and at that, winning with all firsts as counters!  Taking fourth was Jordan MacNeil’s J/30 FLUX.

Chester Race Week video highlightsSailing Video highlights of each day-
Day 1- https://www.facebook.com/ChesterRaceWeek/videos/2227312080837134/
Day 2- https://www.facebook.com/ChesterRaceWeek/videos/2793308284028926/
Day 3- https://www.facebook.com/ChesterRaceWeek/videos/1069576573211802/
Day 4- https://www.facebook.com/ChesterRaceWeek/videos/1517346938367338/

For more Chester Race Week sailing information, follow here on Facebook
 

J/24 Canadian Nationals- CORKHowarth Tops J/24 Canadian Championship
(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)- Thirteen teams took on the 2018 J/24 Canadian Championship held August 18-20 in Kingston, Ont. Michael Howarth’s crew started hot, winning three of the first five races, and held off a late charge by David Ogden to take the title. Ogden’s team won the final four races but still finished five points back in the 9-race series. Peter Dixon finished one point further back in third overall.

Rounding out the top five were Jean Levac in fourth with 38 pts and Edmond Rees in fifth with 42 pts.  For more Canadian J/24 Championship sailing information
 

Irish J/24 National championsHyde Wins Irish J/24 Nationals
(Foynes, Ireland)- The Irish J/24 National Championship concluded at Foynes Yacht Club in a light to moderate westerly breeze. The Foynes YC PRO- Derek Bothwell- was able to start on schedule for the first time the entire weekend after hours spent waiting around for wind for the previous two days.

Race six of the championships got off to a clear start with the fleet splitting both left and right on the course in a flooding tide. GALA RACING, who went right on the first beat and left on the second, got their first win of the championship followed by Howth YC’s Under 25 team SCANDAL in second and Tim Corcoran on CRAZYHORSE in third.

As the tide strengthened and wind lightened, the race course was shortened before the start of the final race of the event. Flor O’Driscoll’s HARD ON PORT tacked off to the right immediately after the start, keeping further right than any other boat and emerged with a clear lead by the windward mark. A battle for second developed between JIBE, CRAZY HORSE and JUMPIN JIVE who exchanged places numerous times on both the upwind and downwind legs, with CRAZY HORSE finishing in 2nd just ahead of JUMPIN JIVE.

Irish Nationals- Under 25 winnersWith the championship complete, attention turned to the prize giving. There were multiple changes in positions in the fleet after the final two races. In Gold, Royal Cork Yacht Club’s Stefan Hyde on MAURICE JOHNSON & PARTNERS became the new Irish J/24 National Champion for 2018. The new Under 25 Irish National Champion is Harry Cronin and his SCANDAL team from Howth Yacht Club.

A number of initiatives brought in for this year’s event were very successful. The trialing of On-the-Water Judging conducted by Gordon Davies was well received by the competitors. Also, the introduction of a Bronze Fleet made for competitive sailing for all competitors.  Here are the complete results for each of the fleets.

GOLD Fleet
1st – Maurice Johnson & Partners – Stefan Hyde
2nd – Crazy horse – Tim Corcoran
3rd – Hard on Port – Flor O’Driscoll

SILVER Fleet
1st – Gala Racing – Simon McGibney
2nd – FYC Under 25 Team – Michael Lynch
3rd – Kilcullen – Colin O’Sullivan

BRONZE Fleet
1st – Jevan – Ken Draper/Adam Sutor
2nd – Blue Jay – Brian McDowell
3rd – NUIG Galway – Aaron O’Reilly

UNDER 25
1st – Scandal – Harry Cronin
2nd – FYC Under 25 – Michael Lynch
3rd – Kilcullen – Colin O’Sullivan

The association acknowledged the support of the sponsors of the event and ICRA for their support and finally the host club and its members for a great weekend of sailing!  Thanks for contribution from AFLOAT.IE in Ireland for the report
 

J/30 wins Hook raceJ/30 Leads Sweep of Low Country Hook Race
(Hilton Head, SC)- The 2018 Low Country Hook Ocean Race goes from Hilton Head, SC to the finish off the Landings Marina on Skidaway Island, GA- a 30.0nm distance race that took place on August 18th.  The race was presented by Skidaway Island Boating Club and The Yacht Club of Hilton Head. Twenty-four boats registered with nearly half the fleet in the PHRF Spinnaker class. Of those nine boats, six were J/Boats; including two J/105s, two J/24s, one J/30, one J/100, and one J/109.

The race took the sailors out into the Atlantic, crossing the Savannah River shipping channel past Tybee Island, south to the entrance of Wassaw Sound, where the boats then maneuvered up the Wilmington River to the finish line north of Landings Harbor Marina. The “Hook Race” is named after the pattern of the race course- looks like fish hook.

J/100 sailing Hook raceWinds were light from the southwest at the start of the race, allowing the J/105 and J/109 to fly their asymmetrical spinnakers. The J/30 had chosen to use their 163% genoa, which allowed her to keep up with the asymmetrical spinnakers. The J/100 attempted to fly their symmetrical spinnaker with the pole at the lowest position on the mast and all the way forward just off the head stay.

At the end of the race, the Gebel Seese’s J/105 HIGH VISIBILITY from Savannah YC crossed the finish-line first on elapsed time, followed by Mike Foster’s Savannah YC crew on the J/30 RONIN, then Troy Lamb’s J/109 WAHOO from Savannah YC, then Paul Reddick’s J/100 BLU J from Skidaway Island Boating Club.

After PHRF handicap ratings were applied to the elapsed times, it was a convincing win for the Foster’s J/30 RONIN.  Taking the silver meal was Seese’s J/105 HIGH VISIBILITY, followed by Lamb’s J/109 WAHOO J/105 sailing Hook racein 4th, Reddick’s J/100 BLU J 5th, and Amar Patel’s J/24 ROGUE from Skidaway Island Boat Club in 6th position.

Commented one of the crew members (and Co-Chair of the Race), Mark Winters, “It was a great day of racing, especially for those of us on J/Boats. I was on the J/100 BLU J. We competed well with the J/105 and J/109 upwind, but downwind it is difficult to compete with them unless the wind is aft of beam.  Had we elected to bring our genoa, we would have been right there with the J/30!”  For more Low Country Hook Race sailing information
 

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

Alison Kent at Doyle Sails New Zealand* Alison Kent- The making of a sailmaker- how did she get from Milwaukee, Wisconsin (the cheese state and brewery home of Schlitz, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Miller High Life, and Rhinelander, amongst others) to Auckland, New Zealand (the land of sails)?!  For starters, Alison sailed with family and friends for what seemed forever on their J/30, winning many races on Lake Michigan, and even competing as skipper in the J/30 North Americans as a teenager.

For those that aspire to be a professional sailor, an apprenticeship in sailmaking is one of the best points of entry to consider and there are more opportunities than ever at Doyle Sails.

For Doyle’s CEO, Mike Sanderson, a sailmaking apprenticeship was the obvious route to reaching his career goals. “My aim in life was to be a professional sailor and I left King’s College early at sixth form, having been on shortlist for Head Boy, to start a sailmaking apprenticeship,” he says. “At the time it was quite a drastic move with my peers finishing seventh form and going on to university. But I strongly believed that being 100% entrenched in sailing and sailmaking was the secret to success in the sailing world.”

It was a move that more than paid off. Sanderson worked as an apprentice until he landed his first pro sailing gig on board NZ Endeavour in 1993. “That kick-started everything,” he remembers. The rest, as they say, is history with Sanderson forging a stellar career in sailing, going on to be named the youngest ever skipper to win the Volvo Ocean Race and winner of the 2006 World Sailor the Year Award.

Unsurprisingly Sanderson is passionate about the value of sailing apprenticeships. “An apprenticeship sees you immerse yourself in the sailing world and gives you many opportunities to get on boats,” he explains. “Thinking about boats and the speed and handling of sails – which are the biggest singular component of what makes a boat go fast – is key, and sailmaking also gives you deeper insight into the boats, masts and rigging as well.”

At Doyle New Zealand, American Alison Kent is now immersed in their apprenticeship program and shares the experience here:

Where is home for you?
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

What do you miss most from home?
Deep fried cheese curds and Spotted Cow Beer, it’s our local brewery, and you can only drink it in Wisconsin!

How long have you been a sailor?
I’ve been sailing on the Great Lakes of the States my whole life…ever since I can remember really! Literally all my baby photos are on boats. I tried to quit once when I was a kid and give soccer a-go but then I realized it was pretty lame compared to sailing, so I went back to my ways.

How is sailing different from the states to NZ?
I feel like NZ is a couple steps ahead in their sail technology and skill wise they are on another level. Even before I came to live in NZ, I had always heard that it was the place to be if you wanted to advance in sailing.

How did you come to work for Doyle Sails NZ and what do you do there?
I was lucky enough to get a job here when I originally came to Auckland as a post-grad trip. I quickly realized how many sailing opportunities came from learning how to make sails at this loft and sailing in Auckland. I now joined the apprenticeship program and work in the downwind department, making spinnakers and the code zeros!

What has been your biggest learning curve?
I really came to the loft not knowing anything about sailmaking. The whole process has taken awhile to perfect and I am still learning how to do things more efficiently every day. Spreading the sails on the floor and learning how and why the curves affect a sail’s performance has made me look at sailing so much differently.

What teams do you race with? Any events coming up?
I sail on a YD37 called Anarchy as their main trimmer and we basically participate in all the local Auckland events. They are such a fun crew to work with and the boat is fast! I’ve learned a lot sailing with them.

I’ve also recently joined the all-female NZ Women’s Match Racing Team with some of the crew from Anarchy. It’s a different kind of sailing than I usually do and I’m on the bow, so it’s been cool learning a new role. We also travel around which is a bonus! We just got back from Finland and we’ll be participating a couple of regattas in Australia in September.

What is your biggest sailing accomplishment so far?
Probably sailing on the Magenta Project for the 2017 Sydney Hobart. It was a dream to work with rockstar sailors like Libby Greenhalgh and Lisa Blair. I was lucky enough to be put on watch with Libby and she was so down-to-earth and funny. When she left the boat to join Scallywag for the Volvo Ocean Race, she had to leave behind some of her kit and she gave me her sailing pants [trousers] from the last edition of the VOR when she sailed with the all-female team. I wear them all the time, they are so cool!

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? 10 years from now?
I hope that in 5 years’ time I’ll have gained the confidence and skills as a sailmaker and that I’ll be using that experience in my offshore racing. At that point, I want to be competing in as many events as possible and learning from the very best in the industry. In 10 years, I’d like to have at least one major accomplishment under my belt and working in a management position in the sailmaking business.

Who is your sailing idol?
Can I say my dad? My dad (Tim Kent) sailed in an Open 50 alone in a round-the-world race back 2003…against all odds he accomplished it. My step-dad is also a very talented sailor and my sister and I Alison Kent- apprentice at Doyle Sails NZhave learned so much from him. My ‘dads’ were such positive influences and encouraged me to keep sailing. I feel very lucky that I had that.

Favourite Kiwi slang?
Fizzing – to display or feel excitement

Can you use that in a sentence?
I’m fizzing to get back home for some cheese curds and beer!  Watch her interview on YouTube

J/105 collision with fishing boat* Nine boaters survive massive boat collision on Chesapeake Bay- J/105 vs. fishing boat!

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating a collision between a commercial powerboat and a sailboat in the Chesapeake Bay on Friday.

The two boats were off the shore of Thomas Point Park when the commercial boat, part of a charter service, and a J/105 sailboat belonging to the Chesapeake Boating Club in Eastport, collided. The powerboat slid over the sailboat, then came to rest with the cabin mounted across the middle of the deck, leaving a sizable dent.

There were nine people aboard the boats and no one was injured, according to the Coast Guard.

The boats were perpendicularly stacked until emergency personnel separated them and towed both boats back to shore.

First responders with the Natural Resources Police, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland State Police arrived at the scene in the early afternoon. Two people from the sailboat, named “Levitation”, and seven people from the powerboat, named “The Hunter”, were rescued, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Shannon Kearney.

J/105 crushed by fishing boat doing 30 ktsKearney did not know what charter service operates The Hunter.

Typically, a motorboat gives way to a sailboat if the passengers are not engaged in certain types of fishing at the time or the boat is otherwise unable to move. Conditions Friday were perfectly clear.

The U.S. Coast Guard has jurisdiction over crashes involving commercial vessels. Kearney could not disclose which boat caused the accident, or whether alcohol or excess speed caused the collision.

Chesapeake Boating Club owner Kevin Ryman said a club member was sailing when the powerboat struck the vessel.

Commented Ryman, "At approximately 11:30am, a member of the Chesapeake Boating Club was under sail on one of the Club’s J/105s when they were struck by a 35’ powerboat. The J/105 was struck amidships on the starboard side, with the powerboat coming to a stop on top of the sailboats’ cabin top, creating an enormous gash and hole on the starboard side of the J/105.  It’s a miracle the J/105 didn’t sink immediately- testimony to the tough building standards and qualities of the J/105!

Our members were operating the boat in a safe manner, on a day with clear visibility and 10-12 knots of breeze. The J/105 crew attempted to hail the approaching boat prior to the collision, otherwise signaling with their hands and yelling, too, and then took action to avoid the collision."  Thanks for contribution from Danielle Ohl at The Capitol Gazette.

J/105 damage from 30 kt collision with fishing boatEye witness account from fishing boat- The Hunter:
One of the passengers on the powerboat shared this witness account the next day on the Club Sea Ray forum (member ID- Winch1995):

“Yesterday, I was passenger on a 34′ fishing charter out the eastern shore of Maryland, below the bridge (south). We had fished all morning and by noon we headed in. It was a brand new deadrise boat, first trip out. Six passengers plus the Captain.

We were underway for about 10 minutes, and I estimate our speed was around 30 knots.

Visibility was unlimited.

Most of the passengers were hanging out enjoying the ride, and no one was really paying attention the situation on the water.

I was on a port side bench seat, looking toward the stern. Suddenly, a guy yells “WATCH OUT!!!” I spun around to look forward and all I saw was white sails through the windshield.

Then impact. We t-boned a sailboat with two guys in the cockpit. We were thrown to the deck. Now, we are on top of the sailboat.

Our captain was kind of dazed, so being an experienced boater, I first told everyone to grab a life vest. We did a head count and injury check and nothing serious beyond cuts, scrapes, and bruises. I could not tell what was happening on the sailboat.

Anyway, I turned on the marine VHF radio and Mayday’d. The US Coast Guard answers and I give GPS coordinates. The guys in the sailboat are shaken up, but ok (everyone was shaken up, but no panic).

So, now we are sitting up on top of the sailboat, with our stern precariously close to being swamped. I found the bilge pump switch and turned it on to “auto”, but it did not appear to be working. I switched to manual mode and it started pumping water overboard. The switch set up required that you hold the switch down for the pump to work.

Now, I’m at the helm holding this fricking switch down, dangerously close to swamping, and I’m thinking, if we swamp, I’m going to be trapped in the cabin at the front of the cockpit with no way out. It was kind of dicey at that point.

US Coast Guard arrives about 15 minutes later and transfers the sailboaters to another boat, then they start to transfer the six passengers from the charter to another boat. I have to admit that the USCG did an awesome job. Once we were all safely transferred, the USCG actually went back to the charter boat and retrieved our coolers!!

DNR, Marine Police, Fire Boats, Tow Boats, we had ’em all.

I was kind of surprised that only one boater offered assistance.

So, as far as I know, no serious injuries. But, we were so lucky in that respect. It could have been a whole lot worse.

For the life of me, I cannot understand how this happened. Broad daylight, Captain was not drinking, etc. One guy said that he thought the sailboat changed tack.

I guess my big lesson is this: Stay far away from all other boats because you don’t know what they might do.

I am sharing this story reluctantly, since the Captain is a good guy, but it’s all over the news anyway. As a Captain of your vessel, be alert at all times. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you are too close to other boats. As a passenger, be a second set of eyes for the Captain. Give wide berth to other vessels.

Stuff happens fast.

I have this anxiety right now about boating, but I am going to go down to my 27′ Sun Dancer and do some maintenance work. I’m sure I’ll get over it but I’ll not forget yesterday.”

J/105 starboard side damageWashington Post's Article- as reported by Martin Weil & Reis Thebault
Two boats, one a sailboat and the other an engine-powered fishing boat, collided on Friday in the Chesapeake Bay, a crash that caused no serious injuries, authorities said.

Two people were aboard the sailboat, named Levitation, and seven were on the fishing boat called Hunter, the Coast Guard said. Maryland Natural Resources Police said the crash occurred near Thomas Point, which juts into the bay south of Annapolis.

The Hunter — which police described as a charter fishing boat from Kent Island, 10 miles east of Annapolis in the bay — overrode the sailboat and ended up atop its hull, until the two were almost perpendicular.

The bow of the fishing boat projected beyond one side of the sailboat’s hull, the port side. The stern projected beyond the other side of the sailboat.

In a photograph of the tangle, the fishing boat’s bow is seen pointed up, the stern down, touching the water.

A sailboat under sail and not running its engine has the right of way, police said, speaking generally. A fishing boat could have priority if engaged in a certain kind of fishing, but authorities declined to say whether that was the case here. and also did not say whether the sailboat’s engine was running.

The police described the sailboat as a J/105 based in Annapolis. Available specifications put its overall length at 34.5 feet. It has a large cockpit and can cost more than $100,000.

In the photo, the two boats seemed to have melded firmly, with the lower edge of a sail draped across the front of the fishing boat, just in front of its cabin windshield.

The hull of the fishing boat apparently left a V-shaped gouge across the hull of the sailboat.

Coast Guard officials said that after they evacuated the seven people from the fishing boat, it slid off the sailboat. Authorities called in a commercial salvage company to tow both boats back to shore, which is standard practice when an incident does not result in a medical emergency.

The Coast Guard is still investigating the cause of the crash.

The height of summer is the most dangerous time for boating, said Capt. Melissa Scarborough of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, one of the agencies that initially responded to the crash.

“July is historically, without fail, the biggest boat accident month that Maryland has,” she said. “August is the second highest.”

So far this year, boating incidents have killed 16 people in the Chesapeake and its tributaries, Scarborough said. This month, two have died — one in an incident on a creek off the Potomac and another in Frederick County on the Monocacy River.

Some on the water think of boating as purely recreational, Scarborough said, and forget that, just like cars, boats can be dangerous and even deadly.

“I think that sometimes changes their mind set and the care that they take,” she said.

COLREGS Right of Way Rules: a simple reference and reminder for all friends in the sailing and boating world…
Whenever two boats try to occupy the same water at the same time, a right of way situation exists. When this happens, one boat is obligated to give way to the other. The boat that is supposed to give way is called the “give way” vessel and the other one is called the “stand on” vessel. The “stand on” vessel should keep to its course, so the skipper of the “give way” vessel can get out of the way without collision. There are specific rules to use in determining which vessel is which.

Motor vs. Sail: A motorboat is any vessel using an engine, regardless of whether it is a sailboat or a motorboat. A sailboat is considered to be a motorboat, even if the sails are up, as long as the engine is running. A sailboat that is sailing generally has the right of way over motorboats. But, there are some exceptions as enumerated below:
  • Large motor vessels are given the right of way in channels where it is difficult for them to maneuver. In the case of ships, the whole of San Francisco Bay is considered to be channeled, so that ships always have right of way in the Bay.
  • In narrow channels such as Redwood Creek, motor vessels as small as 65 feet may be limited in maneuverability enough to make them the "stand on" vessel.
  • Motor vessels that are restricted in maneuverability, due to the special job they are doing, are "stand on”. This could be anything from towing nets to dredging, pile driving, or tending buoys.
  • Motor vessels don't have to give way to sailboats that are motoring, when the rules for motorboats give the motor vessel right of way. (When motoring, a sailboat is treated like any other motorboat).
  • If a motor vessel is experiencing some kind of difficulty restricting its maneuverability, it is given right of way.
  • If a sailboat is overtaking a power boat, the power boat has the right of way.
  • Passing- When any boat is passing another boat, the passing boat is the “give way” boat and the boat being passed is the “stand on” boat.
  • Head On- When two motor boats approach each other head on, both boats turn to the right and pass each other port to port.
  • Crossing- When motor boats paths cross, the boat on the other's right is “stand on” and the one on the other's left is the “give way” boat. This is like two cars coming to a 4-way stop, except that a give way boat would alter course to go behind the other boat.
  • Sailboats- When encountering sailboats that are sailing, motorboats generally should give way. If you are motoring in a sailboat, you should give way to sailboats that are sailing.
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