Annapolis Boatshow October 8-12
J/122, J/97 and J/95 On Display
Come on down to Annapolis, Maryland and preview the J/95 shoal-draft cruiser, tailor-made for the extensive shallow cruising areas of the Chesapeake. For those of you who want offshore racing/cruising capabilities, be sure to check out the new J/97- a 31 foot sailboat with the feel of 40 foot cruising comfort! Plus, take a peek at PUGWASH, the Einstein-inspired J/122 that has been racing this summer's J/122 one-design circuit- it's a treat not to be missed! See you'all there soon! For Annapolis demos, contact J/Boats- Phone 401-846-8410 or email- info@jboats.comGARMIN Hamble Winter Series 2009
For those in the regional axis of French and English waters, there's still time to participate in the challenging Winter Series in the Solent that starts October 3rd-- a total of eight Sundays of racing in the Solent finishing on November 29th! The Hamble Big Boat Series and the Hamble Autumn Championships complete a full programme of racing in the UK's leading late season race series. Racing at a minimum will include the J/80s and J/109s in one-design starts. The event charities are Hamble Inshore Lifeboat, the John Merricks Trust, and Sail4Cancer, and the main prize giving is on December 5th. Full details, including the 2009 Preview, Notice of Race and Entry Forms are on the event website or call the HRSC Race Office on +44-023-8045-2070.Regatta Schedule
Sept 29-Oct 2- J/22 North Americans- Lake Ray Hubbard- Rush Creek YC- more info.Oct. 1-4- J/30 North Americans- Long Island Sound- Cedar Point YC- more info.
Oct 23-25- J/80 North Americans- Galveston Bay- Lakewood YC- more info.
Oct. 24-30- J/24 European Championships- Eastern Mediterranean- Chania, Greece- more info.
Oct. 28-Nov. 1- J/105 North Americans- Long Island Sound- American YC- more info.
Nov. 18-21- J/24 South Americans- Porto Alegre, Brazil- Veleiros do Sul- more info.
J/Regatta News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
The fall sailing season continues at a frenetic pace in both the Americas and Europe. From light air and hot temperatures in Texas to "dogs blowing off the chains" conditions and full foulies/ fuzzies weather in northern Europe no one could say that fall sailing doesn't throw a few curves at the sailors no matter where you are. In Europe, a number of teams were practicing and warming up in the Solent for the Hamble Winter Series. In America, the fall circuit was in full swing with the J/122 East Coast Championships on Long Island Sound; the J/Fest West event in San Diego, California; the completion of the American Yacht Club Fall Series; the Sperry Sailing World NOOD Regatta in Houston, Texas; some J/22 and J/24 regattas; and the J/24 Nationals on San Francisco Bay. Read on! More importantly, if you have more J Regatta News, please email it or upload onto our J/Boats Facebook page! Below are the summaries.
J/122 East Coast Championship
CHRISTOPHER DRAGON Wins a Cliff-hanger
(Rye, New York- Sept. 26-27)- The nine J/122s competing for the East Coast Championship on the second weekend of the AYC Fall series saw extremely close and very competitive sailing. In addition to some of the local fleet favorites on Western Long Island Sound, some boats came as far as Annapolis- PLUM CRAZY and FLYING JENNY VI- to mix it up with the New York/ Connecticut crowd. This regatta was the culmination of the summer sailing season for the J/122 class- with strong one design showings at the Rolex NYYC Regatta in Newport, Rolex Block Island Race Week and the Larchmont NOODS.In keeping with the close racing amongst these remarkably evenly matched boats, it was a wild finish to the J/122 East Coast Championships after the dust cleared. The weekend was tough on everyone- tacticians, crews and crew work in general, putting a premium on starts, course positioning, good execution and good mark roundings. Coming out of the fog of war in the last race was Weiss's CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, just beating their erstwhile competitors to be crowned the 2009 East Coast Champion. It was a strong finish for them after a somewhat dismal start in the first two races. CHRISTOPHER DRAGON won by one point over Skibo's PLUM CRAZY II, the last race determined the outcome of who ultimately beat who for the championship. Had these two flip-flopped their finish positions of 3-4, respectively, PLUM CRAZY would've won on a tie-breaker with most firsts! Askew's FLYING JENNY VI ultimately did end up in a tie-breaker for second with PLUM CRAZY, despite winning the last race, and got the short end of that stick to finish third overall. Showing steady improvement over their summer of sailing was David Murphy aboard their Einstein-inspired namesake, PUGWASH. Murphy and crew managed to win a race and get two more podium finishes to ultimately end up fourth; an eighth in the last race skewering any chances of their finishing in the top three. Perhaps they've earned the "Most Improved" Award for the 2009 summer season! For more regatta info.
J/Fest West Run By The Crews
CC RIDER Cruises off into the Sunset
(San Diego, CA- Sept. 26-27)- May the best cooks win, or so it seemed for the crews participating in this year's J/Fest West in San Diego. This year’s theme was all about the crew. So Saturday night all the skippers donned chef’s hats and aprons, tended bar, flipped burgers and waited the tables. A great time was had by all.Forty-two J's sailing one-design in J/120s, J/109s, J/105s and J/80s participated in this year's J/Festival on the waters off fabled Point Loma, San Diego. As this time of year it's hard not for the Weather Gods to cooperate and deliver less than stellar conditions. As one might expect, the "brochure conditions" were good enough to get in five races over the two days.
In the ten boat J/120 class Chuck Nichols crew aboard CC RIDER sailed an extremely consistent series to win their division by five points, counting a third as their worst race and winning tow of five races. Second was John Laun's CAPER with a 1-1-2 but fell off the clifff relative to Chuck's crew when they picked up two fifths in the first and third races. Third on the podium was Jed Olenick sailing DOCTOR NO (remember the TV show?? Awesome, eccentric time traveler, wasn't he??).
The nineteen boat J/105 class was the largest class in the event (as seems to be the case nationwide in most major events)! DC won (yea, not THAT one) with his wife Sharon and crew aboard...Dennis and Sharon Case are perennial favorites whenever they put together the full court press and pull out all the stops to put on their best efforts-- their efforts did not go unrewarded, getting first place by six points over Bennet Greenwald's PERSEVERANCE. JAVELIN was only one point back and the crew aboard Doug and Pam Werner's boat wished they could have bought back their 6-5 combo in races 3 and 4! The nine boat J/80 class was a closely fought battle between Bob and Nick Caldwell's SLEEKIT and Curt Johnson's AVET. At the conclusion of racing, SLEEKIT won by two points based on the ability to win the last race while AVET could just manage a third. Mark Hunter's IN-APPROPRIATE was eight points back in third overall.
The J/109 teams, while having just four boats in their fleet, more than made up for their relatively low attendance with the rollicking good times they had ashore. Nevertheless, no one could take away from Tom Brott's ELECTRA winning every race. Great job guys...next time not only will the skipper be the cook/bartender, but the whole crew!! Perhaps that will slow them down, eh? John Shulze's LINSTAR was second and Jim Vickers was third with JOYRIDE.
Craig Leweck from Scuttlebutt had an enlightening and fun interview with Jeff Brown, leader of J/Boats efforts on the West Coast and creator of the J/Fest events on the West Coast. Please read more of the interview here.
American Yacht Club Fall Series 2009
J/122 CATAPULT Wins IRC40 Class!
(Rye, New York- Sept 19-20 and 26-27)- The RC for American Yacht Club did an admirable job, as always, of conducting solid racing in a wide variety of conditions over the two weekends for their eponymous fall classic. Seemingly, and increasingly so over the years, this event has become a "de facto" J/Fest East-- as there were so many J's participating in the regatta it looked like a J Regatta with a bunch of spectators sailing around in other boats! Of the ninety-seven boats participating in ten classes, fifty-four J's were represented in four one-design and two handicap (IRC/ PHRF) classes- over 56% of the fleet!For the first weekend, the J/122s essentially "practiced" hard for their upcoming East Coast Championship raced this past weekend. The eleven boat J/122 class was quite competitive, but Stephen Funary's PATRIOT walked off with a win followed by Mike Bruno's/ Tom Boyle's/ Jim Callahan's WINGS in second. David and Mary-Ellen Tortorello sailed their J/122 PARTNERSHIP well to finish third.
The seven boat J/44 One-Design class was won by Jim Bishop's GOLD DIGGER over Don and Rick Rave's RESOLUTE on a tie-breaker. Incredibly, both had nearly identical records, so the tie-breaker went to who had most seconds!! Wow! Just off the pace but hanging tough against these two was Bill Ketcham's MAXINE.
The five boat J/109 class saw a virtual three-way tie going into the last race with the entire regatta for the top three spots depending on the outcome of the finishes. After the dust settled, again it was Rick Lyall's STORM just winning by one point over Adrian Begley's MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN. MAD DOGS themselves won on a tie-breaker based on most firsts over Al Minella's RELENTLESS! That was tight racing for the top three players in the J/109 class.
The biggest fleet of the regatta, the twenty-three boat strong J/105 class, had some tough gringo's fighting it out for top honors. All season long, Joerg Esdorn and Duncan Hennes KINCSEM has been dueling it out with Damian Emery's ECLIPSE and Bruce Stone and Scott DeWeese's POWER PLAY for the podium finishes at four events this summer. POWER PLAY started with a 5-4-12 to torpedo any change of winning the regatta. KINCSEM sailed a strong, consistent series to win, followed by ECLIPSE in second and POWERPLAY in third.
In the IRC40 class, Marc Glimcher's J/122 CATAPULT won on a tie-breaker followed by Tom Carroll's J/133 SIREN SONG from New York, NY finishing in third place. Ron Richman's J/133 ANTIDOTE sailed well to get fifth and George Petrides' J/120 AVRA finished sixth.
In the IRC35 class, Merlin Suggs from King's Point sailed their J/35 HYPNOS to a fourth overall.
In PHRF5, John and Tony Esposito, racing their venerable J/29 HUSTLER, again demonstrated to non-believers that a strong war-horse like their J/29 is, indeed, very competitive over the course of time. The Esposito's followed their domination and supremacy at ROLEX Block Island Race Week to also win their PHRF division, finishing with a strong 3-1-2-1-1-2-2. For more sailing and regatta information.
Sperry SW NOOD Regatta Houston
Being HAPPY Pays Big Time
(Houston, TX- Sept. 26-27)- Sixty nine boats showed up for this year's edition of the SW NOOD in Houston, Texas. Showing up in force and demonstrating with their feet the great fun, camraderie and joy of sailing their boats were forty J owners (nearly 60% of the fleet!). But, how much fun would they have drifting around the buoys in Galveston Bay? A few comments like "it ain't ever happen here before" were a familiar refrain when the fleet looked out over the mill pond known as the Bay. Despite the less than satisfactory winds, the RC did a great job of getting off six races and the fleet, as usual, loved the on-shore festivities.In the thirteen boat strong J/24 Texas World Championships (just kidding), it was clear that being HAPPY was key. Bob Harden, the winner on MR HAPPY, has been sailing the J/24 for more than 30 years. He's learned quite a bit about the boat in those three decades. Of course, one of the most important lessons is, never get too confident. With one race remaining in the Sperry Top-Sider Houston NOOD Regatta to win the J/24 class, Harden's veteran team from Austin, Texas, on MR HAPPY was in second, one point behind Corey Harding's HAPPY DANCE (who also had the tie break). Boat names aside, one boat wasn't going to be so pleased with the outcome of the final race.
Harden won the start, and then did his best to keep at least one boat in between him and Harding to ensure the class win. His come-from-behind victory also earned him overall regatta honors for the final NOOD regatta of the 2009 season, a prize that comes with a Suunto Elementum Ventus watch and a Sunsail charter boat for the 2009 NOOD Caribbean Rendezvous in the British Virgin Island in November. The finalists for the overall winner, who also received Suunto watches, included Yandell Rogers in the J/80 class. Harden's crew on Mr. Happy included: Mike LeFebvre, trim; Tom Lappin, compass; Eric Nelson, head cheerleader; Jay Sacco, bow. -- see Stu Streuli's interview on Sailing World.As for the other classes, they too had a light air affair like the J/24s. The seven boat J/22 class went down to the wire for the two leaders, Chris Wilke on BLEW BY YOU and Ruthie Lambert on OUT OF SIGHT. Wilke managed to win the last race and win the J/22 class by one point, with Lambert in second. Third a few more points back was Richard Voyles on MUST GO FASTER-- hmm, an appropriate name when faced with daunting competition named BLEW BY YOU or simply OUT OF SIGHT!
In the fourteen boat J/80 class, Yandell Rogers showed them all how it's done by taking four firsts in six races to win with a total of sixteen points-- his one bad race, a ninth place, putting a blemish on a near perfect record. Al Poindexter's ANDALE was second and Bruno Pasquinelli racing TI'AMO in third.
The J/105s had a nice turnout of six boats with Bill Zartier's SOLARIS pulling out all the stops in the last two races- getting a 1-1 to win the J/105 class over Malcolm Bremer's BABE. Third a ways back was JB Bednar's STINGER. For more regatta info.
J/24 Nationals Go Big on the Bay
Snow's BOGUS Takes the Big Show
(San Francisco- Sept. 26-27)- Chris Snow and his team onboard BOGUS from San Diego, CA dominated the three day J/24 U.S. Nationals held last weekend on San Francisco Bay. Snow and his crew of Andrew Kerr, Adam Bennet, Chuck Allen and John Fracisco won 6 of 9 races amid the 20 boat fleet to build a final winning margin of 21 points over Mark Hillman of Annapolis, MD, with Pat Toole from Santa Barbara, CA in third. The winner of the Western Regionals, Keith Whittemore, sailed a very consistent series other than having to eat two 11ths, which damaged his chances for a top three finish. For more regatta info.J/22 Northeast Regional Championship
Doyle's MO'MONEY Cashes In!
(Lake George Club- Sept. 26-27)- As has been the case for a number of years, the Lake George Club have been incredibly gracious hosts at a remarkably beautiful venue- Lake George in upstate New York. Heck, how can you beat sailing on fresh water, nice breeze, spectacular mountain scenery and early fall foliage? This year's regatta, away from the beaten path for sure, attracted more boats (thirty five) than either the J/22 Midwinter or J22 East Coast Championship this year. So, J/22 one design sailing is alive and well in upstate New York.Showing that he' s not lost his touch at all racing J/22s was Kevin Doyle and his merry bandits (Vic and Aaron Snyder) aboard MO'MONEY. They sailed a nice regatta to overcome any last minute challenges from Mark Sertl's MONEY FOR NOTHING. Third overall was Tom Sitzmann's LOYAL 9, followed in fourth by Jon Hoffer's NUTHA'SHIFF and Peter Doyle's FROSTY. For more regatta info.
J/24 Northeast Regional Championships
To the Winner Goes the SPOILS
(Marblehead, MA- Sept 26-27)- SPOILSPORT, skippered by Stuart Challoner, bested 16 other boats to win the 2009 J-24 Northeast Regional Championship hosted by the Corinthian Yacht Club and J24 Fleet 28 of Marblehead, Massachusetts.On the first day, strong northwest winds of 18 to 25 knots and choppy seas provided for challenging and fun conditions for a talented group of racers. Three races were held on Saturday with 1.2 mile windward/leeward legs. The first two races were four leg races with downwind finishes and the final race was a five leg race with an upwind finish. SPOILSPORT dominated the day with two seconds and a first. Wind shifts and current were very difficult to see on the water but obviously these folks saw something and made the upper right of the course work every time. Other notable competitors were Mike Ingham sailing a new Italian boat who finished the day with two firsts and a sixth and Will Welles sailing PARALOC who finished third on the day.
On Sunday, the fleet saw completely different conditions with a southwest wind of 6 to 12 knots with flat seas. Two five leg races were run in slightly shifty conditions from a west southwest breeze to a southerly sea breeze. Will Welles and team won the day impressively with a first and a third. In the second race they were over early and banged the left corner and perfectly picked up a 15 degree left shift to get back into the race. SPOILSPORT however sailed very conservatively, making sure to keep close to their competition, and posted a fourth and a second place to win the regatta.
The team of AL, skippered by Carter White and Mark Klein, having not place exceptionally well after the first day, dug themselves out of the cellar by posting a fifth and a first to finish fourth overall. Mike Ingham and team dropped to third after getting caught out to the right one too many times on Sunday.
J/Community:
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* Onne Van Der Wal is providing some very cool, ginormously successful photo workshops aboard the M/V "GANSETT", wiith our friend Jeff O'Brien ("OB1-Canobe") driving. The students get to interact with Onne to learn how and why boat positioning as well as perspective and composition count for everything to get "THE" shot for your artistic (or commercial) goals. The 3rd and final Workshop-on-the-Water is scheduled for Saturday October 3rd. A few spaces are left and Onne hopes you can join them! The cost is $395 which includes a full afternoon shooting with Onne, lobster roll dinner and drinks and good humor supplied by OB1-Canobe. They set up a flat screen monitor aboard the GANSETT which displays what Onne is shooting in real time, and he narrates as he is shooting from a microphone broadcast throughout the boat. There is a lot to photograph on a busy Saturday on Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA). The magnificent cruise ship, QUEEN MARY II is scheduled to be anchored outside Newport Harbor and you will see her up close and personal and get some great photos! This is a unique opportunity for amateurs, pros and hobbyists - regardless of your skill or camera type! Email Onne or call +1 401-846-9552 for more information. Rain Date is Sunday the 4th.Featured Boat
Stock J/80s are 1-2 at the 2009 J/80 Worlds
“Race-ready” and “fast out-of-the-box” take on a whole new meaning with the J/80. Consider that in this year’s J/80 World Championship in Spain, the 1st and 2nd place teams (out of 132) raced newly built, un-modified charter boats supplied by the local J/Dealer. No time in advance with the boat, no time to even think about changing anything – just add sails and go. The Worlds winners sailed an incredible regatta in dynamic conditions, but isn’t it great to know you can hop aboard a new boat in a competitive class without having to complete a laundry list of items to get up to speed? Several are just completing in Bristol, RI - Base Price- $49,900. Please contact J/Boats or your nearest J dealer for details.About J/Boats
Started in 1977, J/Boats continues to lead the world in designing fun-to-sail, easy-to-handle, performance sailboats that can be enjoyed by a broad spectrum of sailors. The International J/24 has become the most popular recreational offshore keelboat in the world with over 5,400 J/24s cruising the waves. Today, there are 13,000+ J/Boats, ranging from the International J/22 to the J/65 and ranging in style from one-designs to racers, cruisers to daysailers and, of course, the ubiquitous J sprit boats- J/Boats' innovation in 1992 for easy-to-use asymmetric spinnakers and retractable carbon bowsprits (J/80, J/92, J/95, J/105, J/109, J/110, J/120, J/122, J/130, J/133, J/125, J/145, J/160).J/Boats has the best track record in sailing for innovation and design as evidenced by: 11 Sailing World/ Cruising World Boat of the Year Awards in 14 years; 2 SAIL Awards for Industry Leadership; 2 American Sailboat Hall of Fame Designs (J/24 & J/35); and the three largest ISAF International One-Design keelboat classes (J/22, J/24, J/80).
Counting crew, every year there are over 100,000 friends to meet sailing J's, populating the most beautiful sailing harbors in 35+ countries around the world. Sailing is all about friends. Come join us and expand your social network everywhere!
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http://www.jboats.com/intro.htm
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