Wednesday, September 25, 2019

J/Newsletter- September 25th, 2019

J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

There was a distinctly “Great Lakes” theme to the past week of sailing around the world. For those of you that have not heard of the Great Lakes, it is a series of connected bodies of water formed after the last great Ice Age that are the world’s 2nd largest repository of fresh water— pristine, clean, fresh water. The Great Lakes consist of (from west to east) Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake St. Claire, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario- between them about 6 quadrillion gallons of fresh water. The only lake larger is in southern Siberia (Russia)- Lake Baikal with nearly 7 quadrillion gallons. Between these two freshwater systems, that is 43% of the world’s freshwater!

The biggest event taking place this week is the J/70 North American Championship on Lake Erie. Hosting the event is the Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland, Ohio; so far, the fleet has enjoyed “champagne” sailing conditions. As a Pre-J/70 NA’s event, the same Edgewater YC hosted their annual Cleveland 216 Regatta for a fleet of J/70s and J/105s in somewhat challenging weather.

Keeping on the same Great Lakes theme, the Great Lakes Inter-Collegiate Offshore Regatta was hosted by the Chicago Corinthian YC and the Chicago J/105 Fleet on Lake Michigan, off the magnificent Chicago city lakefront.  Then, the Midwest J/22 Class concluded their season series on Lake Michigan for the Tawas Bay J/22 Season Championship. North and west of Lake Michigan, the final summer offshore season regatta was sailed off the spectacular Apostle Islands off Bayfield, Wisconsin on the famously cool Lake Superior- the sixth annual Dobson Cup for a fleet of offshore yachts. It was a fun silverware-collecting event for J/109s and a J/120.

On a brackish fresh/salt water body of water, the Chesapeake Bay, the J/30s held their North American Championship off Annapolis, MD, hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club.

Finally, half a world away around the Blue Planet was the J/80 China Cup Regatta. A record thirty-eight teams raced J/80s off Xiamen, China for bragging rights for the top Asian sailing team in the region.
 

J/99 sailing off Newport 
J/99 & J/97E @ Annapolis Sailboat Show!
(Newport, RI)- It is that time of year, again! Time to plan a visit to one of the exciting sailboat shows in  the USA - the U.S. International Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD.

J99 European Yacht of the YearJ/99- the seriously fast, comfortable, offshore shorthanded speedster
Making her Annapolis debut, the J/99 is the newest addition to the J/Sport range, combining headroom and comfortable interior accommodation with the tiller-driven responsiveness of a sport boat. The sail and deck plan are optimized for easy handling with fewer crew, and incorporate the latest developments from the award-winning J/121 and the new Offshore Sailing World champion J/112E. The interior features twin aft cabins, a proper sit-down forward facing nav station, an L-shaped galley, and a private forward head with sail locker. Plus, the J/99 has been nominated for European Yacht of the Year Award. For more J/99 sailboat information.

J/97E- the perfect dual-purpose family cruiser racer
The J/97E was the first J in over two decades under 32’ to combine headroom and family cruising accommodations in a high performance, easily-driven hull. With the handling ease of an asymmetric spinnaker and non-overlapping headsails, the J/97E has proven to be the most versatile design yet under 35’ to fit the needs of today’s sailing families, both young and old alike-- the ultimate combination of sailing performance and creature comforts for all!  For more J/97E sailboat information.

Come join us at the Annapolis Sailboat Show- the J/99, J/97E, and J/70 will be on display; from October 10th to 14th at Annapolis Cityfront MarinaFor more information.
 

J/70 sailing San Francisco Bay
Fantastic J/70 Fall Package Special!
(Newport, RI)- There is no hotter class in the new millennium than the J/70.  With 1,500 boats sailing in 25+ countries, the worldwide growth of J/Boats’ first ramp-launchable keelboat has been remarkable.

The owner-run J/70 Class is thriving with events for all ages and levels, youth and women’s championships, and includes upcoming World Championships in Marina del Rey, CA (2020), Monte Carlo, Monaco (2021), and Newport, Rhode Island (2022). 

More than just a world-class one-design, the J/70 is FUN to sail, easy-to-own, and easy-to-trailer for that next family adventure. And now, it’s never been easier to get started! From today until October 15, 2019, J/Boats is offering a Fall Special North American J/70 package:

J/70 Fall Package Special
  • 2020 Model J/70 with standard equipment
  • Selden carbon mast and boom
  • Harken Snubbair low-profile winches
  • Cross-sheet jib cleats and vang cheek blocks
  • Galvanized, single-axle, float off/lift off trailer
  • Companionway spinnaker bag
  • Safety Gear– anchor, chain & rode, bucket, bilge pump, first aid kit, two fenders, two dock lines.
The Fall Package Special is $46,900 (Bristol, RI) for orders placed prior to October 15, 2019.   Please contact your local J/Dealer or J/Boats for more information. Learn more about the world’s most successful sportboat- the International J/70 here.
 

J/70 sailing at North Americans in Cleveland, OH 
Postcard-Perfect Opener for J/70 North Americans
(Cleveland, OH)- The Edgewater Yacht Club is hosting the 2019 edition of the J/70 North American Championship for the world’s largest and most popular sportboat class from September 24th to 29th. The thirty-five teams are now sailing on the challenging waters of Lake Erie, famous for its severe chop and rapidly changing winds along their city waterfront.

The fleet was greeted with postcard-perfect conditions on the first day of competition. A south breeze from 12-16 knots and gusts in the 20s meant perfect planing opportunities. Adding in sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s, everyone relished the three races to kick off the Championship.

Oivind Lorentzen’s team on NINE (with crew of Lucas Calabrese, Ian Coleman and Will Felder) rocked all three contests to take the early advantage with 6 points, after posting a 1-2-3. John and Molly Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES (with crew of Allan Terhune and Ben Lamb) started with a seventh and added two bullets for 9 points and second place. 2016 J/70 World Champion Joel Ronning on CATAPULT (with crew of Victor Diaz De Leon, Christopher Stocke, and Patrick Wilson) is only one point behind the Baxters in third with scores of 5-3-2.

J/70 sailing North Americans off Cleveland, OH
The second day dawned with grey, leaden skies that ultimately cleared for a spectacular sunny day of racing.  As the front and skies cleared, a strong northwest breeze filled in blowing 15-20 kts, with gusts in the high 20s.  What made the day an epic experience were the monster waves (e.g. giant chop) that made for some hair-raising, double-digit planing speeds on the downwind runs.

Following a redress hearing, Lorentzen’s NINE kept a slight grip on their lead with 8.3 points (2.3-3 on the day). It looked as though Ronning’s CATAPULT had moved into first. However, they now hold second place with 9 points. The Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES fell to third place with two fifths for 12 pts total.

John Brim’s RIMETTE took a bullet for the day’s first race, bringing them to fourth overall at 13 points. Following one point back is Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS.

Ronning, who won the day’s final contest, said, “the Worlds’ swells were very vertical while the swells here are wide and further apart, which led to an amazing downwind sleigh ride. You felt like you were on a cliff floating above the wave sometimes looking 7 feet down. It was a cool experience.”

J/70 sailing fast on Lake Erie
ROSEBUD’s Pamela Rose said she is excited to be one of two women skippers at the Championship, “very exciting, very similar conditions from the Worlds’ experience in 2018. It was exhilarating racing; we clocked 20 kts going downwind!!”

Martin Johnsson’s AQUAHOLIKS crew of Jorgen Johnsson, Lindsay Hernandez and August Hernandez continued to maintain their advantage in the Corinthian division.

Racing continues through Saturday. Photos are available on the International J/70 Class Facebook page.  Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes   For more J/70 North American sailing information
 

J/30s sailing on Chesapeake Bay 
TOTALED MAYHEM Crowned J/30 N.A. Champion
(Annapolis, MD)- The 2019 J/30 North American Championship regatta was hosted by the Chesapeake J/30 fleet with the Annapolis Yacht Club as their co-host partner. The regatta was sailed from September 20th thru 22nd. A near record fifteen teams participated in the regatta, with a total of seven races run over the three days.

J/30s starting on Chesapeake Bay
It was a wild and woolly regatta for many of the participants, particularly for the three teams at the top of the leaderboard. Leading after the five races by a significant margin was Russ Atkinson’s WILDCAT; posting a 4-3-1-1-1. However, a sixth race 13th torpedoed their stellar performance and their chances to win the regatta overall. Thereafter, despite winning the final seventh race, Atkinson’s WILDCAT team could not overcome their sixth race debacle. Winning in the end was Doug & Amy Stryker’s TOTALED MAYHEM with a 6-1-3-4-5-1-2 tally for 22 pts total. WILDCAT ended up taking the silver, while Doug Wallop’s CANNONBALL 2.0 sailed to a 3-5-4-8-2-2-4 for a total of 28 pts to take the bronze.  For more photos on regatta sponsor SPINSHEET, please go here  For more J/30 North Americans sailing information
 

J/80s sailing China Cup off Xiamen 
Champagne Conditions @ J/80 China Cup
(Xiamen, China)- The China Club Challenge Match, founded in 2005, sailed its 15th edition in the waters off Xiamen, China. The thirty-eight teams that sailed in the event, once again, were participants in the largest one-design keelboat regatta in all of Asia, sailing in a fleet of International J/80 one-design class sailboats.

Day One
On the first day, the fleet was treated to genuine “champagne sailing” conditions, with winds ranging from 8-15 knots throughout the day with relatively flat waters and a burning sun out all day long. This was a little bit unusual, as the tropical depression to the east of Taiwan moving towards Korea, should have sucked all the air out… but, no one was complaining. Conditions were so good that the regatta PRO decided to go for the extra race beyond the standard three, a move that was to prove invaluable later in the regatta.

The racing was close, especially on the start line with thirty-eight boats on the water. The on the water judging team of John Rountree, Wayne Boberg and Roger Purdy (all NZL) and Alistair Skinner (GBR) were kept busy, primarily with ‘early prods’ at the top mark, with some teams launching their bowsprit well in advance of any gennaker hoisting activity.

The one dark cloud of day one was a port starboard incident in race 3 that left the team from Xiamen City Career University (the innocent party) with a sizable hole close enough to the waterline to make their boat unsafe to sail for the balance of the regatta. With the RRS not permitting redress beyond that of their first two races in a 12-race regatta there was little the judges could do to ease their situation. Having said that, their positions in those first two races was not lining them up for qualification for the later match racing.

J/80s sailing China Cup off Xiamen, China
Day Two
Friday produced more of the same along with the second general recall of the event with the, now flooding, tide swept not just a few, but close to most, of the competitors into an OCS situation… too many to identify. However, such was the patience of the PRO that the Black Flag stayed firmly in the flag roll, but the rest of the regatta was firmly placed under “I” flag starts.

One or two teams were starting to stretch ahead on the leaderboard. Why? Principally, because those teams chose to start in clear air rather than join the big fight for the favored end of the line.

Day Three
By Saturday, the weather system off to the west was starting to make itself felt; not with strong winds but a light gradient breeze. As a result, that meant that later in the day, the racing had to be cancelled as the opposing, light sea breeze cancelled out the offshore, diminishing, gradient winds.

China's Pink Dolphins
As the boats were being towed back in to the hard, several boats noticed huge masses of fish boiling near the surface. It turns out, it was a small family group of Chinese White Dolphins (sometimes known as “Pink Dolphins”) that were forming their amazing “bubble nets” to herd the fish, and were then surging vertically up through them to feed.

To put things in perspective, estimates put their total population at about 10% of the iconic Giant Panda with less than 100 in the Taiwan Straits area and another 200 or so in the Pearl River Delta. Therefore, to spot them at all was a rare privilege. The fact that so much fuss is made of the Panda, and so little of these beautiful creatures, is indicative of how little attention is paid to our oceans.

Day Four
For the final day, looking out over the water didn’t produce a lot of hope as the fleet headed slowly out towards the racing area. So, it proved to be, with the boats drifting further and further down the, still ebbing, tide instead of staying close to the committee boat.

The PRO tried to get a race off, but with less than half the fleet crossing the starting line before the 4 minute cut off it was going to have a dramatic effect on the results with a “fleet +1” staring many teams in the face. Thankfully, the gradient breeze shut down completely, with those boats that had actually made the start with them virtually parking up only 1/3 of the way up the first beat and with no chance to make the 1st mark time limit. Three toots and an ‘N’ Flag brought proceedings to a halt.

Then, there was an agonizing wait of almost exactly 3 hours in a baking sun, as the clock ticked down towards the time limit at 1400 hours. The breeze finally kicked in at 1330 hrs, building to 10-12 kts, with little phasing and almost directly down tide. With little time left to re-set the course, there was fair amount of committee boat bias (starboard end), resulting in a couple of teams doing turns. It proved to be worth the wait, with one of the best races of the regatta to round things off for the enthusiastic sailors.

However, it isn’t just the racing with this regatta that makes the China Cup so popular. The social event side of it is simply epic! Three of the four evenings are well-organized with great food, wine & beer, capped off with the prize-giving for each day’s winners.

In the end, the three teams that emerged at the top of the leaderboard were, as follows; 1st- Shanghai Noah’s Sailing Club, 2nd- Xiamen Hai Yang Xue Yuan/Daren Sailing, and 3rd- Wan Hang Sailing.
 

J/70s sailing off Cleveland, OH 
J/70s & J/105s Battle @ Cleveland 216 Regatta
(Cleveland, OH)- The Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland, OH hosted their annual Cleveland 216 Regatta for one-design fleets of J/70s and J/105s. For the J/70s, it was an excellent opportunity to get used to the rough and tumble Lake Erie sailing conditions as practice for their upcoming J/70 North American Championship being sailed at the same venue the following week.

For Brian Keane’s SAVASANA team, it was their first time back in their J/70 after sailing Charleston Race Week in late spring. Despite their summer off from the battles at the top of the class, it was clear the SAVASANA team was back at the top of their game with Thomas Barrows (College Sailor of the Year) calling tactics. In the end, their record of 3-1-1-2 for 7 pts total was an impressive performance as a lead-up to the upcoming J/70 North American Championship. Second was the Chilean Ducasse family team on their boat- the DUCASSE SAILING TEAM. Led by Andres Ducasse, they sailed a consistent series with a 7-5-2-6 for 20 pts total. Third was Andy Deak’s TOOTLES with an 8-10-3-4 for 25 pts. Rounding out the top five were Fernando Gutierrez’s Mexican team on WOODSTOCK in fourth and Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER in fifth place.

Chip Schaffner’s FALL LINE won the J/105 class with an impressive tally of three 1sts and two 2nds and, with a discard race, finished with a mere 5 pts net after four races. Second was Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED with a 1-1-3-2-3 for a 7 pts net score. Third went to the Uhlir Brothers’ TRIO with a 3-3-4-3-2 tally for 11 pts net.  For more Cleveland 216 Regatta sailing information
 

J/105s sailing off Chicago 
U.S. Naval Academy Wins Great Lakes Intercollegiate Regatta
(Chicago, IL)– The 2019 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta was hosted by the Chicago Corinthian YC in Chicago, IL for a fleet of twenty-two college teams from across the Midwest. The fleet was treated to solid breezes for the two-day weekend regatta. The fleet was split into J/105s and T-10s.

On Saturday, the racing started off in 20-25 kts breezes from the southwest with a very shifty wind off the towering Chicago lakefront. On Sunday, the fleet endured another round of challenging conditions. With the wind out of the west, the breeze started in the 20-25 kts range, but by midday was gusting into the 35 kts range. As a result, only one race was sailed on Sunday.

J/105s sailing college regatta off Chicago
For the racing on Saturday, the CCYC PRO did not fly flag “K” (which indicates spinnakers not allowed) and instead left that decision up to crews and boat owners. That decision worked well, as competitors collaborated with boat owners and learned about making decisions around how to sail their boats better and safely in strong breezes.

“It was not only an exciting heavy breeze day on the water, but a big learning experience for all who many have never sailed in truly difficult offshore conditions,” said Regatta Co-Chairman Nick Zomer.

In the J/105 fleet, three teams dominated the leaderboard on the first day. Leading the way as the US Naval Academy Team with a 1-3-1-3-1 tally for just 9 pts total. Sailing very consistently with all podium finishes was the University of Michigan “Big Blue” Team with a 2-2-3-1-3 record for 11 pts.  However, they were tied on points with the University of Notre Dame “Fighting Irish” Team. The Fighting Irish rallied the troops and posted a 4-1-2-2-2 tally for 11 pts; that meant they were behind on the countback tie-breaker.

US Naval Academy J/105 winners
With just one race sailed on Sunday, due to the near-gale weather conditions, the final standings were going to be determined by the final race. In the end, the USNA Midshipmen were unstoppable, posting yet another bullet to take the regatta win. By virtue of their second place, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame took the silver, while the Big Blue team of Michigan took home the bronze with their 3rd place finish.  Follow the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta on Facebook
 

J/22 Tawas Bay winners 
Old J/22 Dogs Learn New Tricks
(East Tawas, MI)- “In a testament to how great a boat the J/22 is and how even they are across their lifespan, the oldest active boat in Tawas Bay J/22 Fleet #44 dominated the racing in 2019. HOGTIDE is Hull #121 and is owned by Father/Son duo Dennis and Matt Princing.

Dennis will turn 83 this December and still can be found sailing on her. Matt, his second favorite son, has crewed her up with different people each week, but they kept consistent scores to win the season championship. Dennis’s wife Nancy, who just turned 84, is the current Commodore of Tawas Bay Yacht Club and this caps off a pretty great year for Dennis and Nancy.

This season we were able to get 19 races in which saw us lose 2 race dates due to weather and use one makeup date. We had multiple kids sailing with Izzy, Hannah and Jenna logging the most boat time and we had plenty of new comers joining us for multiple dates like Brenna, Teresa, Brooklyn….  We even had an appearance by the Carroll family with Derek, Riley, Jacoby and Tristan sailing the fleet boat on two occasions!

The weather was strange; with early season being cold. Then, we got a nice six-week pattern to the middle of the summer and then right into fall by mid-August. Most sailing was done in the sunshine, with only a few raindrops hitting us this year, and no real breezy days. In fact, I would say most sailing was only two-up this year.

The final day saw three races in 8-10 knots of breeze from almost due south. It seems left early was a good place to be, but upper right proved advantageous once or twice. Port tack was tough going into the chop and starboard tack seemed easy. Downwind was all about riding a puff and staying in them. Racing was very good and very close and that speaks volumes to how the fleet is growing in their skills.

When the dust cleared, it was USA 121, HOGTIDE taking the season championship. Congrats to them and all the sailors who got to sail on the J/22’s this season!” Thanks for this contribution from Chris Princing.
 

J/109 sailing Dobson Cup at Apostle Islands, WI 
J/Crews Sweep Awesome Dobson Cup Regatta
(Bayfield, WI)- When you sail on Lake Superior, on the northwest shoreline of Wisconsin, you are always grateful for reasonable sailing conditions on one of the coldest sailing lakes on the Planet Earth- it is not unusual to see water temps in the forties (Fahrenheit) as you are beating upwind in 20-35 kts from the west/northwest (your typical breeze when monster fronts blow in from the Arctic Circle and sweep across the northern parts of North America).

Nevertheless, Lake Superior sailors are the hardiest bunch of sailors you can imagine. When the weather is beautiful, they enjoy one of the prettiest archipelago of islands and shorefront in the world… which is, perhaps, why the keep coming back to Bayfield, Wisconsin. The spectacular, pristine waters of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is simply stunning… for those of you wishing to add a “bucket list” place to go sail!!

At the end of summer, Ken Dobson’s Black Hawk Boatyard has sponsored a two-day, season-ending, regatta in Bayfield for the past six years. The regatta is run by the Apostles Island Station of the Wayzata Yacht Club and takes place on the pristine waters of Lake Superior. The regatta brings all of the area's racers together, windward-leeward and random-leg focused, in an incredibly fun weekend of racing around spectacular, picturesque islands and marks. It is a very challenging test of boat speed, navigation, tactics and crew work.

J/120 sailing Dobson Cup off Bayfield, WI and Apostle IslandsThe first day was the 22.0nm Around Oak Island race. Starting in 1-2 knots of a drifting breeze, the fleet ultimate saw over 25 knots, from several angles, as the day progressed.

The second day was a 17.0nm journey. The RC set a nice upwind start, followed by a close reach to Grant's Point, a broad reach around Basswood Island, and then upwind to the finish. A wide variety of sailing conditions in nice winds. Reefs were put in and taken out, peels occurred and sail inventories were well-explored!

In the end, three J/Teams swept the podium because of the wide variety of weather conditions; light to heavy, beating to reaching and running. The catch? Four boats were tied for first place! What was the mathematical probability of that happening? Perhaps in the “millions to one”. Winning was Jim Vaudreuil’s J/109 ZIGZAG with 5-1 scorecard for 6.0 pts. Losing on that countback was Rich Baker’s J/120 BLACK SWAN with a 4-2 to take the silver, and then Charlie Schroeder’s J/109 CHASE took the bronze with a 2-4! Close, to be sure. Nevertheless, unimaginably tighter than anyone might have expected!

Thanks to our sponsors, volunteers and, of course, the competitors!” Thanks for this contribution from Bill Hooper.
 

Regatta & Show Schedules:

Sep 22-29- J/70 North American Championship- Cleveland, OH
Sep 27-29- Canadian J/105 Championship- Toronto, ONT, Canada
Sep 28-29- J/Fest San Diego- San Diego, CA
Oct 11-13- China Coast Race Week- Hong Kong, China
Oct 11-12- J/80 Copa de Espana- Coruna, Spain
Oct 17-20- J/88 North American Championship- Rye, New York
Oct 18-20- J/105 Masters Regatta- San Diego, CA
Oct 19-26- J/24 World Championship- Coconut Grove, FL
Oct 19- Rolex Middle Sea Race- Gzira, Malta
Oct 25-27- J/24 East Coast Championship- Annapolis, MD
Oct 25-27- J/Fest Southwest- Lakewood, TX
Oct 25-27- J/105 Lipton Cup Regatta- San Diego, CA
Nov 1-4- French J/80 Championship- La Rochelle, France

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

J/105 sailing Masters Regatta in San Diego, CA
International J/105 Masters Preview

(San Diego, CA)– One of San Diego Yacht Club’s most prized regattas returns to South San Diego Bay from October 18th to 20th- the International J/105 Masters Regatta. An invited, legendary group of eleven Master sailors from around the world come for a three-day battle in a rotation of J/105s.

The title of the event originates from the rule that participating skippers must be over the age of 60. For those on the cusp, the International Masters Regatta can be seen as a rite of passage after their long, hard-working sailing careers. This year, the entry list features some of the most accomplished sailors in the sport, some returning to the competition from previous years. Returning skippers from 2018 include American’s David Gould, Tad Lacey, William Petersen and Canada’s Andy Roy.

The competitors for the 2019 edition include the following invited skippers: Mary Brigden Snow, Scott Harris, David Gould, Gary Jobson, Tad Lacey, Scott Mason, William Petersen, Andy Roy, Chuck Sinks, Terry Timm, and Don Trask (the founder of the original Masters Regatta sailed in J/24s at St Francis YC in San Francisco, CA).

The winner of the 2018 IMR was Dave Perry. Following closely behind were returning skippers Andy Roy (2nd) and William Peterson (3rd) – back to claim their name on the trophy. Roy plans to come back with the same crew, which seems like the right decision based on his results.

“We have the same crew as last year, all old sailing buddies from Toronto. Of particular note is our main trimmer, Scott “Scooter” Collinson. We’ve done many miles on the water together including: America's Cup trials, Admiral's Cup, Canada's Cup, multiple Farr 30 Worlds, and a host of other regattas. Also on the crew is David Jarvis- former Volvo Ocean Race crew. Fraser Howell, Rob Emery and Andrew Van Nostrand have raced competitively for many years and are all very good sailors,” Roy explained.

J/105 sailing Masters Regatta off San Diego, CA
New to the Masters Regatta are skippers Terry Timm, Chuck Sinks, Scott Mason, Scott Harris, and Mary Brigden Snow (the only female skipper in the regatta).

Timm expresses his excitement in anticipation of the Masters, “sailing has been my passion ever since being exposed to the sport on an E Scow on Torch Lake in Northern Michigan while attending Camp Hayo Went Ha. The thrill of leaving port sailing to the starting line or cruising in the Caribbean never ceases. Being invited to sail in the SDYC International Masters Regatta is very special and much appreciated. Many of my best friends are San Diego sailors that get to enjoy a world class sailing venue every day of the year.”

The International Masters Regatta, while known for its competitive sailing, is also known for its fun atmosphere and camaraderie. Regatta Chair Tim Fuller talks about the event. “The camaraderie between the skippers and crews is really fun that weekend. The overall sailing ability out on the course is always impressive and the races are always very close.”

“One of the best traditions of the weekend is the post-race social ‘Roast’ on Saturday night. The skippers introduce their crews and poke some fun with their friends on the other teams. It’s high-spirited and fun to be a part of,” said Fuller.

J/105s sailing off San Diego, CA
Anyone interested in watching the races can find them in San Diego Bay. The schedule of events for the sailors begins on Friday with breakfast, followed with racing and a dockside social in the evening. After Saturday racing, there will be a regatta banquet for participants and after racing on Sunday, the awards will be presented.

In 2013, the perpetual trophy for the International Masters Regatta was gifted and dedicated by Malin and Roberta Burnham at the regatta banquet. The trophy is a beautiful original art piece created by Don Freedman of Nantucket Island and features a nautical inspired clock detailed with ships’ instruments.

A huge “Thank You” to the local J/105 owners for lending their boats to make the International Masters Regatta and the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup Challenge happen. Follow the J/105 Masters Regatta here.
 

J/105s sailing offshore 
Annapolis YC Doublehanded Distance Race Preview
(Annapolis, MD)- Racing sailboats across a long distance has inspired generations of sailors. The Annapolis Yacht Club announces a new 24-hour race for double-handed crews to start on Saturday, September 28, 2019 off the entrance to the Severn River. In response to the announcement by World Sailing, the international governing body of the sport, that the Olympic Games will host a mixed double-handed, long-distance competition beginning with the 2024 Paris Games, the Annapolis Yacht Club is among the first sailing organizations to create this new event.

The race course will be spread throughout the Chesapeake Bay with a finish line off the yacht club’s dock on Spa Creek. The race is scheduled to last 24 hours, the first boat to the finish line will receive the top prize. The race will be an endurance contest for the crews as they race throughout the night hours. Keeping the boat sailing fast, monitoring weather forecasts, careful navigation, precision boat handling, and physical stamina are a few of the attributes the crews will need to excel in this challenging contest.

The vision for the Olympic Games in 2024 is to feature a race of around 500 miles in a boat of about 30-32 feet in overall length. World Sailing is committed to gender equity in the sport and is encouraged by the tremendous interest throughout the world to compete for an Olympic medal. Early comments by World Sailing suggest that 18-20 countries will qualify for the medal race in 2024. Los Angeles 2028 also intends on hosting a long-distance double-handed race off the Southern California coast during the Olympics.

J/105s sailing offshore
With GPS-based tracking and easy communications with the competitors, the double-handed long-distance race will attract worldwide interest in all time zones 24 hours per day. Racing enthusiasts will be able to follow the Annapolis Yacht Club competitors throughout the race on the internet.

The AYC event will feature two divisions: one for mixed gender crews in J/105s and a second division open to male or female teams in boats of 25 to 42 feet using the Offshore Rating Council handicap rule to score the different size boats.

The seven-boat J/105 fleet has several famous offshore sailors participating. Among the early entrants is Randy Smyth, a two-time Olympic medalist and winning America’s Cup sailor. He will be paired with his friend Christina Parrson on-board MIRAGE. In addition, Patrick Gavin-Brynes & Evelyn Hull will be sailing AMERICAN OCEAN RACING PROJECT/ BREAKAWAY.

In the ten-boat ORC Division, there are two J/Duos racing; John Loe & Matt Schubert’s J/33 HORNET and Roger Lant & Mike Welin’s J/35 ABIENTOT. You can follow all the sailors on the event website!  For more AYC Doublehanded Distance Race sailing information
 

J/Community
What friends, alumni, and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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Gorgeous Sailing for ONE OCEAN MBA'S Regatta & Conference
(Porto Cervo, Italy)-  The 16th edition of the One Ocean MBA's Regatta & Conference, organized by SDA Bocconi School of Management and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) with the partnership of the One Ocean Foundation (OOF), enjoyed two great days of sailing for the 400 students and alumni from the world's most prestigious business schools. The B-school teams experienced three days dedicated to sailing and environmental sustainability.

More than 50 teams representing their respective business schools had two gorgeous days of racing. The Open J/24 Class had 14 teams complete two windward-leeward races daily on board International J/24 one-design class sailboats. Those teams were competing for the MBA's Cup Challenge Trophy.

The business schools taking part in the event were: Cambridge Judge Business School, Chicago Booth School of Business, Columbia Business School, ESADE Business School, GOETHE Business School, Harvard Business School, HEC, IE, IESE Business School, IMD, INSEAD, London Business School Simon Male, Manchester Business School, MIP School of Management, MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Sauder School of Business, Skolkovo Moscow School of Management, Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Northwestern’s Kellogg Business School, Univ. of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Yale’s School of Management and SDA BOCCONI School of Management.

J/24 sailing off Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy
The Open J/24 Class was won by the MIP School of Management, winning two of the races. They were followed by the teams from the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management, in second and third places respectively.

Why Future Leaders Need to Face Sustainability Challenges
On Sunday, the event's final day, the Conference “Why Future Leaders Need to Face Sustainability Challenges” was held at the Colonna Resort. Speakers were Andrea Illy, President of illycaffè, and the One Ocean Ambassadors Paul Rose, the explorer, and Maria Cristina Finucci, the artist who founded the Garbage Patch State in 2013.

Giuseppe Soda, Dean of SDA Bocconi, had these words: "I think that this event offers an excellent opportunity for learning because it gives students from the world’s top business schools an occasion for networking. Many of the participants will probably be in top positions in the future and they will have to make decisions that will have to do with environmental sustainability. We have to remember that 'There is no Planet B' and I really believe that events like the One Ocean MBA's Conference and Regatta can offer a framework for making responsible and informed decisions in the participants' private and professional lives."

Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of the YCCS and Executive Vice President of the One Ocean Foundation said: "My congratulations go to the winners of this event and to everyone who participated. I hope that you enjoyed the YCCS hospitality. I think that the location for this event, held for the first time in Costa Smeralda, shows just how important this mission is for us and proves that it's fundamental to promote a culture of environmental sustainability. There is no better audience than the world’s top MBA’s who were here for this event, the potential leaders of tomorrow. I want to thank the SDA Bocconi Business School for supporting the One Ocean Foundation right from the start, ever since the Forum organized in 2017. We are now working together to make a new generation aware of the urgency of protecting our planet."

OneOcean MBA J/24 Regatta
At the Conference from the left: Maria Cristina Finucci, Paul Rose, Andrea Illy and the moderator Prof. Maurizio Dallocchio, One Ocean MBA's Conference & Regatta 2019.

After the opening greetings, Maria Cristina Finucci spoke at the Conference about her personal professional experience and about her most recent work including her initiative titled “HELP”. She underlined how communicating through emotions is key to sensitizing people regarding pollution and environmental themes.

Paul Rose, the explorer famous for his work with National Geographic, spoke about his passion for nature and for science. "When I was young I thought that the ocean's water could wash away anything as if by magic," he said referring to a time when pollution in the oceans had a different awareness. "But, today we are all more or less aware of pollution and its consequences, we hear talk every day about environmental and ecological disasters and we all are more attuned to the problem. Change is happening. For example, fighting illegal fishing or the establishment of protected marine areas. Personally, I'm an optimist and I think that the changes that are being implemented to preserve nature will help future generations to form an innovative and not old-fashioned outlook towards nature and that outlook will help them make strategic decisions in the years to come."

Andrea Illy, President of illycaffè, presented his company's "Virtuosagricoltura" project that aims at reducing its CO2 emissions. "This project's goal is to make our company completely carbon-free. Step-by-step, within the year 2020 we will develop this research project that we will implement in 2021. We are fooling around with the resources that the planet has given us and it's now time to look for avant-garde solutions that will allow us to make healthy products that are good both for the planet and for the end consumer."

"Knowledge generates change" were the words that the Conference's moderator, the Professor Maurizio Dallocchio, used to close the talks as he underlined the fundamental role that information plays in decision making. In this case, in decision making that has an impact on environmental sustainability.

The MBA's Conference & Regatta is an international sailing event created 16 years ago by the Sailing Club of the SDA Bocconi School of Management. More than 4,000 students and alumni of the Masters in Business Administration have participated in the event to date.  For more MBA Conference & Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.