J's Invade Annapolis NOODThe Battle (and the Party) Rage On!
(Annapolis, MD)- After last weekend's Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, there will be plenty of scores to settle at the Sperry Top-Sider Annapolis NOOD. Next weekend's STS Annapolis NOOD will see 221 teams racing in 16 one-design divisions. An enormous turnout of 138 J's (62% of the entire fleet!) are sailing in seven fleets, including thirty-seven J/22s, thirteen J/24s, twenty-nine J/80s, fourteen J/30s, twenty-eight J/105s, seven J/35s and ten J/109s.
The 37-boat J/22 class will be the largest in Annapolis. Expect a good battle between Todd Hiller's LEADING EDGE and Travis Odenbach's INSTIGATOR teams; Hiller and Odenbach finished third and fourth, respectively, in Charleston. However, some additional hot sailors locally and from the Newport contingent will certainly be factors on the leader-board, including Tim Healey's SAILORS FOR THE SEA from Newport, RI, a past J/24 and J/22 champion; Carol Cronin sailing HPS, a past Women's keelboat champion from Jamestown, RI; Allen "Albie" Terhune from Arnold, MD; Kevin Doyle and Victor Snyder on MO'MONEY from Youngstown, NY; and Jeff Todd on HOT TODDY from Annapolis, MD. Shaking off some ice and rust from the Great White North will be the long-distance travelers from Toronto, ONT, Stu Lawrie on CATCH 22.
Of the 29 teams registered for the J/80 division, 12 competed at CRW, including top-five skippers Kerry Klingler from Larchmont, NY; Will Welles from Newport, RI on RASCAL; Bruno Pasquinelli from Dallas, Texas on TIAMO; Thomas Klok and Will Crump on GULDFAXE from Copenhagen, Denmark and Annapolis, MD; and John White from Annapolis, MD. However, upping the ante considerably will be the presence of past World and Key West Champion Glenn Darden from Ft Worth, TX sailing LE TIGRE, fresh off the Texas J/80 Circuit.
In the 13-boat J/24 division, expect Chris Jankowski's STREET LEGAL crew to be hot coming off a second-place finish last weekend. But, giving them a serious run for the money will be Mark Hillman sailing WIP and class centenarian Tony Parker on BANGOR PACKET (showing the kids again how to get it done!), amongst others.
Within the J/105 fleet will be several strong teams that will all factor during the races and some of whom will be on the leader board at the conclusion of racing on Sunday. Amongst those teams will be several top Annapolis J/105 sailors like Peter McChesney sailing THE MYSTERY MACHINE, Carl and Scott Gitchell steering TENACIOUS, Bob Reeves on A-TRAIN, Jack Biddle on RUM PUPPY, Chris and Carolyn Groobey on JAVA and Andy Kennedy on BAT IV. Solid out-of-town teams that also had success in regional and National J/105 events include Jim Rathbun on HEY JUDE from Toronto, ONT and John Gottwald racing EAGLES WINGS from Chicago, IL.
The J/109 teams are all looking forward to another competitive, but fun, regatta. Said Steve McManus on SAYKADOO, "Bill Sweetser is a great guy, and his boat RUSH is the top boat in our fleet. He is also very understated. At any rate, Bill is hosting a party at his home in Annapolis for the J/109 crews on the Saturday evening. Last year, all the skippers and crew were there!!" Say no more, these guys know how to have a good time! Two good out-of-town teams joining the fun will be Craig Wright's AFTERTHOUGHT from Raleigh, NC and Adrian Begley's MAD DOGS from Atlantic Highlands, NJ.
The J/35s have several familiar faces showing up at the OK Corral to determine who's going to win the gun-fight. Amongst them are names like AUNT JEAN sailed by Jim Sagerholm from the Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, Peter Scheidt's MAGGIE and Chuck Kohlerman's MEDICINE MAN.
Big brother of J/24 lives! As #2 in the J family of boats, the J/30s continue to enjoy a renaissance and this year is proving to be one of the strongest J/30 one-design class reunions post last year's well-attended J/30 Nationals in Marblehead, MA. With fourteen J/30s on the line, there will be some strong competition. As in last year's NOOD and Annapolis Race Week, amongst the leaders will be Bob Rutsch and Mike Costello on BEPOP; Larry Christy's BIG KAHUNA team; Ron Anderson sailing INSATIABLE, Bob Putnam skippering BETTER MOUSETRAP and George Watson racing AVITA. Thanks for Mike Lovett/ Sailing World for contributing to this story. Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes Photography- http://www.timwilkes.com For more Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Annapolis sailing information.
J/World Newport Sporting J/80s For Instruction!(Newport, RI)- J/World Sailing School in Newport, RI is excited to announce the addition of two J/80s to its fleet. They're incorporating the new J/80s into the full range of Learn to Sail, Cruising and Racing courses, and will also offer specialty programs for J/80 sailors, racers and owners who want to focus on specific J/80 techniques to maximize their performance. These courses will include spinnaker and race boat-handling courses, crewing courses and full team training. For more information, please contact J/World at 800-343-2255, 401-849-5492 or visit http://www.jworldschool.com. And, for graduates (or those wishing to graduate up to a J/80), you can take advantage of this great deal- 2011 Model US Watercraft J/80s are $53,900 including a Waterline Systems faired keel and complete double-axle Triad Trailer! For mor J/80 package deal information- info@jboats.com
J/111 Sailing RORC Offshore(Cowes, IOW, England)- There are over 100 boats bound for Le Havre, France this coming weekend. Amongst them is Nial Dowling's J/111, ARABELLA making its offshore debut for The Cervantes Trophy. The race starts Saturday, April 30 from RYS is organised by RORC in association with the Société des Régates du Havre and the Royal Yacht Squadron. The Cervantes Trophy Race marks the start of the RORC European race circuit with eleven races scheduled for destinations in Northern France, Holland, Ireland and many ports of call in the United Kingdom.
The majority of the RORC fleet for the Cervantes Trophy is an eclectic mix of performance cruising boats. In IRC-2, it has no less than 20 types of yachts, including RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine's boat. The much travelled Nial Dowling will be racing his new J/111 ARABELLA for the first time offshore and could have a close battle for line honours in class with several other notable 39-42 footers. An impressive line up in IRC-3 has nine J/109s, including proven competitors such as Robin Taunt's JIBE and Paul Griffith's JAGERBOMB. The Two-Handed Class, an increasingly popular discipline, has attracted nine yachts for The Cervantes Trophy Race, including Rear Commodore Nick Martin's J/105, DIABLO-J, which won the Cherbourg Race at the end of the 2010 season. For more RORC Cervantes Trophy sailing information. Sailing Photo credits- Paul Wyeth- www.pwpictures.com
J/Sailing NewsThe Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
Spring sailing continued at a feverish pace worldwide with events taking place on a 24 hour "follow the sun" scenario. In fact, two J/145s were racing simultaneously on the same weekend nearly 15,000 miles apart (1/3 of the way around the world)- one sailing across the South China Sea from Hong Kong to the Philippines and one sailing in the PalmaVela off Palma Mallorca, Spain. The J/24s nearly pulled off the same feat (at least within two weekends) with the Vic States in Australia, the South Americans in Montevideo, Uruguay, the Trofeo Accademia Navale in Livorno, Italy, the Tasmanian States on the River Derwent (Australia) and the gang racing in Charleston Race Week. The European offshore and one-design scene saw an extremely competitive fleet of J/80s racing in the PalmaVela with World and Olympic champions vying for honors. Simultaneously, in England the J/80s were in their Easter weekend RORC Easter Challenge in a training/ racing weekend with top RYA coach Jim Saltonstall helping them all go faster! Also sailing were the J/97, J/109s and other J's training on boat-speed and boat-handling. Just across "La Manche", the French were playing host to what has become one of the largest fixtures in the spring regatta circuit worldwide, the famous Spi Ouest-France regatta in La Trinite Sur Mer, with the largest one-design keelboat fleet ever assembled in France (the J/80s) and the J/97 "schooling" their IRC handicap fleet. Finally, the continental European J/22 fleet were starting their spring series with their "Warming Up" Regatta on the Brassermeer Sea in the Netherlands. Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below 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:
Apr 29-May 1- STS Annapolis NOOD- Annapolis, MD- http://www.sailingworld.comApr 30-May 1- Yachting Cup- San Diego, CA- http://www.sdyc.org/yachtingcup/
May 1-6- Bermuda Race Week (J/24 & J/105)- RBYC, Bermuda- http://www.biirw.bm
May 5-8- J/80 Copa de Espana- Palma Mallorca, Spain- http://www.j80copaespana2011.com/
May 10-14- J/24 Nationals- Dallas, TX- http://j24texas.com/
May 14-15- J/109 Vice Admirals Cup- Cowes, England- http://www.rorc.com
May 14-15- Ahmanson Cup- Newport Beach, CA- http://www.nhyc.org
May 14-15- J/109 Vice Admirals Cup- Cowes, England- http://www.rorc.com
May 20-22- STS Seattle NOOD- Seattle, WA- http://www.sailingworld.com
May 27- STC Block Island Race- Stamford, CT- http://www.stormtrysail.org/
Jun 3- Annapolis-Newport Race- Annapolis, MD- http://www.race.annapolisyc.org
Jun 12-19- Rolex Giraglia Cup- Genoa, Italy- http://www.yachtclubitaliano.it
Jun 18-22- Kieler Woche Regatta- Kiel, Germany- http://www.kyc.de/
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
Brezellec & J/97 Cruise To SPI Ouest-France Wins(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- The largest one-design fleet in the history of SPI Ouest-France delivered in spades. Great competition, good sailing and a champion whom is greatly respected in French sailing circles. Eric Brezellec, from Saint-Quay Portrieux, residing in Brest, was the overall J/80 class winner. With his crew, he won his second brilliant Spi Ouest France.
Eric has won four J/80 Cups in France (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2010). "This morning, I have no aches because we did not have severe weather conditions. For cons, I'm tired mentally because it's not easy for nerves to function in a split-fleet of 100 J/80s (the fleet was split into two flights). It is the happiness of winning for the second time this great race of the season that brings great pleasure", said Eric.
"I sailed in the J/80 since 2004. Our victory is linked to a good analysis of the water but also to our knowledge of J/80. We know how it works and we have a great set of sails. And, we are used to sailing in large J/80 fleets. In the J/80 Coupe de France, we regularly sail 60 boats on the starting line. We are not surprised at the mark roundings, they can be jammed!" Eric plans on sailing the J/80 World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark in July 3-8. While Eric sailed his INTERFACE CONCEPT 2 to a 3-4-2-1-5-6-3 record for races counted, Sylvain Pellisier on VOILERIE ALL PURPOSE sailed a series of very consistent races to start out slowly and make a strong bid to win the regatta, getting an 8-8-3-3-3-1-11-6. Had it not been for a bad race #7, Pellisier may have won the regatta. Third was Maxime Roussea on GRAND OUEST ETIQUETTES perhaps sailing the strongest regatta of the entire top three finishers. Maxime was leading the regatta for the first six races, getting a 3-2-1-3-7-1. But disastrous last two races of 19-46 simply dropped them off the top of the podium, having to drop a 46th just to finish 3rd overall.
Of note, Bruno Trouble's team on COYOTE finished 12th overall, with Phillipe Girardin, Patrice Roynette and Gilles Fournier as crew. They firmly established primal, senior, supremacy by winning their first race! Nevertheless, they sailed well to get a 1-6-8-10-9-19-20-41. Their finishes for the first five races put them in the top five but an unfortunate last three races dropped them off the top ten. Also, Christine Briand (famous naval architect's Phillipe Briand's wife) sailed a great series to finish 6th sailing her J/80 J'ILE DE RE to a good record of 13-3-4-2-5-5-15-45. Past top 3 finisher Luc Nadal on GAN'JA was 8th. Laura Vroon's team from the Netherlands, JOIE DE VIVRE, finished 18th, winning a race, too! And, top Italian team was Massimo Rama's team on JENIALE finishing 23rd. As for the J/97, Didier Le Moal's team on J-LANCE won with a 1-1-2-2-1-1-1 to simply dominate their class, the largest IRC class at SPI-Ouest-France with over forty boats. In the J/22 class, Huet's EUROPEAN HOMES managed to squeeze out a victory with a 1-2-4-4-2-3-2-1. Pouteau's SOFFE was second and Raphalen's BANQUE POPULAIRE ATLANTIQUE was third. Sailing photo credits: Eric Rousseau - VELOX IMAGES http://bit.ly/9zQYbc, Laurent Vidal - PHOTOMER http://bit.ly/avmMWw For more Spi Ouest-France sailing information
MAPFRE Dominates J/80 PalmaVelaJ/145 ACE Third in IRC3
(Palma de Mallorca, Spain)- Some of the most magnificent sailboats of the world sailed this past weekend in Palma. However, it was clear the giants of sailing in Spain had the best competition in the J/80 class. The J/80 is the most important one-design racing boat in Spain and the participation of three Olympic Medallists and a World Champion simply elevated the level of competition to a world-class level.
One of Europe`s most scenic events came to an end Sunday after several days of racing which delivered very different wind patterns and great conditions throughout the whole contest. For J/80 heavyweight Carlos Martínez`s MAPFRE, it was a dominant win in the one design class for the third consecutive year. Two bullets and a second place in Sunday's three races gave the Spanish team a fifteen point advantage over surprise second place finisher, Manuel Weiller's BUFETE FRAU ABOGADOS, which moved up to second after a third and two fourth places. Third was NEXTEL ENGINEERING sailed by past J/80 World Champion Ignacio “Trucha” Camino. Fourth was Barcelona 1992 Gold Medallist Jose María van der Ploeg skippering GREAT SAILING. And, fifth was Portuguese Hugo Rocha, Bronze Medallist in Atlanta 1996, skippering TURISMO DO ALGARVE.
The racing over the three days delivered just about every condition one might imagine in the idyllic seaport of Palma. On Saturday, the second day of races in Palma for J/80s started with a heavy early shower which left clear skies for the rest of the day with Southerly breeze of 12 knots. Carlos Martinez's MAPFRE, the defending champion in the J/80 division won the day with a 1-1-2-5. Olympic medallist Jose María Van der Ploeg's GREAT SAILING made an impressive showing with 6-6-1-1, which boosted them up to the second place in the scoring board after six races. Ignacio Camino's NEXTEL ENGINEERING was over the line in the first race and was third and second in the last two races.On the first day of racing nice conditions accompanied the days races after an early heavy storm which let the sun come out again right before the fleet left the dock. Races were run in 15 to 20 knots wind which started blowing from the south-east and shifted to the west by the end of the day. The J/80 class delivered a great show on the water which was won by defending champion Carlos Martínez on MAPFRE, who seemed to be very much in control of the fleet after getting a 1-2-1. Second was Ignacio Camino's NEXTEL ENGINEERING with a 3-3-3. Third was TURISMO DE ALGARVE sailed by Olympic Medallist Hugo Rocha.
In the IRC fleet, the J/145 ACE sailed by Fred Stelle and Rod Johnstone ended up with a 3rd overall in a highly competitive fleet of IRC boats that included two well-sailed TP52s. For more Mapfre PalmaVela Sailing information.
Summer-Like Finale for RORC Easter ChallengeJ/97 Got the FEVER to Win!
(Cowes, IOW, England)- It was an RORC Easter Challenge where competitors not only head home wiser after three days of coaching, but also with suntans...so the July-like conditions continued for Easter Sunday, the final day of competition.
Racing got underway in the morning with just enough northwesterly gradient coming out of Southampton Water for the race committee to set courses to the north of Ryde Sands. The first race was held in 5-10 knots while in the second, the breeze dropped off after the second start. The regatta's only run-away leader was Grant Gordon's J/97 FEVER. She finished 16 points ahead of the next boat.
Traditionally the RORC Easter Challenge has been an event for full oilskins and thermals to counter the freezing cold and driving rain. For the first day of the RORC's annual European season opener, conditions were more like August, albeit with the wind cooled by the still chilly Solent. With this afternoon's first race held in six knots, followed by a puffy breeze gusting at times to an un-forecast 12 knots during race two, combined with a building flood tide, it was a tricky day for the tacticians, but with the unseasonal sunshine there were no complaints.
Proving his skill is not solely in racing giant multihulls round the world or singlehanded on IMOCA 60s, Brian Thompson led IRC 3 with his crew on the J/109 TOE IN THE WATER. However Thompson's crew, that includes several recuperating servicemen, is just one point ahead of a team that had three Commodores' Cups behind them. Chris Neve, sailing with the experienced Phil Lawrence on mainsheet, was particularly pleased with their performance in today's second race when they port tacked the fleet and went on to win, despite putting in a penalty turn at the top mark when they tacked too close to another boat.
Leading the J/80s was Douglas Neville-Jones, a relative newcomer to the class, who co-owns his boat with ERIVALLE III owner Mike Greville. Their reason for having the boat is to teach their sons and daughters. "The young ones usually just get sidelined and don't get to understand what's happening," explained Neville-Jones. "Do this [the J/80] and you get involved and that makes a huge difference, because they actually learn about why you are going this way or looking for shifts. Otherwise if you are on the weather rail of a big boat and the guys at the back are discussing whether they are on a shift or not - you aren't aware of that at all."
Throughout the day the coaching squad, led by Jim Saltonstall, has been out on the water in force, helping crews with their boat's tuning, their sail handling and maneuvers, etc. With the rule preventing 'outside help' being dropped for this regatta, the coaches can get on board and help. Much video of the racing was taken and this was analyzed in the Cowes Yacht Haven Events Centre post racing.
For Saturday's racing, a windless Solent saw racing postponed for three hours. Competitors were kept occupied in the Cowes Yacht Haven Events Centre with a valuable talk from Jim Saltonstall on race preparation. Early afternoon the race committee made the brave call to get underway on a course off Hill Head despite the apparent mill pond. In fact there was wind off the water and a meaningful race was held. At the end of the first race the wind began to veer into the southwest as the sea breeze prevailed and for race two, the wind picked up to an unexpected 13-14 knots with the tide running left to right across the course on the beat. From the first race, where crews were being sat down to leeward, for race two they were up on the weather rail, fully hiking.
IRC 4 is the only class to have a run-away leader in Grant Gordon's J/97 FEVER. Over in the J/80 class, Kevin Sproul made a good come back after yesterday's rig issues to win both Saturday's races.
Despite the light wind to start with on Saturday, the conditions once again proved ideal for the on-the-water coaching provided by Jim Saltonstall, Barry Dunning and their team. The RORC Easter Challenge is a `coaching regatta' and the competitors have been lapping up the advice during races as well as the post-race video analysis ashore. Sailing Photo Credits- Tom Gruitt- http://www.pwpictures.com For RORC Easter Challenge sailing results- http://www.rorc.org
PACEMAKER Wins J/24 Victoria States(Victoria, NSW, Australia- Apr 18th)- In the biggest state fleet seen in Melbourne for many years, 18 boats and around 100 yachties and race officials enjoyed great weather and sailing over the two day regatta.
Although PACEMAKER sailed by Dave Suda had to settle for a 4th on the much lighter Sunday race, his clean sweep on Saturday’s four races meant the result was effectively all wrapped up on the first day.
PACEMAKER was sailing without owner Herschel Landes this year after a health scare, but it didn’t matter and with a 15 – 18knot South Easterly blowing on Saturday, PACEMAKER showed pure dominance in what must now be called Super Sudaday. With a marginal edge in speed and height and a clear edge in tactics and crew work, Dave and his crew put the work in to earn the 2011 State Title.
This year the fleet was like a pack of hungry wolves, tight and very competitive and plenty of hard racing with close and hard fought mark roundings, a fair amount of ‘one design’ banging together (no major damage) and quite a few protests. Exciting and fierce competition as the standard of the whole fleet was up considerably on past years.With 14 boats from the Vic fleet and 4 interstate boats sailing, the fleet is one of many changes. Hugo Ottaway bought BRUSCHETTA VI a week before the champs and was coming to grips with his new boat, Andrew Stefano has recently bought GRIDLOCK back from Hobart, John Neville bought VICE VERSA from Hugo and surprise package Brendan Lee bought ‘Hi’ (now called ‘By the Lee’) from Pete Stevens in Adelaide.
From interstate we welcomed Arthur Crothers with Dave West steering, brought KAOTIC from Sydney, Terry Wise brought two boats from Sydney, SAILPAC (Sean Wallis’ old ‘Wetty Gripper’) steered by current National Champ Sean Kirkjian and STARPAC steered by Hank Beyer. Admiral Stevens brought his ‘newest’ boat, CODE VIOLATION over from Adelaide. For those who knew the boat when Doug McGain had it you just wouldn’t recognize it, Pete is a master of cleaning up boats.
If Dave blasted into first, Kirj quietly made his way into second place with an impressive and consistent score, reminding us all that you don’t need a win to be up there in the placings.
Third and fourth were the two surprise packages of the championship. Brendan Lee sailing in his first J regatta, put in a solid series to show us all that the new guys need to be well respected and with placings between 4th and 8th took out fourth place.
Some of you may know Adam Evans as occasionally part of the old PACEMAKER crew. Most won’t have seen his 3rd place coming in quite the way Adam showed us how to sail this weekend. Like a breath of fresh air reminding the old guard of our pasts, Adam, crew, ghetto blaster, black cans and life turned up to loud, in my opinion stole the rest of the show. A very consistent and dedicated youth program trained sailor, Adam is now sure to follow Dave Suda as one of our most important role models for the attraction of a new generation of young J sailors. Only a tangle with yours truly at the top mark and an arbitration experience kept him out of 2nd place. I would confidently expect him to be a future Nationals winner.Rounding out the top 5 was Hugo Ottaway, who could have been 2nd or 3rd if you factored out a loss in ‘the room’ from the last race.
Another interesting battle with results in the middle of the fleet, was two of our newest owners stepping into the middle of their boats and having the two top Victorian S80 skippers and some of their crew come aboard to contest the series. Andrew Stefano had Gary Mackinven, twice a state S80 winner from Blairgowie, steer for him and between the two, won with a solid 9th, current S80 State Champion Luke Reinehr from Sandy jumped on John Neville’s VICE VERSA for the first time on Saturday and although only finishing 12th overall sailed to an impressive win the Sunday’s race in balmy lighter airs.
I could go on, the results as usual are full of ‘if onlys’. However the fleet is now full of guys and girls at all levels doing their thing and getting amazingly better at it, Doug MacGregor on CRACKERJACK found himself at the pointy end of the fleet, scary stuff Doug! Ron Thomson had a few tangles and left green in places and MAKE MY JAY has a bit of stainless pipe bending to do as well. There were the usual didn’t see you last minute tacks, 720s, plenty of mark rounding shouting and heart stopping moments.
The HYPER GIRLS (and Rob) six-up, finished in a tie for 5th with Dave West getting 6th, about a metre ahead and therefore one point ahead of MAKE MY JAY 8th in the last race – could have been the other way around so easily!
Out the back this time, but just as important to the fleet were Chris Hely (a good 14th overall), Peter Moulang (Jack’s just married and Pete is probably thinking about golf), Michael Lewenhagen (best place a good 12th) and Warren Campbell (best place an excellent 9th). These guys are also improving and spending on their boats, which shows that the interest is there right to the end.
Once again (and thanks) Lisa Simonov gave us her house for another great party on the Saturday night, the class association buying a liberal amount of food that was not only enjoyed on the Saturday but enough for leftovers to be enjoyed again at the club BBQ on the Sunday presentation. Thanks also to the hard work put in by the Victorian J committee, the club and the race team headed by Graeme Watt for running a faultless regatta. We again appreciate the effort made by the interstate guys bringing their boats.
The ‘Hard Luck Wheel’ award must surely go to its’ originator Pete Stevens for burning out the clutch on his car less that 50 clicks out of Adelaide in the middle of the night. Alan Stevenson didn’t make the regatta, but in a late night show of support for Pete, his Jeep did. See Herschel Landes Youtube sailing video at the top mark. For more J/24 Australia sailing information.
J/24 South American Champs XXVIIIRigoni's LUCA Wins Tough Battle
(Puerto del Buceo, Montevideo, Uruguay- Apr 17-23)- The J/24 class had their South American Championship hosted by Yacht Club Uruguayo this past weekend. With spirited competition from teams in the Buenos Aires and Uruguayan fleets, it was sure to be a tough competition. After starting out strong Alejoni Rigoni on LUCA from Buenos Aires just managed to hold onto his lead going into the last three races, overcoming the late challenge from Diego Garcia skippering ALFA BETA from the local YC Uruguay club.
The YCU PRO managed to get off nine races over the three days. The fleet was treated to nice conditions and some challenging races. Rigoni's LUCA sailed a very consistent series, posting mostly top three finishes, but never winning a race! Rignoi's 2-2-2-3-2-2-7-6-3 for a total of 16 points (two toss races included) was just one point clear of Garcia's 4-4-3-2-dsq-3-2-1-2 for 17 total points. Lying third was Mateas Pereira sailing CARRERA from Buenos Aires, winning the most races (4) in the entire fleet. But Pereira's finishes were too inconsistent to overcome the regatta leaders, garnering a 1-5-1-1-1-5-6-5-5 for 19 points. More J/24 South Americans sailing information
J/145 1st Class Hong Kong-San Fernando Race
(Hong Kong, China)- The J/145 REDEYE, sailed by Royal Hong Kong YC members Thompson & Leese, raced the RHKYC's RORC San Fernando Race, a 480 nm mile dash from the islands off Hong Kong to San Fernando, Philippines and managed to become the first boat to finish in their class and get 2nd on handicap IRC.
The race was described as being of two halves- "upwind and very lumpy to start with, which was tough on the crews. The second half was sailed in much easier conditions and overall the race was a very productive and useful experience for Hong Kong sailors. It was a "classic San Fernando Race." The first night was very bumpy with confused seas and blowing 20-25 knots, but the last night was great offshore sailing, spinnaker reaching under a big red moon." For more Royal Hong Kong YC San Fernando Race sailing information.
J/22 Warming Up Regatta(Brassermeer, Netherlands)- Every year the J/22 fleet that sailed on the big inland "sea" called the Brassermeer that border Germany and the Netherlands host two beginning and season ending events- appropriately called the "Warming Up" and the "Cooling Down" regatta.
Most teams arrive on Friday afternoon and rig by Saturday morning. This year started off with a beautiful mill pond- water smooth as glass and reflecting all the clouds and sun perfectly! By late afternoon, a mild thermal winds kicks in to start to move the boats. Said one J/22 sailor, Thomas Gutenstein, "When a few small wind lines show on the water we go out - even if's no racing, just for fun, we sail a round. I am amazed how little we need to move the J!" After three races, the teams retire back for dinner in the clubhouse. Thomas continues, "we sit together with the four German teams, "talk shop" and end the day. Of the Dutch team, only the "Gill Racing Team" and part of the Regatta Committee is there. Most Dutch to operate the sailing as we go to the gym: Go there - Sports - have a beer or coffee and then again from home!"
After the races on Sunday with a total of four completed in the light wind conditions, all the crew puts their boats away and head for home. The remarkable aspect of sailing in Europe is that teams can come from all over the Continent and get to the sailing area, literally, by plane, train and automobile in just a few hours or less. Said Thomas, "by 1900, JAY-2-PLAY is ready to be towed home and Sophie and Martin are sitting in the train to Schiphol Airport, Martin flies to Frankfurt and Sophie takes the train to Hanover! Till next time! Thomas." For more J/22 sailing stories in the Netherlands.
Brazil Wins Trofeo Accademia Navale(Livorno, Italy)- Brazil beats Italy? Sounds like a soccer (futbol) game. No, just a story of a good Brazilian sailor stuck in Italy not wishing to leave such a warm, loving, hospitable and fun-loving people that love the "dolce vita", have delicious pastas and even yummier wines.
With an impressive series (five first places and two second places) the Brazilian Mauricio Santa Cruz and his equally renowned BRUSCHETTA crew dominated the Trofeo Accademia Navale held in the city of Livorno. The prestigious event held for more than a quarter of a century ensures not only top-level racing but charm and appeal-- thanks to the Navy and its splendid setting on the seashore next to the village of Tuttovela.
The J/24 world champion (champion in 2006, ’07 and ’09), Mauricio, and his team did not even need to take to the water in the eighth and final round: they had, in fact, won the coveted trophy (delivered by Admiral Division of Pierluigi Rosati, Commander of the Naval Academy) to close the regatta with 9 points. Silver went to JAMAICA helmed by Carrara Peter Diamond (with a crew Gianluca Caridi, Giuseppe Garofalo, Fabrizio Ginesi, Paul Governato) 26 points. Just one point away with the Bronze medal was LA SUPERBA NAVALE led by Ignazio Bonanno.
Eight races with challenging weather and sea conditions were completed under the careful direction of the Navy League of Livorno. Forty-two teams participated- a record for the T.A.N. regatta. There was a strong presence of foreign Navies- with Naval Academy teams represented from Chile, China, Colombia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Japan, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. For more Trofeo Accademia Navale sailing information.
ANOTHER TOY Wins Tazzie J/24 States
(Derwent, Tasmania)- On Saturday 5th of April the Derwent Sailing Squadron held the Tasmanian J/24 Championships. With a lot of work behind the scenes, Peter Bingham (STREETCAR) managed to secure five boats to compete in the championships.
Racing was tight in the first two races, with DRUMBEAT (J. Cooper) taking the honours from ANOTHER TOY (G. Rowlings) and DIVINE MADNESS (C. Squires). After the first race the wind died and the DSS racing committee flew the AP flag. The wind must have had a numbing effect, as a number of boats miscounted the numbers of laps on the subsequent race!!
Race three was a tightly contested affair, with numerous lead changes over the course of the day. Newcomer to the class, Greg Rowlings (ANOTHER TOY) secured his first win for the series followed closely by STREETCAR and DIVINE MADNESS.
After a short break, racing in the afternoon saw the wind pick up to 20 knots with numerous white caps in the Derwent. ANOTHER TOY (Greg Rowlings) showed a clean pair of heels taking out these two races and subsequently the series. DRUMBEAT and STREETCAR fought it out until the end with DRUMBEAT finishing runner-up on a count-back. What is more remarkable is that the owner of DRUMBEAT, John Lewis, donated his boat to the Cooper boys (Johnny and Tom) and fellow students from St. Virgil’s College, who displayed excellent boat handling skills in their first up regatta in a J/24. Watch out for these boys in years to come!
A special mention must go out to the Derwent Sailing Squadron who continue to support the Tasmanian J/24 Association. They put on a magnificent series and backed it up with a great BBQ at the club afterwards. The final results were Greg's ANOTHER TOY with 5 pts, Cooper's DRUMBEAT getting second with 10 pts beating on a tie-breaker Bingham's STREETCAR who ended up third. Fourth was Squires' DIVINE MADNESS only one point back with 11 pts and fifth was Jim Anderson's SAILING MADE EASY. For more Tasmanian J/24 sailing information.
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
*Get NOAA Charts for FREE!? Yes, it's possible but takes some work. You can print out the full catalog of NOAA charts for free, in full living four color of any place you go boating in the NOAA coverage area. Print on waterproof 11x17 paper and you're good to go!! Incredibly helpful for cruisers and racers alike-- the kayakers are all over this idea already. Here are four steps to getting great NOAA charts for free--1. Choose the NOAA chart numbers you want via their Online Chart Viewer. Choose the chart number you want and write it down. (you’ll want the Raster Navigational Charts (RNC) – not the Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC)). You can also directly download the chart by click on “download this chart” in the top right corner of the page with the chart displayed. In this case, jump to step 3.
2. Download the raw chart files at their Interactive Catalog. Choose the state, download the full version of all charts in that state, then find it by the chart number you looked up above. The main map files uses the _1 in the filename. You may also notice charts numbered xxxxx_2.KAP. These are typically the inserts on the chart such as harbor details.
3. Convert the BSP Format To PNG by downloading bsb2png or other program. You can get bsb2png here.
4. Open and print the new .png file using your web browser, paint, or photoshop. Just set the paper size you want and you’re good to go.
Instructions on how to do all this in more detail can be found at these resources below.
http://l-36.com/charts.php
http://www.paddlinglight.com/articles/tutorial/print-your-own-noaa-charts/
* J/22s and J/80s are often used in Group Experiential Learning (GEL) programs. GEL has renewed its bronze level partnership with the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG). Initiated in 2009, GEL has delivered high-impact team building and leadership training experiences for USSTAG sponsors.The US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics is made up of the country’s top athletes in each of the 10 Olympic and three Paralympic classes who train together with the common goals of winning medals at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Weymouth, England.
As part of the partnership in 2011, GEL will introduce some of USSTAG’s non-endemic sponsors to the sport of sailing, while offering sailing veterans the opportunity to sharpen their skills and enhance their teamwork on the water. Many GEL events will feature participation by USSTAG’s Olympians and Olympic hopefuls.
"We take great pride in helping USSTAG with sailing programs which support team members’ Olympic and Paralympic dreams and the business objectives of USSTAG’s other sponsors. The relationship also provides special opportunities for our own clients to sail with and simultaneously support the athletes,” said Jay Palace (San Francisco, Calif.), President of GEL.
GEL will host two introductions to their signature program “BoatWorks” in a one-day complimentary experiential sailing program for leaders and HR professionals. The first “Taste of BoatWorks” will be held on May 26 in partnership with Courageous Sailing Center, sailing J/22s in Boston, Mass. On June 29, the second “Taste of BoatWorks” will be held in partnership with J World Annapolis, sailing J/80s in Annapolis, Md. At both locations, participants will be introduced to GEL’s facilitated leadership development program offered across the country at various US SAILING-accredited Keelboat Sailing Schools.
Later this summer, GEL will team up with the Courageous Sailing Center to organize a special introduction to sailing and racing for USSTAG’s title sponsor AlphaGraphics all sailing on J/22s. Franchise owners from the New England area will sail side-by-side with USSTAG members on the Charles River. The afternoon of racing on the J/22s will strengthen relationships and give participants a unique glimpse into the training, preparation and focus required to win medals at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“We are excited to continue and enhance our relationship with GEL,” said Katie Smith (Newport, R.I.), USSTAG’s Commercial Manager. “We had a very successful event in Naples, Fla. last year where AlphaGraphics executives and franchisees got the opportunity to race on J/80s (see photos) with Olympian Graham Biehl (San Diego, Calif.) and gain insight to the teamwork and challenges involved with racing. GEL did a phenomenal job translating the passion for sailing into easily accomplished onboard activities. It was a very positive experience for everyone involved.” For more information about the GEL USSTAG sailing experience program.
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." UPDATE- Just a short note to update from Bill- "Our cruise began in May of 2000 and ended in May of 2008, some 8 years later. I have just finished and published my third and final book covering the last three or so years including our double handed crossing in 16 days and one winter in the Caribbean. Like the others, "Sea Trek- A Passion for sailing- Book III," can be found at www.blurb.com. Thanks, Bill and Judy"
* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary finished their double-handed crossing of the Atlantic, landing in Portugal on their J/130 Shazam after completion of their ARC Rally. Read the latest news at http://www.sailblogs.com/member/shazam/.* Several J/160 owners are island hopping across the world's oceans, fulfilling life long dreams to cruise the Pacific islands, the Caribbean islands, the Indian Ocean and all points in between. Anyone for Cape Horn and penguins?? Read more about their adventures and escapades (like our J/109 GAIA, J/42s PAX and JAYWALKER and J/130 SHAZAM friends above).
- 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!
- Eric and Jenn on the J/160 MANDALAY also sailed the Pacific archipelago, read more on their blog at http://www.sailmandalay.com. Eric and Jenn are J/World alumni took MANDALAY up and down the West Coast (Mexico, CA)
, then to the South Pacific and New Zealand. MANDALAY is back in San Francisco now, and in the J/World fleet--she is available for skippered charters, private instruction, and corporate/executive groups.* The J/109 GAIA (seen right in the Java Sea) was sailed by Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay around the world. In February 2011, their cruising adventures came to an abrupt, sad ending. As a tribute to them and their cruising friends worldwide, we hope their chronicles on their GAIA website remains a tribute to their warm-hearted spirits- read more about why many loved them dearly and will remain touched by their loving spirit forever- http://www.gaiaworldtour.net/
J/Sailing News
*Johnstone Cousin Brad Van Liew Wins Velux 5- Leg 4- Congratulations Cuz!! Awesome job. Just a young buck at the ripe age of 43 years old, Brad sailed into his home town of Charleston, South Carolina, Tuesday to rapturous applause from the flotilla of spectator boats who turned out to greet him. After sailing more than 5,900 nautical miles from Punta del Este in Uruguay, Brad crossed the finish line in Charleston Harbor at 1658 local time following 23 days, 4 hours and 58 minutes at sea.