J/111 @ Charleston Race Week(Charleston, SC)- The J/111 VELOCITY sailed by Wayne Jackson and crew from the Chesapeake Bay will be racing their new 111 for its first test during Charleston Race Week sailing in PHRF B class. Please stop buy and say hello to the boys and take a look at the boat- they'll be on Dock C in Slip # 1 right next to the bulkhead at Patriot’s Point. They'll be having a small "greet and meet" on Saturday evening after the races.
For the rest of the 89 J's sailing (the largest brand represented at 1/3 of the entire fleet of 270), they will be divided into one-design and handicap PHRF fleets. PHRF A class has two J/130s sailing, including Noel Sterrett's SOLARUS from Hanahan, SC and David Hackney's SUGAR MAGNOLIA from Folly Beach, SC. Also racing with them will be Doug Curtiss' J/124 WICKED from Branford, CT just up from Florida after sailing at Key West Race Week.
PHRF B is shaping up to be one of the most competitive offshore PHRF classes with 5 of the 7 entries being 36-41 foot J's- J/111, J/120s, J/122s. The J/111 VELOCITY will have to work hard to stay in the hunt against this tough group of hombres. The two J/120s, local fleet champion John Keenan's ILLYRIA from Mt Pleasant, SC and Rick Moore's MOOSE DOWN from Summerville, SC know the local waters well and given the right conditions will be surely be in the hunt. The two J/122s will be amongst the leaders as well, both strong sailing programs with great teams aboard. Doug Shaffer's GAMBLER from Kemah, TX is a past J/122 North American Champion and Robin Team's TEAMWORK has won the Ft Lauderdale-Key West Race and also a top three finisher at Key West Race Week.PHRF C class includes the J/35 ARROW sailed by Willy Schwenzfeier from Charleston, SC, the J/109 HOODOO sailed by Rick Campeau from Summerville, SC and three J/105s- Joe Pitcavage's BIG BOOTY, Joe Highsmith's DEAD ON ARRIVAL from Blufton, SC, and Bill Bremer's HIGH VISIBILITY from Savannah, GA. Like their bigger sisters in PHRF B, this class will also see some very competitive sailing amongst the largely 35-foot class of boats.
PHRF D promises to be a donnybrook between the fast 30 foot J's. The three J/29s, including Jim Mackevich's FOR SAIL from Edison, NJ, the infamous Esposito brothers (John and Tony) from Mohegan Lake, NY learning to sail HUSTLER all over again after mothballing it (was going too fast, we heard, and was in danger of disintegrating from harmonic vibrations at the speed of light) and arch-nemesis Steve Thurston from Bristol, RI on the MIGHTY PUFFIN--- this will be an interesting group to watch, all well-sailed boats and all masthead/outboard 29s, the fastest version of them ever made. Giving these 29s a run for the money will surely be Mr GILL North American himself, David Pritchard on AMIGOS racing his J/92 from Buford, GA-- a very fast team that gets lots of practice up on Lake Lanier (when there's water in it!).
In the J one-design world there are seventy-two boats competing from J/22s to J/24s to J/80s a big jump up from last year's event, particularly for the J/24s and J/80s. The seventeen J/22s are led by past World Champion Greg Fisher now living in Mt Pleasant, SC and coaching College of Charleston sailing team, Chris Doyle from Youngstown, NY (recent Midwinter Champion) and champion woman sailor Cory Sertl from Rochester, NY practicing for the upcoming Rolex Women's Worlds held later this year in Rochester. The twenty-seven J/24s are led by very strong local teams from Charleston and class champions like Mike Ingham from Rochester, NY.The new course for the J/22 and J/24 classes is laid out close to downtown Charleston’s waterfront. Organizers expect it to provide exciting viewing from the Battery and Waterfront parks for locals and tourists alike, who “should be able to see and hear tons of racing action, almost as if they were on the boats,” said James Island High School sailing coach Ryan Hamm.
The largest contingent of J one-designs are the J/80s. Twenty-eight J/80s will be led by top teams like Al Terhune from Annapolis, MD, Bruno Pasquinelli from Dallas, TX, Tom Klok from Copenhagen, Denmark (see here flying downwind at 20 knots off Newport, RI in the 2010 Worlds), Mike Sudofsky from Marion, MA, Chris Bulger from Brookline, MA and past World Champion Kerry Klingler from Larchmont, NY. Amongst the luminaries in the class will be Don Trask from Mooresville, NC, renowned for starting the Laser and J/24 franchise on the West Coast of America; and Kristen Robinson from Annapolis, MD, the current J/80 class Treasurer and Chris Johnson also from Annapolis, the current J/80 Class President.Sailing Photo Credits:
Paul Todd/ Outside Images New Zealand
Tim Wilkes/ Tim Wilkes Photography
For more Charleston Race Week sailing information.
J/108 Review- NASailor.com(Marblehead, MA)- North American Sailor recently did a review on the new J/108 down off Miami, FL. Here's their commentary- "The J/108 is a new J/boats model and billed as a “Shoal Performance 35-footer,” this new boat offers a compelling combination of 4-foot draft and solid sailing performance.
The Design- One of the most interesting parts of this boat is the hull and keel configuration. With twin rudders and a centerboard (one of the first new centerboards we’ve seen for a while among boats of this size), it takes the J/95 configuration and applies it to a 35-foot hull, with standing headroom, comfort down below, and the promise of faster boat speed.
Our expectation – one which was definitely met – was for a balanced boat, albeit with some slight loss of performance – or increased cruising comfort – relative to the 109, in exchange for increased accessibility to harbors and cruising areas. The slightly shorter mast and an increase in ballast by 500 lbs were contributors.
The design also has an impact on the design of the interior and on deck. For example, the J/108 in the standard configuration has a permanently fixed, small, bowsprit in lieu of the retractable sprit seen on the J/109. This opens up the headroom in the v-berth, and slightly simplifies the launch of an asym, at the cost of some performance (it becomes more difficult to do an inside jibe downwind, and the sail is more in the wind shadow of the main sail). Read more about the North American Sailor review of the J/108 shoal-performance cruising boat here.
J/109 East Coast Regatta Series(Annapolis, MD)- The J/109 East Coast Regatta Series will be comprised of the 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Annapolis NOOD Regatta and the J/109 East Coast Championship at Block Island Race week. To win the award a boat must compete at both events, and a total of three boats must compete for the trophy in order for it to be awarded. The keeper trophy will be awarded at the BIRW final awards presentation and evening party on Friday, June 24 beginning at 5 pm. Last year the award was a beautiful 12 inch high crystal vase engraved- 2010 J/109 East Coast Regatta Series, First Place. The perpetual trophy, shown here, will be shipped to the yacht club designated by the winner, where it will remain on display until another boat wins it. For more J/109 East Coast Regatta Series sailing information
J/22s for Canadian Women's Championship(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)- The Canadian Yachting Association Women's National Keel Boat Championship will be held this year at Hudson Yacht Club, June 3-5. The Friday will be a clinic, with on water coaching, followed by a debriefing. Saturday and Sunday will be a regatta, with the top Canadian boat to be awarded the CYA WNKC trophy.
This year's choice of boat is the J22, and while there are a few loaner boats available, they're hopeful that most competitors will be able to bring their own. For any Canadian women planning to sail in the Rolex Women's Worlds in Rochester, NY just across Lake Ontario, this event will be great practice. Registration is open now and may be accessed at J/22 Canadian Women's Keelboat Sailing Championship.
Manhattan J/105 Weekend
(New York, NY)- The Manhattan Sailing Club in North Cove, New York City, have jointly organized a J/105-only weekend regatta from May 14-15. The fleet is trying to create a common middle ground where NJ boats and Long Island Sound boats can race together. The delivery is about 3 hours from either end and is a unique experience with tides, tugs and the Statue of Liberty as your starting pin range marker. For the J/105 Manhattan Regatta NOR and sailing information.
J/Sailing NewsThe Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
As April rolls through around the world, our mates Down Under are enjoying some great fall sailing conditions while their northern compatriots are just beginning to enjoy the first blossoms of spring. Meanwhile, the Caribbean crews are simply having the times of their life in nothing short of the usual spectacular spring conditions-- for the uninitiated, the windiest times in the Caribbean are when the trades truly kick-in from March to June (pre-hurricane season). In the BVI Spring Regatta off Tortola, the J's had a rather fabulous time sailing. Way Down Under, the J/24s were having fun in Sydney and in their South Australian States Championships. Europe is aggressively moving into spring form with the Warsash Spring Series finally getting a reasonable breeze (over 6 knots) for the flotillas of J/109s, J/80s and the handicappers such as the J/111, J/122s and J/97s. The Southampton double-handed series is getting rolling, the Germans, French and Dutch are getting ready for some J/22 action and the usual J/80 regattas in Spain are producing what may be a few more World Champions. On the American side, the J/22s also saw some match race action in Texas- girls in Fort Worth and mechanical bulls? Need we say more? Speaking of J/22s and "wild life", their South African counter-parts may not have been sailing across the Transvaal, but they certainly had a competitive event recently. 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:
Mar 13-Apr 17- Warsash Spring Series- Hamble, UK- http://www.warsashspringseries.org.uk/Apr 14-17- Charleston Race Week- http://www.charlestonraceweek.com
Apr 16-23- J/24 South Americans- Montevideo, Uruguay- http://www.ycu.org.uy
Apr 21-25- SPI Ouest France- La Trinite Sur Mer, France- http://www.spi-ouestfrance.com/
Apr 29-May 1- Sperry TS NOOD- Annapolis, MD- http://www.sailingworld.com
May 1-6- Bermuda Race Week (J/224 & J/105)- RBYC, Bermuda- http://www.biirw.bm
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
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
J/95 Dominates BVI Spring Regatta!Luck of the Irish For SHAMROCK
(Tortola, British Virgin Islands)- What defines a magnificent regatta? Ask anyone who sailed in the 40th Anniversary BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival (March 28-April 3, 2011), and you’ll hear the same thing: red-hot racing, professionally run courses, a family friendly regatta village, and—of course—killer parties--- exactly what sailors on 122 different competing yachts experienced at Nanny Cay—the regatta’s base this past weekend.
Forty boats congregated on the Sir Francis Drake Channel on the first morning, just off of Tortola’s Nanny Cay Resort, for the start of the Bitter End Cup. This 21-mile Corinthian-spirited race to Virgin Gorda’s Bitter End Yacht Club (BEYC) marks the official kick-off for the regatta. Lucky sailors in four classes enjoyed 10-15 knots, flat seas, and clean starts as the fleet of cats, cruisers, bareboats and serious race-boats pointed towards their fairy-tale destination. Once there, sailors enjoyed the club’s well-populated dinghy and beach-cat fleet and unwind before Thursday’s reverse-course Nanny Cay Cup.
A glance at the final standings underscores exactly how competitive this event has become. In the tightly contested Racing C, Rick Wesslund's J/120 EL OCASO from Miami, FL was in one of the weekend’s more entertaining dogfights, getting the short-end of the stick to finish 2nd overall even after posting mostly 2nds and 1sts! In Racing A, Jordan Mindich's J/125 AUNT JESSIE sailed mostly mid-fleet and finished fifth-- they may have been suffering a bit sailing against mostly 60 to 80 footers! In Racing D, the J/27 MAG 7 sailed by Bill Davis from Puerto Rico finished second and just behind in fourth was Julio Requero's J/105 UMAKUA from Puerto Rico. In Racing E class, the J/33 SISTERSHIP SAILING SCHOOL sailed by a few fair maidens ended up fourth overall and beat some other gals sailing LUXURY GIRL and GIRLS-FOR-SAIL! Apparently, it was quite a cat fight in this class, all in good nature of course. In the Performance Cruising Class, Tony Sanpere's crew on the J/36 CAYENITTA GRANDE nearly pulled off another win in class, but after counting two fourths, had to settle for third overall. Just off the pace and always having fun was Bob Read's J/40 NEPENTHE. Finally, in their first big regatta victory on the Caribbean Circuit, Tom Mullen's J/95 SHAMROCK strutted to victory in Racing Jib & Main class, lucky leprechauns they were getting a 1-2-1-1-3 record to simply crush their competition.The icing on the cake for this year's 40th anniversary edition of the BVI Spring Regatta was, of course, the "Moka Jumbies" before the awards presentation and the decadent fireworks show that capped off the night. Ask anyone lucky enough to have been there—it was out of this world! For more BVI Spring Regatta sailing information.
Storck Wins J/22 Sundance Cup(Ft Worth, TX- Mar 10-12)- Fort Worth Boat Club hosts the Sundance Cup every year, a Women's Invitational Match Racing event (WIMRA). They put on a fantastic event and went above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome. It was an awesome venue and event in all respects. It was another strong turnout of women sailors for one of the more fun match events on the women's WIMRA circuit.
Sailing well in her first time on Lake Ray Hubbard was Kaitlan Storck. In the final Kaitlan beat Maegan Ruhlman to win the Sundance Cup. Third overall was Rebecca Dellenbaugh, fourth was Amanda Callahan and fifth was Nicole Buechler. A great time was had by all with a great variety of wind and weather, light winds to blowing a near gale.
One of the sailors from White Rock Lake blogged about her experience- here are some highlights of "Pam's Patter" commentary- "How do you take four experienced female sailors and instantly find their strengths and weaknesses and make them look like the first Jamaican bobsled team at the 1988 Olympics? Women's match racing and then add a little wind for good measure. Things happen fast and a couple of seconds here and there of inefficiency or hesitation and the seconds add up quick and things can and do get ugly. I spent two days doing a women’s match racing clinic in Fort Worth and then two days of match racing followed by the finals and I have only one thing to say … OUCH!! I’m bruised from head to toe (Doug says I look like a leopard) and after watching the younger and more experienced female match racing sailors in the finals, I feel very old and slow.This was an incredible experience. Being horribly humbled isn’t fun but Dave Perry said he got his behind kicked in his first match racing regatta so I guess I’m in good company. We had a perfect score of 0-12 meaning we lost all 12 matches that we sailed. Another ouch!
However, being eliminated meant I was able to jump on an umpire boat and be a fly on the wall and watch the finals up close and personal. These girls are amazing sailors. I thought things were happening fast on my boat and we were just a little slow but things were happening so fast the umpires could barely speak fast enough to keep track of the movement. Two umpires follow each match and they get as close to the competitors as the competitors get to each other. At one point we were an obstacle and the girls were circling us. Each umpire role plays as the port or starboard boat and they do a sort of play by play in their own shortcut language ‘I’m port, give … tacking, done’. My favorite was ‘get off my boat, get off my boat’ when one umpire would inadvertently switch boats. I was impressed by the umpiring and realized I’d been looking for that shortcut language to run through my head when I’m racing to constantly keep track of who has rights." For more J/22 Sundance Cup Match Race Sailing information.
Brisker Breeze For Warsash Spring Sailors!J/122 JOOPSTER Dominates IRC 1 Again
(Warsash, Southampton Water, England)- At last, on the fourth week of the Warsash Spring Series, there was an opportunity for crew to sit on the windward rail whilst spray whipped across the foredeck. After three quiet weeks, on Sunday 3rd April the breeze blew steadily from the south-west. Competitors and race officers alike enjoyed the livelier conditions.
The situation did not look favourable when the Black Group committee boat first anchored near Hamble Yacht Services buoy, in poor visibility with no discernible breeze. Then the mist slowly lifted, the wind filled in through the Needles Channel and by late morning the sun was shining. With this constant breeze and a midday high tide, Chief Race Officer Peter Bateson proclaimed it "a most glorious day" and was able to set a range of courses with an initial windward mark at RORC buoy and a common finishing mark at East Knoll. For the first time this year, all classes were taken west of the Brambles Bank, to Williams Shipping buoy. As the morning progressed, there was a clearly defined racing channel established, with all classes using the same strip of water. However, with some of the smaller classes using shorter legs and rounding marks to starboard, crews in the faster designs needed to keep a sharp look out for converging boats.
IRC1 was boosted by a growing contingent of J's, all preparing for the “Big Boat” Spring Championship which starts next weekend. This brought 15 entries to the line at 1000. Going around the track, the smaller boats in class were making good time against their handicap ratings against leading-edge teams like Nick Zenstroms' Swan 45 RAN, Neil Kipling’s J/122 JOOPSTER won the class for the second week running on handicap and moved to fourth in the overall standings, just three points up on the J/111 ARABELLA. Second for the day was Ian Matthews J/122 JINJA.
IRC1-B saw Niall Dowling's J/111 ARABELLA lying second overall with a very consistent 2-3-4-4 score. For IRC Overall, ARABELLA is now lying in fifth just five points outside of third-- one good race would change all the standings!
At 30-strong, IRC3 is the largest of the handicap classes. Jamie and Mike Holmes J/97 JIKA-JIKA continues to lie second with a 4-3-13-4 record for 24 pts. Lying sixth is Andy Howe's J/92 BLACKJACK that also counts a bad race for a 7-8-5-14 record for 34 points-- ouch! Bill Blain's J/97 BATFISH IV is slowly ascending the standings after a very slow start, now counting a 19-4-11-7 for 41 pts, only ten points from third overall.
The J/109 fleet continued to enjoy close racing during the fourth weekend of the Warsash Spring Series. This week the fleet was joined by a couple of charterers – Jonathan Calascione who is from an experienced JBoat family in Malta on YEOMAN OF WIGHT and Philip Pascall on JAZZY JELLYFISH, and other regulars were back now that they have finished their ski holidays!DESIGNSTAR (Roger Phillips) and SHIVA (Matt Boyle) had a great start and led the fleet across the plateau towards RORC. Meanwhile JEEZ LOUISE (Jamie Arnell) and JAGERBOMB (Paul Griffiths) had unknowingly pushed the line and failed to return, whilst JET (Alan Neilson) who was closest to the Committee Boat returned to restart and play catch-up.
The windward mark with a spreader caught out some of the fleet as they managed to lay the first mark but then had to tack up to lay the spreader, South Bramble. JUST SO (David & Mary McGough) judged it perfectly and led the fleet whilst working hard to hold off JAGERBOMB and SHIVA. A poor sail choice by J-DREAM (David & Kirsty Apthorp) saw them round RORC in 12th but by the spreader had moved into 6th place behind OUTRAJEOUS (Richard & Valerie Griffith) and JAHMALI (Mike & Sarah Wallis).
A long run back towards Lee-on-Solent saw JAGERBOMB gybe early which did not pay by the end of the run and saw them get swallowed up by the pack. Meanwhile JYNAN TONNYX (Owain Franks), DESIGNSTAR, YEOMAN (Jonathan Calascione) and ME JULIE (Dom Monkhouse) were in pursuit of the middle pack. A short second beat (by comparison) saw ME JULIE (Dom Monkhouse) tussle with J2EAU (Steve & Jody Maine) and OFFBEAT (David McLeman) whilst OUTRAJEOUS moved into 3rd place in front of SHIVA. Another long run back to the shore saw J-DREAM and SHIVA held up by a 40.7, which slowed their progress to catch the leaders. On the penultimate beat, JAHMALI moved into second place but was closely followed by OUTRAJEOUS and J-DREAM. A long run saw these three boats round the leeward mark together, with exemplary rule observance. The final beat back to East Knoll saw J-DREAM and SHIVA both overtake OUTRAJEOUS to finish 18 seconds apart. JUST SO won while JAHMALI took second and J-DREAM took 3rd place to JAHMALI by 13 seconds.
Off the Meon shore, things were less hectic but equally challenging. CRO Peter Knight used a trapezoidal course to separate the J/80s and the other boats. The J/80s were the first away with only Dan Brown’s HENRI LLOYD SHOCKWAVE starting prematurely, which was a shame since they went on to lead the fleet from start to finish. Patrick Liardet'S AQUA-J held off the attentions of ELLE S'APPELLE (Thor Askelund) to take a 9 second win, with the rest of the class tightly grouped astern. The middle race saw a clean start for the J/80s and Patrick Liardet's AQUA-J took a second win.
It was good to see Ian Atkins (ex J/80 Boats.com) working hard in the cockpit of another J/80-- HENRI LLOYD SHOCKWAVE. They got their just reward in the final race of the day when taking the gun ahead of JUICY (Cressida Robson and Allan Higgs) and the RAF’s Team SPITFIRE. The form book was slightly disturbed when AQUA-J could only finish fifth, cutting Patrick Liardet’s overall point lead to four after 12 races.
The final two weekends (9th/10th and 16th/17th April), see additional racing on Saturdays for the Spring Championship. The Warsash Spring Series continues on 10th April 2011. For more Warsash Spring Series sailing results. Sailing Photo credits- Eddie Mays
J/105s Dominate Double-Handed Series(Southampton, England)- It was a great start to the 2011 Molson-Coors Double-handed Series in England with close racing in all 5 classes. The Royal Southampton YC prides itself as the home of Double-handed Racing and last year celebrated the 30th anniversary of the first race Series.
Saturday’s race was the first of an eight race season comprising four inshore races and four offshore races. Entrants compete for individual races, the Inshore Series, Offshore Series and Main Series, each with their own prizes and trophies for each Class. The fleet is raced in five monohull Classes – three IRC and two Club. The Series has 73 monohull entries to date and a record 62 of those boats were on the start line off Hillhead at 10 AM boding well for another great season of Double Handed racing. At the attention signal the conditions were near perfect-- the sun shone and the breeze blew at around 12 to 18 knots from the west south west.
Courses were set with long legs to give more of a passage flavor rather than the usual round the cans short legs format. They took the fleets on upwind legs to Stanswood Bay and West Bramble, then back downwind to marks along the North Channel with a tactical decision for the deeper draught boats as to which side of the Bramble Bank to clear. All Classes had a reaching finish from their last marks to Coronation.
In IRC Class 1, shaking off a few cobwebs and getting dialed up for the season was the J/122 OOJAH sailed by Peter Tanner and Trevor Pountain. Their third place out of the starting blocks for their double-handed season is a counter amongst this taught fleet of wily veterans.
In IRC Class 2A, the J/105s seemed to have the run of the place. Andy Hill and Mathieu Lathoud on their J/105 ONLY JUST won the race handily while Trans-Atlantic veteran (and winner) Oscar Mead teamed up with Laurence to take third with their J/105 JUNEAU. For more Royal Southampton YC series sailing information.
J/22 "Warm Up" Germany/ Holland(Brassermeer Sea, The Netherlands)- The start of the J/22s in the 2011 season has traditionally been the "Warm Up" on the "big sea" (actually a lake). In addition, the regatta is one of the first in the German standings, so most teams that want to be competitive for the season participate in the event, over twenty-one teams showed up for this year's event.
As one competitor remarked after the first day of racing, "at a dinner in the clubhouse, we sit together with the four German teams, "talk shop" and end the day. Of the Dutch teams, only the "GILL RACING TEAM" and part of the Regatta Committee is there. Most of the Dutch seem to operate in sailing like we go to the gym: Go there - Sports - have a beer or coffee and then go home!" Too funny.
The first event took place under very mild conditions for the weekend. The forecast was sun, but not much wind. Saturday morning, all 23 teams, including four German boats, went out to test themselves for patience. Everyone drifted to the starting boat. At about 1400 hours the wind came and eventually the fleet made two starts. It was bizarre racing, with winds fluctuating from 2 to 6 knots and at least 30 degrees wind shifts. At the end, it was SIKA TEAM first, HENRI LLOYD second and TEAM HELLY HANSEN third. The day ended with a Happy Hour of the J22 class and a delicious dinner of Ron.Sunday morning was even flatter than the day before. After what seemed an eternity, the fleet finally gets in three races. SIKA TEAM with Ronald, Robert and Joost took all the loot. All in all it was a beautiful weekend and the struggle for the season series champion is very much open and up for grabs. For more J/22 Netherlands sailing information.
MABLE EDICIONES ENCUENTRO Wins J/80 AVEGA Trophy(Santander, Spain)- The J/80 Spanish teams continue to race hard against one another and are constantly improving. This past weekend, Jose Miguel Oriol on MABLE won the Avega Trophy in Santander with thirty boats participating and kept the current J/80 World Champion, Pichu Torcida on ECC VIVIENDAS off the top of the podium, who ended up second. FONESTAR sailed by Jaime Piris was third.
For the overall spring sailing series, Pichu on ECC VIVIENDAS is still winning with 7 pts and behind him are David Madrazo on LUPA with 11 pts, third is Jaime Piris on FONESTAR with 12 pts, fourth is MABLE with 16 pts and fifth is BANCAJA-AVIVA sailed by Javier Lopez-Vasquez with 21 pts. For more J/80 AVEGA Trophy sailing information.
Trophee Banque Populaire Atlantique IIIJ/22s Having Fun in France
(Nantes, France)- The weekend started out nicely with a good wind from the ENE, plenty of sun and a lot of enthusiasm from the fleet to go racing. As anticipated, it was going to be a battle between the EUROPEAN HOMES and SOFFE. But the weather, the crazy conditions and the other teams had something to say about how this would all end up for the regatta's top positions.
After facing challenging sailing conditions all weekend, it was the team of Bernard Andre, Pascale Andre and Remi Nobileau aboard MAJIC that triumphed against the leading teams with a strong series of 1-2-11 to win with a high point score of 31.75 points. Second was the team led by Emmanuel Bollore on DELFINA with a 2-4-5-2 for 23 points on high point. Third was SOFFE sailed by Claire Pouteau with a strong record of 5-1-2-6 and just missing second place by 3/4 point, getting 22.25 points overall. Antoine Royne and crew aboard EUROPEAN HOMES had to settle for fourth place with a 4-3-4-3 record for 22 points. Imagine that, a 2nd in the last race for Antoine and crew on EUROPEAN HOMES may have netted them at least a 2nd place!
ACE Wins Duel For New AUDI CarJ/24s Have Fun @ Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta
(Sydney Harbour, Australia- Mar 8)- Here's a quick report from the boys Down Under- "Last weekend we saw some 300 boats in over 13 divisions compete in the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta – we managed to get a J/24 fleet together with 6 boats on the Saturday start line! A solid 18 knots – some decent gusts – some great wind shifts and a huge tide-- hmmm, not the easiest day!
Marc Tromp steering WATERBORNE again came out with a great lead in race 1, followed by a win for KAOTIC and a win for ACE. Seeing KAOTIC's crew half under water at one point was pretty funny after a big gust and shift--- only to find ourselves on WILDFIRE also suddenly very wet too and fighting to stay on board. Brett claimed he couldn’t get the main sheet off quick enough but I reckon it was something to do with me being his tactician for the first time. Intuition processes and all that--- even funnier was then seeing David West do the same to his crew-- but didn’t settle for just once!!! Twice in fact-– at least the water is still 23 degrees C!!
Day 2 saw lighter winds. But still a bit flukey-- unfortunately, WATERBORNE again couldn’t race so we were down to a fleet of five. FUN and WILDFIRE were trying hard to catch KAOTIC and ACE who won race 4 and 5, and MADDER'N'BADDER who picked the right side well to win the last race of the regatta!
Great sailing everyone. Tight results – Janette Syme steering Arthur Crothers KAOTIC finished equal first with David West on ACE – on count-back David just clinched it. Lucky guy -now he gets to go car racing at Eastern Creek in the challenge for a new Audi – we’ll let you know if he wins!!!! For more J/24 Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta sailing information.
FUN-2 Wins J/24 South Australian States(South Australia- April 5th)- FUN-2 pulled off a remarkable comeback on day 2 to clinch the South Australian State Championship which was held at the Cruising club of South Australia. 2011 will go down as one of the most unusual and bizarre State Championships held. The Championship had six heats and no drop, and ended up with 6 different heat winners with racing sailed in 5 to 20 knot breezes on both days. Maybe FUN-2 gets a chance to win this "open air" version of the R8??
Championship favorites LUNATIC ASYLUM did not start heat 3 due to crew problems and FUN-2 did not compete in race 3 as they lost a crew member overboard prior to the start. NO EYE DEER retired from race one. This left it wide open for JUMPIN JACK FLASH (Doug Watson) who had a fantastic first day with a win and 2 seconds to finish day 1 on 5ts from VERTIGO on 10 pts and CODE VIOLATION on 13 pts. LUNATIC ASYLUM started the day with a win but the day went sour from there.
Day 2 Heat 4 saw NO EYE DEER and FUN-2 clear out from the pack to take first and second with GOOD COMPANY in third spot. Heat 5 was extremely tight and anyone of six boats were lining up to be first around the mark , but while they all jostled with a bit argy-bargy going on FUN-2 slipped through to take the lead and finish first with NO EYE DEER having another good result and LUNATIC ASYLUM in third spot. When heat 6 started Peter Stevens was determined to win as he knew he was close to winning the series but didn’t realize that FUN-2 was his biggest threat. CODE VIOLATION led from start to finish with FUN-2 in second and VERTIGO in 3rd. As CODE VIOLATION, FUN-2 and LUNATIC ASYLUM sailed back to Port Adelaide no one knew who had won, only that CODE was close. As we arrived back at Port Adelaide Sailing Club the news came through that FUN-2 had beaten CODE VIOLATION by 1 pt to take out the State Title for the 5th time.
Special mention to Doug Watson and his team showing they are a real force in the S.A. J/24 fleet and will only get better with more regattas sailed. Congratulations to Peter Stevens who gets closer to his first State win, on both CODE's performance but also for the magnificent work on his boat which now looks like new. For more J/24 South Australian States sailing information.
J/22s Match Race South Africa(Northvaal, South Africa)- The first of the Northvaal match racing series was held in conjunction with the prestigious Round the Island race at LDYC on the Vaal dam.
Eight teams from Northvaal and KZN sailed in a knock out series covered by the webcam from LDYC. Competitors waited and spectated from a barge anchored at the starboard end of the start line. Short courses and intense racing kept everybody’s attention for the entire event. The wind settled into a comfortable 5 knot easterly, which persisted the entire day.
The First match saw the team of Ewald Sternalgel against Keel Boat week winners Richard Wiederholt’s Team. Ewald’s experience in match racing showed as he quickly forced Richard into a penalty situation before the start securing a win.
The only two KZN teams drew each other in the first round taking the J22 boat handling in their stride. Luke Wagner from PYC lost to Andrew Tarbaton by a penalty on the finish line. OH! So close.
The third match saw Paul Thompson from DAC up against local Dirk Manten. Match racing being a discipline that South African sailors don’t often participate in, resulted in the crews taking on the challenge conservatively but despite this, spectators enjoyed very entertaining racing. The result! Dirk came out on top in that one.
Shellee Nel and her ladies crew took on Graham Baker in the final match of the first round. Shellee pushed Graham off to the port side to have a clear start, which gave them a small lead, which they maintained for the rest of the race. The girls are a challenge to be reckoned with!
The subsequent knock out rounds were just as exciting for spectators as competitors but ultimately Ewald declared the winner with Shellee Nel second and Richard Weiderholt the winner of the Losers knock out.
This new dimension to J22 sailing is exciting and challenging so we hope the subsequent match racing challenges will see more teams participating. Watch this space and check the new web page for more. For more South African J/22 sailing information.
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* Yet Another New J/109-Alistair Ray’s brand new J/109, JUMUNU FOUR, was launched in Hamble today and he and his crew will join the Solent fleet (again) to compete in the busy one-design regatta schedule enjoyed by the Class. JUMUNU FOUR is the 371st J/109 out of the moulds but Ali first joined the J/109 Class with the blue hulled JUMUNU (hull number 117) back in 2004. Ali was a mere slip of a nipper back in 2004 and a jolly good yachter too. He and his young crew enjoyed huge success in the boat, both inshore and offshore. In the 2005 Fastnet Race Ali’s crew were one of the youngest teams to compete. They finished the race as top J/109, fifth in their Class and thirteenth overall.Six years on, Ali said ‘We have unfinished business in the J/109 Class and are looking forward to racing one-design again in such a competitive fleet. Since my first J/109 I’ve owned two other boats, have had four jobs, I married my gorgeous wife and we’ve had two children! In spite of all of these changes I will be back in the J/109 fleet with five of my original crew and we can’t wait. We have a packed regatta program including the J/109 Nationals, the J-Cup and Cowes Week’. JUMUNU FOUR will be stretching her legs for the first time on her shake-down sail on Sunday morning from Hamble. She is sure to receive a wave and very warm welcome from the rest of the J/109 Class.
* The National Women's Sailing Association (NWSA) will hold the 10th Annual Women's Sailing Conference Saturday, June 4th, 2011 at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts.BoatUS is the event's primary sponsor. Women can learn or enhance their skills in recreational sailing through seminars on the water, on the dock and in the classroom. Topics include introduction to sailing, sail trim, spinnakers, crew overboard, operating a motorboat, knots, charting, suddenly single-handed, diesel engine troubleshooting, introduction to weather, understanding wind, marine medicine, emergency seamanship and more.
'Sailing teaches leadership and teamwork, adds skills that can bring a lifetime of enjoyment and creates memorable experiences,' said BoatUS Manager of Sponsorships Claire Wyngaard. 'Attending this event will increase your confidence while learning and networking with others who share your love for the outdoors and active lifestyle.'
The event's featured speaker will be NWSA founder Doris Colgate. She has received many awards including the Betty Cook Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award from Boating Magazine, the International Women in Boating Award for her work in the marine industry and the BoatUS / NWSA Leadership in Women's Sailing Award for seeking new ways to introduce women and girls to sailing.The conference includes continental breakfast, buffet lunch, dinner and raffle prizes. Registration fees are $115 for NWSA members or $150 for non-NWSA members ($15 additional after May 20). For more Women Sailing information and registration.
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/
Featured Boats
Race-ready J/122 New York Gorgeous J/122 Ready to Race/Cruise
The J/122 SCREAMING EAGLE is a Bermuda-ready, gorgeous example of the luxuriously fast J/122. Maintained in bristol fashion, she has been immaculately, lovingly looked after by her enthusiastic, experienced sailboat owners.
The J122 "Screaming Eagle" is on display at McMichaels Yacht yard in Mamaroneck, NY. Please call MCM directly. More information about this beautiful J/122 is shown in the listing here: http://tinyurl.com/6gzhcqt
