NEW 2012 J/CalendarThe Perfect Sailing 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 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/111 BLUR.se Test(Kappeln, Germany)- Last weekend during the eponymous "happy-lucky" date of 11-11-11, Peter Gustafsson (founder of blog website "blur.se") and friends hopped aboard the J/111 PIRANHA in Kappeln, Germany to go for a test sail on the Baltic. Thanks to Henning Mittelmann, the German J/Boats dealer- Mittelmann’s Werft, the "boys" went out and had a great sail in nearly perfect weather. As the successful owner of the J/109 BLUR from Gothenberg/Marstrand, Sweden, Peter's commentary below provides good perspectives for those who've raced various J's in the 35-36 foot range over time (J/35, J/36, J/34 IOR, J/105, J/110, J/109):
"I’d never been to Kappeln in northern Germany before, but it turned out to be a charming little town that's probably bustling with tourists in the summer. Understandably, mid-November was a bit slow but we hadn’t come to spend time on the beach or party. We found the boat parked right outside our hotel, and as the date was 11-11-11 we took that as the sign to get serious about the 111. After dinner we checked in to our hotel, Pierspeicher Gästehaus, an beautiful old industry building right at the harbor that’s been renovated for five years and now have a distinct marine theme. And it’s hard to beat the view from my hotel window.
Saturday morning dawned pretty cold and with ice on deck. But, the forecast was for southerly wind 14-18 knots decreasing during the afternoon. And sunny. So we couldn’t have asked for better weather. The boat looks fast already at the dock. Low, light, slender and functional. Just like a parked sports car longs to get driven when it’s parked. Very much “the speedster” that J/Boats referred to when they presented the design.It had been blowing Friday, so the sea state was still pretty messed up. With a new boat, different sails (the sails was from local sailmaker Tommy Sails) and an crew not used to the boat it was hard to find the groove at first. At first I tried to sail it the same way as my J/109, that’s a weaker boat. But as soon as I put the hammer down, accepted a bit more heel and went for speed the boat light up and reached the target speed 6.9-7.1. Naturally you need time in the boat to be able to keep your average speed up, but it shouldn’t be hard to find the right settings.
My theory was that the J/111 would make an excellent shorthanded boat for Scandinavian waters. Small enough to be handled by two. Easy setup with furling jib and asymmetrical spinnaker on a retractable sprit. But racing in our waters it’s not uncommon to have 16-18 knots sea breeze during the afternoon, and then just 2-3 knots during the night, so you need to be able to perform at both ends of the scale.
So the J/111 performs OK upwind. Check. But that’s not why people buy this boat. It’s for the downwind experience. Moderate displacement (4,200 kgs), and +130 m2 kite could lead to big smiles in a blow. We’ve seen many videos and stories about 111's topping 20 knots. Everyone was a bit careful at first, starting out with a smaller kite. Shape (and color) was a bit different from what I’m used to, but to get a feel for the boat, it was close enough. With the waves coming from the side it was hard to get going, but after a jibe and some bigger waves we took f and did 12-13 knots. Big difference compared to the J/109, the 109 really loads up before getting up to speed. On the 109, we usually can make 10-11 knots quite steadily but it’s hard to go faster even in a blow. Our record is 20 knots in extreme conditions, and that ended when the R5 exploded in a big broach!As the wind came down we shifted to the bigger kite and the boat was fun to drive in just 12 knots. At the end of the day we did 6.6 knots in just 6 knots of breeze when we heated up. Nice! The J/111 is much more like a J/80. Slippery and responsive to both puffs and handling and I’m sure it will be fun downwind throughout the wind register.
All in all, a great sailing boat with everything set up right to go sailing without any hassle. Just like a station wagon from Audi, BMW or Volvo that are both practical and great drive when the whole family are heading for the ski slope. But they can’t beat a Porsche or Aston Martin for that weekend drive. The J/111 doesn’t pretend to be everything for everyone." For more BLUR.se Sailing Review of J/111 PIRANHA And, here's a Slide Show of J/111 Sailing in Germany
J/Fest Winter Circuit Update(Ft Lauderdale, FL)- The "J/Fest Winter Circuit" promises to be a fun time for J sailors in Winter 2012 on the Florida peninsula. The circuit encompasses J/111s, J/105s, J/109s and larger J's (J/120s, J/122s, J/124s, J/44s). 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/Sailing NewsThe Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
Despite the fact that it's just over a month to go before Winter Solstice (the "Midwinter Festival") in the North arrives for the shortest day of the year, this past week has been quite busy in the sailing world. For the most part, the weather has not thrown anyone "curve balls" and forced entire days in regattas to be canceled as had been happening earlier this fall. Starting in England, apparently global warming is a good thing since the Garmin Hamble Winter Series just had one of their most glorious sailing days of the year on the Solent! Over in France, the J/80s sailed their French Nationals in Saint Cast on an equally spectacular weekend. Heading way East to China, the Chinese continue to prove they're determined to learn how to sail, and sail fast with billions of people (a rather daunting concept)-- made manifest by J/80s being selected as "Best Boat in China (under 40 feet)" and the fact that Chinese love sailing their J/80s in the China Cup! While things are dialing up Down Under in the whereabouts of Sydney, Australia for the renowned Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race on Boxing Day, a bit east of them across the Pacific pond is yet another emerging powerhouse of a sailing nation, the Argentineans hosting the J/24 Worlds with a hot contingent of top Argentine, Peruvian, Brazilian and Chilean teams. Finally, in the northern America's, the J/120s and a J/105 had a scream sailing the resurgent Nassau Cup Ocean Race, the blast from Miami across the Gulf Stream and the Bahamas Banks to Nassau, Bahamas. Finally, a bunch of girls from midwestern Wisconsin showed other girls how its done on J/22s in the Rolex US Sailing Women's Match Racing Championship in New Orleans, LA.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, EnglandNov 10-13- J/80 French Nationals- St Cast, France- http://www.classej80france.com/
Nov 11-19- J/24 Worlds- Buenos Aires, Argentina- http://www.j24worlds2011.org.ar/
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.
CO-PILOTES Dominates French J/80 Nationals(Saint Cast, France)- The record fleet of seventy-four boats were treated to a superb weekend of sailing in the 2011 French J/80 Nationals, hosted in Saint Cast along the Bay of Biscay by Centre Nautique Saint Cast. The event also marked the "changing of the guard" amongst the leaders in the French fleet. Many of the top teams that had been dominating the standings all season long found themselves fighting for contention at the top of the fleet. A new leader emerged that probably surprised everyone in the fleet, the team of CO-PILOTES for YC Granville won sailed by the team of Benoit Charon, Christian Ponthieu, Gael Fichet and Olivier Camebourg. And, they won BIG! Twenty four points big after seven races!
The first day of racing dawned with spectacular sailing conditions. Gorgeous weather, moderate breeze, sunny. Most importantly, the 74 boat strong fleet managed to get in three races on the first day. It was an impressive level of competition. At the end of the first day, the leader-board saw Yannick Le Clech's COTE D'ARMOR BLANC in first with an 8-2-5, followed by Charon's CO-PILOTES in second with a 2-13-4 and Clement Guihot's APCC J-PRANGOO in third with a 7-6-15. Clearly, high scores for all in the top three.
Day two was a tough day for most teams. Only two races were sailed that put a premium on getting clear lanes, clear air and to the correct side of the course. Large gains and losses happened to many of the teams. After a delay due to the presence of haze, driven by the wind, the fleet sailed in light ESE winds from 2 to 9 knots under clear skies and mild temperatures. A pretty day for sailing, but tough on the tacticians! There was a tremendous premium on getting off the starting to get to where you needed to go. And, the multiple general recalls only heightened the anxiety for the top skippers in the fleet. After the clouds of dust cleared from the battlefield, a new leader emerged to lead the pack, Charon's CO-PILOTES overcame great odds to win both races! Dropping back significantly was Le Clech's COTE D'ARMOR BLANC with a 9-DSQ. Ascending rapidly up the ladder was Quentin Ponroy's JIINGLE with a record of 3-10-24-12-7, good for third overall going into the final day of racing. 
The third and last day of the French J/80 Nationals was an opportunity for the committee to launch two nice races in a 12-15 knot wind, an ideal setting for the final, determining races in the regatta. The best performances of the day went to top French women skipper, Christine Briand, racing J'ILE DE RE to a 5-6, and also to Simon Moriceau sailing INTERFACE CONCEPT III to an 8-2. As a result, the top five again saw a significant change in the standings as some of the top French teams all season long prevailed in their consistency to stay in the top ten in most races. Sailing a superb regatta, and "congratulations" to his team, was Benoit Charon's CO-PILOTES from YC Granville, finishing out with a 7-10 for just 25 points after 7 races! Behind them in second was Nicolas Troussel's BRETAGNE CREDIT MUTUEL with a record of 14-8-33-11-2-1-13 for 49 pts (drop included). Third was Quentin Ponroy's JIINGLE, fourth was Christine Briand's J'ILE DE RE and fifth was top French sailor at the J/80 Worlds, Eric Brezellec on the familiar INTERFACE CONCEPT II.Congratulations to the CNSC Race Committee for getting off seven excellent races over the three days. Not an easy task considering the conditions of the wind, current and the aggressiveness of the fleet that caused a number of general recalls. Sailing photo credits- Luc LeGrand/ Fox Images For more French J/80 Nationals sailing information
J's Crush Miami-Nassau Race(Nassau, Bahamas)- The old Southern Ocean Racing Circuit (SORC) off Florida was one of those events back in the 80s that many sailors remember well. It was the pinnacle of the IOR, that crazy handicap rule that created "pinched-end" boats that could go upwind remarkably well, but provided their greatest entertainment and challenges downwind! With teeny booms, monster fore-triangles with long poles meant you could set ginormous masthead spinnakers. Downwind, a fleet of IOR boats were something to behold, especially when they set their colorful "bloopers" alongside their spinnakers in 25-30 knots of wind-- the betting parlors were going crazy trying to guess which boat would do the classic, nearly ritualistic, "gybe-broach dance" first. The result of this out-of-control activity was performing the proverbial "yard sale" with all their "laundry" (e.g. shredded spinnakers) blown across the water! While the IOR boats all but disappeared off the world's racing circuits, the actual race tracks around Florida and the Bahamas left many with fond, happy memories of some extraordinary sailing-- in particular the criss-crossing of the Gulf Stream, the Bahamas Banks and all the wildlife!
The SORC has been resurrected to some degree in the past few years, but it's still a mere shadow of its former self. The Lauderdale Race, the original "feeder race"for the SORC, is still popular since it now "feeds" Key West Race Week. A recent addition was the resurrection of the classic Miami-Nassau Race, popular for its Gulf Stream crossing, the passage across the Bahamas Banks and the Tongue of the Ocean, and the gorgeous finish off Nassau's Paradise Island. It can be an idyllic offshore passage with spectacular scenery-- flying fish, hammerhead sharks, giant 12 ft sunfish, "square groupers", or just a full moon in a 15-20 knots WNW for a truly magical crossing in these parts- shorts and t-shirts the whole way!
Leading the charge for awhile in this year's Nassau Cup Ocean Race was none other than Frank Kern's crew of veteran ocean-racers sailing the equally well-traveled (and successful) J/120 CARINTHIA. Not much will slow down this crew from Detroit- famous for sailing (and winning) a few hundred Mac Races amongst them. In the end, Frank's good friend from Detroit, Bob Kirkman and buddies aboard the J/120 HOT TICKET, managed to sail a bit smarter and faster to edge out CARINTHIA for bragging rights in the "120 class"-- getting 2nd in PHRF 1 and first 120 home. With Frank's CARINTHIA in 3rd PHRF 1, Bill Terry's team had their hands full with the boys from "8 Mile" (or someplace close by), so had to settle for 4th in PHRF 1 and 3rd in the 120s.
Not to be outdone or outshone by their stablemates, it was pretty evident that David Bond's J/105 LOKI knew their way around the race track from Miami to Nassau. Having been a veteran of this offshore classic for years, David and crew sailed an excellent race to finish just off the skirt-tails of the 120s, and managed to take PHRF 2 by a significant margin. For more Nassau Cup sailing information
J/24 Worlds Update11th HOUR RACING With Huge Lead
(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- The 2011 J/24 Worlds in Buenos Aires, Argentina started this week with 58 crews from 9 countries. What is self-evident is the South American teams have learned a thing or two about racing J/24s over the years. In the early years of the class, the Americans pretty well dominated most of the World Championships. In recent years, top Europeans and top South American teams have leapt into the top of the leader-board and have managed to give the Americans excellent competition in any venue, regardless of wind and weather conditions.
On the first day of sailing, the host club's PRO from YC Argentino did a magnificent job getting off two good races considering the difficulty of the changing weather conditions. The first race was to start at 2 pm, but there was only a 4 kt wind, so it had to be delayed. Finally, it started at 3:30 pm, with wind from the East of 6 kt. The winds continued to shift in direction and speed, challenging the skippers (and the anxiety-ridden tacticians) to stay on top of the rapidly shifting scenarios. It was clear it was to the "locals" liking. Coincidentally, the winners of both races were Argentinean teams, MENDIETA sailed by Francisco Van Avermaete and LUCA VIVE skippered by Alejo Rigoni. Nevertheless, sitting at the top of the leader-board was Tim Healey, the current J/24 World Champion. The second day of sailing proved to be tough again on the skippers trying to master the nasty chop, the current (because they're on the River Plate/ Rio de la Plata) and the even nastier oscillating/ persistent shifts from the East. Mastering the conditions of the first race of the day (race #3) was yet another South American team, GUERRERO skippered by Luis Olcese from Peru. The fourth race was won by Tim Healy's Newport, Rhode Island team sailing 11TH HOUR RACING. Tim and the gang lead the entire race wire-to-wire by fellow American Mike Ingham skippering RELOADED. Third was A PRUEBA DE BALAS skippered by Juan Grimaldi from Argentina.
At this stage, Tim's 11TH HOUR RACING holds a commanding lead of 20 points over a group of five boats all vying for the balance of the podium with a very consistent record of 3-5-4-1 for 13 pts total. Francisco's Argentinean team on MENDIETA has a 1-10-12-10 tally for 33 pts, good enough for second. Luis' Peruvian team on GUERRERO is third two points back with a scoreline of 6-13-1-15 for 35 pts. Fourth in a tie is Matias Seguel's Chilean team racing VOLVO with a 16-12-3-7 tally for 38 pts and Miguel Saubidet's Argentinean team on FEFE sailing to a 12-3-7-16 also for 38 pts. Just out of contention and staying in touch with the leaders are J/24 Champions Mike Ingham on RELOADED in 8th and Will Welles on PUMA in 11th. Mauricio Santa Cruz from Brazil, another J/24 World Champion, is having his fair share of troubles on the first day, taking a Scoring Penalty in the first race and getting an SCP/DSQ in the second race, perhaps digging a hole that may be too deep to crack the top three-- nevertheless, if there was a magician on the race course, Mauricio has been known to make meteoric come-backs! Watch this space! For more J/24 Worlds sailing information
J/97 JIKA-JIKA Still Dominating IRC Class 3Warm, Sunny Hamble Winter Series Resumes
(Hamble, England)- After a break last weekend, racing resumed in the Garmin Hamble Winter Series yesterday with bright sunshine and an unseasonably balmy air temperature. Isn't that an oxymoron- "warm, sunny, winter series"? Go figure. The breeze filled in to a patchy ESE’ly, starting at a gusty 20 knots, which dropped to as low as 8 knots in the lulls as the afternoon wore on. Race Officer Jamie Wilkinson set a series of windward-leeward courses stretching up and down the East Solent, and all starts got underway on time. There was some impressive surfing downwind and the odd broach and kite wrap to add to the excitement - but most boats reveled in the shifty, gusty conditions and there were big grins ashore after racing. Some crews said it was the best day’s sailing they’d had all season! Perhaps there is something good to be said about all this global warming stuff-- palm trees, shorts & shades and gorgeous sailing in England, in mid-November?
In IRC 0, Dave Ballantyne's J/133 JINGS! continued to sail a consistent series, grabbing a fourth place to maintain their position of third overall in a strong nine boat fleet. In IRC 3, the domination of Mike and Jamie Holmes' J/97 JIKA-JIKA is quite impressive, rattling off yet another bullet to account for six firsts in seven races. Their lead is now up to 8 pts over the next boat. Fifth is David Greenhalgh and John Taylor's J/92 J-RONIMO, sixth is Nick and Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE and seventh overall is Andy Howe and Annie Kelly's J/92s BLACKJACK.
In the one-design J/109 world, it was Richard and Valerie Griffith’s OUTRAJEOUS who crossed the line first, extending their lead overall. Like their stablemates sailing the J/97 in IRC 3, the Griffith's have accounted for five firsts in seven races. Apparently, they've either gotten a lot smarter, a lot faster or are just making less mistakes. However you look at their new-found performance, it's great to see some new stars rising to the top. David and Mary McGough's JUST SO got a second over the weekend to maintain their second position in the series. They're effectively in a four-way horse-race for the silver/ bronze on the podium with Paul Griffiths' JAGERBOMB in fourth tied with David Jobson's AUDAJIOUS in fifth and just two points back is David McLeman's OFFBEAT with 24 pts in sixth-- is anyone breathing yet? My goodness that's a tough fleet! Forgetting the helmsmen for a second, the tacticians must be seeking a bit of solace in the Guinness for making any mistakes! Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth. For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information
Sally Barkow Wins Womens Match Racing!Midwest Girls from the "Land of Cheeseheads" Bring it Home!
(New Orleans, LA) – The 2011 edition of the US Women's Match Racing Championship, hosted by Southern Yacht Club, came down to a thrilling finish in Sunday’s final series. In a rematch of last year’s Championship round, skipper Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) defeated defending two-time Champion Genny Tulloch (Sausalito, Calif./Houston, Texas) in the fifth and final race for a 3-2 win and her third Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy, second as a skipper. The womens' teams all sailed J/22s on Lake Ponchartrain supplied by Southern YC's active J/22 one-design fleet.
“We had a great final series with Genny in tough conditions and really shifty winds,” said Barkow. “We like having great matches with her team. Unfortunately, she didn’t see the change of course at the entry.” Tulloch had a lead at the start of the decisive fifth match. However, they incorrectly rounded the first upwind windward mark and never recovered. Tulloch came from behind in the final series twice after trailing 1-0 and 2-1.Barkow and Tulloch finished off their semifinals opponents the morning of the last day to advance to the finals. Barkow defeated Kaitlin Storck (New Orleans, La.), 2-0, and Tulloch beat Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.), 3-0. Storck finished third by defeating Roble, 2-1, in the Petite finals.
Barkow’s crew included Elizabeth Kratzig-Burnham (Miami Beach, Fla.), Alana O'Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) and Amanda Callahan (Portsmouth, R.I.). Crewing for Tulloch was Alice Manard Leonard (New Orleans, La./East Haven, Conn.), Jennifer Chamberlin (Washington, D.C.) and Elizabeth Hall (Cary, N.C.). Roble sailed with Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.), Darby Smith (Wilmette, Ill.) and Jennifer Wilson (Chicago, Ill.).Barkow, the #3 ISAF ranked women’s match racer in the world, was 19-3 overall this week. Tulloch, ranked #11 by ISAF, was 16-6. They each had successful outings at the 2011 US Olympic Team Qualifying Regatta last October at the Key Biscayne Yacht Club (Fla.). Tulloch finished second and Barkow was third. Barkow, Kratzig-Burnham, O’Reilly, Tulloch, Manard Leonard and Chamberlin are all members of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. Of note, Sally Barkow was a coach/ mentor to Steph Roble back in Steph's Optimist racing days. Clearly Steph's learned a lot and stepped up her game to be amongst the top of women's match-racing while she's still in college at Old Dominion University in Virginia-- watch for this rising star in the future! For more US Women’s Match Racing sailing information
(Xiamen, China)- Congratulations to Hudson Wang and his team at Hudson Yachts in Xiamen, China. This past week, the J/80 was awarded the "Best Sailboat (Under 40')" by the Chinese Sailing Federation for its role in expanding the sport of sailing in China. They were given this title because the J/80 has been the principal one-design selection and the largest fleet for the following events:
- China Cup in Shenzhen- the premier International sailing event in China
- China "Club Cup"- largest yacht/ sailing club event in China
- Asian Sailing Games- largest one-design keelboat class
- Taiwan Straits College Cup- largest college sailing regatta in China
- Taiwan Straits Cup- a challenge cup between China and Taiwan
For more information J/80 sailboat information
Hainan Freedom Community Wins J/80 China Cup(Daya Gulf, Shenzhen, China)- Inaugurated in 2007, the China Cup International Regatta is the biggest boat sailing regatta held in China, approved by the General Administration of Sport of China. Each year, the regatta attracts over 80 teams from more than 20 countries, gaining wide attention from the sailing community and the international media. It's a unique event. It's aimed at building an international recognition that China is serious about developing the sport of sailing and, most importantly, in the long run China plans to popularize the sailing culture in China. With a steady and vigorous development program in place for the next 5-10 years (Chinese rarely think short-term), it's likely the China Cup and the sport of sailing will continue to grow rapidly in China!
To underscore their determination, consider who's behind the management of the event- the Chinese Yachting Association; the Shenzhen Administration of Culture, Sport, Tourism, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Shenzhen Vanke Longcheer Yacht Club. With this kind of horsepower behind them, it's good to see the J/80 one-design fleet in "good hands"! And, as hosts the Chinese are absolutely second-to-none in terms of ensuring all sailing participants are having a great time. With fashion shows, fireworks shows, music in the form of concerts and DJ's, it's hard to remember that you're there to go sailing! Nevertheless, the sailing in the Daya Gulf was fun and challenging for all.
On Day One, the China Cup racing teams were hoping the wind had used up all of its tricks so they would not have to contend with them later in the week! The first day of the regatta dawned grey and breezy as boats prepared for the Simpson Marine Passage Race from Hong Kong to Daya Bay, Shenzhen. However, the sun soon poked through the clouds and the breeze filled in from the northeast. By 0830hrs there was 15 knots of wind snapping the battle flags of the boats exiting Victoria Harbor. In a "classic Chinese Lucky Ritual", some of the local sailing teams stopped to make a "lucky double-figure-8" in front of the Joss House Bay Tin Hau Temple before continuing on to the starting area off Steep Island! We wonder, did it work for anyone?!
The first start, for the J/80s got off to a clean. Tt soon became evident that the day would be a frustrating one, with the wind beginning to drop off to 1-5 knots soon after the start, leaving the boats to wallow through the chop that was left behind. Not only was the wind light, it was also fluky. Many crews watched incredulously as boats 200 meters away sailed on the same heading but on a different tack! This feat was repeated several times in the next few hours as the fleet struggled to find their way out of the wind hole and back on course. Those boats that had headed out to sea did the best, finding fresh breeze sooner than the rest of the fleet. Just after 1300hrs the wind filled in from the northeast again. As a result, the J/80s had their course shortened, but the rest of the fleet raced on until they crossed the line just off the breakwater of the glittering new Shenzhen Maritime Sports Base in Daya Bay. First boat home for the J/80 was JIVE, sailed by Dave Campbell from Royal Hong Kong YC. Second in was Patrick Lam on JELIK 6 and third home as Bonnie Cheng on JELIK 7, a sweep for the RHKYC sailors.Day Two started with light winds, with only 6 to 8 knots blowing through Daya Bay as the Race Committee set the course for Race 2 of the weekend. However, they got the fleet off as scheduled, with the international fleet keen to get some ‘round-the-can’ racing in after the long passage race on Friday. Soon the wind dropped off even further, forcing Race Officer Russ Parker to shorten the course for most classes. The final rounding for the fleet turned into a comical farce, with retired boats cluttering the area as those still racing tried to find the wind, and the room, to get to the finish. The result was that many boats failed to finish the course in the allotted time. JIVE won their second race in a row in the J/80s with Wong Chi Hin getting 2nd sailing INVICTUS and Fang Liang Long sailing HAINAN FREEDOM COMMUNITY (HFC) finishing 3rd. Unfortunately, eight other J/80s didn't make the time limit.
The fleet had time to catch some sun and have a chat as the Race Committee tried to lay the course for Race 3. Although the wind picked up it was shifting from 340 degrees to 210 degrees, creating as much as a challenge for the course officials as for the crews trying to match their skills against each other. The starts finally got under way at 1415hrs, and the long wait showed as nearly all the starts had boats over the line early due to impatient skippers. The wind built nicely as the fleet worked their way up to the first mark and held at between 6 and 10 knots for much of the race. However, the Race Committee once again had to shorten the course due to light winds. This time, Fang's HFC won Race 3 with He Jiang's TEAM YIN in second and Hong Shen Hao's team on SMART HERO SAILING in third.
Light winds continued to haunt the fleet on Day 3 of the competition, but some fast thinking by the race committee kept the boats on the water and going head to head for sailing glory. The winds blowing through the fleet while tied up at Shenzhen Maritime Sports Base in Daya Bay raised everyone’s hopes that racing would finally take place in 12 to 15 knots of breeze. However, by the time the starting sequence was underway the north-northeast wind was down to 5-8 knots. All classes were sent off on a 2-lap around-the-cans course for Race 5. The wind died to three knots as the fleet came downhill towards the finish. Again, Fang's HFC team took the bullet followed by Hong's SMART HERO SAILING in second and Wong Sai Man's team on FOOTLOOSE in third.
With some boats struggling to complete the first race of the day in dying breezes the Race Committee took drastic action for Race 6, the Audi Islands/Geometric Race. The committee boat led the fleet offshore to a spot just south of Dalajia Dao before they found sufficient breeze to get the race underway. This shaved several miles off the planned 15-mile route of Course 3, which led the fleet in a counter-clockwise lap around the island. By 1420 hours the Race Officer had the starting sequence for the second race of the day underway. Winds were hovering around 5 knots at the start but soon built as the fleet headed north and around the island. Spinnakers soon filled the horizon, with boats vying for boat speed as there were little tactical decisions to make on the prescribed course. It was a picture perfect finish, with the wind having built to between 8 and 10 knots and the fleet sailing into the sunset. There were plenty of spectator and media boats on hand to record the sight. By 1700 hrs the fleet has crossed the line, with many keeping their spinnakers up for a sunset cruise back to port. It was clear that a new standard was being set on the J/80 course, Fang's HFC again won another race and now held a commanding lead for the week. Second home was Wong's INVICTUS and third was Hong's SMART HERO SAILING.
For Day 4, the wind showed up just in time for a fabulous, glorious last day of sailing. Perhaps the "lucky double-figure 8's" off the Tin Hau Temple in Joss Bay paid off! There was 15 to 20 knots of breeze blowing through the harbour at the Shenzhen Maritime Sports Base in Daya Bay as boats were being rigged and readied for the last day of racing. Boats were in such a competitive mood that there were collisions in the harbour even before the boats were on the water!! Top spots in several classes were left to be decided on the last day and the tension could be felt up and down the docks. The first race of the day got underway in 15 knots, with the Race Committee hoping to capitalize on the wind with three races. However, the wind soon died, and the Race Officer cut the course down to one lap for the J/80s. By the time the last boats crossed the line the wind was down to 5 knots, with boats wallowing in the chop left behind by the earlier wind. Reading like a "broken record", again Fang's team on HFC won the race, with Hong's SMART HERO second and Wong's FOOTLOOSE third.
By the time the starting sequence began for Race 8, the Audi Islands/Geometric Race, the wind was back at 12 to 15 knots. The Race Officer sent the fleet off on the longest island course available in the sailing instructions, at 22 miles long. The fleet threaded their way through a giant figure-8, passing Xiaolajia Dao, Zhongyang Dao, Chizhou and Dalajia Dao, with the wind keeping the boats at top speed the whole way. By 1620 the entire fleet had crossed the line and were on their way into port to enjoy cold beers. Once again, the final race offered the crews a lovely spinnaker run into the setting sun, with strong breezes keeping them busy to the very end. You might ask, did it happen again? Incredibly, yes, it did. Fang Liang Long's team on HAINAN FREEDOM COMMUNITY won the China Cup Regatta simply going away over the horizon, winning 5 of 7 races sailed. Second was Dave Campbell on JIVE having sailed very consistently in the top five. Third was Hong Sheng Hao's SMART HERO SAILING, having won a tie-breaker over fourth place Wong Chi Hin's INVICTUS. Fifth was Wong Sai Man's FOOTLOOSE!
At the end of the day, everyone returned to Sheraton Dameisha for more cold beers and the chance to bask in the glory of their wins and congratulate their friends on their success. Next time we want to see more Americans and Europeans join us-- we're having too much fun! Thanks for the contribution from Cameron Dueck. For more China Cup sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* AC34 San Diego- last week we featured the J/120 sailors John Laun and Chuck Nichols who created SEA San Diego and are principally responsible for seeing the AC34 World Series event being held there this coming weekend. Now for the actors themselves. While friends from the J/24 and J/80 one-design world are "sending it" in the Volvo Ocean Race in their ocean-going greyhounds, namely Ken Read on PUMA and Iker Martinez on TELEFONICA, their "bicycle" buddies blasting around short-track racing avoiding brick walls and one another every ten seconds is none other than Terry Hutchinson and buddies on ARTEMIS RACING. What's a J/24 World Champion to do after learning what it takes to play on a world stage-- fly around in wing-sailed catamarans, of course! Cool stuff. The real racing gets underway Wednesday and look to see Terry and the boys on ARTEMIS RACING amongst the leaders in this tough fleet of new-born cat fanatics. Terry Hutchinson sailing interview/ preview.
* Friends of the J/Family, brothers Steve and Darren Rosenberg, co-founded Kaenon Polarized Sunglasses a decade ago in 2001. WOW! This past week they celebrated Kaenon's 10th Anniversary in a very big way with their 11-11-11 Blowout Celebration Promotion. Said Steve, "I cannot believe it. We were crushed all day long. Our servers crashed five times taking in orders. We're swamped. But, that's a good thing, eh?" Their success creating better sunglasses started with their own frustrations with sunglasses that didn't work well on the water racing 470s. Both the Editor and his brother Drake sailed 470s back in the day against the Rosenberg's, having a blast racing against one another and becoming quick friends on the 470 circuit. Steve and Darren were not just great sailors, they're fun, super-nice guys, to boot. So, it's not surprising these two enterprising sailors decided to change our collective exasperation with sunglasses that sometimes worked, sometimes didn't and oftentimes broke! So, Kaenon Polarized was born. Thank Goodness! Speaking on behalf of thousands of sailors and other outdoor enthusiasts, these glasses are a "God-send". They work! As I described to "Rosie", my latest Burnet C12 Rx glasses were like "putting on HD color TV, the colors simply exploded, and I could literally pick out gradations of wind pressure on the water few others could see". So, if you want to take a peek at what this is all about, check out their site- http://www.kaenon.com.
* The Puget Sound Sailing Championships were held in October off Seattle, Washington. Sailing in this year's event were an enormous cross-section of J's big and small, from the bright-red J/22 called JINX to the beautiful flag-blue J/160 called JAM. Snow-capped peaks are a common backdrop in the Pacific Northwest, as seen here at the 2011 Puget Sound Sailing Championship with this gorgeous J/29 sailing upwind on port tack with the sunny Cascade Mountains behind them. It was a spectacular day of sailing despite the fact the forecast was lousy at best. You can see many more pretty photos by Jan's Marine Photography here.The J Cruising Community
J Cruisers continue their adventures around the world, below are a selection of most excellent "blogs" written by their prolific publishers. Some terribly amusing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom are contained in their blogs. Read some! You'll love it.* The J/42 JARANA continues their epic voyage around the Pacific. Continue to read about Bill and Kathy Cuffel's big adventure cruising the South Pacific headed for New Zealand. Their blog is here: http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/
* Prolific writers, Bill and Judy Stellin, sailed their J/42 JAYWALKER around the Mediterranean and Europe and back across the Atlantic for nearly three years. Their blogs/journals can be found at- http://blog.mailasail.com/jaywalker. The earlier journals have been compiled into two self published books which can be found at: http://www.blurb.com. Search for "SEATREK: A Passion for Sailing" by Bill Stellin or William Stellin." UPDATE- Just a short note to update from Bill- "Our cruise began in May of 2000 and ended in May of 2008, some 8 years later. I have just finished and published my third and final book covering the last three or so years including our double handed crossing in 16 days and one winter in the Caribbean. Like the others, "Sea Trek- A Passion for sailing- Book III," can be found at www.blurb.com. Thanks, Bill and Judy"
* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary finished their double-handed crossing of the Atlantic, landing in Portugal on their J/130 Shazam after completion of their ARC Rally. Read the latest news at http://www.sailblogs.com/member/shazam/.* Several J/160 owners are island hopping across the world's oceans, fulfilling life long dreams to cruise the Pacific islands, the Caribbean islands, the Indian Ocean and all points in between. Anyone for Cape Horn and penguins?? Read more about their adventures and escapades (like our J/109 GAIA, J/42s PAX and JAYWALKER and J/130 SHAZAM friends above).
- SALACIA, the J/160 owned by Stephen and Cyndy Everett has an on-going blog describing some of their more amusing experiences (http://www.salacia1.blogspot.com).
- Bill and Susan Grun on the J/160 AVANTE are also sailing in the Pacific archipelago, read more about their great adventures on their blog (http://web.me.com/susangrun). Check out there recent travels- now past Fiji!
- Eric and Jenn on the J/160 MANDALAY also sailed the Pacific archipelago, read more on their blog at http://www.sailmandalay.com. Eric and Jenn are J/World alumni took MANDALAY up and down the West Coast (Mexico, CA)
, then to the South Pacific and New Zealand. MANDALAY is back in San Francisco now, and in the J/World fleet--she is available for skippered charters, private instruction, and corporate/executive groups.* The J/109 GAIA (seen right in the Java Sea) was sailed by Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay around the world. In February 2011, their cruising adventures came to an abrupt, sad ending. As a tribute to them and their cruising friends worldwide, we hope their chronicles on their GAIA website remains a tribute to their warm-hearted spirits- read more about why many loved them dearly and will remain touched by their loving spirit forever- http://www.gaiaworldtour.net/
Featured Boats
Annapolis Show J/108 Ready To Cruise!J/Boats' modern new shoal performance cruiser/ racer, the J/108, has just completed her well received introduction at the Annapolis Boat Show and is now available for sea trials. Please contact Ken Comerford at phone 410-991-1511 or email- ken@northpointyachtsales.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.com. Sailing photo credits- Billy Black
