Wednesday, September 28, 2011

J/Newsletter- September 28th, 2011

J/95 shoal-draft performance sailboat- cruiser daysailer weekender sailing worldwideJ/95 @ Annapolis Sailboat Show 
(Annapolis, MD)- After nearly two years of sailing in many of the world's most enjoyable shallow cruising grounds and "gunkholes", the J/95 (like her big sister the J/108) has far surpassed the expectations of its lucky owners. In many respects, the J/95 set the standard for the new breed of shoal-performance daysailing and cruising boats.

The stories to date are legion.  J/95s sailing on Swiss Lakes have brought great joy to her owners, both as daysailing boats as well as the occasional evening "wine/cheese" race (as opposed to American beer-can races!).  And, whether racing in Key West Race Week, daysailing off Naples, around the Chesapeake or off Harbor Springs, MI, J/95s have had more than their fair share of stories to tell.  Just recently, in fact, Justin Palm was racing their family's J/95 off Harbor Spring and recounted how much fun it was to sail through the anchorage, into shoal waters where no one else could get into (under 4 feet!), stayed out of the current and in stronger wind, and was able to win an evening beer-can race!  While we didn't' exactly have this idea in mind as a design criteria, it does illustrate the strength of the concept and how well the J/95 performs both upwind and downwind.  When you need to dial-up some upwind performance, the 5.5' draft with board down assures you of sparkling VMG's to windward, a near impossibility with competitive shoal-draft cruisers.  Be sure to visit the J-booth at Annapolis to see this revolutionary J cruiser and daysailer.

J/111 speedster- one-design sailboat- sailing sunsetAlso featured at the show will be the new J/111 one-design speedster, the boat that has been taking the offshore world by storm; the International J/80 One-Design (the world's largest sprit sportboat class); and the J/108 shoal-performance cruiser.

For more J/95 information- http://www.jboats.com/j95
For more J/108 information- http://www.jboats.com/j108
For more J/111 information- http://www.jboats.com/j111
For more J/80 information- http://www.jboats.com/j80

J/80 international one-design sailboat- the ultimate sailing sportboatJ/80 North Americans Preview
(Larchmont, NY)- This weekend Larchmont YC is hosting the J/80 North American Championship from September 28th to October 2nd.  Twenty-seven teams from across the country are sailing in what may be one of the most competitive J/80 fleets assembled in awhile.  While the recent J/80 Worlds in both Newport, RI and Copenhagen, Denmark were tough fleets with upwards of seventy boats, this shoot-out on Long Island Sound will have four J/80 World Champions, five J/80 North American Champions and several Key West Race Week Champions across multiple classes- J/80s, J/105s and PHRF! That's what one might call a "stacked deck"!

Expect to see amongst the leader-board teams like Kerry Klingler (NA and World Champion) from Long Island, NY; John Storck sailing RUMOR (Key West and 2010 NA's winner) from Long Island, NY; Glenn Darden/ Reese Hillard sailing LE TIGRE (Key West, NA's and World Champions) from Fort Worth, TX; Brian Keane skippering SAVASANA (Key West J/105 Champion) from Buzzards Bay; Curt Johnson helming AVET (J/80 Pacific Coast Champion) from Los Angeles, CA; Gary Kamins/ Jay Lutz sailing FIRED UP (Key West, Worlds and NA Champions) from Houston, TX/ Los Angeles, CA; and Bruno Pasquinelli skippering TIAMO (NA and Buzzards Bay Champion) from Houston, TX.   For more J/80 North American Championship sailing information

J/22 one-design sailboats- sailing Santa Maria Cup Annapolis, MDWomen Superstars @ Santa Maria Cup
(Annapolis, MD)-  One of the favorite events on the Women's International Match Race Association (WIMRA) tour has always been racing the fun-to-sail J/22s in the Santa Maria Cup sailed in Annapolis, MD.  Hosted by Eastport YC, the EYC members and Maryland's capitol city of Annapolis roll-out the red carpet to welcome top women's match race teams from around the world, an invitational-only event.

Anna Tunnicliffe- sailing J/22 one-design sailboats- Santa Maria CupWhile the match racing begins on Wednesday, September 28, Tuesday the 27th is filled with Santa Maria Cup excitement. The Boatyard Bar & Grill PRO-AM pits regional challengers from industry, sailing clubs, colleges and high schools against the Santa Maria Cup women super-stars in fleet-racing.  What fun, eh?? Afterwards at the Opening Ceremonies on the City Dock, Eastport Yacht Club Commodore Rick Jackson and Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen welcome the women's teams to Annapolis and proclaim "Celebrate Women's Sailing Week".

J/22 women's sailor- Silja Lehtinen from Finland- sailing Santa Maria CupThen, on Wednesday the racing begins in earnest.  Top billing goes to recent Rolex Women's Sailor of the Year, Anna Tunnicliffe and her team who are also fresh from finishing 2nd in the Rolex Women's Worlds in Rochester, NY. Also a clear favorite, despite a currently low WIMRA ranking, is Liz Baylis, she was the Santa Maria Cup winner in 2003.  Also factoring into the leader-board will be Silja Lehtinen from Finland, she should prove tough to beat and her current #11 ranking in WIMRA means she will be a factor on the race  course.  Likewise, one of the top women match race sailors from France, Julie Brossard, ranked #12 in WIMRA will also be in the hunt for the Finals on Sunday.   Sailing photo credits- Fried Elliott/ Friedbits.com   For more Santa Maria Cup sailing information

J/24s sunset over water in Howth, Dublin, IrelandJ/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

Fall in the northern hemisphere is a special time of year.  A time for reflection from summer-time activities.  A time to plan for the New Year. For some, time to survive a few hurricanes, floods and monsoons!  Just as Spring flourishes fast and furious Down Under, the northern hemisphere's fall is a time to celebrate change, to watch autumn leaves turn into a spectacular rainbow of orange, red, yellow, purple.  Perhaps the first of those regattas to truly enjoy that visual kaleidoscope of colors is the J/22 Northeast Championship on Lake George, NY- that incredible venue hidden high in New York's Adirondack Mountains with deep, cobalt blue waters and eye-popping mountain-tops punctuating a clear, razor-sharp blue sky.  Yet to enjoy such fall colors are the sailors participating in the first weekend of the American YC Fall Series sailed off Rye, NY.  And, just down the street, so to speak, the same fleet enjoyed excellent racing the previous weekend off Riverside YC in Riverside, CT sailing the IRC/ PHRF Long Island Sound Championships.  Three thousand miles away, way, way out West, SoCAL J sailors enjoyed the widely popular J/Fest San Diego hosted by the San Diego YC.  And, just to their North sailing off California's "elbow" (a geographical feature), were the J/105s sailing their Fall Championship at Santa Barbara YC.  If the American side of the world was content to enjoy their fall sailing, so were their European counterparts in J/24s, J/80s and offshore boats.  In Italy, the J/24s sailed their Italian Cup Open Championship in the beautiful seaside town of Anzio just southwest of Rome.  Over on the Bay of Biscay side of France, the J/80s sailed their l'Atlantique Championships in Lorient, as did the IRC fleets.  Finally, as mentioned earlier, our Down Under friends are having fun with their sailing.  Most especially the gang in Sydney, Australia, as they're still learning how to fine-tune the "speed dial" and have yet to find the "warp factor" button sailing their J/111 JAKE!

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:

Sep 28-Oct 2- J/80 North Americans- Larchmont, NY- http://j80.org/j80usa.php
Oct 1-2- Compass Regatta- Houston, TX
Oct 1—7- China Club Match Challenge- Wuyuan Bay, Xiamen, China
Oct 6-10- Annapolis Sailboat Show (J/111, J/108)- Annapolis, MD- http://www.usboat.com
Oct 9-15- J/22 Worlds- Southern YC, New Orleans, LA- http://www.j22worlds.com/
Oct 13-16th- Harvest Moon Regatta- Houston, TX
Oct  14- Greenport Ocean Race- Greenport, Long Island, NY- http://www.greenportoceanrace.org/
Oct 14-16- J/80 China Fall Regatta- LiuZhou, GuangXi, China - http://www.cnmcr.com/
Oct 29-30- J/Fest Southwest- Houston, TX
Oct 29- Nov 6- Hamburg Boat Show (J/108, J/80)- Hamburg, Germany- http://www.hanseboot.de
Nov 4-7- Xiamen Boat Show (J/80)- Wuyuan Bay, Xiamen, China
Nov 11-19- J/24 Worlds- Buenos Aires, Argentina- http://www.j24worlds2011.org.ar/

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

J/111 one-design offshore racing sailboat- sailing off Sydney, Australia- the ultimate offshore sailing boatJ/111 JAKE Impressive in Sydney Offshore
(Sydney, Australia)- The boys (and girls) down under are full-on into their early summer Sydney Offshore Points Series with many of the top offshore boats in the greater Sydney/ Melbourne region participating.  Many use the Sydney Offshore series as a warm-up/ tune-up program for the boat, sails and crew for the famous Sydney-Hobart Race that starts on Boxing Day in December.

As owner Ray Entwistle describes, the "J/111 continues to prove her form even in light airs offshore!  In a stark contrast JAKE's first offshore race a few weeks ago, where it was gusting to 30 knots and JAKE's boat speed was up to 18 knots, JAKE  proves herself in complete opposite conditions.  In the Short Ocean Pointscore race a few race weeks ago we had big winds and a fantastic kite ride heading north. This week’s 30nm race headed south to Port Hacking with the wind only averaging 8 knots, 30 degree wind shifts and a sloppy seaway.  A mixture of beating and just cracked sheets really tested the boat and crew and being the smallest boat in this division in these conditions has to be the most challenging (we were up against the larger boats including Corby 49, Sydney  47 and other much larger boats in Division One).  However, we are delighted with the J/111’s performance. We were looking forward to the ride back to Sydney, planning to set the A2 asymmetric, heating it up and pulling some distance back on the 50 footers when mother nature changed the plans. The wind swung from ESE, to SW, then back to ESE again!  Due to the shape of the coastline we were back to beating and just cracked sheets again, it wasn’t until Maroubra 5nm south of Sydney harbour that we were able to just hang onto the code 0, then set a larger kite to get into Sydney Heads then drop it again to beat back into Rushcutters Bay for the finish line.

In summary, for the six hour long race we only had the spinnakers up for approximately 1 one hour!  We were the 4th boat over the line on the water and finished 3rd on IRC, leaving a bunch of 40 to 45 footers behind us!  For a 36 ft yacht this is one incredible boat."

J/80s sailing J/Fest San Diego- one-design sailboat ultimate competitionSoCAL J/Fest Awesome Sailing
(San Diego, CA)-  Last weekend J/Boats from all over Southern California convened at the San Diego Yacht Club for J/Fest 2011. In light but steady conditions, the RC was able to get 5 races in over the weekend. J/Fest is known as a regatta marked by protest-free racing, camaraderie and awesome giveaways, and this weekend was no exception. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, the J/Fest party consisted of finding creative ways to give away thousands of dollars’ worth of SWAG. Needless to say, the cookout dinner (by the skipper/ owners!) was always a hit and the music and dancing afterwards provided the fun and icing on the cake for the crews.

J/120 offshore cruiser racer sailboats- sailing J/Fest off San Diego, CACompetition amongst the fleets was as keen and fun as ever.  In the "big boat" class, the J/120s had seven boats sailing a very nice series. But, past champion Chuck Nichols on CC RIDER kicked up their heels again and showed the fleet their transom for more than their fair share of races, accumulating a 1-1-2-1-1 for 6 pts.  John Laun's CAPER hung tough to amass a 2-2-1-3-3 for 11 pts.  And, the good news was that MELTEMI's Peter Zarcades sailed consistently enough to get a scoreline of 5-3-3-4-4 for 19 pts to secure the last spot on the podium!

J/109 racer cruiser one-design sailboat- sailing J/Fest off San Diego CAThe five boat J/109 fleet has always been a tough fleet with as spirited competition as their larger counterparts in the J/120 class.  But, in the end, it was ELECTRA's Tom Brott that sailed a bit more consistent than most to secure a 3-2-2-1-1 for 9 pts to win.  Second was Daylen Teren on GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, starting off slow, but catching up too late to catch Tom's team with a strong finish, their 4-5-1-2-2 for 14 pts enough to just secure their position.  Just behind these two was John Schultze's team on LINSTAR, their 1-3-3-4-4 tally good for 15 pts and third overall.

J/105 one-design sailboats- racer cruiser ultimate fun off San Diego, CAJ/105s continue to enjoy excellent one-design racing in San Diego, in particular because some of their traveling teams (like their buddies in Santa Barbara) have been exposed to fast regional and national competition.  With thirteen boats, it was amazing to see that the top six were nearly all tied going into last race!  By virtue of winning the last race, Bennet Greenwald on PERSEVERANCE won by both "perseverance" on a "squeaker", his 4-4-2-7-1 for 18 pts just beating out Steve and Lucy Howell's BLINK!  Steve and Lucy sailed well and only had to finish within five places of PERSEVERANCE to win!  Alas, such was not to be the case, a 7th in the last race cost them the title.  Third was past champion WINGS sailed by Dennis and Sharon Case.  Fourth was TRIPLE PLAY skippered Dave Vieregg and, incredibly, fifth was SANITY sailed by Rick Goebel--- now famous (or, infamous) for attempting to drag Blossom Rock Buoy off its moorings in San Francisco Bay with a new move- the "takedown, shrimp, gybe, fly from the masthead, gybe, retrieve from Davy Jones Locker" play-- yes, with the same blue chute they sailed in San Francisco now sailed again in San Diego-- incredibly, it's the miracle of miracles!!

J/80 one-design international sailboats- sailing off San Diego, CAWith nearly as much drama as their J/105 counterparts, the J/80s had very close racing for the top five amongst the nine boat fleet.  The regatta was settled by two tie-breakers AFTER the last race.  Sailing clear, and "drama-free", was Curt Johnson's AVET, their 2-3-1-3-1 for 10 pts clearly put them in a class by themselves.  However, 2nd to 5th was not so clear, perhaps "clear as mud".  Surviving the dog fight was John Steen's team on UNDERDOG, their 8-4-2-1-2 for 17 pts winning the tie-break for 2nd place over SLEEKIT's Robert and Nick Caldwell (1-7-4-2-3 for 17 pts).  Fourth place was settled the same way just 3 pts further back!  In this case, MONKEY SHOULDER's Dan Gribble managed a 5-1-3-5-6 scoreline for 20 pts, beating NUHUNU's Steve Wyman 3-2-7-4-4 for 20 pts!  All in all, it was a fun regatta.   Sailing photo credits- Joysailing.com     Facebook- Joysailing   For more J/Fest San Diego sailing results

J/22 one-design sailboats- sailing Lake George, NYA DAZZLING J/22 Northeast Championship
(Lake George, NY)- Dazzle or be DAZZLER'd!  Such was the operative phrase on that spectacular venue high up in New York State's Adirondack Mountains- Lake George.  Surrounded by magnificent mountains, the spectacular "changing of colors" during the fall providing a back-drop of dazzling reds, burnt oranges, vibrant yellows and verdant greens, it's hard not to be dazzled by the Van Gogh-like landscape surrounding the fleet as they dash around the race course.

J/22s anchored off "the grotto" at Lake George Club, Lake George, NYAnd so it was.  Really.  The Lake George Club is known to be a wonderful host.  In fact, like the lucky J/24 sailors who have secretly enjoyed the Changing of the Colors Regatta for decades, the J/22s have also been able to grow their presence enough to command their own weekend of racing!  Forty J/22s on a gorgeous fall weekend of sailing makes for lots of fun sailing and even better social events and parties later at the Club, starting in the infamous "Cave" (or Dungeon, or Grotto).  A star-studded cast of J/22 sailors couldn't wait to enjoy another Lake George reunion for more fun and games.  This time, yet another "newbie" showed up and stole the show.

J/22 one-design sailboats- sailing upwind on Lake George, NYAl Ternhune, Mike Coe and Jim Barnash simply dazzled everyone with their incredibly fast starship (er, J/22) called, appropriately, DAZZLER!  Their 1-8-1-2-3 record for 15 pts outclassed the fleet by six points.  The fight for second place came down to the exciting, dazzling, last race between the recent J/22 Rolex Women's Worlds winner Cory Sertl sailing LUCY (with husband Mark Sertl and Mike Marshall) and Chris Doyle steering CLAUDIA JEAN (with sailing rock-star Will Harris and Adam Burns).  In the end, Doyle's CLAUDIA JEAN won the last race to take second, beating Sertl's LUCY by one point!  Fourth was the top Canadian team sailed by Stephen Jones (sailing with Breck McFarlane and Chris Hobbs).  Fifth was another J/22 and J/24 Champion, Travis Odenbach racing INSTIGATOR (sailing with Bill Farmer and John Newell).    For more J/22 Northeast Championship sailing information

J/80 one-design sailboat- sailing Lorient, FranceIC2 Wins J/80 Atlantique Regatta
(Lorient, France)- As if winning two previous regattas and sailing in the top ten at the recent J/80 Worlds in Copenhagen, Denmark was not enough, Eric Brezellec and crew on INTERFACE CONCEPT 2 continued their winning ways this season sailing the French J/80 Circuit.  With 35 boats sailed by many of the top teams in France, it was quite remarkable to see Brezellec sail to 4-3-6-6-1-rdg for 14.4 pts, not having to sail the last race to win!

Second to Eric's team was yet another IC boat, the team of INTERFACE CONCEPT I sailed by Jean-Charles Moriceau.  Their 6-1-14-3-6-1 record for 17 pts was not enough to overcome IC2's dominant sailing.  Lying third was J ILE'DE'RE sailed by Olivier Guillemin, their 2-bfd-1-7-3-4 for 17  pts losing the tie-breaker (their BFD unfortunately came at a bad time for them, taking them out of contention for the lead).  Fourth was ATLANTIS sailed by another renowned French sailor Laurent Sambron, learning the ropes and angles of Lorient waters very quickly to garner a 8-7-6-1-4-6 record for 24 pts.  In fifth was another top J/80 sailor, Sylvain Pellisier sailing VOILERIE ALL PURPOSE with flashes of brilliance, but inconsistent, record of 1-13-23-4-5-2 for 25 pts.  For more J/80 Atlantique Regatta sailing information

J/122 Christopher Dragon- sailing dowwind- cruiser racer sailboatAYC Fall J/Fest Series
Needed: ANTIDOTE!
(Rye, NY)-  The forecast was not good.  Cloudy, drizzly Saturday.  ESE nothing, building to nothing.  Sunday, clearing slowly, from the WSW nothing, building to almost nothing.  Seems it was true for most of the East Coast.  Except for those areas that can build sea-breezes from nothing into something, like Newport and Buzzards Bay!  And so it was.

For the 59 J's sailing in a fleet of 90 boats (60% of the fleet), it was an exercise primarily in frustration with the weather Gods.  This time it had less to do with the "classic Long Island Sound" weather conditions producing nothing, but more to the point that wind gradients and weather systems were stalled, pouring buckets of rain on those who needed it the least (already flooded out, mind you)!

Undaunted, the huge turnout of J/Teams nevertheless produced good racing for the ONE race that was conducted all weekend long.  Ouch. The J's sailing in the "handicap racing world" had their work cut out for them in the challenging conditions in both IRC and PHRF.

In the IRC 3 Division, the J/133 ANTIDOTE sailed by Ron Richman won their class with the J/111 ANDIAMO sailed by Paul Strauch finishing 5th and David & Maryellen Tortorello's J/111 PARTNERSHIP in 8th.  It was a true "toss-up" of a race, so we hope there's more semblance of order next week.

In IRC 5 Division, the J/122s showed up "en masse" and with five of them entered, it was certain that many would be amongst the leaders of the class.  Sure enough, the J/122s finished 2-3-4-5, led home by Andrew Weiss's family team aboard the famous CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, followed by Mike Bruno and Jim Callahan on WINGS, then Stephen Furnary on PATRIOT and Barry Gold on SUNDARI.

For the PHRF World, it just seems the Esposito Brothers are intent on establishing global domination in western Long Island Sound, not having ventured very far from the safety of that warm cocoon of water.  Nevertheless, they've proven to be nearly unbeatable in most all weather conditions in their redoubtable J/29 HUSTLER!  Finishing 2nd in the first race in crazy conditions is a good thing for John and Tony and crew on the great yacht HUSTLER.  Just behind was a pretender to the PHRF throne of J/29 mastery and domination, Matheus Hovers on his J/29 KATOENDRA.  Back in 6th was Christian Uecker's J/92 HOUND DOG.

On the One-Design side of the Sailing World, the nine J/44s sailing had a great showing with nearly all of them crossing the starting line in near perfect formation (at least close enough!).  After a spirited sparring match around the race-track, the top three ended up being Don and Dick Rave's RESOLUTE in first, Bill Ketcham's MAXINE in second and Jeff Willis' CHALLENGE IV in third.  One can only make this sage observation, "you've trained them well, Gentleman Jim (of GOLD DIGGER fame)

Amongst the J/109 one-design contingent, Jack Forehand's STRATEGERY broke free and led the pack home with some degree of bravado!  Bob Schwartz's NORDLYS was second and third was Intergalactic J/109 Champion Rick Lyall's STORM.  Watch out for next week, not always that Rick's team can be held back for long.

The J/105 one-designs showed up with the largest fleet in the regatta with nineteen "wanna-be" winners and only a few that could taste the elixir of the winning champagne glass.  As in the other fleets, the magic of the "roll of the dice" was factor.  Nevertheless, Damian Emery on ECLIPSE continues to prove his "wizardry" works (most of the time) and pulled off a first in the first race!  George and Alex Wilbanks on REVELATION were second and another J/105 Champion, Joerg Esdorn and Duncan Hennes hung tough to snag third.  Nathan Boylan on JOYSEA was fourth and fifth was Jordan Mindich on SHAKEDOWN. It was nice to see some new faces amongst the leader-board!

As a "warm-up" for their J/80 North American Championships, a number of teams were hoping this weekend would shake-out a few cobwebs, get team and sails fine-tuned for the upcoming "Battle of J/80 Champions" the following week.  Unfortunately, the weekend was wiped out from that perspective.  Rising to the top of the pack was Chris Bulger on GOOSE, finishing first.  GOOSE was followed by Kerry Klingler on US 352 and Tim Pitts on the infamous PORTSMOUTH PRINCESS.  For more AYC Fall Series sailing information

J/24 one-design class sailboat- sailing Italy off RomePUNTO J Wins J/24 Italian Open Championship
(Anzio, Italy)- Over the past weekend, the town of Anzio (south of Rome on the Mediterranean coastline) turned into a festival of sailing: one hundred and twenty sailors, sailing enthusiasts and many, many curious passers-by enjoyed the summer-like weather.

The competition was strong and the excellent turnout of twenty-two J/24s made for a lot of fun and many lead changes!  After seven races, it was clear that Ignazio Bonanno on PUNTO J sailing for Centro Velico Marina Militare won in a convincing fashion with a 2-1-2-1-2-5-4 scoreline for just 12 pts.  Second was Fabio Delicati on DJKE from Sezione Velica Anzio (the local sailing club) with a 4-3-4-ocs-4-1-2 for 18 pts.  Fabio was a contender for the regatta lead until their unfortunate OCS in Race 4.  In third on the podium was Francesco Cruciani steering AVOLTORE from Vela Club Tarkna sailing to a 1-4-5-3-1-11 for 19 points.  Francesco  basically lost any chance of wining the regatta or getting second by bombing their last race. Instead, they just won out on a tie-breaker to get third, beating Pietro Diamanti racing JAMAICA that sailed to a 7-8-3-2-3-3-1 scoreline also for 19 pts.  Fifth was Paolo Rinaldi on AMERICAN PASSAGE with 35 pts.

During the Awards ceremony the "Prize Cruciani" went to the crew that got the best finish in four events that constituted the Italian J/24 Circuit (Spring Trophy Argentario, Pasquavela, National Championship and Italian Cup)- the winner was Francesco Crucianin on AVOLTORE

The Race Committee, composed of Riccardo Maurizi, Luciano Crocetta, Stefano and Paola Rizzo Piozzi, managed to run seven races in three days despite the wind never exceeded 7 knots! "The presence of a large turnout of J/24 teams for the Italian Cup and the meticulous checks by the J/24 class measurer, Cesare Cislaghi, contributed to the prestige of the event," said Paul D'Aloisio.  Furthermore, sailed Paul, "Anzio has now become one of Italy's most important spots for racing in one design and collaboration between the J/24 Class and the Italian Navy League in Tiber, Remo and Rome means many more J/24 sailors can join in the fun!  Next season we expect thirty boats! This is a great signal and shows how important this class is still alive in Italy and that does not matter the age of things but the ability to make them be alive."  We could not have said it any better than that, in Italian, Spanish, English, Russian, Chinese or French!    For more J/24 Italy Cup sailing information.

J/105s sailing Santa Barbara, CA- one-design sailboatDemourkas Wins J/105 Fall Championship
(Santa Barbara, CA)- In one of the more competitive one-design fleets in America, the Santa Barbara YC's sailors have proven time and again they can more than meet their match in most National or North American Regattas in various one-design classes.  Larry Leveille's J/29 RUSH STREET is a champion offshore and J/29 sailor; John Demourkas is a champion Farr 40 and Farr 30 sailor (including, of course, his wife Deneen who just won the Farr 30 Worlds in San Francisco); Bernie Girod is J/105 Class President and a champion J/105 sailor; John Ziskind was a world-class America's Cup sailor on BMW/ORACLE and on the World Match Race Cup pro-circuit; and recent J/24 North American Champion Pat Toole on his J/24 THREE BIG DOGS is always at the top of the class.  At some point or another over the course of a season, many of these top sailors hop aboard J/105s during regattas or the Wet Wednesday Series  to have some fun and enjoy spirited, very close, one-design sailing around the kelp beds, pods of curious seals and negotiating capricious offshore currents in the chilly Santa Barbara Channel.

While not all of them sailed in this year's J/105 Fall Championship, nevertheless the competition was tight.  SBYC Race Director Brad Schaupeter said, "it was an awesome regatta and amazing racing, a great day for sure for everyone!"  It was clear that "Johnny D's" recent experiences battling for the lead with his wife, Deneen, in the Farr 30 Worlds meant that John was going to give no quarter to nobody!  Racing ROCKIN & GROOVIN, "Johnny D" and the gang sailed hard and fast to amass an unassailable 2-4-1-1 record for 8 pts.  Local rock-star Larry Harteck took REPEAT OFFENDER into second overall with a solid 1-5-2-3 tall for 11 pts.   Rounding out the podium and lying third was Mark Noble on ESCAPADE, sailing one of his better regattas in awhile with a 6-1-4-2 record.  Fourth was a real sailing rock-star, John Ziskind, steering PERFECT TIMING 2 to a bit less than perfect 4-2-5-4 tally for 15 pts.  After sailing both the J/105 Marblehead NOODS (which he nearly won) and the J/105 North Americans (where he finished  a respectable 9th), Bernie Girod on ROCK & ROLL can be forgiven for perhaps relaxing and enjoying the Santa Barbara sunshine and ambience, collecting a 3-6-3-5 for those efforts to finish fifth.    For more Santa Barbara J/105 Fall Championships sailing information

J/133 Siren Song- ultimate sailing cruising racing offshore sailboatJ's Sweep LIS IRC/PHRF Championship
(Riverside, CT)- At host Riverside YC and Storm Trysail Club this past weekend, there was quite a remarkable display of corinthian sailing by J sailors across the spectrum, from the tippy top of the IRC racing spectrum to the "classic" PHRF warhorses that have proven time and again they're good, competitive sailboats.  J/Team's swept first place in FOUR of the five classes sailing in the 2011 Long Island Sound IRC/ PHRF Championships!  The sailors were all treated to spectacular easterlies with 10-17 knots and clear skies on Saturday's racing.

Standing at the top of the throne was Tom Carroll’s J/133 SIREN SONG, named as the Overall winner of the US-IRC Long Island Sound Championship.  Carroll’s team scored four bullets in five races in breezy conditions to win the IRC 2 class, as well as the Shearwater Trophy for best overall performance.

In IRC 3, Tom Boyle's WINGS won with three 2nd, a 1st and 3rd.  Andrew Weiss’s J/122 CHRISTOPHER DRAGON won the first two races on Saturday to place second in the IRC-3 division.  Third was Jim Bishop's J/44 GOLD DIGGER winning the last two races to finish just one point out of second.

In IRC 4, Mark Parry and Lawrence McGrath's J/35 BLUE MOUSE sailed a fabulous series to win with a 3-2-2-12 for 10 pts, beating some very-well sailed J's like Rick Lyall's J/109 STORM (4th in class) and Jack Forehand's J/109 STRATEGERY (5th in class).

In PHRF 80-115, Randy Bourne's J/105 STRANGE BREW walked off with class honors, garnering a 1-1-2 for 4 pts to smoke his competition.    Sailing photo credits- Daniela Clark/ photoboat.com   For more Long Island Sound sailing information

IRC Atlantique Regatta
(Lorient, France)- Concurrent with the J/80s sailing one of their French J/80 Season Series, the offshore boats were racing one of their premiere fall regattas on the offshore French sailing circuit- The Groupama IRC Atlantique Regatta.  Sailing in IRC 1 were a range of J's including Jean Marie Patier's J/122 ILE DE FRANCE, Yves Lanier's J/120 LES QUATRE VENTS BREST (a.k.a. the "four winds of Brest"), Stephane Blanchard's recently launched J/111 LE JOUET and Alain Rouaults' veteran offshore team on the J/133 JIVARO just back from the Rolex Fastnet Race.

After a series of races that saw all forms of weather thrown at them, it was Patier's J/122 ILE DE FRANCE that managed to capture a fourth place in fleet with a 5-7-3-9-1 score.  Just two points behind them was Lanier's J/120 LES QUATRE VENTS BREST with an 8-4-4-6-5.  In one of their first tune-up regattas of the season, Blanchard's J/111 LE JOUET managed 9th overall.    For more IRC Atlantique Regatta sailing information

J/Community

What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide

Brad Van Liew- Open 60 Le Pinguoin- sailing with Sasha* One for the "This Is Very Cool" Department- women sailor Shana Bagley just had a chance to sail with cousin Brad Van Liew on the Open 60 LE PINGUOIN.  Trying to come to terms with the dark, cold months ahead with no great sailing on the near horizon? Do what Shana Bagley did and jump aboard an Open 60 with the only American to race solo three times around the world, longtime SA’er Brad Van Liew. There are precious few programs that offer what this one does, so check out BVL’s site for the latest availability for upcoming trips.  Here's Shana's commentary:

"I am 43 from Walnut Creek, California, formerly of Rockville, MD (if that helps), and a Deputy Attorney General for the State of California.

I have been having some "re-entry" issues after returning last summer from six months at sea. Racing in San Francisco Bay was just not enough. I rabidly followed Brad Van Liew's victories in the Velux 5 Oceans, so when I heard about his Summer Tour, I didn't waste a second to sign up for the chance to sail on an Open 60 with a legend - an American legend at that.

Americans are glaringly missing from the international solo racing scene. The more exposed we are to these amazing sailors and their sailboats, the more interest we can generate for an American fan base, American sponsors, and for American competitors. The Van Liew Summer Tour [and now the Winter Tour –ed] is a great way to increase that exposure and it will be amazing to be a part of it.

I am looking forward to improving my sailing skills, pushing my limits, seeing the brilliant stars from the middle of the ocean, and to spending time with an accomplished and respected solo racer. No deadlines, no ringing phones, just the elements and the sounds of the boat racing through the water. It just doesn't get much better than that, really.

NASA's Space Shuttle Program may be shut down, but rockets are still firing full blast on LE PINGUOIN! Lucky for me, I have a ticket to ride."  - Shana

For more LE PINGUOIN Winter Tour, once-in-a-lifetime sailing experiences:
http://www.oceanracing.org

J/24 International one-design sailobat- sailing Audi World Championship* IF Mayan prophecies come true in 2012, could it be true this might be the last J/24 Worlds on Planet Earth?  Probably not, since even the Mayans themselves didn't' make it-- if they were so smart, why aren't they around today?!  Many sailors are looking forward to the epic 2012 J/24 Open Worlds in Rochester, NY-- the first ever OPEN J/24 Worlds!  Could there be a world-record set for J/24s (or any one-design ISAF keelboat) racing in a World Championship?  Perhaps.  PRO Hank Stuart thinks it will be "no problem, we'll just keep setting more 'mid-line' boats equipped with low-intensity lasers that burn holes in jibs as a simple means of "branding" teams pushing the line too hard."  Ooops.  Don't want too many of those tattoos, some jibs may look like Swiss Cheese! :)  So, for more entertainment value, have a look at this YouTube video for the Argentine J/24 Worlds (it is amusing, to say the least).

J/24 Worlds promo- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5EVfzg-Oq0

J/24 sailor Ken Read- sailing Volvo 70 Puma Mar Mostro in Volvo Ocean Race* Former uber J/24 World Champion Ken is at it again.  It's hard to believe that Ken Read, at 50 years old, is headed out to the open seas again on the Volvo 70 PUMA Mar Mastro.  Guess that famous poem, "Sea Fever" by John Masefield, must be beckoning again-- the "call of the running tide is a wild call, a clear call, that may not be denied!"  We wish him luck and God Speed.  Here's a quickie report from Ken as he participates in what many offshore sailors might call "the head-bangers ball"-- beating upwind for 800nm in 8-15 foot waves and 15-35 kts breeze.

Reports Kenny on the first day out: "After a pretty successful Transatlantic Race, we took a right turn and sailed downwind in the trades all the way to the Puerto Calero Marina. It's a fairly secluded marine facility on one of the windiest islands I have ever been to. Every day you get up to what sounds like the roof of your apartment being blown off. "Here we go again," I would say to myself day after day - now I know what all the boys felt like that did the America's Cup in Fremantle in 1987. The wind every day just wears you out, but it was exactly what we needed.

So, now we are paying for that fantastic downwind sail all the way to the Canaries. It is upwind for about 800 miles, against the trades and into the Mediterranean to Alicante, Spain, for the start of the Volvo Ocean Race.

By rule we have to be there I believe by the third of October, one month before the start. If everything goes according to plan, we should be there a couple days before. We may actually take our time as well and do some more testing. You never know out here, and having a plan that can change literally with the wind is important.

The thing is, once you get to Alicante, the testing is over. Then, it is on to boat measurement, all the pre-race seminars we have to attend, the press, the public, simply all the distractions - and essentially anything but testing! There may be a couple more quick tweaks to the boat, but surely the pre-race prep phase is for the most part over.

The most commonly asked question?  "Are you guys ready?"  Ha, ha! The truth is nobody is ever really "ready." We are what we are. We are as prepared as we can be, and now its time to see whose plan had the most merit leading up to race time. All of the competition went about their pre race planning a bit different. We have been pretty quiet this time and just went about our business. Day after day, trying to tick off boxes that we felt were important in the grand scheme of things.  I like where we are at, but at the same time it would be great to have about another year to prepare. You are never perfect, but "we are what we are" and it does feel like we are paying for that sleigh ride south in July. Just another brutal reminder of how glamorous offshore sailing can be!

For more Puma Ocean Racing VOR 70 sailing information:
http://www.puma.com/sailing
http://www.facebook.com/PumaOceanRacing

The J Cruising CommunityJ cruising directions- roll the dice and go!  Sailing to anywhere, anytime! 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"

J/130 sailing ARC Rally arrives Portugal- leave a message on the sea wall!* 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)J/109 racer-cruiser sailboat GAIA- sailing off Java Sea cruising offshore, 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

J/42 Bluewater Offshore Cruisers

Hill & Lowden have on offers two excellent examples of J/42s.  One boat is called MAGIC, and is grey-blue. She is a standard J 42 (regular V-berth forward and a centerline drop-leaf table), with an all cherry interior and aluminum mast. The boat is loaded with electronic goodies and has many factory options.

The other boat is a J/42 L version called MARIAH. She is a white hull with carbon fiber mast, full cherry interior and fold-up table to the main bulkhead. She has both racing sails and cruising sails, multiple spinnakers and headsails. She has done some offshore racing to Halifax and Newport-Bermuda and has a long list of ORC Category III Offshore safety gear.

Both of these listings are in essentially “new” condition, having been stored indoors in heated sheds and maintained by Burr Bros in Marion, MA.

J/42 cruising racing sailboat called MAGICJ/42 MAGIC:
This J/42 has a great layout with two double sleeping cabins, two heads with showers.  Main cabin has very large working galley.  Exceptionally well-organized and equipped Navigation station with new Icom SSB, and new Icom VHT, older Garmin GPS/Chartplotter, Stereo CD with Bose speakers both below decks and waterproof speakers in cockpit. There are two deluxe settee berths in the main cabin plus a centerline dining table. Good storage in cubbies and bookshelves.  Classic interior finish with white laminate bulkheads and solid varnished teak trim. Very bright and airy. New cushions including custom-made Temper-pedic memory foam mattresses in the two sleeping cabins.  Electronics are top-of-the-line:  new B&G Electronics; B&G Quadrant mounted Autopilot; New Raymarine C-80 big screen color GPS/Chartplotter/Radar mounted at steering pedestal.  She also has a new Dodger w/ side bar handrails, New Furlex Roller furling system and New Engine-driven Sea Frost refrigeration. All new electrical & battery power system, over 350 Amps of storage capacity. Engine start battery, plus 3 house batteries. Microwave oven can be run off inverter at sea. Force 10 Propane stove and oven.

J/42 L Mariah sailing- a crusing racing sailboatJ/42-L MARIAH:
This J/42 is equipped to sail offshore. The hull is white (good color for the tropics). She's a fast, solid cruiser, loaded to go offshore cruising. She has been well loved and cared for and has tons of upgraded, new (2007 to 2008) equipment.  She has a liferaft and is loaded with all the electronic equipment needed.  The North sail inventory (6 sails) is excellent for cruising, and includes storm sails and a Gennaker w/ snuffer. The mast is Carbon Fiber by Hall Spars and has a Tides Marine sail track for ease of raising the North mainsail.  For simplified "gunkholing" and anchoring, there is a stainless steel bow roller, anchor mount and  Lewmar Electric windlass with a working anchor (a 45 lb plow).

For more information, please call George Lowden or Rich Hill at cell# +1-617-678-8164 or email-hilllowden@comcast.net

  

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

J/Newsletter- September 21st, 2011

J/108 shoal performance cruising sailboatJ/108 Annapolis Boatshow
(Annapolis, MD)- With its successful introduction this past winter, the J/108 shoal-performance cruising yacht has far surpassed the expectations of its lucky owners.  The first J cruiser to combine stand-up headroom with legendary J-performance in a 35 footer that can wander across the shallows of the world's best cruising grounds drawing less than the original J/24!  Now that's shallow.  At only 4.0 feet with board up, the horizon is nearly your only limit for cruising grounds-- in other words, the ENTIRE Bahamas Banks are your cruising ground, not just a few corners of a few million square miles.  And, when you need to dial-up some upwind performance, the  8' draft with board down assures you of sparkling VMG's upwind, a near impossibility with competitive shoal-draft cruisers.  Be sure to visit the J-booth at Annapolis to see this revolutionary J cruiser.

J/111 speedster- one-design sailboat- sailing sunsetAlso featured at the show will be the new J/111 speedster, the boat that has been taking the offshore world by storm. It's perhaps the most evolutionary/ revolutionary J designed to date-- simplicity, speed and minimalism, comfort and control in a uniquely thrilling package.  Nearly a year after it's launch in 2010, over 40 J/111s are now sailing and the "winners list" reads like a "who's who" of events worldwide, quite a remarkable start for any boat.  Better yet?  Success at a world-class level has been achieved by a cadre of corinthian/ amateur sailors having a great time at what they love to do best--- sailing with friends and family, having fun, and winning a pickle dish or two for the trophy shelf.  Isn't it time to join in on the fun?!

For more J/108 information- http://www.jboats.com/j108
For more J/111 information- http://www.jboats.com/j111

J/111 one-design sailboat- sailing around mark at Key West Race Week25th Key West "J/Fest" Ready to Roll!
(Key West, FL)- America's premiere midwinter big-boat regatta, Key West Race Week sailing January 16-20, 2012, has much to celebrate. It's the 25th anniversary of the event, it has Quantum Sails as a title sponsor, and J sailors will again help create what has become a "de facto" J/Fest every winter in January down in the sunny, warm, near tropical trade-winds that are typical in the lower Keys at this time of year.

The tradition all started with the J/24 Midwinters in 1978, a week of sailing after the traditional "SORC feeder-race" known as the Lauderdale-Key West Race.  The first year was a resounding success, attracting most sailing industry luminaries you hear/ read about today in a 21 boat J/24 fleet- Tom Whidden, Vincent Brun, Dave Ullman, Dave Hirsch, Mark Ploch, Larry Leonard, Augie Diaz, Gary Weismann, Ed Reynolds, Jimmy Allsop, Dave Curtiss, Bob Barton, Bill Allen, Gordy Bowers, John Southam, Jimmy Scott, Scott Allan, John Kolius, Neal Fowler, Rick Grajirena, Carter Gowrie, Charlie Scott and so forth.  In less than five years, YACHTING magazine's Charlie Barthold was so inspired by the success of the J/24 Midwinters event in Key West they created Key West Race Week to incorporate not just one-design classes, but handicap classes, too.  The rest is history.  Later, as the baton was passed onto others, now under the leadership of Peter Craig at Premiere Racing, the event has continued to both prosper and survive the "best of times, the worst of times".

This coming year, a new innovation for 2012 will be J/Boats specific handicap classes.  “We are really excited about the prospects of developing J-specific handicap classes at Key West next January,” said Jeff Johnstone. “The concept is to group together different J designs of similar speed to provide both excellent class racing, as well as to open up the possibility for sub-class one-design racing. An example would be the J/111s and one or two other models racing together with a tight rating band. We are already projecting as many as six J/111s next year.”

In addition, the J/105s and the J/80s are again expecting solid turnouts for their 2012 Midwinter Championships in Key West with twenty or more boats expected in each class.  Most importantly, for both the J/105s and J/80s, there are "winter circuits" that enable sailing once a month from Jan-Feb-Mar-Apr leading up to the spring season on the Chesapeake!   Sailing photo credit- Ken Stanek.com  For more 25th Anniversary Key West Race Week sailing information.

J/Fest Trysail BeneluxNetherlands "Try-Sailing" Weekend
(Bruinisse, Netherlands)-  From October 8-9, in the southern part of the Netherlands, J/Netherlands is hosting a Try-Sailing Weekend on various J's, including the J/111.  Over sixty people have registered so far to join in the festivities and try everything from J/22s to J/80s and J/109s up to J/111s!  You think the Chinese are enthusiastic about sailing J's, there has been tremendous enthusiasm across the board in the "Benelux" region for sailing a range of J's--- from J/22s, J/24s, J/80s, J/105s (especially double-handed) up to the J/109s and J/111s.  Be sure to contact Robin or Angelique Verhoef (angelique@jboats.nl) to book a sail aboard any one of these popular J's sailing in this event.

Texas Two-Stepping "J/Fests"
(Houston, TX)- Texas likes'em big.  Regattas. Parties. Cars. Mechanical Bulls. Trucks. Girls hair. Guys hats. College football.  Longhorns.  Rattlesnakes.  Tumbleweed.  Trucks, did I mention them already?  Doh.  But, most of all, Texans LOVE people and friends.  So, it's no wonder ya'all out there are just "family" to them.  Big hearts is what Texans are all about, that's why the gals call you "love" or "sweetie" the first time they see you.  Join in any BBQ with a case of beer and you're a hero and friend for life.  Their sailing is simply an extension of that fun-loving, simple philosophy on life.  Ever wonder why they're renown for their fabulous hospitality?  Wonder no further.  Just jump in the car, toss the family (and dogs) inside, head on down to warmer climes (BTW, it's no longer 100+ degrees down there) and have a blast.  The combination of warm weather, cheap boat storage, cheap lodging, cheap tickets on Southwest Airlines into Houston-Hobby might entice some northern folk who may already be shivering to come on down.  (Note- one of the Dillon J/80 owners leaves his J/80 in Houston over the winter and gets $60.00 round trip tickets and comes every weekend)!!  There are three events to whet your whistle and strum along on any available ukelele or "geetar" at the saloon:

- The Compass Regatta- October 1-2- open to all boats, one-design and PHRF.  The J/111 will be racing in this one along with the J/109 fleet, J/105's, J/120's, etc.  Online Registration here.

- Harvest Moon Regatta- October 13-16- hosted by Lakewood YC in Houston.  This is a 120 nm race from the Galveston Bay jetties to Port Aransas. It's the "Texas Chicago-Mac".  Last year there were 250 boats, racing everything from Grandma's old bathtub to the latest racing machines, J/105s to J/44s.  Like the Chi-Mac, it's the voyage that counts, so you can tell the story at the party later!  Is their a "Pink Pony" in Port Aransas?  Register on-line here.

- J/Fest Southwest- October 29-30th- also hosted by Lakewood YC as a J/Boats only event.  There will be one-design classes for J/22 (J/World Annapolis on the water coaching for this fleet), J/24 (circuit stop), J/80 (circuit stop), J/105 (Regional invitational), J/109 (regional invitational) and J/PHRF, and J/Cruise.  On course video/ photography will also be streamed to TV's live during the day.  Friends and family not on the water can track their favorite J team or head over to the amusement park at Kemah or NASA/Johnson Space Center for the tour, or museum's shopping!  After racing, the J/24 fleet is sponsoring lawn games after Saturday's racing and Lakewood YC is putting on a Cajun feast Saturday night!  After dinner, boogie to some live music!  If you have a big boat we are offering free in-and-out launch/haul with a 50 ton crane!  Register on-line here.

J/80 Xiamen BoatshowJ/80 China Rising
(Xiamen, China)- J/80s continue to expand their fleets and events across the vast shorelines and river deltas of China.  This fall there is a good chance for those who sail in Asia/Pac to hop aboard a J/80 and help grow the sport of sailing to an enthusiastic group of budding sailors.

The first event is the China Club Match Racing Championships, being held on October 1st through the 7th in Xiamen.  Currently there are 48 Chinese teams registered for the largest J/80 event in the Asian Market.  This event will be larger, in fact, than last year's Asia Games that saw strong participation from Asian sailing teams from across the region.  That's enormous growth in such a short period of time.  For a sense of perspective on the wealth and growth of this region and why the middle-class want to experience new outdoor activities that are supported by their governments (like sailing- the ultimate "green", environmentally-friendly recreation), the "Golden Triangle" is defined as Japan/ Korea to the East, China J/80 fleet- the one-design sailboat for China Match Race Regattato the North, the "island nations" to the South (Philippines/ Malaysia/ Singapore/ Indonesia), Hong Kong and India as part of "the West"-- it's collective GDP of $15+ trillion far exceeds that of America or Europe--- with projections by 2025 to eclipse both USA and Europe combined (e.g. so what are 2.5 BILLION people going to spend their leisure time doing?  Sailing is cheap, comparatively speaking).  Ever wonder why Macau, China (one of the 16th century's most prolific trading ports) is the gambling capital of the world today? Hmmm. Good thing that J/80s will be sailing on Wuyuan Bay off Xiamen.  For more sailing and regatta information.

Next up on the schedule will be the J/80 Fall Regatta in southern China.  This event runs from October 14-16 and will be sailed off LiuZhou, GuangXi, China.   For more sailing information, please visit http://www.cnmcr.com (if you can't read Chinese, please contact Jim or Cindy below for an introduction on how to sail the event).

Finally, if you haven't been able to make travel plans to get to either Xiamen or Liu Zhou to sail J/80s, you can always catch up with the local J/80 sailors in Xiamen at this fall's Xiamen Boatshow from November 4th to 7th.  As Jim, Hudson and Cindy have explained many times, there is such enthusiasm for sailing locally that they're literally booking people weeks in advance to get on board the boats.  The Xiamen Boatshow is a great way to meet them all.  More Xiamen Boatshow details can be found here.

For more Chinese sailing and Xiamen show information, you can always email J/Boats Asia- Cindy Chen (cindy.cheng@hudsonyacht.com) or Jim Johnstone (jimjboats@gmail.com).

sunset over waterJ/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

The fall boatshow season in the northern hemisphere has started and along with that entertaining and informative experience is the start of the fall sailing season, from China to Europe and in America.  Down Under, the start the summer sailing season has sailors feverishly running around getting their boats into final preparations for a busy event schedule.  In Europe, the J/80s have started their fall events, including the 4th Trofeo de Iberdrola off Bilbao, Spain.  Way northwest of them, the J/24s just completed an epic BMW J/24 European Championship off Howth, Ireland, site of the 2013 J/24 Worlds.  In the America's, four fleets of J-one-designs (J/22, J/24, J/80 and J/105) sailed the Houston One-Design Regatta on Galveston Bay.  In the Chesapeake Bay, the J/30s had a huge turnout for the J/30 North American's hosted by Annapolis YC.  On Long Island Sound, the J/24s held their Northeast Regionals at Harlem YC.  Speaking of J/22s, J/24s and J/30s, check out the Community section below, there's a heart-warming story about two girls doing a Doublehanded race on a J/30 during the Queen's Cup; another sweet story from Sue Mikulski and Sandy Adzick about sailing their J/22 HOT TICKET in the recent Rolex Women's Worlds in Rochester, NY; then there's story of the recent victory for two long-time friends from 470, J/24 and J/105 days- Terry McLaughlin and John Hele from Royal Canadian YC in Toronto, Canada winning the New York YC Invite Regatta in Newport, RI; and finally there's a fun YouTube video shared by Andy Costello's gang that gives you an idea of what it's like to sail their J/125 DOUBLE TROUBLE in "planing mode"!

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:

Sep 24-25- J/Fest San Diego- San Diego, CA- http://www.sdyc.org/
Sep 28-Oct 2- J/80 North Americans- Larchmont, NY- http://j80.org/j80usa.php
Oct 1-2- Compass Regatta- Houston, TX
Oct 1—7- China Club Match Challenge- Wuyuan Bay, Xiamen, China
Oct 6-10- Annapolis Sailboat Show (J/111, J/108)- Annapolis, MD- http://www.usboat.com
Oct 13-16th- Harvest Moon Regatta- Houston, TX
Oct  14- Greenport Ocean Race- Greenport, Long Island, NY- http://www.greenportoceanrace.org/
Oct 14-16- J/80 China Fall Regatta- LiuZhou, GuangXi, China - http://www.cnmcr.com/
Oct 29-30- J/Fest Southwest- Houston, TX
Oct 29- Nov 6- Hamburg Boat Show (J/108, J/80)- Hamburg, Germany- http://www.hanseboot.de
Nov 4-7- Xiamen Boat Show (J/80)- Wuyuan Bay, Xiamen, China

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

BMW J/24 European sailing champions- Dublin, IrelandRELOADED Blasts BMW J/24 Europeans
(Dublin, Ireland)- In ideal conditions - moderate to fresh south-easterly winds and sunshine - the BMW J/24 European Championships concluded at Howth with four back-to-back races to complete the full 10-race program.  Top of the table was the American team of RELOADED (Mark Penfold) with 34 points, three ahead of the leading European entry IL RICIO (Ian Southworth/Chris McLaughlin) which takes the European Championship trophy.

For the 210 competitors from nine countries this year's J/24 Europeans was a resounding success both on and off the water.  Despite the fact that the event had seen real, honest-to-goodness, nuclear gale conditions the first day.  That day (Monday) fell victim to the weather, when winds in excess of 30 knots and gusts over 50 knots left the Principal Race Officer David Lovegrove with no option other than to abandon racing.

BMW Ireland sponsor J/24 Europeans- joy is plain sailingA major factor in the event's success was the generous sponsorship from BMW Ireland whose displays added immensely to the occasion. BMW's contribution was huge, not just in financial terms but also by way of support in several other key areas.  The Race Management team, led by Principal Race Officer David Lovegrove, deservedly received countless plaudits for completing the 10-race schedule despite severe weather conditions preventing two full days of racing. The quality of the courses and the efficiency of the race management were also applauded.

Ashore, the pre-event measurement and registration went smoothly and the craning in and out of 42 boats was an exercise in real co-ordination by the marine staff. Organising Committee Chairman Derek Bothwell paid tribute to the core group on his committee who handled general administration, measurement, accommodation, PR and social activities and to the 60 volunteers who helped in other ways such as RIB drivers, committee and mark boats personnel, race office etc.

J/24 one-design sailboats- sailing start of BMW J/24 Europeans With the exception of their discard of a 20th in the fifth race, RELOADED was consistently in the top four in most races and had one bullet, while closest rivals IL RICIO had two bullets and only a 9th to discard.  That they had some 28 points to spare over the third placed SERCO (Bob Turner) emphasized their dominance over the series. The German champion ROTOMAN (Kai Mares) was only a point behind in 4th place and won the final race of the regatta while Stuart Jardine, the oldest helm in the championship, had the distinction of winning three races, including the first two races of the final day. Another German boat HUNGRIGER WOLF (Johann Huhn) had six top ten results to earn 6th overall.

Local boat JIBBERISH (O'Kelly/Wormald/Walsh) enjoyed its best result when finishing second behind STOUCHE (Jardine) in the seventh race while German entry JJONE (Frithjof Schade) was looking at the same transom in the eighth race. The Southworth/McLaughlin crew topped the fleet in the penultimate race followed by the Hungarian boat NAVISCON (Farkas Litkey) while SERCO took second behind ROTOMAN in the final race.

BMW J/24 Europeans- sailing aournd markNeeding to beat their US rivals by several places in the last race to take 1st overall, IL RICIO could only manage an 8th to RELOADED's 5th. The leading Irish crew was HARD ON PORT (Flor O'Driscoll, HYC) in 10th overall with JAMAIS ENCORE (John-Patrick McCaldin, Lough Erne YC) next best in 17th.

The 42-boat fleet had faced a tough schedule of five back-to-back races on the third day of the regatta, sailed in ideal conditions. They made up for the weather-affected program and it was the consistency of the sole American entry and a leading UK contender over those five races which put them very much in command going into the final day.

RELOADED (Mark Penfold, Rochester YC) with Mike Ingham on helm, won the first race of the day, sailed in a brisk westerly, with Irish champion Flor O'Driscoll (Hard on Port, HYC) producing the best local result to date by finishing 2nd ahead of the much-fancied IL RICIO (Ian Southworth/Chris McLaughlin, RCYC Cowes).

The British boat moved up a gear in the second race, winning from defending champions SERCO (Bob Turner, Castle Cove SC) and the Greek champions EVNIKI (Aitsiadis Dimitrios) but RELOADED bounced back by taking the gun on the series' 4th race ahead of SERCO again and JELI (Stig McDonald, Royal Western YC).

Race 5 in the series saw a complete reversal of fortunes, with the honours going to boats not previously in the frame. Victory went to JAWBREAKER (David Cooper, Royal Western YC) in front of German boat JJONE (Frithjof Schade, Joersfelder SC) and the Italian champions LA SUPERBA (Ignazio Bonanno, C V Marina Militara).  At the same time, it proved disastrous for RELOADED and SERCO who finished 20th and 22nd respectively. Added to a black flag on the opening race, that result had a significant impact on SERCO's chances of retaining the trophy.  The fifth race of a long day was a triumph for one of the J/24 Class stalwarts Stuart Jardine whose STOUCHE headed HUNGRIDER WOLF (Johann Huhn, SVAOe) and RELOADED to the finishing line.  With one discard in force at the moment, RELOADED had just two points of a margin over IL RICIO, with SERCO 21 points adrift in the bronze medal position.   Sailing photo credits-  FOTOSAIL
For more J/24 Europeans sailing information

J/80 one-design sailboats- sailing downwind on Galveston Bay, Houston, TXJ's Dominate "The HOOD" Regatta
(Houston, TX)- The Houston Yacht Club along with their neighbors in the "hood", Lakewood and Texas Corinthian YCs, always seem to be favorites amongst sailors for hosting regattas.  For all the reasons outlined above when talking about our friends in Texas, they pull out all the stops and make sure everyone is welcome-- and, most importantly, do it in a "big" way so everyone is happy!  This past weekend's HOOD Regatta (Houston Offshore One-Design) was an epochal, history-making event for the region.  There were one hundred boats that showed up and the J sailors simply dominated the proceedings, showing up with 48 J's in total spread across J/22s (19), J/24s (12), J/80s (13) and J/105s (4)- by a country furlong the most dominant "brand" at the regatta- 50% of the fleet!  Might as well have been called "J/Fest Pre-Regatta"!

J/22 one-design sailboats- sailing Houston's Galveston BayIn the biggest fleet of the event, the J/22s saw some excellent racing across the board with a few surprises, twists and turns thrown in for good measure.  Past J/22 World Champion Terry Flynn had a rough go of it, sailing his J/22 TEJAS to a hard fought third place with a 2-3-1-2-5-11 record for 24 pts, losing out any chance at first because of the "slow" last race.  Reigning supreme was a long-time road warrior Rob Johnston from Dallas' Rush Creek YC, sailing his J/22 DIESEL SNACK to a pretty convincing first overall, snagging four bullets, a 3rd and 6th to win by 8 pts.  Second was another Dallas team, Max scott racing FAST LANE to a 4-5-2-3-2-5 for 21 points, holding off the indomitable Terry Flynn for one more regatta.  Fourth was Brank Koeopke sailing RICH SKANK (?) and fifth was Ruthie Lambert skippering OUT OF SIGHT.

J/24 one-design sailboat- sailing Houston Galveston BayThe J/24s had a real donnybrook for the top three, with all scores being settled between the teams in the last race.  Emerging from the dust bowl of a scrum was Bobby Harden's team on MR HAPPY, their 3-1-3-3-2-3 for 15 pts being the most consistent of the top teams.  Winning going into the last two races was Bryan Dryer on RUM LINE, but Bryan's team couldn't hold it together, adding a 7-5 to their previous 1-2-2-2 record to finish second with 19 pts.  After starting slowly with a 4-6, Doug Weakly's team on AMBASSADOR screamed into contention with three straight bullets, only to blow it in the last race with an 8th for 21 pts to secure third overall.  Lying fourth was Corey Harding on another "happy" boat- HAPPY DANCE.  And, fifth was Dov Kivlovitz on USA 93!

J/80 one-design sailboat- sailing off starting line Houston, TXThere was a great turnout for the J/80s in this event.  Bill Rose's team on KICKS simply did "kick up their heels" and show their transom to the fleet, amassing an impressive two 1sts and three 2nds for 8 pts to win by the healthiest margin in the entire regatta- 12 pts in five races!  Paul Parsons raced PARSONS PROJECT to a 1-2-6(scp)-5-6 for 20 pts, good enough for second.  Just behind them it was a full-on wild ride for four boats, all of whom nearly all tied each other after the last race!  Winning the tie-breaker for third was Claude Welles on JACKRABBIT, fourth was Forbes Durdin on MOJITO.  Winning the tie-break for fifth was Al Poindexter skippering ANDALE, sixth was Alan Bates on WHISKEY TANGO.

J/105 one-design sailboat- sailing upwind on Galveston Bay, Houston, TXWhile the J/105s may have had one of the smallest fleets in the regatta, it might as well have been a three-way match race for top honors.  No quarter given here, or there, or anywhere!  At the end, the top three boats finished just three points apart after five races.  Emerging from the scuffles in the last race was Bob Brann's RADIANCE, winning with a 3-2-2-1-1 for 9 pts.  Missing out a strong opportunity to win was Uzi Ozeri's INFINITY.  Uzi's team started by firing off a 1-1-1, then succumbed perhaps to a case of missing brain cells (or "slows") on Sunday, amassing a 3-4 for 10 points to drop into second.  Hanging tough all regatta long was Malcolm Brenner's BABE, sailing to a 2-3-3-2-2 for 12 pts to snag the bronze on the podium.

Finally, "Thanks" must be given to the amazing program laid out by the event's sponsors.  Mount Gay Rum had a bevy of Mt. Gay Girls running around serving up Rum drinks.  The HYC Ragnots also supported the event with "Weinerfest", raising money for the HYC Youth programs-- no question the crowds seem to be pleased with the delicious combination of wieners and Mt Gay for dinner!    Sailing photo credits- Lacy Photos   Sailing photo credits- Byrne Photo   For more J/80 & J/105 sailing information.    For more J/22 & J/24 sailing information

J/30 one-design sailboat- sailing downwind under spinnakerAverage WHITE BOAT Wins Huge J/30 NA's
(Annapolis, MD)- Nineteen J/30s showed up to the starting line for the 2011 J/30 Intergalactic North American Championship hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club.  19 boats!  That is way cool.  Proof that you can't relegate that old war-horse onto the ash-heap of yachting history.  Au contraire!  J/30s have seen it all, survived it all, changed the paradigm for 30 foot racer-cruisers forever, and continue to demonstrate why their loyal owners love them so much.  It's a great combination of a good performing boat, easy to handle by a small family and can cruise comfortably.  And, there were some spectacular examples of J/30s lovingly restored to what really look like "better than new" boats!  Perhaps the J/30s will one day have a "Grand Prix concours'd'elegance" themselves, eh?!

The racing was close and the lead changed hands several times.  Fittingly, four boats won races over the course of seven total.  The top five was not locked in until the dust cleared after the final, seventh race!  Leading the charge home to the top of the podium was Dave McConaughy's WHITE BOAT from Hampton YC.  Dave's crew seemed to ride one heckuva roller-coaster over the seven races, nearly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!  Starting with a 6-4, this "average white band" of sailors ran off with three 1sts, then just about tossed the regatta away with a mind-blowing 8-8 in the last two races to win by only four points.  Fighting tooth and nail all weekend was Steve Buzbee's BLUE MEANIE up from Raritan Bay YC.  Steve's team managed a steady 2-7-8-5-2-5-4 for 33 pts to get the silver.  Just behind him were three boats that had to beat one another in the last race to secure 3rd.  Winning the tie-breaker for third was Bob Rutsch and Mike Costello sailing BEPOP from the host, Annapolis YC.  On the losing end of that stick was fellow club member Grealy Putnam taking fourth racing BETTER MOUSETRAP.  Perhaps the "long-distance" award goes to Whitney Kent from South Shore YC in Milwaukee, racing the beautiful navy blue RAFIKI to fifth overall, book-ending their record with a 1st in the first race and 2nd in the last race!

BTW, for RAFIKI, please be sure to read in the J/Community section the loving, remarkable story about two teenage girls racing her double-handed off Milwaukee in the Queen's Cup on Lake Michigan.   For more J/30 North Americans sailing information

J/80 Spain- Trofeo Iberdrola- one-design sailing off Bilbao, spainECC VIVIENDAS Wins Trofeo Iberdrola
(Bilbao, Spain)- This year's Trofeo Iberdrola again established itself as one of the leading regattas held in the Bay of Biscay, marking the start of the fall sailing season in southern Europe.  True to form, the top Spanish J/80 sailors were a factor at the top of the fleet, including three J/80 World Champions!  In a very competitive regatta marked by significant swings in position on each leg, the winner of this year's event was Pichu Torcida sailing his famous J/80 ECC VIVIENDAS, just squeaking out a victory over Iker Almandoz by one point!

J/80 one-design sailboats- sailing downwind off Bilbao, SpainAs past J/80 World Champion 2010 in Newport and one of Spain's best sailors, Pichu had to work very hard on the second day of the regatta to win.  As one of the favorites, Pichu won both races on the second and decisive day over Almandoz's team on ESPALARTA GOLD SAILING.  Pichu said, "on the last day, the fourth and fifth races were thrilling for us."  Behind the first two spots, the double J/80 World Champion, Ignacio Camino sailing his equally famous boat NEXTEL ENGINEERING, was third, just three points behind the winning boat from the Real Club Marítimo de Santander. Fourth place was MARIFLOR skippered by Alexander Diaz and the fifth and sixth places went to the Basque sailors, AS DE GIA sailed by Jose Azqueta and PAKEA BIZKAIA sailed by Peru Mugica, both tied with 21 points.   For more J/80 Spain Trofeo Iberdrola sailing information

J/24 sailboats- sailing off starting lineMENTAL FLOSS Wins J/24 NE Regionals
(Harlem, NY)- In a battle of wits, cunning, intrigue, wisdom and plain old luck, it was MENTAL FLOSS over a weakened BLITZ(krieg) that took it all from DOUBLE VISION (the gang that couldn't shoot straight), with a VANISHING ACT not too far behind. Are you serious?  This cannot be real!  But, again, "truth is often stranger than fiction".  In this case, J/24 boat names in themselves can be wonderfully entertaining to discuss over evening cocktails with friends (though, in some cases, NOT family).

The Harlem Yacht Club and J/24 Fleet 61 were hosts for this year's 2011 J/24 Northeast Regional Championships.  They held the racing on Eastchester Bay off of beautiful City Island, The Bronx, New York.  Cool stuff, really.  A Bronx yacht club with tremendous heritage, it all started with a bunch of great guys from Harlem who simply wanted to enjoy some time on the water with their friends.  What a great recipe for broadening the sport of sailing to many who may not have had the opportunity to participate because of where they lived in New York city.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable elements of this regatta was the re-emergence of J/24 class's stalwarts from the 80s/90s, for example- Al Constants from Long Island, NY.  Al and team showed up with BLITZ  to perhaps dial-up their program for the J/24 Worlds in Rochester, NY in 2012??  The wheels are spinning now.  The BLITZ boys, as both Al and his brother Dave had always been renown, put on a terrific performance in this event, sailing consistently in the top three to finish second for the regatta with 22 pts.  Holding the "old guard" off was Aidan Glackin on MENTAL FLOSS, sailing an impeccable regatta to win with 20 pts.  Just off the pace was Phil Walters DOUBLE VISION with 28 pts for third place.  Fourth was John Surguy on VANISHING ACT and fifth was Kevin Sailor racing SURCEASE.   For more J/24 Northeast Regionals sailing results

J/Community

What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide

J/125 Double Trouble- Andy Costello- photo- Sharon Green/ Ultimate Sailing* J/125 Andy Costello YouTube video-

The DOUBLE TROUBLE boys love racing this boat BOTH inshore around the buoys and offshore.  But, offshore is their "first love" and DT has had some epic experiences in "fresh to frightening" weather conditions up and down the Pacific West Coast-- some have asked what the experience is like-  well, here's a reasonably good YouTube video of their experiences:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zhXyZQDyYE


* Friend, 470, J/24 and J/105 sailor- Terry McLaughlin along with fellow friend, J/24 sailor John Hele (owner of DARING), won the NYYC Invite Cup on Swan 42s.  In fact, the entire top FIVE finishers in the NYYC Invite Cup were all comprised of top J sailors in various J classes.  Besides John and Terry, Ken Colburn and Phil Lotz were champion J/105 sailors themselves racing for NYYC; Peter McChesney and friends from Annapolis YC in third were champion J/22 and J/24 sailors (many in the crew); Billy Lynn and friends from Eastern YC in fourth were champion J/22, J/24 and J/105 sailors; and in fifth was Jim Madden from Newport Harbor YC of STARK RAVING MAD fame (J/125) and BRAND NEW DAY (J/65 Bermuda winner).  Apparently, unless you had some form of "J/One-Design" experience, you were "toast" in this event-- the evidence is clear and unmistakable.

Canada leading New York YC Rolex Invite CupFor Terry Mclaughlin and John Hele, it was a "redemption" regatta.  In a reversal of fortunes from the inaugural event two years ago, they cleaned-out their competitors starting from the very first day. Terry/ John and crew sailed a nearly flawless series with seven top five finishes out of eleven races. In races where they were deep in the fleet, they inevitably overhauled the boats ahead. Terry said, “I think we came back quite well this series. It's important because you can’t get off the line in great shape or get around the first mark in great shape for eleven races in a row.”

McLaughlin won a silver medal in the Flying Dutchman class in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and was the skipper of CANADA I in the 1983 America’s Cup challenger series. These days Terry's business is importing the famous DUBARRY clothing and footwear from Ireland, and his sailing more relegated to occasional racing with friends-- like J/105s for serious competition with Ken and other friends in Toronto! Gotta test out those boots, eh!?

In a new addition to the event, the team leading in points at the end of each day flew a “gold” spinnaker in the following day’s races (e.g. a "borrowed" idea from that famous French bike race- The TOUR DE FRANCE- remember the famous "yellow jersey"?).  Cute!  The Royal Canadian team quickly took that honor after the first day and never relinquished it for the week (one wonders, was it as fast, or faster?).

J/22 Hot Ticket team- sailed by Sue Mikulski and Sandy Adzick in Rolex Women's Worlds* The J/22 HOT TICKET Report- A Refreshing POV from the Rolex Women's Worlds- from Sue Mikulski and Sandy Adzick:

The HOT TICKET Team, comprised of skipper Sandy Adzick and crew members Hilary Armstrong, Debbie Gibbons-Neff and Sue Mikulski, had a fantastic time sailing in the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship held at Rochester Yacht Club at the end of August. There were 36 all-women teams participating from the Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada and 16 US states with sailors ranging from ages 11 to 65. Where else can women sailors of such diverse back grounds, have a chance to sail against past Olympians, Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year, All-American Collegiate sailors and recent Quantum Female College Sailors of the Year. The depth of the competition was among one of the strongest it has been in a long time. This may have been a result of the seven Road to Rolex clinics held at various locations this year and the Junior Next Step to Rolex Program that was run two days before the event. Our seasoned team of the “over 50 Ladies Club” had many combined years of sailing wisdom and knowledge but the younger teenage sailors definitely showed us what they had recently learned.

Saturday was a day of measurements, weigh-ins and rigging our boats. Some of the sailors even had the opportunity to tune up on Lake Ontario during a quiet afternoon on the water. That all changed on Sunday when Hurricane Irene edged by the club with 45 mph winds and waves crashing over the bulkhead forcing RYC to close the hoists and cancel the practice races for the day. Mother Nature was to be respected. Competitors with their new bright red vests donated by Gill could be seen through out the Rochester area. Some of the substitute activities for the day included "retail therapy", food shopping at Wegmans, going to the movies, a visit to Niagara Falls and wine tasting at a local winery until the Opening Ceremonies that evening.  One of the highlights of the evening was keynote speaker, Dawn Seymour, a pilot in the United States Air Force and a former WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilot) in World War II. Mrs. Seymour, who is 94 years old, was an incredible inspiration to the women sailors as she spoke about her passion for flying, comparing it to our enthusiasm for sailing. Her daughter Amy Moran, sailing with Cory Sertl, and granddaughter Merritt Moran, crewing for Katja Sertl, were present as she received many standing ovations from the crowd.

As it seems to happen at most regattas, a day of too much wind is followed by no wind the next day. With extremely light air on Monday we all floated around for six hours checking in with old friends and making some new ones. A few us even reminisced about two years ago when we played Bingo on the water. (By the way, the Coast Guard found that the use of a VHF radio for that purpose is against regulations!). That evening, ROLEX hosted a unique and entertaining dinner at the Artisans Works, a 40,000 sq. ft. facility with over 500,000 pieces of artwork and art objects to explore and ponder.

On Tuesday, due to the extended forecast for the rest of the week, PRO Hank Stuart ran five excellent races in 8-12 knot breezes.  With four different winners that day the battle for the top position had begun.  Anna Tunnicliffe (defending ‘09 champion and Gold medalist in Laser Radials at the ‘08 Olympics), Sally Barkow (‘08 Olympian and Rolex champion in ’03, ’05, ’07), Carol Cronin, (’04 Olympian) and Cory Sertl (two-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, ’88 Olympian & ’01 Rolex champion,) with all exceptional and talented crew, were now vying for the top spot.

Wednesday competitors experienced winds in many directions, and competitors sailed three races complete with course changes on almost every leg.  Marieke Poulie from Amsterdam, Jo Ann Fisher, Kirsten Werner, College All American Sailors Ann Haeger and Allie Blecher and even Cory Sertl’s 18 year old daughter Katja, all challenged the ladies at the top.

As Thursday racing began it was the first time in Rolex IWKC history that the leader had to sail the last race due to the close scores with throw outs. PRO Hank Stuart was able to get in a third race 30 minutes before the deadline. This was the deciding race for the Championship. Cory Sertl lead most of the race but Sally Barkow edged her out followed by Cory’s 18-year-old daughter Katja Sertl, Anna Tunnicliffe and then Cory. Word spread quickly when we arrived back at the yacht club that a protest had been filed by Sertl against Barkow for a foul at the start. With Barkow being disqualified from this race which now became her throw out, Cory Sertl won her third Championship with crew members Amy Moran, Annemarie Cook, and Jane Mastrandrea.

The final evenings’ ROLEX Gala began with competitors enjoying a lovely breeze outside on the veranda. While we waited for the awards to be presented sailors discussed the next regattas they were traveling to. Kathy Parks, Sue McIntyre and Susan Turhham discussed their trip to New Orleans for the J/22 Worlds. Others were off to sail in International Match races and 470 trials for the 2012 Olympics. Awards were presented to the top 10 teams with each team being honored with a photo taken with Helen Ingerson, the founding member of this event. Cory Sertl accepted the US Sailing’s Bengt Julin Trophy and a Rolex timepiece thanking her team and also mentioning what a thrill it was to compete against her own daughter, who pushed her even harder to sail faster. This was also a special day for Linda Hiller and Sandy Adzick who were both celebrating their birthdays. Only at an all women’s event would all the competitors sing Happy Birthday at an awards ceremony and then dance the night away with their former competitors, celebrating a well-run regatta from every perspective.

The camaraderie between the teams, the sailors of all ages and different sailing levels, the depth of competition, and the lifelong friendships are what keep competitors returning each year. The keelboat championship is a first class event, and truly promotes women's sailing, giving newer competitors the opportunity to sail against some of the best in our sport, where they learn about themselves, team and skill building, and have an experience on and off the water that we all will remember for a very long time.

A huge thanks again to Regatta Event Chairman Chris Dorsey, and all of the wonderful volunteers from Rochester YC, the US Sailing representatives, the international judges, PRO Hank Stuart and his Committee, and ROLEX that made this regatta a great pleasure to sail in.

The 2013 Rolex IWKC will be held in October out of St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco where they have a new fleet of J/22s. There is always a terrific breeze in the Bay at that time of year with incredible views of the city, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the Golden Gate Bridge, which will make for a spectacular venue to sail and race. The HOT TICKET ladies are marking our calendars now! See you all there!  BTW, Stu J, we know you love the Bay. Can you help us?  The girls.  :)

J/100 sailboat- sailing on Lake Michigan* Whaaat's up?  A J/100 Wins "There & Back Race" on Lake Michigan.  It just seems that Paul and Susan Herer are having a wonderful time sailing their J/100 on the Great Lakes.  Perhaps most importantly, daysailing is their primary time to enjoy their J/100 WHAAT'S UP along the Chicago waterfront.  But, every once in awhile, they decide to test their mettle against Chicago's best and sail in some double-handed races together.  Recently, they entered their J/100 WHAAT'S UP in the Double-handed section of the annual "There & Back Race" hosted by Belmont Yacht Club.  While the usual race is a 47 NM course, this year it was shortened due to light air conditions.  Whatever the conditions, it did nothing to diminish Paul and Susan's determination to get around it as fast as possible, winning both handicap AND line honors for the fleet!  Congratulations!  Yet another case, like their J/109 friends in the recent UK J/109 Europeans, of promoting harmonious, marriage therapy through sailing!

J/30 Rafiki- sailed by two teenage girls in Milwaukee* Teenage Queen Bees Sail Queens Cup In J/30 Double-handed?  Hmmm. Something fishy about this headline?  Not really.  Whitney Kent admits she slept through her first several Queen’s Cup races-- after all, starting as a "princess" that’s understandable, considering she was just 4 years old during her first race with her parents in 1997.  Her sister Alison (Gator) was 3.

This year, at ages 18 and 17, Whitney and Alison Kent launched their own campaign in the Short-handed Fleet on RAFIKI, their J/30. They have probably set a record as the two youngest sailors in the 73-year history of the Queen’s Cup.

Whitney’s idea to do the Queen’s Cup with her sister was sparked in 2009 when she sailed in the Short-handed Fleet on Quicksilver with her mom, Cheri Kent Jones.

However, Whitney felt that Quicksilver, a C&C 41, was a lot of boat for two teenagers to handle. When she got RAFIKI in 2010, it was the right-sized boat, but it wasn’t ready to sail until later that summer. She had another year to make plans for the 2011 Queen’s Cup with Alison.

The next step was to convince the parents this was a good idea. “They quizzed us — what would you do in this situation, what would you do if this happened?” Whitney said.

Stepdad Eric Jones (“Inky”) was finally convinced last winter that the two sisters could safely campaign RAFIKI.

Meanwhile, their dad Tim Kent would be racing against them in the Short-handed Fleet on NEMESIS, a J/35.  “We had a bet going that the losing boat would have to buy dinner for the winner,” Whitney said.

The day of the race — Friday July 1 — winds were 25 knots and gusting higher. Whitney and Alison had some trouble on the way to the starting line. With the apparent wind indicator up to 38 knots in the harbor, the mainsail got stuck on the way up. To make matters even more “interesting,” as Whitney described it, the engine wouldn’t start. These experienced sailors did not panic. They anchored to keep from drifting into the break-wall and called for help. The SSYC tender came to their assistance, and they were able to hoist the mainsail and start the race 20 minutes late. “We made up some time,” Whitney said.

Alison said her first goal had been to beat her dad in the race, followed by the goal of finishing. After the problem at the start, she said her priorities were switched – her first goal was to finish the race!

During the night, each of them took turns at the helm for an hour. “It was a real workout,” said Alison. “I needed both hands on the tiller to steer through the waves.” Their point of sail across the lake was a beam reach. With winds mostly above 17 knots, it was a fast race.

During the night they made two headsail changes. When winds were down to about 12 knots, they shook out a reef and put up the #2 genoa. Later, they put the #3 genoa back up.

How did they feel when they crossed the finish line in the dark at 3:40 a.m.? “Pretty excited,” Whitney said. The excitement quickly turned to focus on finding a tow to the dock. This year was Whitney’s second fastest crossing, finishing in 9 hours 59 minutes. At thirty feet long, RAFIKI is also the smallest boat she has sailed in the Queen’s Cup.

“We really bonded,” Alison said about the experience with her older sister. Both Whitney and Alison say they want to race in the Short-handed Fleet again. Also — they beat their dad Tim Kent on NEMESIS!

How did the blue-hulled J/30 get the name RAFIKI? “When I was little, I watched The Lion King and Rafiki was my favorite character,” Whitney said.

Whitney will be a freshman at UW-Milwaukee this fall, and Alison will be a senior at Brookfield East High School.

* Past J/24 Worlds champ Terry Hutchinson racing Team ARTEMIS AC 45 in Plymouth, England has been having a hard time staying in front of his competitors in some races.  Time to fire the tactician!  See what happened here in losing a race to Team KOREA!!  BTW, all these teams have sailors with J/24 one-design racing backgrounds!  So, to win at the top of the professional sport of sailing, you need a good grounding in college sailing, one-design J/22, J/24, J/80 and J/105 sailing before you can pretend to be a contender for the throne of the world's top sailors--- in any class.

Lesson #1- if you're winning, keep yourself between the competitor and the next mark.  Doh!

Lesson #2- if you're behind, chase your competitor downwind using his sailing angles and shadows against him.  Doh!

Lesson #3- if #1 or #2 don't work, you're toast.  Fire the tactician!  Or, call me for advice- real-time data visualization and analysis is a good thing, bro!!  :)

The J Cruising CommunityJ cruising directions- roll the dice and go!  Sailing to anywhere, anytime! 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"

J/130 sailing ARC Rally arrives Portugal- leave a message on the sea wall!* 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)J/109 racer-cruiser sailboat GAIA- sailing off Java Sea cruising offshore, 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

J/42 Bluewater Offshore Cruisers

Hill & Lowden have on offers two excellent examples of J/42s.  One boat is called MAGIC, and is grey-blue. She is a standard J 42 (regular V-berth forward and a centerline drop-leaf table), with an all cherry interior and aluminum mast. The boat is loaded with electronic goodies and has many factory options.

The other boat is a J/42 L version called MARIAH. She is a white hull with carbon fiber mast, full cherry interior and fold-up table to the main bulkhead. She has both racing sails and cruising sails, multiple spinnakers and headsails. She has done some offshore racing to Halifax and Newport-Bermuda and has a long list of ORC Category III Offshore safety gear.

Both of these listings are in essentially “new” condition, having been stored indoors in heated sheds and maintained by Burr Bros in Marion, MA.

J/42 cruising racing sailboat called MAGICJ/42 MAGIC:
This J/42 has a great layout with two double sleeping cabins, two heads with showers.  Main cabin has very large working galley.  Exceptionally well-organized and equipped Navigation station with new Icom SSB, and new Icom VHT, older Garmin GPS/Chartplotter, Stereo CD with Bose speakers both below decks and waterproof speakers in cockpit. There are two deluxe settee berths in the main cabin plus a centerline dining table. Good storage in cubbies and bookshelves.  Classic interior finish with white laminate bulkheads and solid varnished teak trim. Very bright and airy. New cushions including custom-made Temper-pedic memory foam mattresses in the two sleeping cabins.  Electronics are top-of-the-line:  new B&G Electronics; B&G Quadrant mounted Autopilot; New Raymarine C-80 big screen color GPS/Chartplotter/Radar mounted at steering pedestal.  She also has a new Dodger w/ side bar handrails, New Furlex Roller furling system and New Engine-driven Sea Frost refrigeration. All new electrical & battery power system, over 350 Amps of storage capacity. Engine start battery, plus 3 house batteries. Microwave oven can be run off inverter at sea. Force 10 Propane stove and oven.

J/42 L Mariah sailing- a crusing racing sailboatJ/42-L MARIAH:
This J/42 is equipped to sail offshore. The hull is white (good color for the tropics). She's a fast, solid cruiser, loaded to go offshore cruising. She has been well loved and cared for and has tons of upgraded, new (2007 to 2008) equipment.  She has a liferaft and is loaded with all the electronic equipment needed.  The North sail inventory (6 sails) is excellent for cruising, and includes storm sails and a Gennaker w/ snuffer. The mast is Carbon Fiber by Hall Spars and has a Tides Marine sail track for ease of raising the North mainsail.  For simplified "gunkholing" and anchoring, there is a stainless steel bow roller, anchor mount and  Lewmar Electric windlass with a working anchor (a 45 lb plow).

For more information, please call George Lowden or Rich Hill at cell# +1-617-678-8164 or email-hilllowden@comcast.net

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