Wednesday, November 30, 2011

J/Newsletter- November 30th, 2011

J/97 family racer-cruiser sailboat- sailing off FranceJ/97 IRC Boat of the Year
See J/97 @ Paris Show with J/111 & J/122
(Paris, France)- The prize of "IRC Boat of the Year" in France is awarded to the builder of a series production boat that has distinguished itself in international IRC competitions throughout Europe. It is presented annually during the "Evening of Ocean Racing" held in conjunction with the Salon Nautique de Paris (Paris Boatshow).  This year's winner is the J/97, designed by J-Boats/ Alan Johnstone and built by JB Composites in their shipyard in Les Sables d'Olonne.

The jury presiding over the election of the IRC boat of the year was made up of four elected members of the UNCL: its President, Marc de Saint Denis; Edouard Baetz its general secretary; Jean Michel Carpentier (Racing Commission); and Jean Claude Merlivat ( Commission IRC).  They were assisted by four prominent yachting journalists: Olivier Le Carré (BATEAUX), Pierre-Marie Bourguinat (VOILES & VOILIER), Bernard Rubinstein (VOILE Magazine) and Patrice Carpentier (SEAHORSE INTERNATIONAL Racing).

The selection criteria were: 1) sailing results in France and in Europe; 2) the boat-handling and sailing qualities; 3) the ability to both race and cruise; 4) oveall aesthetics; 5) a minimum of 10 boats built in the last year; and 6) have sailed at least 5 races in the IRC in the past year.

The boats selected by the UNCL were an impressive line-up of many winners in IRC events this past year in European waters.  The competitive sailboats included: Elan 350, Beneteau First 30, Beneteau First 40, Grand Soleil 43 B&C, J/97, Jeanneau Sun Fast 1010 and Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200.

A top three was reached during the first round of selection: Elan 350, J/97 and Jeanneau Sun Fast 1010. After a thorough comparison of all the information, the Jury's final selection was the J/97.

As a versatile cruising boat with a racing pedigree that is so dear to the IRC, the J/97, with 45 boats built to date, is a boat that is well-designed and well-built, benefiting from the professionalism and experience of JB Composites. Whether sailing nationally (France) or internationally, the winning record of the J/97 is eloquent and prophetic:

- In France: the J/97 was the winner of the Trophy Atlantic UNCL IRC 4 with victories in Spi Ouest France-Intermarché and Crouesty Grand Prix, and a second place in Brest and the Course of Three Islands.  A remarkable record considering the extremely tough competition from other factory teams.

- International: the J/97 was the winner of 2010 Cowes Week in IRC Class and won the "Garmin Hamble Winter Series 2011" by a huge margin in IRC 3 Class against stiff competition from other top teams.

Didier LeMoal, CEO of JB Composites commented, "A big thank you to members of the UNCL IRC Jury for this award. The J/97 ultimately demonstrated its pedigree and potential performance in 2011 with several strong campaigns in France and England.  At JB Composites, the best way to demonstrate legendary J performance is to race them against world-class competition. This helps customers better understand the performance of boats like the J/97 and optimize them at all levels of sailing."

The prize of "IRC Boat of the Year" will be awarded to Didier LeMoal, CEO of JB Composites at the Evening of Ocean Racing, the annual awards banquet of UNCL that will be held this year at the Ecole Militaire, Paris VII, Saturday, Dec. 10.

JB Composites invites you to join them Friday, December 2 at 20:00 at the "JB Composites" display at the Paris Boat Show to celebrate this award for the J/97 (Hall 1 Stand D60).  For more Salon Nautique Paris information, please visit:  http://www.salonnautiqueparis.com/GB.htm

J-Sailing Calendar 2012NEW 2012 J/Calendar
The Perfect Gift For People Who Love Sailing!
(Newport, RI)- For 2012 we've created another beautiful calendar for J sailors who love the joys of sailing a J in some of the most spectacular harbors and waters of the world.  Whether you are a cruising, racing or armchair sailor, these stunning sailboat photographs will  transport you to wonderful sailing experiences in far away places. Enjoy the color and excitement of J sailing with these gorgeous photos. The J/Sailing Calendar features photos of a J/44 powering upwind off Key West, a flying J/24 on the Chesapeake, J/125s dueling on San Francisco Bay, surrealistic scenes of J/80s off the Cantabrian and Brittany Coasts, a J/120 and J/95 playing in the azure waters of the Caribbean and J/105s parading past Alcatraz in a pastel of colors.  A great gift for loved ones, family, friends and crew!  See the 2012 J/Calendar and order now.

sunset for sailorsJ/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

As December ushers itself in with 100 mph Santa Ana winds howling through the Los Angeles Basin and knocking out electrical power and roadway access for many of our fellow J sailors, others are enjoying competitive "winter series" sailing events in Southern California, Europe and "summer" sailing in Oz-Land Down Under and in the western Pacific in a magical place called Phuket, Thailand.  For starters, the San Diego YC Hot Rum Series is rolling along and, if anything, they'd probably like a bit more than a zephyr-like sea-breezes to build and provide more excitement than just sun and a great tour of San Diego Bay.  Over in Europe, a variety of conditions challenged J sailors depending on where they were sailing.  In Hamble, England, they finally got "normal" winter series sailing conditions, having to wait for a chilly 25-35 knots breeze to moderate to begin racing.  In Spain, the J/80s wished they had "Hamble-like" conditions, but instead had to settle for unusually light-moderate sea-breezes developing late in the day in both Santander on the Bay of Biscay in northern Spain and in Mar Menor on Spain's southeast coast on the Med.  Traveling east, the J/130 JING JING is preparing for the spectacular Phuket King's Cup in Thailand.  South of them the J/24s in Australia enjoyed parts of the Sydney Short Ocean Series.  Finally, we received another update on the Miami-Nassau Cup Race, this from the J/120 CARINTHIA (from Detroit, Michigan- the motor city capital of the world).  Plus, another great story comes from the American Midwest, a sweet article about sisters sailing a classic J/30 off Milwaukee, Wisconsin in that gargantuan body of fresh water known as Lake Michigan.

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:

Oct 9- Dec 4- Garmin Hamble Winter Series- Hamble, England
Dec 5-14- Salon Nautique (J/97, J/111, J/122)- Paris, France- http://www.salonnautiqueparis.com
Jan 5-13- London Boatshow (J/80, J/111)- London, England- http://www.londonboatshow.com
Jan 15-25- Key West Race Week- Key West, FL- http://www.premiere-racing.com
Jan 15-25- J/80 Midwinters- Key West, FL- http://www.premiere-racing.com
Feb 11-15- J/24 Midwinters- Davis Island YC- Tampa, FL- http://www.diyc.org/
Feb 16-20- Miami Boatshow- Miami, FL- http://www.miamiboatshow.com/
Feb 17-19- St Petersburg NOOD Regatta- St Pete, FL- http://www.sailingworld.com/nood-regattas
Feb 23-26- J/22 Midwinters- Houston YC- Houston TX- http://www.j22mw.com/

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

J/109 Irish IRC Boat of the Year- Kelly's STORMJ/109 Irish IRC Boat of the Year
(Dublin, Ireland)-  As predicted in Afloat's online reader poll, Pat Kelly's J/109 STORM won the Irish Cruiser Racer Association's (ICRA) "IRC Boat of the Year" award at the ICRA Conference in Dun Laoghaire at the Royal Marine Hotel.  Among other wins, the J/109 STORM (a simple, easy-to-sail IRC cruiser-racer) counted five firsts in an impressive victory in Class One IRC at this year's ICRA Nationals held in Crosshaven.

Amongst the contenders were another J/109, Glenn Cahill's JOIE DE VIVRE, along with a Mills 36, X36, Sunfast 32 and three Corby 25s.  At the end of the day, the Kelly's sailed an impressive series of races all year long and proved, yet again, the extraordinary versatility of the J/109 as an excellent racer-cruiser for its owners.  Over the course of the summer sailing season, the fleet was confronted with everything, from drifters and long rolling swells to near gales with massive chop and breaking waves that saw carnage strewn all over the Irish Sea.  J/109s simply sailed through all that Mother Nature had to throw at them and did so with tremendous ease and great style.   For more ICRA Boat of the Year sailing awards information

J/97 one-design cruiser racer- sailing Hamble Solent EnglandJ/97 Trumps GARMIN Hamble Winter Series
JIKA-JIKA Wins IRC 3 With a Weekend to Burn!
(Hamble, England)-  The PRO/RC team faced a dilemma this week in the penultimate race day of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series. An approaching front early on Sunday morning saw the forecast predicting gusts of 32 knots at start time, reducing to 10 knots by late afternoon.  PRO Jamie Wilkinson made a good call with a 2 hour postponement that proved popular with crews, giving time for a leisurely breakfast or lie-in as the wind shrieked in the rigging.

The gusts were still hitting 27 knots as the fleet headed out, and many boats sported reefs and small sails. A strong weather-going spring tide created a sharp chop with the consistency of concrete, making upwind progress tricky. But the wind gradually decreased as the day went on, and by 1500 crews were scrambling to power their boats up and enjoying some flat water and a steady breeze as they beat home.

Enjoying what many saw as "real" fall sailing conditions, a bit of chill in the air, strong breeze whipping up a froth on the Solent, lots of current to create "foul play" (and nasty waves), was the J/133 JINGS! sailed by David Ballantyne and crew.  JINGS! managed to stay away from the fray and post another good score to stay in the top three in IRC 0, snagging a third place to jump into third overall for the series.

J/111 one-design cruiser racer sailboat- sailing Solent Hamble England CowesIn IRC 1 it was a see-saw battle amongst the top ten boats for the overall series lead.  WIth two throw-outs and 7 of 9 races counting to date, the standings changed dramatically after last weekend's racing.   Ivan Trotman's J/122 JOLOU had a tough go of it and posted a ninth to drop to sixth overall with 39 pts.  Chaz Ivill's J/111 JENGA VI posted another third to jump up to third overall in the standings, only 2 points out of second!  Next weekend, it will be horse race for the second and third spots on the podium.  Both the J/122 and the J/111 have a shot at grabbing 2nd and 3rd overall for the series.

The J/109s saw series leader, Richard and Valerie Griffith's OUTRAJEOUS, simply smoke their class, winning by a country furlong, essentially guaranteeing they're the winner of the J/109 class at the Hamble Winter Series.  Behind them it's still anybody's guess as to how the top five will fare since there are four boats within seven points of each other.  At the moment, Dave and Mary McGough's JUST SO is in second with 20 pts; Paul Griffiths' JAGERBOMB is third with 24 pts; David McLeman's OFFBEAT is fourth with 25 pts; and David Jobson's AUDAJIOUS is fifth with 27 pts!  It's pretty clear the off-track betting parlors and odds-makers will be busy on that group of boats for next weekend's racing-- wonder what the odds are that on an "offbeat" day, an "audajious" move  dropping the "jagerbomb" might "just so" create a panic enough that a "jazzy, jumping jellyfish" leaps to the top of the standings?!?  "J'taime" it, says "me julie", if that happens, I may have to walk the "red arrow" after way, way too much "jynnan tonnyx"! :)

What an amazing story.  This year's Garmin Hamble Winter Series saw an epic, dominating performance in IRC 3. No, it was not some custom IRC 52 whiz-banger, or some IRC lead-sled tweaking the rule, it was simply a fun, family racer-cruiser that simply blew away the most competitive class in the entire Winter Series.  The more teams that sail J/97s on the Solent, the faster they're learning how to make them go against one another.  And, nothing is more self-evident than the improvement in performance of the up-and-coming J/97 class sailing in IRC Class 3 this fall. Leading the charge since day one has been Mike and Jamie Holme's JIKA-JIKA, sailing away with class honors while posting an incredible scoreline of EIGHT firsts in nine races (e.g. they count seven firsts for an average of a, drum-roll please, first)!  Wow, even the Editor can count that on his fingers!  That scintillating performance would blow most people's socks off their feet.  Five J/97s are racing in IRC 3, following JIKA-JIKA is Nick and Adam Munday's INDULJENCE, 2nd in J/97s and 5th overall.  Third in the J/97s is Gillian Ross' INJENIOUS.  The two J/92s' continue to sail well, with David Greenhalgh and John Taylor's J-RONIMO sitting in 6th and Andy Howe and Annie Kelly's BLACKJACK in 7th just four points back.

Of special note-- in the "mixed sportboat class", Mike Lewis sailing his J/80 JESTER has been having a go at  the Laser SB3s and Hunter 707s.  So far, he's hanging tough and is lying in second overall after missing the first four races and is counting two DNC's in his scoreline!

After a chilly day’s racing, as winter finally moves in after a seriously warm series, a packed clubhouse provided some welcome warmth as crews piled in for the prize-giving, with prizes this week from Yachts and Yachting.  Next weekend is the final race of the 2011 Garmin Hamble Winter Series.  While the long-term forecast is for some serious breeze, here’s hoping for a gentle end to the series!  Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth.  For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J/27 sailboat crew- enjoying light air sailing series San DiegoSan Diego Cool Rum II
J Sailors Enjoying Laid Back Hot Rum Series
(San Diego, CA)- Every year in the late fall the San Diego YC kicks off its winter sailing season with the infamous "Hot Rum Series" off Point Loma, a series of pursuit races that take place over the period of a month, just before Christmas/ Holiday season.  Depending on the winds, the fleet either sails out off Pt Loma, sails a giant triangle into the Pacific Ocean, then heads home to finish just off the breakwater entering San Diego's enormous harbor populated with none other than several US Navy nuclear carriers, nuclear submarines and monstrous cruise ships that should be nuke powered, too.  If the weather gets nasty, with giant Lows swirling offshore throwing up massive swells and breaking waves, the SDYC RC/PRO's prudently keep the fleet inside, making for unbelievably tight racing inside Coronado Island while ducking around all the military/ cruise ship hardware!

J/125 sailboat- Stark Raving Mad- sailing San Diego Hot Rum SeriesLast year, it seemed the Hot Rum Series could hardly buy a break from all kinds of bad weather.  If you recall, it all started pretty off with a vicious Low blowing onshore at 20-30 knots with rain squalls sweeping by about every five minutes, or so it seemed.  This year it's nearly the converse with barely a breath of air, lots of monstrous, long period swells and the fleet of 120+ boats making every effort to keep themselves moving in the lightish on-shore sea breezes that keep developing late afternoon.

Many J sailors in the SoCal region look forward to this event every year.  Just take a look at the PHRF 1 Fleet for the big boats- a fleet of four J/125s are sailing plus a J/145 is thrown into the mix.  In PHRF 2, there's six J/120s, two J/124s and four J/109s.  In PHRF 3 you have ten J/105s, one J/35s and one J/100.  In PHRF 4 there's a J/27 and J/32 cruiser.  In PHRF 5 you see one each of a J/22, J/24 and J/30.  That's quite a turn-out for J aficionados in this laid-back regatta.

J/120 sailboat- sailing start of Hot Rum San Diego YC seriesAmongst the J/125s in PHRF 1, Jim Madden's crew on STARK RAVING MAD is leading the pack of J/125s and is 6th in class.  Second J/125 is Mark Surber's DERIVATIVE, third is Viggo Torbenson's TIMESHAVER and fourth is Tim Fuller's RESOLUTE.  Hanging in there is Tom Holthus' beautiful J/145 BAD PAK (they're praying for more breeze!).

PHRF 2 has local ring-leader Chuck Nicholl sailing his famous J/120 CC RIDER into first in class and first in the J/120s.  Second in the 120s is Tom and Terri Manok's POLE DANCER, third is John Laun's CAPER.  Top J/109 is Daylen Teren's GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, lying 11th in class.  And, top J/124 is Seth Hall's MARISOL in 14th class, just ahead of Tom Barker's  J/124 GOOD CALL.

J/105 one-design sailboats- sailing Hot Rum Series- San Diego, CAThe J/105s seem to be having their way in PHRF Class 3, with Dennis and Sharon Case's WINGS leading the pack, 2nd in class and top J/105.  Next is Team Boline/Kyel racing JETSTREAM sitting 4th class and 2nd J/105.  Third J/105 is Team Fisher/ Dagostino on VIGGEN sitting 6th in class.  Just behind them is Dave Vieregg's TRIPLE PLAY at 4th in J/105s and 7th in class.

Over in PHRF 4 Class, David Cattle's J/27 BLACKADDER seems to have a great looking, fast crew and are hanging tough to hang in 6th in class ahead of fellow J/classmate Steve Worcester's J/32 RHAPSODY in 11th class.

J/22 San Diego YC sailboat- for rentalThere's a huge, huge, massive, ginormous, epic battle for Hot Rum braggin rights brewing in PHRF 5!  Wow, the J "classics" division is seeing the J/22, J/24 and J/30 all vying for top honors on the podium.  So far, Mary Snow's J/24 BOGUS is leading the J/Classics division, sitting 2nd in class.  Then, Bob Noe's J/30 MAD HATTER is 3rd in DA-Woody (aka Dennis St Onge)- on car photo boat in San Diegoclass just barely ahead of Shala Lawrence's cute little J/22 NOTHING DRIVES LIKE A RENTAL (it is a rental, isn't' it??).  Watch this page next week to see who wins this epic, winner take all battle!  We're breathless with anticipation-- if Mary doesn't win in her J/24, rumor has it that Chris may be doomed to hand-cutting thousand-panel tri-radial J/24 North Sails genoas for life in Sri Lanka!  Uh oh, the stakes and drama are going to be high in this class next weekend!   Sailing photo credits- the infamous Sir DA-Woody (a.k.a. Dennis St Onge)(the ONLY person who can drive a car on water!)  For more San Diego YC Hot Rum Series sailing information

J/80 sailboat- sailing away from starting line- ECC VIVIENDASTorcida's ECC VIVIENDAS Becomes "El Maqueche"
(Santander, Spain)- Pichu Torcida and his championship crew on the J/80 ECC VIVIENDAS were proclaimed "El Maqueche", celebrating the overall win after winning the third and final race of the series.  Second overall went to yet another J/80 World Champion, Ignacio Camino on NEXTEL ENGINEERING and third overall was GO FIT sailed by Paul Santurde and David Madrazo.  With two J/80 World Champions at the top of the fleet, the fleet of thirty J/80s knew they were going to be in a battle to be in the top positions.

Only half the races scheduled for the regatta were sailed due to the light, fickle winds of the second weekend.  On the last day the boats went to "Abra del Sardinero", inside the giant sand-spit off Santander's river, hoping to get in two races in a building, but very light sea breeze.  After first trying to get in a race at 1530 hrs late in the afternoon, the PRO Enrique Perez finally convinced the sailors to wait and give it one last shot at 1700 hours, just before sunset!  At that point, the sea-breeze sprung to life and filled in about 7-8 knots.  The PRO and RC team were ready for it, quickly setting a windward-leeward short course, two times around.  In these conditions, most of the fleet went left towards the beach, including ECC VIVIENDAS, followed closely by NEXTEL, YATES & COSAS, BANCAJA and GO FIT.  At the bottom of the run, Pichu's ECC VIVIENDAS continued leading, but BANCAJA jumped into second position ahead of NEXTEL.

By winning the last race, Torcida became "El Maqueche" by scoring a 1-2-1 to easily win with four points, well clear of Ignacio's NEXTEL in second place with 8 pts.  Third was GO FIT's Santurde and Madrazo, fourth was Cesar Obregon's LUPA and fifth was Alex Diaz's SOLUCIONES CINQUA.

Next weekend will be the traditional "Mundialito" (mini-Worlds for J/80s in Spain), sailing a doubleheader Saturday and Sunday. This regatta invites J/80 sailors from all over Spain to share a weekend of racing with members of the YC Maritimo de Santander.  For more Spanish J/80 sailing information

J/80 one-design sailboat- Spain MAPFRE sailing with spinnakerJ/80s Sailing Mar Menor
(Cartagena, Spain)- Along the SE tip of Spain jutting into the Mediterranean is a gorgeous "ocean lake", a fully enclosed body of water with access to the sea via a ditch cut through the border island.  The flat water and strong sea-breezes make for fun, fast, exciting sailing.

Setting the bar high in this series was Carlos Martinez sailing MAPFRE to victory in the Trophy V "Infanta Cristina".  The trophy series started in October, completing six races over three weekends in 8-12 knot NE winds.  Such steady, stable breezes made for very competitive sailing as it was not easy to break away from the fleet on massive, oscillating wind shifts.  Instead, it was like sailing in ocean breezes with mild oscillations in direction and minor changes in wind speed.

The courses were windward-leeward, with a duration of approximately 50 minutes per race. The presiding PRO Jesus Moreno, aided by the stable wind conditions, managed to get off nearly flawless races for the J/80 fleet.

At the end of the series, behind Carlos Martinez's MAPFRE, was Emilio Azofra's OPORTO YATES in second and Charles Beltri's SAYULA in third- in a very tight final match only 2 points separated the top three when all results were tabulated.  For more Spanish J/80 sailing information.

J/130 JING JING sailing Phuket Kings Cup, ThailandJ/130 JING JING Plans King's Cup Redux
(Kata Beach, Phuket, Thailand)- A record fleet is expected for the 25th Anniversary edition of the Phuket King's Cup Regatta.  From December 3rd to 10th, over 1,000 sailors will descend upon the gorgeous, crescent shaped Kata Beach for more fun and games in Asia's largest regatta.  More than 35 nationalities will partake, noting an especially strong increase in the number of sailors from China taking part in the sailing and festivities.

Famed for being Asia's largest big boat regatta, the Phuket King's Cup Regatta was founded in 1987 with a mixed fleet of dinghies, boards and keelboats. Over the years, the Regatta has grown in size and stature to become the jewel in the crown of the Asia yachting circuit, welcoming the best-of-the-best from around Asia and beyond to compete annually in Phuket.

As they have in past years, hoping to be amongst the top three of the IRC Class 2 leader-board will again be Rick Pointon's team on the J/130 JING JING from Hong Kong, China.  Last year, Rick's team was dueling for the lead of IRC Class 2 for most of the event, but finished third overall.  Rick's crew is hoping to build on their experiences and have another go at the top of the podium!  For more Phuket King's Cup Regatta sailing information.

J/24 sailing Sydney Ocean Race Series- Sydney Harbour, AustraliaJ/24s Sailing Sydney Short Ocean Series
(Sydney, Australia)- Starting in late spring Down Under, the Sydney Short Ocean Series gets rolling, a popular series of weekend races that takes place both inside Sydney Harbour as well as rounding marks offshore past the infamous Sydney Heads.

The event incorporates an Ocean Passage Race on Saturday with a common Start/Finish in Sydney Harbour.  And, then on Sunday, there's a combination of Windward/Leeward Courses and Triangle courses in the harbour.  A number of J/24s have been participating in the lead-up to the series, with three of them taking top five positions in what was known as the Seven Islands Race- Division 2.

It was clear the racing was close for the J/24s.  Leading the J/24 fleet home was Marc Tromp's WATERBORNE AGAIN, beating the next J/24 home by 12 seconds, a very tight finish for the top two.  INNAMINKA sailed by John Crawford was second and managed to stave off the charge by Brett Hudson's WILD FIRE, beating them by 30 seconds.  A bit off the pace about four minutes back was John Terry's PINOT.    For more Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship sailing information

J/120 sailing Miami Nassau Cup Race- sailing past Nassau LightAnother Miami-Nassau Cup Update- CARINTHIA
(Nassau, Bahamas)- Oh boy, you think the sailing is good to Nassau?  How about the fishing on the delivery back for mahi-mahi/ dolphin (see below)!?  Extraordinary!  And, in between is a lot of fun and entertainment both on the sailing side getting there from Miami to Nassau, but also the shoreside festivities on Paradise Island (a.k.a. the home of the "New Atlantis"-- basically a monster casino and water park on spectacular beaches).

Miami Nassau Cup  race courseFrank Kern sailed his J/120 CARINTHIA on this famous race.  Here's some excerpts from their blog.  According to Frank, "This was was a 'Swiss Cheese Sail'.  'Easy peazee, lemon squeezeee!'  J/Fish- monster dolphin/ mahi-mahi caught off the stern!This race was across the Florida Straits from Miami around Great Isaac and Stirrup Reef and down to Nassau. This year our Bayview Yacht Club dock neighbor and fierce competitor, the J/120 HOT TICKET sailed by Bob Kirkman elected to do the race with us. The wind was out of the northeast at 12 knots but it soon proved that a code 0 was in order.  When we rounded Great Isaac we turned about 20 degrees to the right and went to a 3/4 spinnaker.

J/120 Hot Ticket sailing into Nassau Harbor, Nassau, BahamasHOT TICKET (seen at right) then put up their .6 oz and at that point we caught up and rolled her. But as long distance races go it was not over as the wind clocked some more. After dark we could see Ticket catching up and we went to our .6 runner but it was not enough. She rolled us and continue to pace away from us. It turns out that this 4 year old spinnaker was just too porous and we just could not get enough juice to keep up. For us this was a two boat race and this is one we wanted to beat her. In all Ticket finished 8 minutes ahead of us. But at least the conditions were great...full moon, steady breeze, and temperatures in the 70s."   Read on and see more photos on CARINTHIA's sailing blog.

J/Community

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

J/30 sailing sisters- sailing J/30 sailboat off Milwaukee, WI on Lake Michigan* J/30 Sister Sailors Love the Challenge!  Erin Schanen at SAILING magazine recently had a chance to sit down and chat with two very passionate and enthusiastic sisters, Whitney and Alison Kent, who love to sail.  Here's their story.

"The J/30 is sailing on the final downwind leg of the last race of the season in the hotly contested women’s series and although the boat is not in contention for the season championship because of missed races, it’s looking pretty good in this race. It’s not easy sailing: a leftover lumpy sea and a dying breeze require a good deal of concentration and it would be great if the boat could make it to the finish without having to jibe.

The crew is in full race mode, constantly looking over the transom to see how the competition is doing. And then, a question pierces the concentration--  “Who is your chemistry teacher this year?”

So goes life sailing on a boat sailed by teenage girls from 14 to 18 years old. Other quirks to expect: a constant supply of Tootsie pops, a cornucopia of snack foods and sodas that appears in the cockpit as the race committee’s finish horn quiets, and a fair amount of gossip. And one other thing: a whole lot of great sailing.

The leaders on the J/30 RAFIKI are a pair of sisters younger than most of the sails on their boat!!  Whitney Kent, 18, is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Alison Kent, 17, is a high school senior. Both started sailing RAFIKI two years ago after their stepfather Eric Jones, a yacht broker, found the J/30 languishing in a boatyard.

Since then the pair have been the core of a crew of teenage friends on Monday nights, and a crew made up of other family members and good friends for other series, and even a crew of their own. This summer the two sailed the Queen’s Cup, a nighttime race across Lake Michigan, doublehanded, something their parents didn’t allow until after a thorough quiz of what they would do in various scenarios, their mother Cheri Kent said.

The race was one of the fastest on record, with big seas and fluctuating winds, challenging even for the fully crewed boats.

“We took turns sort of dozing in the cockpit while the other person steered,” said Alison, affectionately known as Gator. “Our arms were so tired.”  Whitney said she likes the doublehanded sailing challenge.

“It’s really fun when it’s just the two of us,” she said. “It’s certainly harder, but I think it’s more rewarding. It’s fun to try to do everything on the boat.”

RAFIKI finished in ninth place in the doublehanded division, but the boat has its fair share of brag flags, all won with Whitney at the helm and Alison on the bow. On weekends and Wednesdays, Jones serves as tactician and their mother Cheri trims sails.

And the family sailing connection doesn’t stop there. The girls get plenty of inspiration from their father, Tim Kent, who sailed in the 2002-2003 Around Alone race. His daughters said they have fond memories of meeting him at stopovers around the world.

“When you’re a parent and your kids are young, you try to do things to inspire them,” Tim said. “That’s one of the reasons I did the Around Alone: to prove to them they could do anything they wanted. Now the tables are turning and they are the inspiration.”

Cheri, who sails most Monday nights with the girls and two years ago sailed the family’s C&C 41 in the Queen’s Cup with just her daughters, said sailing is second nature to Whitney and Alison. Family photos from the time the two were babies bring back fond memories of bathing them in buckets on the foredeck and matching Barbie life jackets.

“I always thought we might lose them to soccer at some point, but the best thing ever is that we all still sail together as a family,” she said. “Watching their progression as sailors has been super cool and as a mom I’m very proud.”

One of the benefits of growing up in a sailing family is that the friends the girls have grown up with, both on land and water, are now fellow sailors. Among the Monday night crew on RAFIKI are sisters Kate, 17, and Elizabeth Hayes, 14.  A treasured photograph of the four girls taken more than a decade ago at a yacht club party is a reminder of the bond their shared love of the sport has fostered."  You can read the rest of Erin's story about the sisters at SAILING magazine website here.

J Sailing Promo- Discover Boating- Discover Sailing*  Love Boating?  Love Sailing?  Check out this YouTube video promotion from DiscoverBoating.com.  Should we make one for sailing, too?

In addition to the YouTube video, here are the "Top Ten Reasons to Rent or Buy A Boat" according to the NMMA's Discover Boating research and development project for "growing boating" in general:

1.  Boating Improves Quality of Life
2.  Boating is an Affordable Recreation Alternative
3.  Water Access is Closer Than You Think
4.  Boating Fun Helps you Bond with Friends and Family
5.  Boating Helps Reduce Stress
6.  Boating is Convenient
7.  Boating is an Engaging and Rewarding Activity
8.  Boating is Good Exercise
9.  Recreational Boating is Easy to Learn
10. Boating is Fun


What do you think are the Top Ten Reasons to go boating or buying a sailboat?  Please let us know- editor@jboats.com

A baby seal pup taking over Capetown Volvo 70 docks- Mom does NOT want him disturbed!!* Volvo Ocean Race Friends.  More Win Some, Lose Some Stories.  Spanish team TELEFONICA skipper by Iker Martinez wins the first leg and is loaded with Spanish J/80 sailing friends (including English/Aussie friend Andrew Cape).  Meanwhile, friend Ken Read is temporarily marooned on Tristan da Cunha for four days of "cow pie" golf, baby-sitting their mast-less 70 foot carbon coffin offshore each night and praying their delivery ship arrives soon!  Time is ticking and a-wasting away.  December 10th is the next start and the ship takes 5 days in transit from Tristan to Capetown, South Africa.  Ken's take on his arrival on Tristan is upbeat and amusing, a sure sign these guys are determined to keep up the spirits.  As Ken describes, "We have now been on Tristan da Cunha for 24 hours. And, it is exactly what we thought it would be.  A cloud seems to surround the island always. We still haven't seen the peak of the mountain, but the cliffs that make up the borders of the rock are breathtaking.

Ken's quote- "where the f**k are we? Mars? Tatooine? God help us"!Yesterday at daybreak we arrived to a police escort (one large inflatable boat) to the anchorage area that they suggested we use. Of course, we are the only anchored boat in about a 1,500 mile radius.  After anchoring Puma’s Mar Mostro in about 20 meters of water, we all went in on the RIB to meet several of the town administrators eager to help.

Housing, food, coffee, showers – all the necessities that we were craving were provided. And, of course, that 9 am cold beer!  Police Inspector Conrad Glass explained the rules. We met the harbormaster – Jonathan Swain’s long-lost relative; Iris, the Minister of Tourism; Lorraine, the Treasurer and hairdresser; Sean Burns, the British government administrator, and of course Andy, the radio and communications director. And, so on and so on. I am leaving a lot of important people out for sure, but the fact is they are all fantastic.

Ken Read getting instructions on why NOT to hit cows with golf balls on Tristan da Cunha- they get mad!The rest of the day was all about getting organized and relaxing.  Figuring out how we are going to deal with our yacht on anchor.  A night in the pub for the boys, and Jono and I took the first night shift on the boat. Pretty much setting up a routine that we will likely follow until the ship gets here to bring us back to the mainland.

This cow (bull) will sink my boat called PUMA if you don't give me cheese!Today will be golf day. Played in a cow pasture with flags but no greens. For sure the cow patties will bring a new meaning to 'lift, clean and place.' Ought to be interesting. We have trips planned to nearby Nightingale Island, a hike up the mountain, and of course more boat chores than we know what to do with. For sure we will keep busy.

In the meantime, we use the internet cafe to constantly check on communication from our families and look up the progress of the ship heading this way. The clock is ticking louder ever minute.  PUMA hopes to be back by December 6th in Cape Town and ready to go by Dec 10th for first inshore race!  Ouch!

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/

J/108 shoal performance cruising sailboatFeatured Boats

J/108 Ready To Cruise in Florida!

J/Boats' modern new shoal performance cruiser/ racer, the J/108, had a great introduction at the Annapolis Boat Show and is now available for demo sails in Florida along it's fabled West Coast near Naples and San Marco Island.

To learn more about the J/108, J/Boats' latest high-performance 35 foot shoal-draft cruiser, please contact:  Craig Crossley @ CrossCurrent Marine- cell 401-330-6135 or email- craig@crosscurrentmarine.com  to schedule an appointment and learn more about this stunning new J - luxuriate in her Ultra-Leather interior, enjoy her enormous cockpit  and find out how you can broaden your cruising horizons with just 4.0 feet of draft!  Plus, you'll love her lively performance.

To learn more about this particular J/108, please take a look at the listing here on Yachtworld.comSailing photo credits- Billy Black

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

J/Newsletter- November 23rd, 2011

J-Sailing Calendar 2012NEW 2012 J/Calendar
The Perfect Gift For People Who Love Sailing!
(Newport, RI)- For 2012 we've created another beautiful calendar for J sailors who love the joys of sailing a J in some of the most spectacular harbors and waters of the world.  Whether you are a cruising, racing or armchair sailor, these stunning sailboat photographs will  transport you to wonderful sailing experiences in far away places. Enjoy the color and excitement of J sailing with these gorgeous photos. The J/Sailing Calendar features photos of a J/44 powering upwind off Key West, a flying J/24 on the Chesapeake, J/125s dueling on San Francisco Bay, surrealistic scenes of J/80s off the Cantabrian and Brittany Coasts, a J/120 and J/95 playing in the azure waters of the Caribbean and J/105s parading past Alcatraz in a pastel of colors.  A great gift for loved ones, family, friends and crew!  See the 2012 J/Calendar and order now.

J/44 and J/122 sailing Key West Race Week- part of J/Fest Winter CircuitJ/Fest Winter Circuit Update
(Ft Lauderdale, FL)- The "J/Fest Winter Circuit" for Winter 2012 in Florida that encompasses J/111s, J/105s, J/109s and larger J's (J/120s, J/122s, J/124s, J/44s).  Featured between the two major race weeks in the winter (Key West and Charleston) are two events focused on keeping it fun and affordable for skippers and crews during the months of February and March.  Come on down and enjoy the warm weather, sunny days, spectacular sailing and competitive racing in the beautiful azure waters off Fort Lauderdale.  The Bahia Mar Hotel and Marina will serve as the base for the regattas.  The regatta schedule and registration information can be found below:

1. Jan 15-20- Quantum Key West Race Week- http://www.premiere-racing.com
2. Feb 17-19- Dead President's Regatta- http://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=223
3. Mar 16-18- Super Lucky Regatta- http://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=153
4. Apr 19-22- Charleston Race Week- http://www.charlestonraceweek.com

For more information on the J/Fest Winter Circuit including "all-in budgets and costs", including a concierge service to facilitate logistics, please contact J/Boats at Ph. +1-401-846-8410 or email- info@jboats.com.

J-Turkeys- Thanksgiving Day Sailing Holiday!J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

The third week of November is best known in America as a time to celebrate "Thanksgiving".  A traditional family holiday that celebrates the fact that some English "colonialists" managed to cross the Atlantic in 60+ days on a sailing ship, land at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and survived in the New World (of America) "thanks" to a Wampanoag Indian named Massasoit (who actually lived near modern-day Bristol, Rhode Island).  In the fall of 1621, these new colonialists, a.k.a. "pilgrims", celebrated a successful harvest of corn and other crops with the Wampanoags-- the first "thanksgiving feast".  In this past week it was the South American J/24 sailors time to celebrate as they learned not how to grow corn, but learned how to sail faster from their American comrades, returning the favor by dominating the J/24 Worlds in Buenos Aires, Argentina!  Also "thankful" for their great luck so far have been some J/97 and J/109 sailors on the Solent, still racing their Garmin Hamble Winter Series in near summer-like conditions.  Grateful for their good fortune on a shifty, difficult "sweet-water" reservoir were the Royal Yachting Association's sailors competing in their Match Race Nationals on J/80s in the famous Queen Mary Reservoir.  And, speaking of match racing, the American Inter-collegiate Match Race Nationals were held in J/22s on San Francisco Bay this past weekend.  Over in Spain off the northern Cantabrian coastline, the J/80s were sailing in Santander for the Trofeo Macqueche and the Trofeo A&G Private Banking.  Further north, the J/80s sailed their Benelux Open J/80 Championship in "glassy, foggy" conditions.  Many of the top teams were there in both Spain and Benelux as they warm up for their winter sailing season.  Finally, we got an update from the crew on the J/105 LOKI on what it was like to sail the recent Miami-to-Nassau, Bahamas race the weekend before-- full moon under spinnaker at night?  Must be nice!

And, in the "grass is not always greener" category, while sailing is most often a fun and wonderful recreational activity to share with family and friends, other times it can be a question of true survival.  Read on in our J/Community about how friends sailing offshore "thankfully" survived in the capricious Atlantic Ocean, one on a J/42 delivery to the Caribbean and the other getting dismasted on his Volvo 70.  In the Cruising section below you can continue to enjoy the Caribbean and the South Pacific experiences of fellow J sailors while 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:

Oct 9- Dec 4- Garmin Hamble Winter Series- Hamble, England
Dec 5-14- Salon Nautique (J/97, J/111, J/122)- Paris, France- http://www.salonnautiqueparis.com
Jan 5-13- London Boatshow (J/80, J/111)- London, England- http://www.londonboatshow.com
Jan 15-25- Key West Race Week- Key West, FL- http://www.premiere-racing.com
Jan 15-25- J/80 Midwinters- Key West, FL- http://www.premiere-racing.com
Feb 11-15- J/24 Midwinters- Davis Island YC- Tampa, FL- http://www.diyc.org/
Feb 16-20- Miami Boatshow- Miami, FL- http://www.miamiboatshow.com/
Feb 17-19- St Petersburg NOOD Regatta- St Pete, FL- http://www.sailingworld.com/nood-regattas
Feb 23-26- J/22 Midwinters- Houston YC- Houston TX- http://www.j22mw.com/

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

Team Luca- J/24 Worlds winners- sailing off ArgentinaTeam LUCA Wins J/24 Worlds
South American Teams 8 of Top 10!
(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- The 2011 J/24 Worlds in Buenos Aires, Argentina sailed this past week had 58 crews from 9 countries.  It marked the first time in decades that Americans did not factor as the principal leading boats in the top five.  Instead, the South American teams continue to chip away at the J/24 world order once led by mostly Europeans, Australians and Americans.  This year's regatta may be seen as a watershed event as it was clear the South American teams continue to ascend into the top ranks of the J/24 class worldwide and are raising the level of their game quite significantly.  This year, Argentina’s Alejo Rigoni sailing LUCA with crew Gustavo Gonzalez, Joaquín Duarte Argerich, Fernando Gwozdz and Sergio Armesto are crowned the 2011 J/24 World Champion after securing the victory on the final day of racing. Rigoni's LUCA is the first Argentine team to have won the J/24 Worlds in the three decades the J/24s have been racing worldwide as the world's largest international one-design keelboat class.

J/24 one-design sailboat- sailing J/24 Worlds ArgentinaAfter the first three days of racing, the American Tim Healy of Newport, Rhode Island was at the top of the leader board leading by nearly 20 points, a seemingly unassailable lead at a World's event.  However, as they say in "da'islands", it was "movin day, mon."  Just over the hump of the middle stages in the regatta, either you show that consistency or you crack.  And when the cracks form in the veneer of impenetrability, sometimes things don't turn out so well or as one would want it to be.  In this case, 11TH HOUR RACING sailed by Healy's team saw some of the "wheels fall of their shopping trolley".  Two races were completed on the third day under sunny skies with winds ranging from 10 to 18 knots. After a general recall in each race, Principal Race Officer Teodoro Kundig was again quick to hoist the black flag to keep the aggressive fleet under control.  And this little black flag would prove the undoing of many teams.  In the day’s first race 18 of the 58 boats (including Healy) were scored BFD after two general recalls under the black flag. On the next attempt the fleet finally got away and Peru’s Luis Olcese hit the pin end start perfectly. Olcese led the fleet until the final few meters when he was run down by Alejo Rigoni who took the win. Conditions were more challenging for the second race as the wind had again built to around 18 knots, kicking up a very confused sea. Healy rebounded from his black flag disqualification to win the race going away followed by local favorite Matias Pereira in second.

Argentine J/24 Women's sailing team- Top Women at J/24 WorldsThe morning of the last day dawned with a weather forecast sure to strike fear in the hearts of the top contenders.  It was certainly going to be a challenge to get a race going before noon.  The RC tried to get something started in the morning and actually did start a race on the first try under black flag with the current running away from the line. The wind quickly died, as everyone expected, forcing the race to be abandoned. At 1430 the wind had finally filled enough to race and the event’s riveting, drama-laden final ninth race, also started on the first try under the black flag!  American Mike Ingham on RELOADED led at the first mark, and wound up third at the end to move up to third overall in the standings.  Francisco van Avermaete of Argentina on MENDIETTA won the last race to secure the 4th place overall.  Luis Olcese on GUERRERO from Peru finished second overall, a remarkably strong performance and the best ever by a Peruvian team in the J/24 Worlds!  Of special note was the best finish by a Uruguayan team was Pedro Garra on EXTASIS in 9th overall, the best Chilean team was Matias Seguel's team on Team VOLVO in 10th overall.  Also, the top Italian team was Ignazio Bonnanino on SUPERBA in 20th overall and top Australian was Sean Kirkjian on DEATHSTAR in 30th.  Brazil's past J/24 World Champion, Mauricio Santa Cruz, had to bail from the Worlds for personal reasons, so top Brazilian team was Nelson Horn Ilha on DIFERENCIAL SAILING TEAM in 37th.  Congratulations must go to the top Womens' team (pictured here), an Argentinean crew led by Mariana Crousse on NUBARRON with six women leading the charge into a very respectable 32nd place, a top half finish and beating half the American J/24 teams!  Sailing photo credits- Jorge Cousillas/ El Ojo Nautico.   For more J/24 Worlds sailing information   J/24 Worlds Youtube video- an entertaining view sailing on an Argentine J/24 team.

J/111 one-design sailboat- sailing off Hamble Winter SeriesSummer Sailing In Hamble Winter Series
J/97 JIKA-JIKA Leads the IRC3 Pack
(Hamble, England)- The recent stunning weather lasted long enough to bathe Sunday’s Garmin Hamble Winter Series racing in a beautiful sunshine and light breeze. All classes enjoyed some close racing and many remarked on the champagne sailing conditions that felt more like a summer’s day than the distant end of November.

After an hour’s postponement to allow a thick "pea-souper" fog to clear enough for the race committee to see their own start-line, racing got underway in 9 to 12 knots of breeze, which oscillated from 090 to 110 degrees.

Some over-enthusiastic jockeying by the combined IRC 0 and IRC 1 starters saw a General Recall and the use of a Z flag on the restart. Nevertheless, the J/133 JINGS! managed to stay away from the fray and post a good score to stay in the top five in IRC 0, snagging their fifth 4th place in a row to maintain, appropriately enough, fourth place overall (and are just 2 pts out of third).  In IRC 1, Ivan Trotman's J/122 JOLOU sailed a good race to finish 4th and fourth position in a tie with Chaz Ivill's J/111 JENGA VI.  In fact, 2nd to 8th are all within 7 points of each other, making it the proverbial horse race for the second and third spots on the podium, presuming of course the leader doesn't' stumble too badly.

J/109 sailboats- sailing downwind at Hamble Winter SeriesThe J/109s followed suit, jumping the gun but finally getting a good race off.  This time it was David Richard's JUMPING JELLYFISH showing up for the first time all Winter Series long and managed to post a first, beating series leaders, Richard and Valerie Griffith's OUTRAJEOUS by 40 seconds.    Third in the race and still second in the series was Dave and Mary McGough's JUST SO.  This last race puts the next three teams in a nearly three-way tie for third overall-- it's getting tougher to maintain consistency for some of these teams over the course of four fortnights!  In their current order are 3rd, Paul Griffiths' JAGERBOMB with 21 pts, fourth David Jobson's AUDAJIOUS also with 21 pts and fifth is David McLeman's OFFBEAT with 23 pts.  Showing improvement over time has been Owain Franks' JYNNAN TONNYX, getting their best finish to date in the series with a fourth place.

J/97 Jika-Jika sailing downwind on Solent, EnglandIRC 3 was dominated by the up-and-coming J/97 class, with Mike and Jamie Holme's JIKA-JIKA beating Richard Watney's JEOPARDY 2 to take first place.  Five J/97s are racing in IRC 3, with JIKA-JIKA winning class by a wide margin, followed by Nick and Adam Munday's INDULJENCE 2nd in J/97s and 6th overall.  Third in the J/97s is Gillian Ross' INJENIOUS.  The two J/92s' are also having fun racing, with David Greenhalgh and John Taylor's J-RONIMO sitting in 5th and Andy Howe and Annie Kelly's BLACKJACK in 7th.

Back in a packed clubhouse, Race Day Sponsor Elvstrom Sails’ Jeremy White presented prizes for the podium positions. Next Sunday sees a full program of racing, with the first start at 1000 and the day sponsors are our Media Partners Y&Y. Let’s hope that the balmy weather holds for the rest of November!  Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth.  For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J/80 sailboat- sailing Benelux National ChampionshipsJALAPENO Burns Benelux J/80 Championship
(Grevelingenmeer, Belgium)- Last weekend the Benelux J/80 sailors were greeted by unseasonably warm, sunny weather like their British counterparts across La Manche (the Channel).  In the the bright weather was some "bright sailing" by Team JALAPENO, sailed by Erik Scheeren.  "Hot weather, hot boat", they played a dominant role all weekend.  The first race marked the JALAPENO boys "thankful" streak as well-- after a failed start in race one, they chose the "other side" of the field and the race course, this decision ultimately resulted in a spectacular first place in race 1!

J/80 one-design sailboat fleet- sailing off starting line- Belgium & Netherlands NationalsThe mild weather and shifty breezes resulted in position changes every race for the compact fleet.  Amazingly, the mild weather also resulted in conservative starts, no recalls, an unusual scenario for the J/80 fleet!  One team got their boat well underway while others were looking for the right settings.  Plus, while the wind strength was building gradually all day, one also had to be looking for wind streaks and stay in them.  This was especially important for finding the right course for downwind speed to the finish line.  Saturday saw a lot of good racing!  At the end of the day, Laura Vroon's JOI DE VIVRE stayed close and took a first place in race 4, but it was not hard enough to beat TEAM JALAPENO, who were hotter than hot!

On Sunday, the Grevelingenmeer was just like the rest of the Netherlands (or for that matter, the rest of Europe), with a dense fog shrouding the entire lake.  After the racing was postponed twice, it was decided not to sail anymore race.  This made for a slightly anticlimactic finish for the regatta, but despite the limited number of races, there was no dissatisfaction with the results-- it was quite clear to most all of the contestants that the superior performance of TEAM JALAPENO on Saturday made them a worthy 2011 Benelux Open Champion!  And, speaking of being "thankful", we must give "Thanks" to Tom-Erik "Chief" of the lake and Grevelingencup organization.   For more J/80 Benelux Open Championship sailing information

J/22 one-design sailboat- US Navy Sailing Team- sailing match race on San Francisco Bay, CAUS Naval Academy Wins College Match Race Nationals
(San Francisco, CA)- A revolution in the making?  US Navy Midshipmen learning how to sail, plus sail fast and smart?  No one would've predicted that outcome in the recent College Sailing Match Race Nationals this fall.  After all, the US Naval Academy has been known over time for fielding some good dinghy teams, occasional good women's teams and were, of course, expected to win, place or show in their own regatta held in those massive lead-mines known as Navy 44s (hardly a sailboat, some say, as they drag half the world's Seven Seas behind them once they achieve 6.666 knots of boat speed).

J/22 sailboat- Tufts sailing team match racing at College Sloop Match Race nationalsNevertheless, the "Middies" pulled off what many see as the "coupe of the century", at least in this relatively young 21st century (just 88 more years to go to break more records).  Co-hosted by the California Maritime Academy and St. Francis Yacht Club the top college sailing teams in America gathered together on the infamous San Francisco Bay to challenge one another in StFYC's matched J/22 one-design fleet to determine the top intercollegiate match racing team in America.

As some of the older college sailors will recall, the Sloop Nationals used to be a fleet-racing regatta often sailed in various locations in J/24s, Shields and what not.  Recently, the decision to change over to match-racing to reflect the times and interests of college sailors seeking new and different challenges led to this new format.  It was a popular decision that led to renewed enthusiasm for this fall classic.

Ten teams representing all seven ICSA conferences sailed the J/22s with spinnakers; each team had one skipper and two crew members aboard. Racing took place in front of the Golden Gate Bridge under a range of weather conditions including light wind, rain and strong current (to be expected, of course).

J/22 one-design sailboats- sailing college match race nationals on San Francisco BayThe first day of racing began with a southwest breeze 8 – 12 knots with shifts, a variety of puffs and an ebbing current. As the day progressed the current got stronger making pre-start techniques between the boats more difficult because they had to fight with the current and position themselves properly to beat one another at the start. The current played such a role in the start that at times boats were starting on port because they could not make the line on starboard tack, a highly unusual situation. It was a long day of racing with the race committee and volunteers completing 45 races. The US Naval Academy team of Jason Carminati skippering with team-mates Taylor Vann and Killian Corbishley lead after the first day of racing with a record of eight wins and one loss.  Roger Williams University team skippered by Alec Anderson with crew Annie Schmidt and Dylan Vogel was second with seven wins winning a tie-breaker over Tufts University-- they were skippered by sophomore Will Haeger with crew Maggie Bacon and Dave Liebenberg also with seven wins. Stanford University was in fourth with six wins.

J/22 one-design sailboat- sailng upwind off Alcatraz Island on San Francisco BayDay two racing was postponed all morning due to a lack of wind. The breeze was only 2 – 4 knots, which was not enough for the boats to sail in given the strong current on the course. At about 2 p.m. racing resumed and the format of the regatta had to be amended due to the late start. A Gold Round Robin was eliminated for the top six teams, which would have determined the seeding for them in the quarterfinals. The Repechage round instead began the day’s racing with the teams in 7th – 10th places competing for the last two spots in the quarterfinals. University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin advanced to the quarterfinals with the original top six teams. The light winds continued and the current remained a challenge for the teams especially on the downwind leg where the current swept the boats sideways across the course.

The third and last day of the event sailors were again greeted by light breeze on the Bay and the usual strong current. Sailing resumed with the remaining races in the quarterfinals as boats fought the current and light wind. The teams who advanced to the semi-finals were Navy, Stanford, Roger Williams and University of Southern Florida. In a repechage semi-final round the remaining teams sailed for 5th – 8th place. Simultaneously, a knockout round between the University of Oregon and the University of Texas A&M took place with the teams finishing 9th and 10th respectively in the event.

J/22 sailboats- sailing to starting line- college match race sailing regattaAfter all of the semi-finals racing completed it was on to the finals with a match-up between Roger Williams and Navy and University of Southern Florida (USF)(skippered by Bill Stocke with Abagail Featherstone and Chris Stocke as crew) and Stanford (skippers by Nick Dugdale with crew of Kevin Laube and McKenzie Wilson).  After the first few races there was a large wind shift and some rain came in which caused the finals and petit finals racing to be postponed. With everything re-set the racing continued with Stanford and USF in the petit finals and Roger Williams and Navy in the finals. Stanford won the petit finals placing third at Nationals and USF therefore finished 4th.  Going into the third finals race the racing was close and Navy and Roger Williams were all tied up. The breeze had increased with the wind shift making for better sailing at this point. In the end Navy took the last race winning Match Race Nationals and Roger Williams finished second in some fantastic sailing.

Ian Burman, head coach for the US Naval Academy Sailing Team attributes their success to having a strong keel boat skipper Jason Carminati ‘12, who placed third at Sloop Nationals two years ago and great crew work on the boat by Taylor Vann ‘13 and Killian Corbishley ‘14. “Really a great deal of the credit for our success goes to our assistant coach Brendan Healy who lead the charge in match racing and was with the team every step of the way. It was a real team effort and we also had a lot of people practice with us and give us a lot of help so that we were prepared for anything at this event,” explains Burman.

St. Francis Yacht Club and California Maritime put on a great event along with the help of volunteers and umpires who are an integral part of match racing. The racing was competitive and in challenging conditions, but the Chicago Match Race center kept viewers up to date with live video feed and Twitter updates.    Sailing photo credits- Chris Ray  For more ICSA College Match Racing sailing results.

Cherry Defends RYA National Match Race Crown
(London, England)- Racing J/80s on the Queen Mary Reservoir just underneath the flight paths from Heathrow Airport, Nick Cherry defended his RYA National Match Racing title this weekend for the fourth time! Eleven teams showed up to do battle, with skippers and their crews having earned their berths at the grand final through five qualifying rounds, their positions in the ISAF Match Racing world rankings, or as defending champion.

In addition to Southampton’s Cherry, the impressive line-up of teams that qualified include Skandia Team GBR and Women’s Match Racing World Champion, Lucy Macgregor; Britain’s top ISAF ranked skipper, Poole’s Mark Lees; and Mark Campbell-James who holds three RYA National Match Championship titles (2009, 2008, 2005).  "The kids" also joined the party in the form of the RYA’s Youth National Match Racing Champion James French. Said young James before the regatta stared, “We are really looking forward to the finals at the Queen Sailing Club where we will have the opportunity to race against some of the best match racers in the country. We are as prepared as we can be and are looking forward to competing against a lot of the older teams at the event. Having competed in the Governor’s Cup, I hope my experience will pay dividends and that we can get a good result come the end of play on Sunday."  This group of match-racing mercenaries all got underway Friday morning (18 November) with a 22 flight round-robin which was followed by knock-out quarter-final and semi-final rounds before the Champion was to be decided in the final round on Sunday 20 November. 

J/80 one-design sailboats- match race sailing in England at RYA regattaAt the end of the day, the event was overshadowed by frustrating sailing conditions across the course of the three day regatta only allowing for a number of round robin races to take place. With an array of match racing talent in attendance at Queen Mary Sailing Club (Staines), the first day of the grand final welcomed a promising 10-12 knots allowing for nine flights to take place before poor light meant racing was abandoned mid-afternoon.

Day two of the Championships was another slow start for the 11 teams who had qualified for the event over the course of the year. With light, intermittent winds flicking left to right, the race committee managed to make it through to flight 15 by the close of play on day two (Saturday 19th November).

With no racing on the Sunday due to heavy fog (!?), Nick Cherry was awarded the prestigious title on his percentage of wins in the round robin stages. Across the two days of racing, Cherry and his crew won six out of the seven races while Mark Campbell-James won seven but lost two therefore finishing in second place with a lower percentage of wins to that of Cherry. Skandia Team GBR’s Lucy Macgregor finished the weekend in third after winning three out of her four races.

On winning the trophy for a second consecutive year and for a staggering fourth time (2011, 2010, 2007, 2006), matching that of fellow match racer Mark Campbell-James who finished runner-up for a second consecutive year, Cherry commented: “We are delighted to win! Looking at the trophy Mark CJ is the only skipper with his name on it as many times and one was a first equal - So I’m claiming the most outright wins of this trophy!  

Cherry skippered his crew of Matty Adams, Connor Myant, Sam Richmond to a total of six out of seven race wins giving them an 85.7% win percentage clinching them the 2011 RYA National Match Racing title.

“One of the main things that went well was our draw in the pairing list! We ended up racing most of the lower ranked teams and none of the top seeds so have to acknowledge that was a factor. Our closest race was against BUSA ladies, skippered by my girlfriend Charlotte Lawrence which after several lead changes came down to inches at the finish. That was certainly a battle I was glad to win,” said Cherry.

“Although I haven't done a lot of match racing this year due to my focus on the Figaro with the Artemis Offshore Academy, we have sailed as a team for a long time and were always confident we could put up a good fight. Going into the event I would have certainly put Skandia Team GBR’s Lucy Macgregor and her crew as favourites, having trained with them earlier in the year it's obvious that their hard work and new coaching setup has made them a strong unit. I was also looking forward to a good race with Team Wight Match, having crewed for Sam in Bermuda last month it could have been a bit of a grudge match if there had been wind on Sunday!”

Cherry added: “We had some good close races this year, however I think the key to our success was always sailing in a low risk style by just doing enough to get the points on the board. Out teamwork is also a crucial factor in our success as well as our experience and of course this weekend the weather was also a big factor.”

The event this year has been a huge success and an enormous "Thank You" on behalf of everyone must go to the Royal Thames Yacht Club for all their help and support in running yet another successful RYA National Match Racing Championship.  For further sailing information on the RYA National Match Racing

J/80 sailing team - Go Fit sailing off Santander, SpainGO FIT Wins Trofeo A&G Private Banking
(Santander, Spain)- After a break at the end of the summer, the Spanish J/80 teams are at it again, sailing their fall and winter series on both the chilly Bay of Biscay on Spain's northern Cantabrian coastline and the warm, sunny, southern climates along the southern coastlines in the Mediterranean.

Off Santander, twenty-eight teams congregated to sail for the honors of the coveted Trofeo A&G Private Banking.  Top Spanish J/80 sailors, Jaime Piris (FONESTAR) and David Madrazo (GO FIT), shared the wins in the two days of racing sailed on a "spring-like" weekend.  The J/80 class returned to enjoy a weekend of excellent afternoon racing in the Open Sardinero with spring weather and a fairly steady northeast wind of 8 knots.  The races were very exciting, with many options and opportunities for different parts of the course to gain and lose.  However, it seemed that the northern part of the course farthest from land paid over the parts on the downwind legs.

The day opened with two strong candidates to win the Trofeo A&G Private Banking, which were Pichu Torcida's ECC VIVIENDAS and Dave Madrazo's GO FIT, separated by only 2 points.  The first race of the day proved to be a determining factor in the series.  While FONESTAR's Jaime Piris won and MAQUECHE's Alfonso Pascual and Iñaki Samaniego finished second, it was GO FIT's Madrazo who had a fierce fight to beat OPTICA CENTRALE for third place to retain a slim one point lead going into the last race over Torcida's ECC VIVIENDAS.

For the final race of the weekend and the series, it was going to be a big battle between GO FIT and ECC VIVIENDAS.  In the end, GO FIT maintained control of the race and took the final race to become the overall winner after eight races.  It was quite an accomplishment for Madrazo to win over Pichu Torcida, a two-time J/80 World Champion!  Behind these two, the rest of the top five included third- LUPA (Obregon), fourth- BANCAJA (Lopez-Vazquez) and fifth- MAQUECHE (Pascual).   For more Spanish J/80 sailing information

J/80 sailboats- sailing into starting line at Santander, SpainECC VIVIENDAS Leads El Trofeo Maqueche
(Santander, Spain)- If the previous weekends were tough on the past J/80 World Champion, it was clear that Pichu Torcida and team were not going to take the defeats lightly.  This past weekend, with spectacular winds, sun, gusty westerlies in the Bay of Santander, the J/80s were simply flying around everywhere, most of the time upright!  After a month worth of October's light wind conditions, the sailors were happy to see the more typical breezes of this time of year.

J/80 sailboats- sailing on reach off Santander, SpainThis regatta is fun because it incorporates both buoy racing and "coastal tours" for the 20 sailing teams that were participating.  The coastal tours were starting and finishing in front of the Club Maritimo and turns in front of Marina Beacon Bay of Biscay in Camargo, and turns near the Isla Horadada. The sections of the course heading west saw spinnakers hoisted, vibrant in color, pulling with enormous power, with boats exploding off the tops of waves.

The best team of the day was ECC VIVIENDAS, with Pichu Torcida scoring a 2-1 for 3 pts.  They were three points clear of a three-way tie for second place, which included Paul Santurde/ Dave Madrazo's GO FIT with a 1-5, SOLUCIONES CINCO's Alfredo Gonzalez with a 4-2 and NEXTEL's 3-3.

Watch this group of world-class sailors continue to duel for the top of the podium over the next few weeks, a bunch of tough hombres who don't give any quarter in the tightest of situations.  For more Spanish J/80 sailing information

Miami-Nassau Cup Race update
(Nassau, Bahamas)- Last week, we reported on the Miami-Nassau Race and why it has retained its popularity with many sailors over the course of time because of its allure as one of ocean racing's "classic" offshore courses- challenging, beautiful, often a sleigh-ride and a fun destination to get to when the racing's all said and done.  We received an update from one of the crew-members sailing aboard the J/105 Team LOKI.  Read on and enjoy Anson Mulder's commentary:

"On Nov 10, LOKI joined 16 other boats off Government Cut in Miami for the start of the Miami to Nassau ocean race . The 176 nm race course was wedged between a high pressure system to the northwest and Tropical Storm Sean to the northeast, so the forecast was for a meaty northerly gradient in the low to mid teens, with the potential for 20 knots in the Gulfstream.  However, NOAA broke its promise and much of the race was sailed in 8-11 knots, which- combined with an incredibly bright full moon - made for a memorably pleasant overnight ocean race.

Team LOKI launched the 1.5oz A3 reacher amid a cluster of boats in the PHRF start and soon was out near the front of the pack with the leaders, including J120s CARINTHIA, HOT TICKET, and TAMPA GIRL. The Gulf Stream proved more confused than menacing and the anticipated big seas/big waves never materialized. By moonrise, LOKI was around Great Isaac and by Great Stirrup the nav lights on the leaders were still in sight - a sign that LOKI was probably leading the PHRF fleet on corrected time.

The sun brought with it light winds in the morning of Nov 11 and the NW breeze meant a dead run under the .6oz A2 to New Providence Island. It was hard for the LOKI crew to forget last year's blast reach across the Tongue of the Ocean, regularly hitting boat speeds in the teens. As the leaders called in their finish times, the Lokies knew it would be close with the J/120s.  A picturesque finish in impossibly blue water under the eye of the lighthouse left LOKI the winner of PHRF 2 class and 4th overall - 30 seconds behind CARINTHIA and 30 seconds ahead of TAMPA GIRL!"

J/Community

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

Ken Read's Volvo 70- PUMA Mar Mostro- surviving under jury rig* Win Some, Lose Some.  Tough week for "los amigos y hermanos de J/24s".  For starters, kindred J/24 spirits in Argentina were winning the J/24 Worlds.  But, their mentors and heroes were suffering interminable bad breaks.  For one, Ken Read's Volvo 70 PUMA Mar Mastro suffered the worst fate anyone of us could imagine, watching their super high-tech Scott Ferguson/ Hall Spars custom special carbon uber-rig simply fall over the side in three pieces in just 20+ knot winds in a long period 10-12 foot swell about 3 pm UTC off Brazil, about 700 nm from nowhere on Monday, November 21st.  What gives?  Maybe a symptom of the massive forces/ acceleration experienced in the first 48 hours of the race?  Certainly the conditions back then were bad enough to knock two of their competitors out of contention already (Abu Dhabi and Team Sanya).  Nevertheless, they're still "Thankful" for surviving to date.  Also, still surviving (and leading) are Iker Martinez on TELEFONICA, the ETNZ CAMPER boys and the French Connection on-board Franck Camas's team on GROUPAMA.

J/24 World Champion Terry Hutchinson sailing AC45 catamaran at Americas Cup World Series* A world apart and surviving in a tactical way was Terry Hutchinson on ARTEMIS RACING.  Sailing strongly in the America's Cup World Series on the AC45 cats in the racing leading up to the final days, Terry's team were handily in the top four.  But a shift here, a hole there and in the blink of an eye (e.g. 30 seconds) their hopes were dashed from competing for the finals.  Next up?  First race in 2012 is in Italy followed by Newport in late June!  Should be quite a sight to see these 45 foot cats flying around Narragansett Bay at light speeds between Castle Hill Light and the Newport Bridge!  Maybe some wise guy named Larry will show up with an AC72 foot version and show it off, too!?  Now, that would be very, very cool.

* Shane's J/42 Survives Massive Tropical Storm "Sean" Sailing to Caribbean- long-time J/Boat owner Shane Creamer (J/32 and J/42) recently experienced real survival while delivering his J/42 BARUNA from the Chesapeake Bay down to Antigua in the Caribbean.  Here's Shane's account as reported by Bob Warner at the The Philadephia Enquirer-

"Tropical Storm Sean was barely a blip at the end of the 2011 hurricane season, a disturbance that developed in early November in the South Atlantic and eventually veered northeast toward Bermuda, never getting within 200 miles of the U.S. mainland.

It was no blip, however, for the executive director of the Philadelphia Board of Ethics, J. Shane Creamer Jr., who battled 60 m.p.h. winds and 20-foot waves for four days while skippering a 42-foot sailboat through the storm.

"You've read about things like this, but you don't understand it until you go through it," Creamer said Monday, back at work but still sore from two cracked ribs - one the result of a shipboard stumble, the other suffered when he was knocked overboard by a wave in the middle of the storm.

Creamer just turned 50 and was celebrating with a 1,700-mile trip from the Chesapeake to Antigua in the Caribbean, aboard a J-42 sailboat named Baruna after the Hindu god of the sea. He had three crew members - his girlfriend, Jennifer Eckert, and two friends from Maryland's Eastern Shore.

"We were using a professional weather routing service, and they'd send e-mails to us over the satellite phone," Creamer said. "We were already in our third day, across the Gulf Stream and several hundred miles from shore, when we were advised we'd encounter a system with sustained winds over 40 knots."

When the storm hit, actual winds reached over 50 knots (50 knots equals 57.6 m.p.h.), and the waves were too high for the boat to head in any direction but downwind - luckily, south-southwest, the same general direction the party wanted to go.

About halfway through the storm, 450 miles off the coast of Florida, a wave broke over the boat, knocking out its communication equipment and instruments. Another wave knocked the boat on its side and Creamer slipped into the water, but he was wearing a harness tethered to the boat and was able to climb back on, with help.

Eckert was hit in the pelvis by a flying refrigerator hatch, and another crew member, John Danly, was thrown from his berth into a steel ceiling rail - bending the rail but leaving himself unable to straighten his leg for the next six weeks.

The battered boat and crew limped into Antigua after 11 days, roughly on schedule. But Creamer needed five days to arrange for repairs and missed last week's meeting of the Ethics Board - the first he had missed since he got the job in 2005.

"You learn a lot about yourself and the people you're sailing with," Creamer said. "Everybody stayed calm, nobody panicked and the boat came through. . . . I don't want to go through it again any time soon, but on one level I'm glad I've seen that and survived it."

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/