J/70 Speedster Performance Update(Newport, RI)- After another week of sailing the new "baby J", it's pretty clear the performance is exceeding all expectations. A fun boat, indeed, the J/70 Speedster is. Teams from North Sails and Quantum Sails have had a chance to sail them in a wide range of wind conditions, from 3-5 kts up to 25-28 knots. J/70 handles the wide-range of conditions with ease, far greater ease than many had imagined. Team Quantum has reported sustained bursts up to 15.8 knots on their GPS trackers in just 17-18 kts of wind, read more about that experience here- Norm Davant's "Early Adopter" report on SA.
A recent demo is indicative of the J/70s performance envelope around the track. Starting in just 4-6 kt breezes building to no more than 8-13 kt winds-- the J/70 averaged 6.7 knots over an 8.96 nm track that took 1 hr 19 min 46 secs. Top speed was 10.8 kts downwind while average speed upwind ranged from 5.8 to 6.5 kts-- pretty quick for a 23 footer! In short, we sailed 4.5 nm upwind, turned around, set the chute and sailed 4.5 nm downwind. The track can be seen here on Phillipe Kahn's MotionX-GPS software (Phillipe's a fellow J/100 owner in Santa Cruz, CA)- http://bit.ly/H06lmO. For more J/70 Speedster sailing information
SPI OUEST France Preview(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- Perhaps one of the most significant rights of spring every year in the sailing world in Europe has to be the famous SPI OUEST France sailing regatta held in the quaint, lovely little seaside town called La Trinite sur Mer on Quiberon Bay. The ambiance is renown, the restaurants delicious, the wine even better, and the international gathering of sailors from all points of the compass make for a highly entertaining venue. The beautiful harbor often has some of the elite monster multihulls parked stern-to on the main quay (the 130 footer Banque Populaire or 100 footer Groupama, for example) and, due to their enormous popularity the 100+ J/80s are parked on the other side, a commanding presence at the heart of Grand Prix French sailing.
This year another good turnout was anticipated. A total 438 boats of which 141 (32% of the fleet) are J sailing teams are coming in from across Europe and the UK. Nine J/111s will be participating in their European One-Design debut, 116 J/80s are racing for class honors and sixteen J/Teams are sailing in the four IRC handicap classes.
Starting with the J/111 class, nine boats are represented from across continental Europe and the UK. So many of these teams have never sailed against one another it's impossible to make any predictions as so many are well-sailed. Most certainly all the teams will have steep learning curves as they learn to extract maximum performance from their J/111s race-to-race. There are three French teams, LE JOUET (Stephane Blanchards- must see his website- http://www.lejouet.eu), J-LANCE 7 (Didier Le Moal) and ALPHALINK EXTREME YACHTING (G. Thomas). Two teams are from the United Kingdom, including J-DREAM (the champion J/109 team of David and Kirsty Apthorp) and OJE (A Hill). From Benelux are two entries, XCENTRIC RIPPER (John Van der Starre and Robin Verhoef from the Netherlands that sailed the Fastnet Race Doublehanded) and DJINN ( Jean-Patrick Smal) from Belgium. Long distance awards will surely be contested between JUSTICE (B. Flavio) from Italy and BLUR (Peter Gustafsson's J/109 champion team from Sweden). For a preview of what it's like to sail the J/111, see the BLUR/Peter montage video-- totally cool!!The dominant one-design class in SPI Ouest France are the 116 J/80s-- easily the most consistent and largest one-design class the SPI OUEST Regatta has ever experienced over the course of three decades of hosting this famous regatta. Like their J/111 big brothers, it's going to be pretty hard to determine who's going to the dominant teams, but certainly there are a few standout J/80 sailing teams that are worth mentioning that will factor into the leader board. From France, you have renown class leaders like GANJA (Luc Nadal), ATLANTIS (Louis Sambron), INTERFACE CONCEPT 1 & 2 (Eric Brezellec and JC Moriceau, respectively) and TBS (Pierre Follenfant-- perhaps the "sleeper" in their group of world-class sailors, Pierre is a former 470 and Flying Dutchman champion). From Italy you have their class leader
JENIALE! sailed by Massimo Rama. The Spanish contingent have nearly a dozen boats sailing with one of their top boats in attendance, GOLD SAILING skippered Ignacio Jauregui. The host of the 2012 J/80 Worlds are the United Kingdom and their contingent is pretty strong, including ULTIMATE SAILS (Kevin Sproul, a multi-class champion), RAF BENEVOLENT FUND (Terry Hanlon of the British RAF Sailing Team) and BALTIC WHARF LTD (Henry Bomby, a top youth sailor in the UK).
The IRC Handicap rule grouping has significant competition across all four classes- IRC 1 to IRC 4. In the 32 boat IRC 1 Class, the big J's are sailing with the J/133 JIVARO leading the charge sailed by Yves Grosjean, followed by a very tough group of J/122s, including NUTMEG IV (F. Lognone), JOLLY JOKER (R. Marchais) and MADE IN LOVE (J. Patier). Given a good series, any one of these boats has proven over the course of time at various events around France, Italy, the UK that they can win.
In the 32 boat IRC 2 class, the top J is the J/120 RHAPSODIE V (J Godet), with two J/109s taking chase in the form of POULICO 10 (CV Arcachon) and FRANJPANE (P. Mouret), followed by the J/105 J-SQUARED (V. Jomier).
The 46 boat IRC 3 fleet has the J/92s UNISAILS BAINBRIDGE (SP Quiberon) vying for honors against a fellow J/105 MISS J (F. Guillemot).
Then, in the largest IRC fleet, IRC 4 class has 64 boats battling amongst the a wide range of boats, from the J/24 up to the super-fast J/97. If things go well, the J/97 may prove again that it's the master of its domain, this time the J/97 MISPICKEL V sailed by B. Fagart will be up against some formidable competition. Thrown into the fray doing battle against all the "modern" boats is the "classic" J/24 with four of them competing against the big boys, including J'ADORE (E. Richard), JINETTE (C. Gury), MARTA (P. Lemaistre) and INSULARIS (A. Garcia). For more Spi Ouest France sailing information
BVI Spring Regatta Preview(Tortola, British Virgin Islands)- The BVI Regatta & Sailing Festival is famed for gorgeous sailing conditions, hot racing and a friendly atmosphere which attracts a large number of competitors with impressive sailing backgrounds. Nanny Cay Marina, home of the regatta is a heavenly setting; a stunning sheltered bay surrounded by awe-inspiring terrain. Sage Mountain National Park encompasses the highest point overlooking the Regatta Village. The dramatic mountain ridge runs along the spine of Tortola, rising to 1,716 feet at its highest point and locals have a nickname for the steep road running up to this sensational vantage point - ‘The Elevator’ is not for the faint hearted but the vista offered from the top of Tortola is absolutely breathtaking.
The British Virgin Islands are renowned for crystal blue waters and heavenly weather and the stunning archipelago of islands offers one of the most picturesque settings anywhere in the Caribbean. The stunning race area for the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival encompasses 22 awe-inspiring islands. The most eastern extreme of the race area is Richard Branson's fabulous Necker Island and the most westward being Jost van Dyke. Six days of hot racing start on Tuesday 27th March with the Bitter End Cup Race from Nanny Cay to Virgin Gorda and back.Nanny Cay Marina will be buzzing with excitement; Wednesday and Thursday 28-29 March, Nanny Cay plays host to the GILL BVI International Match Racing Championships. Two days of exciting duels between IC-24's on tight windward leeward courses. Eight international teams will battle it out in an ISAF sanctioned Grade 3 match racing event.
"The BVI" certainly has strong appeal to J sailors around the globe. Like former J/44 owner Bill Alcott sailing his latest EQUATION who's come back to the islands repeatedly for dozens of years, other big fans of the BVI are included in this roster of J/Teams below. In Class 2 Racing we'll see the return of the J/125 AUNT JESSIE sailed by Jordan Mindich, they love the courses and like their stablemates, when the J/125 "lights up" on the offwind legs in long planes down enormous swells in the 15-25 kt trade winds, AUNT JESSIE is a sight to behold.
The Class 3 Racing group has two J/105s that are incredibly well-sailed, one just having won the prestigious Rolex Cup Regatta in St Thomas. Leading the 105s will undoubtedly be DARK STAR skippered by Jonathan Lipuscek, the latest addition to the Rolex Submariner "win-de-watch-mon" club holders. Don't discount the ABRACADABRA SAILING TEAM lead by Carlos Camacho. Of course, no one can deny the fact that another Rolex Submariner winning veteran will be Rick Wesslund's crackerjack team on the J/120 EL OCASO (Rick, does each crew member have a Rolex by now??).
Over in Class 5 Racing, the range of talent and unpredictability makes it tough to call a winner anywhere. However, several veteran BVI racing teams are competing from Puerto Rico, including the fast J/27 MAG 7 sailed by Paul Davis, the two J/80s (SUNBUM 2 sailed by Angel Ayala and OTRAKOSA skippered by Kike Gonzalez) and the J/33 BOOMERANG sailed by Patrick Nolan.
The Class 7 Non-Spinnaker class of big fast cruising sailboats will have to contend with two "classics" in the J/Cruising family, the J/160 AVATAR sailed by Alan Fougere and the J/46 JENT sailed by Henry van Melle.
Finally, if any one of the classes above think they have some good competition, the Class 8 Non-spinnaker of smaller cruisers has all kinds of cowboys shooting for the top of the podium. Always a factor will be the J/36 CAYENNITA GRANDE sailed by Steve Joines and Antonio Sanpere from Christiansted, St. Croix and keeping them honest will be the J/95 SHAMROCK VII sailed by Tom Mullen from New Hampshire. For more BVI Spring Regatta sailing information
Rolex China Sea Race Preview
(Hong Kong, China)- The 2012 Rolex China Sea Race sees the China Sea Race celebrate its 50th Anniversary, starting 4 April in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. This 565nm Category 1 Offshore Race is run under the auspices of RORC, and takes competitors from Hong Hong, China to Subic Bay in the Philippines. The race has a rich and storied past.
On 7th April 1962, three yachts from RHKYC, one from Manila and one from Japan crossed the line at the start of the first China Sea Race. The yachts were escorted over the first 100 miles of their 600 mile journey by two minesweepers of the Hong Kong Royal Naval Reserve.
The finish was off Corregidor Island, crossing a line formed by vessels of the Philippines Navy, to be met by members of the Manila Yacht Club who had co-operated most generously with the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in all the arrangements. The China Sea Race was subsequently held as a biennial event. In 1964 it attracted 12 entries and in 1966, 13, including the famous ketch Stormvogel. With each successive race, the event grew bigger. In 1968, it was included for the first time in the newly organised World Ocean Racing Championships and in 1972 it was officially recognized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Since then it has continued to attract interest and, as an undisputed Asian blue-water classic, has served to draw the attention of the international yachting fraternity to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
This year will see a two J/Teams from the Royal Hong Kong YC participating. The J/109 WHISKEY JACK sailed by Nick Southward from RHKYC will be competing in IRC Racing 2 Class against an A35 and Sydney 36. And, the J/145c REDEYE skippered by Wayne Thompson in IRC Cruising Class of eight yachts will be sailing against a raft of Beneteau's and Jeanneau's. For more Rolex China Sea Race sailing information.
Newport-Bermuda Race Entries Growing(Newport, Rhode Island)- With the entry deadline nearing on April 15th, it's not too late to get in you entry for this year's Cruising Club of America's Newport-Bermuda Race. As of Sunday March 25th, 172 boats have been entered. According to information supplied on the applications, there are 48 boats that are new to the race. This does not mean that there will be 48 new skippers because some these are experienced owners with new boats.
Colin McGranahan of Larchmont NY has already entered his J/130 DRAGONFLY. McGranahan is a new skipper in the race, but the boat is a veteran. The J/130 CHRISTOPHER DRAGON that sailed the centennial 2006 Newport Bermuda Race will sail in 2012 as DRAGONFLY with first-time skipper Colin McGranahan of Larchmont NY.
Jimmy Sykes sailed his first of eight Bermuda Races to date on that same J/130 then named BOMBARDINO. She has passed through another owner and is now DRAGONFLY. Andrew Weiss raced her to Bermuda as CHRISTOPHER DRAGON. Sykes is competing this year with his current Bombardino, an SC 52. Plus, they will be up against another small fleet of J/120s (like the boat pictured above).
"With three weeks to go" said Brin Ford, of the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee, "things are slowing down a bit. We are about 20 boats behind the 2010 pace." The 2010 race had 183 boats, the third largest fleet in the 106-year-old event. The classic 635-mile race offers racing in five divisions - The St. David's Lighthouse (amateur) Division, The Cruiser (amateur) Division, the Double Handed Division, the Gibbs Hill (professional) Division and the Open (professional) division. There is great competition for all levels of commitment and experience. For more CCA Newport-Bermuda Race sailing information
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
As we roll into the later stages of spring in the North and the gang Down Under start to wind-up their sailing seasons in early fall, action is getting hotter by the minute. Down South, season series are coming to a close with a few nail-biting finishes. Up North, the seasons are just getting under way and already the competition in J/22s, J/80s, J/120s and other offshore events are testing the crews. For starters, J/92s seem to be doing OK, having just proven again they're tough to beat in three series, simultaneously, around the world! In the UK, J/92s' continue to be competitive in their classes, several leading the new J/Sprit class at the Warsash Spring Series. In the Middle East, the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club has a J/92 team that keeps them honest both around the cans and offshore. Then, Down Under in Sydney, Australia, yet another J/92 crew are blasting along like the famous American "Energizer Bunny" battery ad-- just can't keep them down, they keep bouncing back for more and looting the silverware along the way. In Europe, the Warsash Series continues challenging the sailors in more ways than anyone can imagine, the J/80s are having a helluva tight series, so are the J/109s. The J/Sprit class as mentioned is proving popular and incredibly competitive. In the IRC classes, the J/122s, J/133s, J/111s, J/97s and J/105s are slowly building their momentum like a runaway locomotive making its way out of the railway station. The J/80s in Spain, as usual, are dialing up the heat with some very competitive regional sailing. The Canary Islanders recently held their championship in the form of the Princess Yaiza Cup and the Santanderians held their Compesca Cup off that beautiful sandpit that forms their harbor-- all have their eyes on the big one, the J/80 Worlds coming up in June in Dartmouth, England. J/22s in the Netherlands are also in training for a "local" J/22 Worlds, this one in Le Crouesty, France in July. In the "cradle of civilization" known as the Middle East, it's clear the Sheiks love their sailing, from the classic, traditional dhows to the modern boats like J/92s, J/105s and J/22s that are sailing in regional events representing the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. Finally, in the Americas we see the conclusion of the eponymous Rolex Cup Regatta off the eastern end of St Thomas, US Virgin Islands with some hot competitors sailing J/105s, J/122, J/95, J/80, J/27, J/36 and a J/46. A similar mix of J's were also sailing an increasingly popular spring offshore event on the Pacific Coast, with the Dana Point YC and others hosting the Border Run Race that has some unique features that permits everything from dinghies to J/24s to Maxi's race offshore from 15 to 90nm courses-- cool stuff. Sure enough, a J/111 loved it! As did the J/120s and two J/124s.Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below continue to enjoy the Caribbean and the South Pacific, staying warm while others are trying to stay warm up north. Check them out! More importantly, if you have more J/Regatta News, please email it or upload onto our J/Boats Facebook page! Below are the summaries.
Regatta & Show Schedules:
Mar 18-Apr 29- Warsash Spring Series- Warsash, England- http://www.warsashspringseries.org.ukApr 12-15- StrictlySail Pacific (J/111)- Oakland, CA- http://www.strictlysailpacific.com/
Apr 19-22- Newport Beach Boatshow (J/111)- Newport Beach, CA- http://newportinwaterboatshow.com
Apr 19-22- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC- http://www.charlestonraceweek.com/
Apr 22-27- Bermuda Race Week- Bermuda- http://www.biirw.bm/
Apr 26-29- Oslo Sailboat Show (J108)- Oslo, Norway- http://www.osloboatshow.no/
May 4-6- Annapolis NOOD Regatta- http://www.sailingworld.com/nood_regatta.jsp
May 4-6- J/22 East Coasts- Annapolis YC, Annapolis, MD- http://www.sailingworld.com/nood_regatta.jsp
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
J/105 & J/36 Win Rolex Cup(St Thomas, US Virgin Islands)- The famous Rolex Cup Regatta started out with of uncharacteristic grey, overcast skies with light showers. However, over the course of the weekend, the winds improved, the weather improved and the event finished on a high note with simply spectacular sailing.
The International Rolex Regatta is a cornerstone of the spring Caribbean racing schedule, and as such attracts top programs from around the world for its mix of buoy and point-to-point races. It also distinguishes itself by having multiple races a day for all classes. “It’s all part of a unique mix of island-style fun and hard-core IRC, CSA and one design racing,” said Regatta Co-chair Bill Canfield, pointing out a massive, specially-constructed stage rising out of the water on the St. Thomas Yacht Club’s own beach. It is where a band played on Friday and Saturday nights and where the Rolex Awards wrap up the event on Sunday, when winners in select classes win coveted Rolex watches.
DAY 1- The three-day International Rolex Regatta kicked off Friday with the “town races” that took sailors from the east end of St. Thomas, where host St. Thomas Yacht Club is located, to Charlotte Amalie, the island’s capital city. Once there, the fleet of 68 boats, split into six classes, turned around and headed back, but only after sharing some colorful action with tourists on the downtown waterfront and on two cruise ships in port as well as fans perched at different vantage points along the route. Gray clouds mingled with white all day, giving tacticians as much cause to look upward to anticipate wind shifts as they did downward to read the play of the sapphire blue Caribbean Sea beneath them. The top two J's in CSA 2 Racing were the J/122 LAZY DOG sailed by Sergio Sagramoso's team from San Juan, Puerto Rico, getting a 2nd for the day based on their 3-2 score. Third was the J/105 DARK STAR sailed by Jonathan Lipuscek also from San Juan with a 1-6.
Another young team of West Indian high school and sailing students was competing in CSA non-spinnaker class and currently sat in second overall. They were led by Central High School (St. Croix) teacher Stan Joines aboard Tony Sanpere’s (St. Croix) J/36 Cayennita Grande, which has won this class several times. DAY 2- The second day of racing showcased the coastal beauty of St. Thomas and St. John islands with IRC and CSA distance courses that meandered through the smaller islands and cays that lie between them. Winds of 12-18 knots cooperated to give those classes (four in all) two races, while the one-design IC 24s pounded out six buoy races on the more sheltered yet still tactically demanding playing field of Great Bay, just around the corner from the event’s host, St. Thomas Yacht Club.
Yesterday’s leader in CSA 2 fell to second today while Jonathan Lipuscek (also San Juan) climbed to the top of the scoreboard (from third yesterday) with two bullets on the J/105 DARK STAR. Sergio Sagramoso’s J/122 LAZY DOG fell off the pace a bit and is one point behind in third.
In CSA non-spinnaker class, the J/36 CAYENITTA GRANDE, which was in second yesterday, found itself at the top of the scoreboard today. It was by no accident, however, said Tony Sanpere (St. Croix, USVI), even though he is helping the boat’s next owner Stan Joines (also St. Croix) get used to the boat and training Joines’ crew of West Indian high school students in the fine art of sailing the “Cayennita way.” “I yelled at them a little, but I yell at myself, too,” said Sanpere said with a chuckle. “Repetition over two long races today helped in their boat handling; I promised them a podium position, and we can do that.” Also making a move up the ladder was Tom Mullen's beautiful J/95 SHAMROCK VII from Campton, New Hampshire. Their 4-3-2-3 scoreline leapt them into 3rd overall.
DAY 3- It came down to the wire on the last day for winners in three of six classes. Sunday's tactically demanding Pillsbury Sound races, with courses that wound through the cays of St. Thomas and St. John, decided winners in one IRC and three CSA classes, while one-design IC 24s completed six short-course races in Jersey Bay to determine that class’s victor. The races were sailed in picture-perfect conditions, which included plenty of sunshine and 15-knot breezes, which made the overcast skies and intermittent rain showers that prevailed over the last two days but a distant memory.Winning by a mere half point in CSA 2 was Jonathan Lipuscek’s (San Juan, PR) J/105 DARKS STAR. Lipuscek had gone into Sunday's races with a half-point advantage on the merit of two bullets posted yesterday, and he posted a 2-3 today to prevail as the winner, also winning the a Rolex watch for his performance. Making it a triumvirate of Puerto Rican teams on the podium was Sergio Sagramoso’s (San Juan) J/122 LAZY DOG, in third.
“We simply tried to minimize errors and do everything with patience,” said Lipuscek at the Rolex Awards party, which was held on the St. Thomas Yacht Club’s beach and featured a giant stage built out over the water. (It had been used on Saturday, as well, for the regatta’s headlining Reggae Concert.) “It’s incredible that we’ve won the watch; I didn’t believe it until now.”
In CSA non-spinnaker class, the J/36 CAYENITTA GRANDE won with its crew of Central High School students led by their band teacher Stan Joines (St. Croix), who recently bought the boat from Tony Sanpere (also St. Croix), a past winner who was also aboard. “We did better with each race,” said Joines, who has had five second-place finishes here with “his kids” before. “Tony and I drove. It’s one thing to just give them a boat, have them sail and loose and another to coach them and help them be on a winning boat.” Rounding out the podium was Tom Mullen's J/95 SHAMROCK VII with a well-deserved third overall. T2P.TV- Rolex Sailing videos- Day 1 Day 2 Music Video
Leighton O'Connor- Rolex Sailing Videos- Day 1 Day 2
J/111 JATO Wins "Border Run"J/120 J-ALMIGHTY & J/124 MARISOL Dominate Too
(Newport Beach, CA)- With 223 boats entered in this years 2012 Border Run, it seems the Southern California yachting scene may have a new favorite sailing event. "The Border Run", that begins in Newport and heads to Dana Point (the Sprint course), or to San Diego (the Short course) or San Diego via the Coronado del Norte Island (the 90 mile Long Course), has provided SoCal sailors with a viable race that satisfies appetites for long-distance racing. The race attracted a lot of SoCal J/Sailors, too.
In their inaugural race, the J/111 JATO sailed by Bill Webster and Mike Moorhead won their class by a significant margin in the Long Course PHRF Light A class. They were up against some hot Farr 40s, a Turbo OD35 and a Ross 40, not an easy task to beat this group of boats.
The J/120 Class showed up with a strong group of ten boats. Leading the way home was Mike Hatch's J-ALMIGHTY in first, followed by Tom & Terri Manok's POLE DANCER in second and Chuck Nichols' CC RIDER in third.In Long PHRF C, the J/30 EGGEMOGGIN sailed by Thomas Lehtonen sailed to a respectable second overall just 8 minutes off the pace after 19 hours of sailing the 90 nm!
In Short PHRF C Light class, the J/Teams simply smoked their class, led by Seth Hall's J/124 MARISOL. Three hours behind them was Joe Simpkin's J/124 FORGIVENESS followed by yet another well-sailed J/109 ELEKTRA sailed by Tom Brott. Win-Place-Show, these guys dominated.
In Short PHRF D Light class, three J/105s were sailing but it was Bill Moore's KESTREL that simply out-sailed the rest to take top honors in their class by nearly two hours on corrected time.
In Short PHRF B, the J/35 MACS! sailed by Eric and Steve McClure finished fourth, narrowly missing third by just 6 minutes. Just behind them was the J/33 PRMIA sailed by Mark Weinberger just 14 minutes back in fourth place.
After the exciting start, the wind challenged sailors as the south wind stayed on the bow making the race an upwind battle for all three courses until the wind died to a whisper once the sun went down. On the Short and Long Course to San Diego only half the fleet finished with the other half enjoying the full moon and flat seas as they motored to the party at Silver Gate Yacht Club, this years venue for the San Diego trophy party.
The annual race is in its fourth year and has grown to over 200 boats since it’s inception in 2009. What started as a response to one of the founders being excluded from the Newport to Ensenada has become an event whose tag line is “where everyone’s invited”.
“It’s funny how things work out,” said co-founder Randy Reynolds. “It gave us the opportunity to put together an event with new elements and components we thought the racing community would want. We’re delighted with the progress of the event.” Reynolds believes one of the key reasons why the event has become so popular in such a relatively short time is the fluidity in which they approach each year’s contest. While some yacht races are steeped in rigid traditions and formulas, the Border Run continues to experiment with ideas that they believe respond to the changing nature of the sport itself.This year they employed a single start concept. Most races begin a rolling class-by-class start, but in an effort to make this particular start more fun and exciting, organizers had the entire fleet begin at the same time.
“We’re looking to find ways that make the event special,” said co-founder Bob Long. “We’ve offered multiple course options, a European style start, a special course to challenge dinghy sailors and we’re always looking for unique elements for the parties.”
Reynolds and Long are also visibly proud when they speak of the charity aspect of the event. Last year the Border Run raised money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and this year competitors raised over $19,000 for both LLS and local charity City2 Sea that provides free education in the ocean sciences and an introduction to sailing to at-risk children.
“I have to say, being a part of something that not only allows for a great time for those involved, but also raises awareness and money for these charities is really a great feeling,” Long said.
The 2012 Border Run is sponsored by Ullman Sails and outfitted by Pirates Lair. The Border Run team, consists of XS Racing of Huntington Beach, South Shore Yacht Club of Newport Beach (the Organizing Authority) and Dana Point Yacht Club of Dana Point. Sailing photo credits- Peter Howson For more Border Run sailing information
Roller Coaster Sailing for Warsash Leaders(Hamble, So'ton, England)- The J/109s saw a dramatic flip-flop, roller-coaster ride going on in their standings after the previous weekend. Now leading are Mike & Sarah Wallis on JAHMALI with a 2-2. Second is David Mcleman's OFFBEAT with a 4-1, third is Paul Griffiths on the J/109 JAGERBOMB with a 1-5, fourth Owain Franks & Jean Lockett on JYNNAN TONNYX with a 5-6 and fifth is David & Mary McGough's JUST SO with a 12-3. Tumbling down the standings was Roger Phillips on DESIGNSTAR 2 with a 3-14 for sixth at this time.
The J/Sprit class is proving to be quite competitive. Nevertheless, while the J/92 J'RONIMO (John Taylor and David Greenhalgh) now has two firsts to count for a good lead, the next four positions are all in a horse race. Andy Howe's J/92s BLACKJACK is in 2nd with a 3-3, Nick & Adam Munday's J/92 INDULJENCE is in third with a 5-2 and John Cooper and Ian Townend’s J/92 JAMMIN is in 4th with a 2-6.
Like their counterparts in the J/109 class, the J/80s saw a significant jumble in their standings with four counting for the series by now. Leading the J/80s is Ian Atkins sailing BOATS.COM with a 2-7-2-1. Second now is Rob Lark's J2X with a 6-3-1-3 scoreline. Early leader SLIGHTLY STEAMY sailed by Nick and Annie Haigh now lie third with a 1-5-8-7 tally, leading by virtue of a tie-breaker over Jon Powell's BETTY with a 5-6-4-6. Fifth is Stewart Hawthorn's J'AI DEUX AMOURS.
After two weekends of racing, the Black Group IRC 1 Class only have two races due to the unusual conditions. Currently, Ivan Trotman's J/122 JOLOU is surviving with a 5-7 to remain in contention in 4th overall. Just behind are David & Kirsty Apthorp's J/111 J-DREAM with an 8-5 in 4th place. And, fifth is Ken Lowes' J/122 GHOST in 5th overall with an 8-8. Tough class! For more Warsash Spring Series sailing results.
Tabares Wins Hotel Princess Yaiza Cup(Lanzarote, Canary Islands)- The Fifth Princess Yaiza Cup, emblematic in many respects of the Canary Islands J/80 Champion, was hosted this past weekend by the Real Club Náutico Arrecife Nautica on the spectacular and windy waters off the islands. Presiding over the festivities and the regatta was none other than Princesa Alexia herself, saying to the teams at the start of the regatta, "I wish everyone lots of luck, enjoy fair winds and show a lot of sportsmanship!"
The first day of racing saw the fleet experiencing up to 19 knots of breeze and the offshore trade winds built up strength over the course of the day. It was pretty clear from the outset, the fleet of twelve boats was going to have to figure out how to overcome the dominance of former J/80 World Champion, Rayco Tabares sailing the famous Canary Hotel Princesa Yaiza. They didn't. As Rayco's team led from the outset.By the second day average winds were 25-28 knots gusting to 30 knots plus-- just your average Canary Islands sailing day, as Ken Read of PUMA Volvo 70 fame acknowledged after months of practice there prior to the start of the Volvo Ocean Race (quote- "I thought the roof of my condo was blowing away each night!"). Nevertheless, after contemplating for awhile the decision to go sailing, even the hardiest souls admitted it might be a bit much for most of the fleet, so the RC/PRO wisely cancelled sailing for the day.
As a result, the winner of the regatta was Rayco Tabares, the 2009 J/80 World Champion in Santander, Spain. Second just one point back was Rafael Lasso. Third on the podium was a family affair- Carlos Morales sailing with his three brothers, Alejandro, Gonzalo and Miguel!On March 23, 2012 the President of the Real Club Nautico de Arrecife Jose Alvarez Juan Padron with SAR Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark presided over the awards ceremony in which different crews winners received recognition in the presence of different authorities, representatives of the different ports of Lanzarote, other competitors and attendees.
Rayco Tabares said, "I am very happy to have won my third Cup in honor of Princess Alexia with my team, this year we missed a lot of people, but otherwise all participants showed a very high level of competition with excellent crew. We are preparing for the World Championship to be held in England in June and this kind of racing can help us confront these challenges. The northeast wind (typical of Arrecife) of the race was suitable for testing and competition, we were all very evenly matched and that is reflected in that nothing separates us from one point between each of the first four boats. I am more than satisfied with my team after the bad start (ED NOTE- they "shrimped" their spinnaker).
Carlos Morales on the third place IKOS Crew said, "The most important is that the first four teams were just a point apart each, it shows that there was a very similar level. We had a very good race, so I'm very happy and is a good result. This race is special because it is named after my wife and it is great to participate. In this edition I have the luck to have had a crew of my three brothers Michael, Alexander and Gonzalo. Is the first time we sailed the four together and the experience is more than positive because we enjoyed together, so hopefully we can repeat soon." For more Spanish J/80 sailing information
Piris Wins J/80 Compesca Trophy(Santander, Spain)- Thirty one boats competed in one of the first major trophies of the famous J/80 Santander fleet sailing season-- the Trofeo Compesca. The Cantabrian fleet takes no prisoners, amongst them are multiple J/80 World Champions, Olympic and European Champions. In the end, Tono Piris too his crew on YATES Y COSAS to a one point victory over current 2011 J/80 World Champion (Copenhagen, Denmark) Ignacio Camino's famous NEXTEL ENGINEERING. Third was yet another 2010 J/80 World Champion (Newport, RI), Jose Maria "Pichu" Torcida's ECC VIVIENDAS. The fleet enjoyed good weather, sunny days, and plenty of wind over the course of three weekends of sailing. For more Spanish J/80 sailing information
J/92 PRIVATEER Dubai Offshore Sailing Report(Dubai, United Arab Emirates)- There is now an amazing amount of sailing taking place in the waters off the shores of the United Arab Emirates these days. With the traditional dhows now getting turbo-charged and professionally sailed, it's no wonder that "feeder" programs in sailing continue to grow using a fleet of Dubai Offshore Sailing Club's J/22s. Sailing has grown dramatically in awareness, including the sponsorship by the local "sailing chief", Sheik Muhammad Al-Mahktoum, of the Volvo 70 ABU DHABI Ocean Racing in the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race. The following is a quick summary from Matt Britton, owner and skipper of the J/92 #2 PRIVATEER that sails out of Dubai Offshore Sailing Club:
"Continuing on with the J/92 results our season is not over yet but we have now secured the Dubai Offshore series for the 3rd year in a row. This year was a tough with some races in the series of 4 really well subscribe the format is 4 races of various length up to 130nm over the whole season with one discard. We had to miss one race due to work commitments but managed to bullet the other 3, racing against among other a Pacific 50, Landmark 43, Farr 11s, Beneteau 44.7, several Beneteau 36.7s and a Grand Soleil 37.The best result by far was the 3rd race which was from Dubai to Abu Dhabi into the spectacular Emirates Palace Marine where on the following day we were able to go out and watch the inshore races of the Volvo Ocean Race!
Here were the four races we had to sail:- Race 1 - Sir Abu N'air Offshore Race;
- Race 2 - Al Jeer Offshore Race;
- Race 3 - Bill Nelson Memorial;
- Race 4 - Neptune Offshore Race;
Sailing results for the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club can be found here. We also have a great Facebook page (Dubai Offshore Sailng Club) for you fellow sailors wishing to enjoy our escapades in some unusual sailing waters.
More J/92 reports- this from Down Under in Australia
"SELKIE, a J/92 sailed out of The Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club Sydney has won the 20 race, Division 2, Mt Gay Rum Monday Twilight series conducted by The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA )! SELKIE, owned by Evan Lewis, Chris Antico & Anthony Booth led the series from race 1 and fought off an increasingly difficult handicap & yachts up to 14 feet longer to claim victory. The win by 1.5 points over 2nd place SUPERFINE, a Cavalier 350s, was sealed in the final race. The J/92 has the option to set either a asymmetrical or standard spinnaker and is raced several times a week on Sydney Harbour and occasionally competes in offshore regattas. The team is eyeing the J 111 after progressing from a J/24 three years ago!"
J/22 Netherlands Winter Series Warming Up(Braassermermeer, Netherlands)- Up to 18 boats were sailing the J/22 Winter Series and the past weekend's Warming Up Series in the Netherlands. Participation and anticipation have been high amongst fleet members as some will be sailing in this year's J/22 Worlds that will be sailed in La Crouesty, France alter this year (just a few hours drive south).
While a number of early winter series race were canceled due to frost and too much wind, the last day was perfect, 15 kts, sunny and relatively warm. The first day, the fleet managed to get in four races. It was hard fought. First place and well ahead of the field was Team Henri Lloyd. Behind it was an exciting fight to place 2, 3 and 4.
On the second day of sailing, again a persistent wind permitted four more races to be run. The J/22 field started sharp, resulting in an X-flag for subsequent starts! In the end, the two top boats, GER1513 and NED 1591 match-raced to determine who would be the winner with NED 1591 winning the battle within the fleet. It was a great finale to the Winter Series 2011/2012. Now on to a good racing season, with the highlight of course the World Cup in France. For more Netherlands J/22 Sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* J/24 Australia Nationals Sailing Video- Joe Pearson from MAKE MY JAY was filming and taking photos while sailing valiantly in the J/24 2012 Nationals in Adelaide. He published this compilation on YouTube and I took the liberty of putting it on our J/24 site for everyone to see-- http://www.youtube.com/embed/uiHaBanPGpA?rel=0* Sailing Industry Association- The 2012 Sailing Industry Conference will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, June 26-27, 2012, at the Newport Harbor Hotel in Newport, R.I. The theme for this year's conference is "From Survive - to Thrive," and the event's content is designed to help businesses adapt and profit in the new economy. The event will feature one and a half days of seminars, workshops
and networking opportunities. Participants at the conference will engage in brainstorming sessions, learn how to create an integrated marketing campaign, and get tools and expertise on how to remodel businesses for success. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/BI-032712
* A heart-warming contribution regarding junior sailing was sent to Scuttlebutt from J/29 sailor Casey Schnoor-- "To echo Marc Jocobi's comments on juniors and beer can racing (#3552), our J-29 crew aboard "ONO" consistently sailed the San Diego Beers Can's last year with 3-5 "under 10 yr olds" (only one was mine), my wife (Mom), and 2-3 Dad's, new to sailing or who had been away for many years. We had a great time with the kids involved in tactics and maneuvers and they were just as excited when we got the class gun as when we couldn't hear the class gun.Making it a class requirement might be a good idea but I suggest you DON'T WAIT; it is too much fun and extremely rewarding to share those Wednesday nights with kids and new sailors! Ono is very much looking forward to the 2012 season with the same great multi aged crew!" Sailing Photos on Scuttlebutt Facebook page.
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). Read about their latest adventures as they've gotten to New Zealand- "Avante Cruises the Pacific".
- 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
Famous J/133 CHESTRESS-2 For SaleMediterranean Winner in Italy & France
CHESTRESS-2 is a 2005 J/133 with only one owner that has sailed her with passion and with extraordinary success in the Mediterranean. She has been professionally, impeccably maintained by her captain for six loving years. And, it shows. CHESTRESS-2 is in mint condition, with no defects or damage, she is ready for cruising, club racing or serious offshore campaigning anywhere in the world-- Phuket, Auckland, Sydney, Newport, Cowes, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Stockholm, Sardinia, Cabo, Cape Town, Punta or Ilhabela.
The sail and equipment lists are extensive. She's a 2 cabin/ 2 head arrangement- a gorgeous interior with extraordinary "fit and finish". Her racing inventory of sails is primarily NORTH SAILS 3DL. Her cruising sails include Elvstrom-Sobstad gennakers and snuffers. The equipment list includes: Autohelm B&G ACP1 complete with: display unit FFD, Acp2 processor, feed-back sensor, linear hydraulic Ram; Raymarine C80 chartplotter; VHF Raymarine with DSC + external repeater; stereo hi-fi 2 speaker internal and 2 external (new 2011); 2 extra hi load batteries with energy management system; Hi power inverter for ac 220v; Extra engine filter for water/dirt separation; anchor support with roller; Lewmar electric anchor raise winch; Delta 12kg anchor + 50m chain (+ extra racing anchor 10kg); Self-inflating emergency life-raft certified for 8 people; Additional water tank (200+160 lt); Hi capacity american frigor; electric WC in aft toilet; Sunbrella mainsail shade; Original Sprayhood Sunbrella; original external cushions in cockpit and aftseat; External hot/cold shower; Cockpit table; Outboard engine wooden support and more!Please contact Enrico Malingri. For more J/133 Chestress-2 sailing information\
