NEW J/108 In Miami Boatshow
Visit Slip #24-B At Miamarina/ Bayside Feb 17-21
(Miami, FL)- If you're ready to experience sailing the ultimate freedom machine, then don't hesitate to head for Miami, enjoy a bit of sunshine and beautiful Florida weather, and check out the latest of J's shoal-performance cruisers/ daysailers- the J/108. Proven performance on all points of sail, the J/108 demonstrates that you really can "have your cake and eat it, too"! How often can you sail a boat into waist deep water, enjoy an afternoon picnic over the weekend with family and friends at the beach, then hit the Wednesday night "beer-can race" and enjoy a frolic around the buoys with your club buddies? The new J/108 underwent sea-trials in demanding Bay of Biscay conditions off Les Sable'd'Olonne, France in 12-18 knot winds and 6-12 foot seas rolling in from a distant North Atlantic gale. The J/108s "finger-tip control" in such conditions instills confidence and, combined with its beautiful, comfortable, spacious interior, considerably expands your cruising range for a 35 foot sailboat-- dare venture where few other sailboats can go! For more J/108 shoal-performance sailboat information.
NEW J/95 Trailer/ Sailer!
Go Sailing the Ultimate Freedom Machine
(Newport, RI)- If you thought the original J/95 was a versatile sailboat to start with, imagine having the ultimate trailer/ sailer cruising boat- the NEW J/95 with deck-stepped mast option. Now you can go sailing literally anywhere in the world where there's a launch ramp. Wake-up to a spasm of inspiration on a gorgeous day, toss in a weekend's worth of food & drink, hook up your 95 in the driveway, then cruise down the highway to your favorite lake or bay in your deluxe sailing "camper". What could be better? Your cruising horizons literally have no limit, especially since the J/95 is designed and engineered to ISO "Yacht" standards and can safely sail offshore when others are running for shelter.
The first J/95 with the deck-stepped mast option is headed to J-Lane in Switzerland. As Peter Bangerter said, "my client fell in love with the J/95 last year, but had a specific requirement – the need to be able to travel under a low bridge while transiting between two Swiss lakes by water." The new option was engineered by the team at Hall Spars and can be fitted to a standard J/95. The deck assembly includes a conduit for mast wiring and the entire assembly can be removed from the boat.
To raise the spar, a forward halyard is run through a whisker/gin pole attached to the front of the mast (and sticking up about 10') while two support lines (rigged on mast like a single lazy jack) and run through the jib blocks and back to the primary winches for supporting the mast side to side. The pictures above of the "test fitting" show a forklift fork acting as a short lever arm (where the whisker pole would be). The new system will permit two people to manage raising and lowering the mast. How cool is that!? Go sailing on your ultimate freedom machine now! Call your J Dealer nearest you for more details or a demo sail. For more J/95 shoal-performance sailboat information.
SPI Ouest France Expects Strong J/80 Class(La Trinite Sur Mer, France)- Expect over 100 J/80s from Italy, Spain, France, England, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom and Germany. Like every year, the Spi Ouest France will be the first Cup race in Coupe de France J/80. The fleet will be rafted on the pontoons in front of the NTS, the mooring slips will be reserved for J/80s, the biggest class at Spi Ouest! Thank you to everyone to keep his place from the beginning to the end of the race to avoid the bazaar in the back at the dock. Be sure to make plans now and register for Spi Ouest and take advantage of all the special rates for launch/ haul and dockage for the J/80 class- go now to Spi Ouest Regatta site.
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
The boatshow season is in full swing in the Northern parts of the world and for the most part the mood is upbeat. That emotion is felt as well at various regattas and venues around the world. Despite having their friends demolished by Cyclone Yaris and previous storms to the NE of Queensland, the tough psyche and positive thinking Aussies were still determined to live life to the fullest- witness how some of the J's did in regattas on the 175th Australia Day Down Under. In Europe, the combination of the Boote/Dusseldorf and London Shows boosted enthusiasm for sailors wishing to get going on their 2011 sailing season. In Spain and Italy, the J/80 fleets were sailing, most notably the Santander fleet hosting their J/80 World Trophy de Cantabria. The J/22s were sailing their winter series off Scheveningen, The Netherlands. In England, the Royal Southampton YC was running its Winter Frostbite Series, included in the ranks are the new J/111, J/109s, J/92s, J/80s and J/105s. Many American sailors took a breather after Key West and went, instead to some boatshows around the country, including San Diego and Chicago's Strictly Sail. However, the hard-core singlehanded and doublehanded sailors attended what has become a classic on San Francisco Bay, the infamous "Three Bridge Fiasco", where 300+ boats get to choose which way to circumnavigate the Bay around a set of buoys-- nuts perhaps? Maybe. But, a LOT of fun for those who've done it for decades, it's a test of skill, seamanship and local knowledge. Down in the Caribbean, our friends at Cayman Islands Sailing Club raced their J/22s in the Commodore's Cup- learn why "girls rule" down there! And, over in the far, far East, the Xiamen J/80 Fleet in China had their sixth weekend of racing/ learn to race programs- so heavily attended and over-subscribed they have more tenders than sailboats! Cool. Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below have more interesting, and heart-warming, stories this week. 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:
Feb 3-6- Halifax Sailboat Show- Halifax, Nova Scotia- http://www.halifaxboatshow.com/Feb 9-11- J/24 Pan-Am Games Trials- Tampa, FL- http://www.diyc.org/
Feb 12-16- J/24 Midwinters- Davis Is YC, Tampa, FL- http://midwinters.j24d10.org/
Feb 17-21- Miami Boatshow- Miami, FL- http://www.miamiboatshow.com/
Feb 18-20- SW NOOD- St Petersburg, FL- StPYC- http://www.sailingworld.com
Feb 24-26- J/22 Midwinters- Davis Is YC, Tampa, FL- http://www.diyc.org
Mar 9-11- J/30 Mardi Gras Midwinters- New Orleans, LA- http://j30.us/blog
Mar 10-12- Bacardi Miami Sailing Week- Miami, FL- http://www.miamisailingweek.com/
Mar 13-Apr 17- Warsash Spring Series- Hamble, UK- http://www.warsashspringseries.org.uk/
Mar 18-20- SW NOOD- San Diego, CA- http://www.sailingworld.com
May 10-14- J/24 Nationals- Dallas, TX- http://j24texas.com/
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
Three Bridge Fiasco A J/Fest!J/92 RAGTIME Wins Class
(San Francisco, CA)- With a record number of entries for the 2011 Single Handed Sailing Society’s annual 3 Bridge Fiasco, numbers became an interesting part of the 21 nautical mile "pursuit-style" tour of San Francisco Bay.
The 368 paid entries was certainly a record number for this midwinter short handed classic which allows only single handed and double handed entries. Working with a reverse handicap, the highest rater (PHRF 264 and over) started at 9:30 AM. 2 hrs:8 min:6 sec later, the lowest rater, Peter Stoneberg's Formula 40 catamaran crossed the start line. All boats have until 7:00 PM to finish. A classic "pursuit" race like Nantucket's infamous FIGAWI, your finish position is your division and overall finish order. The course begins off the Golden Gate Yacht Club and has 3 marks to round-- Blackaller buoy just to the West and in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, Red Rocks just below the Richmond San Rafael Bridge and Yerba Buena Island which anchors the Oakland Bay Bridge. Any direction and order you wish. It’s a Fiasco after all!
The forecast for light winds from the west at 5-8 knots and the 7:21 AM high tide was going to be a challenge; with about 6 feet of water slipping out the gate, at a 4.4 knot ebb during the heat of the event, plus an extra push from snow melt runoff from an unusual mid-January warm spell and you have a recipe for a ginormous ebb flow-- a.k.a. the infamous "monster Bay flush"!
162 boats managed to make it around the course in the allotted time, 139 boats failed to do so. Not that they were not trying, even calling the Race Deck as the 7:00 PM witching hour approached. The majority of boats seemed to go with a Counter-Clockwise attempt at the course, but found themselves in suspended animation just off Aquatic Park and by Alcatraz where the rushing ebb provided just enough current to remove any SMG from boats sailing to their potential. The smart money went clockwise and got around Red Rocks early then rode the magic carpet to the Berkeley Flat and squeezed around Yerba Buena later as the counter-clockwise fleet found out just a tad too late. Boats in the counter-clockwise group that did fetch a ride to Treasure Island, ended up in a maddening cluster seeking relief along the Island western edge. Bumper boats, anchor setting and even some short period groundings ensued.
Mother Nature threw the fleet a bit of a curve ball this year. The predicted front which was forecasted to arrive late Saturday night rolled through mid afternoon and brought with it the usual SW winds, but also managed to roll out a thick fog bank which enveloped the bay by early afternoon, reducing visibility to one-quarter mile. Along with it, a damp cold heavy drizzle followed, just in case you were doubting your commitment. Add to that some period of little to no wind and pulling the plug became an easy choice for those not really liking their position or chances to finish in time.
Frank Slootman, owner of J/111 INVISIBLE HAND, had this to say about his first double-handed adventure: "3BF was actually quite good for us with a second in division and 15th overall. That said, there were two well-sailed J/105s that we didn't catch, but we caught all the other J Boats! Key thing is to keep the boat moving and take what it gives you. The 111 is quite easy to keep moving for its size, not sticky at all. I am super pleased with the boat's performance. Most impressive thing is that she is well-rounded and balanced on a variety of conditions and points of sail, no glaring weaknesses in performance I can see. I think you're going to be in the hunt every time with this boat!"
Amongst the leading J's was Bob Johnston's J/92 RAGTIME. A long-time competitor of the 3BF and member of SSS, Bob was amongst the "smart" boats going clockwise (like the two J/105s and the J/111) and managed to win Division 3 Singlehanded Spinnaker and 9th overall of all 34 boats racing singlehanded!.
In Division 11 Doublehanded Spinnaker, the J/111 INVISIBLE HAND sailed by Frank ended up 2nd in division and 11th keelboat overall in the largest 3BF class (49 entrants). Behind him in 8th was Andy Costello sailing the well-known red rocketship, the J/125 DOUBLE TROUBLE, and 9th was another J/92, Tracy Rogers' RELENTLESS.
In the J/105 One-Design Division 19 class, Rich Pipkin sailed RACER X to 1st in class and 5th keelboat overall out of 267 boats! Just behind him was Doug Bailey's AKULA in 2nd and 10th keelboat overall! Third was Richard Butts in MELILANI, 4th Richard Craig in LIGHTWAVE and 5th Adam Spiegel in JAM SESSION.
Not to be outdone by their "younger" stablemates, Tony Castruccio sailed his venerable J/30 VENT VITESSE in 2nd in Division 22 Doublehanded SF Bay 30! And, the 30s "soul brothers" in the J/24 Division 27 One-Design class saw Don Taylor win with ON BELAY, Darren Cumming get 2nd on DOWNTOWN UPROAR and Raymond Lynch finish 3rd on ANOTHER WHITE BOAT. Article contributed by Erik Simonson at H20Shots.com/ pressure-drop.us For more Three Bridge Fiasco sailing results. For more info on the race and Singlehanded Sailing Society.
JUST LEAVING Wins J/22 Commodores CupGirls Spank The Guys in the Caymans!
(Cayman Islands)- There was a "volte face" in this years edition of the Cayman Island Sailing Club's annual Commodore's Cup sailed on the clubs' J/22s-- the girls beating the boys. The event was held over the weekend of 8th and 9th January 2011. Seven boats competed in the first major J22 sailing regatta of the year in what turned out to be one of the most competitive Commodores Cup regattas for many years.
The regatta was hosted by the Cayman Islands Sailing Club’s (CISC) Commodore who had just returned from his Antarctic expedition to face considerably more hospitable conditions in the North Sound.
Two courses, one a triangular course the other a windward / leeward course, were set in the North Sound by the well organized Race Committee, headed up by Peta Adams.
It was immediately apparent that the Christmas break had provided an opportunity for upgrades to various boats and that some of the crews had been finding time for some extra training. Of particular note was Sunshine, skippered by Peter Cunningham, which was sporting a brand new set of sails.The winds on Saturday were generally light with ten degree oscillation that meant the skippers had to keep in phase to stay with the fleet. The first race saw Tomeaka McTaggart sailing JUST LEAVING display the form that would see her through the weekend as she sailed into 1st place. The rest of the fleet were close behind and all fighting for room at the marks. After a very close last upwind beat Jo Richards racing MAYHEM showed some cool nerves to grasp second from Peter Cunningham skipping SUNSHINE.
The second race saw Ralph Harvey, the CISC new Lead Sailing Instructor, on DMS show good form and pull away from the fleet with Tomeaka McTaggart working her way into second place ahead of Peter Cunningham's SUNSHINE. Jo Richards' MAYHEM was caught on port at the top windward mark of the first beat and was forced to do penalty turns pushing her to the back of the fleet, but she clawed her way back to 4th. The third race, and the last of the day for Saturday, saw Tomeaka McTaggart regain her form and take another first, just ahead of a hard charging Peter Cunningham who was followed closely by Jane Moon on CIAO who was now getting used to her new crew.
The racing on Sunday started with stronger winds that had clocked to the East. During the fourth race of the regatta Steve Adams on WRECKLESS started to show the form that had eluded him on Saturday as he finished a very close second to Tomeaka McTaggart, with Jane Moon a close third. Fourth place was hotly contested with Bruce Johnson's YAHOO trying unsuccessfully to edge out Peter Cunningham at the pin end of the finish line. The fleet experienced gusty conditions in the fifth race which saw Tomeaka McTaggart consolidate her grip on the fleet with another 1st place with Jane Moon finding her form with another 2nd place and Steve Adams close behind in 3rd.Technical difficulties befell Tomeaka McTaggart in the sixth race, the crew was unable to drop the spinnaker, putting her in last place, whilst Jane Moon took advantage grabbing 1st place and Ralph Harvey (DMS) was back in the mix finishing 2nd just ahead of Peter Cunningham. For the final race of the regatta the winds dropped a little. Tomeaka McTaggart made another good start while Jo Richards on MAYHEM got shut out and had to tack across the back of the fleet to the right side of the course. Obviously clear air and an early lift helped Jo out and she round the windward mark on Tomeaka’s stern and ahead of the rest of the fleet. Again Jo Richards displayed cool nerves as she managed to stay ahead of the pack to pull out a 2nd place to finish ahead of Jane Moon. For the final tally, Tomeaka's JUST LEAVING was first with 7 points, Jane Moon's CIAO 2nd with 16 points; Peter's SUNSHINE in third with 19 points; Jo's MAYHEM in 4th with 22 points and Ralph's DMS in 5th with 24 points. For for J/22 Commodore's Cup sailing information on Cayman Islands.
J/122 LITHIUM Wins Australia Day RegattaJ/35 and J/80 Win Honors, Too!
(Sydney, Australia)- On January 26th a number of racing events were held to celebrate the 175th Australia Day Regatta, where more than 160 harbour racing yachts, classic yachts, ocean racers and modern and historical skiffs celebrated this remarkable yachting anniversary on Sydney Harbour.
The regatta is the world’s oldest, continuously-conducted annual sailing regatta, a celebration of the arrival in 1788 of the British Admiralty's First Fleet to found the penal colony that eventually became the great Commonwealth of Australia (now you know why Ozzie's often-times proudly call themselves "convicts"- remember the Sydney-Hobart-Tazzie Race story in J/News?).
Despite a morning sea fog that blanketed the city and suburbs and the harbour, the misty conditions cleared somewhat and a light east to north-easterly breeze cooled conditions and provided close racing around fixed marks. A total of 56 yachts competed in the 30nm passage race to Botany Bay in tough beating conditions with the fog playing havoc as bowmen tried to keep a watchful lookout for other competing yachts. Brett Haywoods J/122 LITHIUM claimed 1st on PHS and 2nd on IRC Division 1 in the Grant Thornton Short Ocean Pointscore passage race.
John Amos, the new owner of the J/35 SOUNDTRACK continued the winning ways of this well known Sydney-based boat, not only by winning the spring series at Greenwich Flying Squadron but also an impressive 1st place at that club’s Australia Day regatta!
Ray and Sandra Entwistle’s new J/80 is off to flying start with its debut to Australia, by taking a 2nd in the twilight Australia day race followed by a 3rd in the mixed spinnaker division in the Australia Day Regatta.
J/22 Winter Series- The Netherlands30 Boats Sailing Faster & Faster!
(The Hague, The Netherlands)- After a successful New Year reception last Friday, the J/22 fleet gather at their favorite place along the sea- "@ Sea"- the famous drink/ eat spot during the J/22 World Cup last summer. Later in the day, with no breeze, 28 degrees, it was a bit dark, cold and bleak in the harbor of Scheveningen. So, everyone stayed inside for nibbles, drinks and delicious food. However, on Sunday it was time for another one of the Winter Series races. The weather was a lot better and it was fully enjoyed by all. As for the results, Eelco Blok on TEAM HH KESBEKE is leading with a 2-3-1-3 followed in second by Ronald Veraar sailing SIKA/ RHA MOJO with a 1-6-2-4. Third is Thomas Allart on SAILING SERVICE with a 12-1-3-2, rapidly climbing up the ladder! Lying fourth is Menno Bron on STRIPES with an 8-7-4-1 and rounding out the top five is Team Broach on HAPPY SKY with a 5-11-6-5.
For next weekend, don't forget that on Saturday, February 12th there will be J/22 Winter Training run by Rick Boyer Sand. If you want to participate email to treasurer@j22.nl your name and sail number and the course(s) you want to join. The courses start at 10.00am at the bar in the clubhouse. Make sure your boat is rigged and ready to roll with you on it! The training will be over around 15.30pm so you're showing up in time back to the GMA. Learn more about J/22 Winter Training and Sailing in The Netherlands.
J/80 Italy Winter Series
(Tigullio, Italy)- A beautiful northerly breeze accompanied the exciting sailing on Sunday in the Regatta dell'Invernale of Tigullio. The 35th edition of the historic Offshore Sailing Championship organized by Franco Noceti and sailing clubs of Tigullio crews brought an intriguing double series of races.
Before the first race it was blowing 12-15 knots, then the north wind strengthened unexpectedly, rising to 25 and allowing beautiful planing conditions for the J/80s of over 14 knots.
In the first race JENIALE! (Maximum Rama / Extreme Sailing Team) set a good pace and won the race in front of a bright MONTPRES, followed by OLJ SPIRIT, JACONDE and J-BES.
In the second race it was a repeat duel between JENIALE! and MONTPRESS, but this time the crew of Paul Montedonico on MONTPRESS prevailed, winning the race followed JENIALE!.
Overall after 8 races, Federico Rajola is first with OLJ SPIRIT. JENIALE! is in second followed by Paul Montedonico with MONTPRES in third. Fourth place with J-BES is Alberto Garibotto and fifth Massimo Zunino on JACONDE. The next set of races is on Sunday, Feb. 6 and a great closing set will be on Feb. 20.
J/80 World Trophy de CantabriaSLAM RACING Wins First Spanish Regatta of 2011!
(Santander, Spain)- While his brother is out amongst the leaders of the Barcelona World Race on IMOCA 60s, Jaime Piris was taking the upper hand amongst the local J/80 fleet in their first regatta of the year- the World Cantabria Trophy. An excellent turnout of 29 boats assured everyone of a highly competitive and fun sailing regatta.
For the first weekend of racing, the Race Committee set up a course in light wind from the west in the bay and managed to get off a good series of races. Jaime's FONESTAR was leading after the first weekend, followed by MABLE sailed by Alberto Padron, third is SLAM RACING with Tono Gorostegui sailing very fast downwind. Past J/80 World Champion Ignacio Camino on NEXTEL ENGINEERING is fourth and fifth is MERCEDES BENZ sailed by Alvaro Elorza. Current J/80 World Champion Pichu Torcida had a bad second race, finishing an uncharacteristic 17th in his local fleet to knock him out of the top 10 for now.
For the second weekend of racing, the standings amongst the fleet leaders changed a lot! Two straight days of racing were scheduled to complete the first regatta of the year. The Committee decided to set up the race course off Cape Minor. The wind was blowing about 10 knots from the west to northwest. It was very cold with wind chill close to 0 degrees C (32 degrees F). The wind was very shifty and contributed to the huge changes in the standings. Those who went left on the first beats did a lot better than those who went right. A surprise leader at the first mark on the first race was COMPESCA with Olympic Gold Medalist Fernando Echavarri at the helm. Chasing him fast was NEXTEL, MAQUECHE and RAITA. After a disastrous spinnaker takedown, COMPESCA dropped back allowing MABLE, RAITA and Pichu on ECC VIVIENDAS to round out the top three, respectively. After a good series of races, the Race Committee was careful to provide the fleet reasonably "fair" racing conditions. However, the wind dropped a lot and veered in direction, so the PRO Perez-Sanchez decided it was better to conclude the racing and head for the clubhouse.
At the end of the day, Tono Gorostegui on SLAM RACING counted a 3-2-1 to win the first Spanish regatta of the year. Second was Alberto Padron sailing MABLE with 9 points, third was Ignacio Camino on NEXTEL ENGINEERING with 12 points, fourth was Adiran Zamacona's LUPA, one of his better finishes to date in the J/80 fleet. Fifth was Jaime Piris on FONESTAR, the early regatta leader falling from grace with the sea- the last weekend was very tough on their team. Again rising like a "phoenix from the ashes" was Pichu Torcida, salvaging an 8th to finish with 22 points on ECC VIVIENDAS. For more J/80 Spain sailing information. Sailing photo credit- Chapifoto.com
J/111 ARABELLA Leading Frostbite Series(Southampton, England)- The Royal Southampton YC Frostbite Series is in full swing and the fleet is being treated to, as usual, fairly extreme conditions-- from benign and beautiful to crazy and cold!
RACES 1 & 2
It was a windy blustery day which greeted the fleet for the first sail of the year and one which would certainly blow away the cobwebs from the H&Q!
The gradient wind was circa 22 knots with gust up to 30 knots from the SW which was relatively warm, especially after the recent cold spell for the inaugural race of the Doyle Sails Frostbite Series. With 35 entries in two IRC and two RSYC classes the first race got under way with many putting reefs in. The first run was exciting with plenty of boats flying their kites however there were plenty of broaches in the strong gusts and from early on Doyle Sails were going to be kept busy after the race!
An early casualty was ALICE, last year’s series winner, who sadly broke their mast which went with a bang as it was carbon fibre, fortunately no one was hurt. JAMMIN too had problems with their gennaker which wrapped around the forestay and took a good flogging in the breeze.With four boats retiring and others with torn sails when the gradient wind picked up to 25 knots plus and the gusts up to 35 knots, the second race was wisely abandoned.
The racing was close in all classes with Class 1 being won by J/DREAM – Kirsty and David Apthorp’s J/109. Class 2 was won by J’RONIMO – David Greehalgh’s J/92s.
RACES 3 & 4It was frosty for the early starters with wall-to-wall sunshine and a light Northerly breeze greeting the racers for the second days racing in the aptly named Frostbite Series.
In total contrast to the last Sunday of racing, the breeze for Race 3 was very light and fickle, shifting back and forth as it ran down Southampton Water as the boats started at Deans Lake beating for Hovercraft 1. All four classes got away but with the shifty light wind it was debatable whether they would finish the race until it shifted 50 degrees to the east and increased to 10 knots. Class 2 was won by JAMMIN the J/92 owned by Matt, Pete and Andrew. Class 3 was won by ARABELLA, the new J/111 owned by Niall Dowling.
With a steady 10 knot North Easterly established the second race was back and forth across Southampton Water and, as long as one had plenty of layers on it was not too cold in the sun. Again all four Classes had clean starts ,although with a little jostling in Class 2, After Barn was the windward mark then up the river before cascading back and forth down to the finish at Deans Lake. All in all just enough before retiring to the warmth of the club which was very busy for the prize giving of bottles of wine and Doyle Sailmakers bags.
With a more stable wind, the finish order changed significantly. It was J-DREAM, Kirsty and David Apthorp’s J/109 who took the bullet in Class 1. Niall Dowling’s J/111 ARABELLA had her second win of the day in Class 3 to now be leading the series in Class 3.
Sailing Photo Credit- John Greenway
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* Spanish J/80 sailors in Barcelona World Race- two Spanish boats amongst the top five in the BWR have been avid J/80 sailors that have sailed with friends in the various fleets in Spain- Santander, Palma and so forth. Iker Martinez on MAPFRE is currently second and lying in fifth is Antonio Piris on RENAULT. Antonio's brother is Jaime Piris who just finished the J/80 World Trophy de Cantabria above. Fast company, fast sailors. Watch how these two J/80 sailors influence the performance of their team-mates and how they perform in the race. You can see how they're doing on the race tracker:Barcelona World Race Tracker: http://tracking.barcelonaworldrace.org
Full Barcelona World Race sailing information: http://www.barcelonaworldrace.org/en/ranking/
The J Cruising Community
J Cruisers continue their adventures around the world, below are a selection of most excellent "blogs" written by their prolific publishers. Some terribly amusing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom are contained in their blogs. Read some! You'll love it.* The J/42 JARANA continues their epic voyage around the Pacific. Continue to read about Bill and Kathy Cuffel's big adventure cruising the South Pacific headed for New Zealand. Their blog is here: http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/
* Prolific writers, Bill and Judy Stellin, sailed their J/42 JAYWALKER around the Mediterranean and Europe and back across the Atlantic for nearly three years. Their blogs/journals can be found at- http://blog.mailasail.com/jaywalker. The earlier journals have been compiled into two self published books which can be found at: http://www.blurb.com. Search for "SEATREK: A Passion for Sailing" by Bill Stellin or William Stellin." Fun reading when rocking back in a chair watching your storm-lashed windows take a beating in the gale roaring outside and listening to the crackle of a roaring fire. It is winter "down under" you know. The Argentineans are freezing.
* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary will have just finished their double-handed crossing of the Atlantic, landing in Portugal on their J/130 Shazam after completion of their ARC Rally. Read the latest news at http://www.sailblogs.com/member/shazam/.* Several J/160 owners are island hopping across the world's oceans, fulfilling life long dreams to cruise the Pacific islands, the Caribbean islands, the Indian Ocean and all points in between. Anyone for Cape Horn and penguins?? Read more about their adventures and escapades (like our J/109 GAIA, J/42s PAX and JAYWALKER and J/130 SHAZAM friends above).
- SALACIA, the J/160 owned by Stephen and Cyndy Everett has an on-going blog describing some of their more amusing experiences (http://www.salacia1.blogspot.com).
- Bill and Susan Grun on the J/160 AVANTE are also sailing in the Pacific archipelago, read more about their great adventures on their blog (http://web.me.com/susangrun). Check out there recent travels- now past Fiji!
Featured Boats
J/122 SKYE- Triple Mac Race Winner For SalePossibly the best equipped and fastest short-handed 40 foot racer-cruiser in the world! SKYE is the Chicago-Mackinac Race Winner in 2008 (fully crewed) and the 2009 and 2010 Double-handed winner overall! This IRC-friendly 40 footer offers a perfect, completely furnished interior with all the canvas protection covers for the bright-work while racing. As a fresh-water boat it has been immaculately maintained to "Bristol" condition. It features two flip-up pilot berths in the main cabin and gimbaled LPG stove/oven. The B&G 3000 system includes a Garmin 3210 chart plotter, three 20/20s on the mast, lots of readouts everywhere, plus a Hercules H3000 autopilot system with the H3000 gyro- an awesome short-handed sailing system! Sail inventory is all North Sails 3DL carbon, including 2 mains, 6 jibs, Code 0 and 2 spinnakers (Norlite runner and AirX reacher)- blue and white colors. Hull is white with double-blue boot-stripe and white racing bottom paint. For more info call Richie Stearns at Stearns Boating- ph- +1-847-404-2209 or email- rich@stearnsboating.com.
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: 15 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 and sailing the waters of 35+ countries around the world. Sailing is all about friends. Come join us and expand your social network everywhere! For more information on J/Boats.
Read Kimball Livingston's SAIL update on the J/Boats story- A Band of Brothers.
