J/70 Sailing Annapolis(Annapolis, MD)- After traveling south to Charleston this past week, the J/70 is headed north and will be sailing on the Chesapeake Bay for the next few weeks. Be sure to swing by and see the J/70 speedster sailing out of Back Creek at Northpoint Yacht Sales in Eastport (Annapolis), next to J/World Sailing School. For sailing demo's be sure to contact Ken Comerford at ph- 410-280-2038 or email- ken@northpointyachtsales.com
Also, our J/Dealer in the Chicago area, Richie Stearns @ Stearns Boating, put together a nice sailing video "review" of the J/70 for you to enjoy on YouTube. Enjoy the video, some entertaining sequences sailing the J/70 as well as practical descriptions of the various parts of the boat.And, while you're in the entertainment mode, don't forget to check out the J/70 Sailing Music Video, a wonderful perspective on how easy it is to sail the J/70. An oft-heard refrain coming from those who've sailed the J/70 in winds ranging from 5 to 25 knots is "man, that's an easy boat to sail FAST, you always feel like you're in complete control!", commenting on it's ability to hit 5.8 to 6.3 kts upwind across the wind range and how J/70 starts planing downwind in 8-10 kts of wind going as fast as the wind. Enjoy! For J/70 speedster sailing information
J/111- "Ready, Set, Go"(Lake Neuchatel, Switzerland)- Recently, the boats.com editorial staff took a little side-trip to a gorgeous mountain lake high in the Swiss Alps to experience super-fast flat-water sailing on the J/111 with J/Swiss dealer Peter Bangerter (current holder of the J/70 speed record of 16.8 kts). Joining Peter was boats.com editor Michael Good for a fun, fast ride and day spent sailing on Lake Neuchatel. Here's Mike's commentary:
"Excitingly fast, light, and handsome, the J/111 could turn into a top choice for racing sailors--- we were about to run out of room on the lake, and beating into the breeze on the return trip would be quite a haul. The Swiss J/Boat dealer Peter Bangerter suggested turning back, and his words suddenly interrupted the helmsman’s flirtations with the thrill of speed. Reaching at up to 14 knots, the J/111 was motoring down Lake Neuchatel, running as if on tracks, fabulously well controlled and accelerating in the puffs like a sport boat – that’s terrific sailing and a lot of fun." Read the rest of Mike's review of the J/111 here on boats.com.
More SPI Ouest France J/111 Multi-Media(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- Evidently, the J/111 one-design class that sailed recently in the famous SPI Ouest France Regatta touched a raw nerve in the European sailing media, some of the most fastidious, sharpest, insightful, fair & balanced sailing experts one may see anywhere in the sailing world.
For starters, here's the latest J/111 sailing video from Blur.se providing a summary of the experience of sailing J/111s at SPI Ouest. In one week Blur.se's website saw 11,000 views on the videos on Vimeo and YouTube. Soon, there will be an interview in Swedish SEARCH Magazine and the Danish BAAD Magasinet is publishing a 5 page article on the J/111 boat test in Kappeln in their May issue.
So far, J/111 coverage on major sailing sites in BeNeLux, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden include the following:
Germany- Hübsches Schiff Segeln
Norway- «Blur» klarte seg fint i Spi Ouest debuten
Norway- Blur.se i Spi Ouest
Denmark TV- Svensk J/111 sejler i Frankrig i Spi Ouest
Netherlands- Xcentric Ripper 3de op Spi Ouest-France regatta
J/Teams Sailing Newport-Ensenada Race!J/Sailors Relishing Fast Race South of the Border
(Newport Beach, CA)- This year the famous 125 nm drag race down the coastline, the proverbial "Border Run" from SoCal to Ensenada just south of Tijuana, Mexico has a new sponsor on-board- Lexus Cars. Chuck Iverson, Commodore of the organizing Newport Ocean Sailing Association (NOSA), said, "Lexus' presence elevates the race to a new level of esteem. NOSA is proud to have our two traditions of exceptional performance working together." From the sailing community standpoint, it's good to see like-minded business partners supporting the sport of sailing overall for friends, families and loved ones.
From the sailing perspective, it looks like the J/Clan is supporting the event in a big way as it often has over the years. Here's a quick breakdown of the J/Team entries. There are twenty-one J's sailing across six classes, representing about 10% of the fleet overall and nearly 35% of the "racing boat" fleet.
Sailing in Sprit A Class will be a raft of TEN J/120s in what amounts to be a J/120 one-design class. Promising to be a big factor will be incredibly well-sailed J/120s over the years, including Jim Barber's HOT TAMALE, Gary Winton's SHENANIGANS, Tom and Terri Manok's avidly-campaigned POLE DANCER, John Laun's champion CAPER, and perhaps Mike Hatch's silver-collecting J-ALMIGHTY-- please note, all of these J/120 teams are capable of podium finishes, so all outcomes will ride on that "road not taken" from point A to point B.
In Sprit B Class will be an army of J/105s making an assault across the border, including Bill Moore's KESTREL, Juan Lois's ROCINANTE, Mark Wyland's LUCKY STAR, Tom Bollay's ARMIDA. Giving them a run-for-the-money will be John Shulze's J/109 LINSTAR.
In the big boat PHRF division will be a cast of characters many of you will be familiar with in SoCal offshore sailing circles. In PHRF A, the "big boys & girls", will be Viggo Torbenson's J/125 TIMESHAVER, fresh off a successful assault on the Puerto Vallarta Race recently. Giving them a run for the podium will be a hot team from Santa Barbara YC led by Carolyn Parks on the J/145 RADIO FLYER, a known awesomely fast offshore boat with lots of silverware for her sisterships. Not to be taken lightly is a "fast cruiser", the J/160 INDIGO sailed by Paul Margis, that can run amok with the racing boats given the right reaching conditions.In PHRF B class are some more offshore J/Teams that have a similar "laid back", but serious approach to their sailing style--- generally a successful approach to SoCal sailing, with many to show shelves of silverware for their efforts. Recently, Seth Hall on his J/124 MARISOL has been winning, so we expect good things from his team. Twin J/46s, Jorge Morales' gorgeous BOLERO and Bob Pace's equally beautiful ANDIAMO will be challenging Seth for honors in their division.
While the big boats may have a fast, comfortable passage, perhaps the "sleeper" in this fleet is Larry Leveille's incredibly well-sailed J/29 RUSH STREET from Santa Barbara YC that will be sailing in PHRF D. Never discount how fast a masthead J/29 can catch you in the craziest of conditions. And, these guys know how to do it. Compatriots in crime in the 30 footers will be Steve Cole's J/30 LOVE & WAR sailing PHRF F from Alamitos Bay YC, equally as capable as RUSH STREET to surprise the fleet. What many forget is how fast the J/29 and J/30 are at reaching like hell once everyone is sailing with cracked sheets under white sails or sailing with chutes on reaching angles.
How do you sail the Ensenada Race? Lots of wisdom is offered by many. But, one of the renown experts on the race is Andy Rose-- this guy's done a LOT of offshore races, but most especially the Ensenada Race. What Andy likes about the Lexus Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race is that "it's a very challenging race." Although it's only 125 nautical miles from the Balboa Pier to the new finish line off the new race headquarters at the Hotel Coral and Marina, it presents important strategic decisions, along with unsurpassed pre- and post-race fun.
"You see a lot of conditions that you sometimes wouldn't get unless it was a longer race. It's fun sailing after dark. If the race doesn't have some very light squirrely stuff in the night we don't do very well. We're the smallest boat in the maxi class so we need something weird to happen and, happily, it happens at night. Last year we were fortunate to do the right thing and we ended up within a few lengths of the boats that had been four or five miles ahead of us at sundown."
On Thursday evening, Rose discussed three points in the race that are key: (i) whether to go offshore at the start or stick to the coast; (ii) whether to go inside or outside the Coronado Islands at the border, and (iii) when to jibe to the finish inside Todos Santos Bay, where races have been won and lost in the tricky breeze.
"I don't think anyone can tell you they know all the ins and outs," Rose said. "None of us do. But there are some things we look for and try to act accordingly." However it goes, Rose said, "You get to a fun place at the end with the town filled up with people who have just raced down."
Some of the boats, anxious to return home, don't dock after finishing but just head for home---"turn and burn," it's called. "That'll be part of my talk," Rose said. "We stay until Monday morning because we love Ensenada and we always have a great time. The shoreside stuff for us is just as much fun as the race." For more Lexus Newport-Ensenada Race sailing information
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
It was another busy week of spring sailing in April around the globe. J/24s happened to be racing just about everywhere East and West. J/24s had excellent competition in Australia's Victoria State Championships sailed on Sandringham Bay just south of Melbourne. They're fellow J/24 enthusiasts in America were bashing and crashing around the track in Charleston Race Week with some great competition and scores to settle, as were their buddies way out West participating in J/Fest San Francisco on a gorgeous weekend of sailing off the waterfront on San Francisco Bay. On the European circuits, J/80s and a J/145 were sailing the fabulously beautiful event called Mapfre PalmaVela on that magical little island off the Spanish coast called Palma Mallorca. Criss-crossing across the Mediterranean were two J/122s, one racing the St Tropez 900 Race, a 900nm tour of the Med and the other sailed the Corsica Race, another epic event that also uses Corsica as a marker in a 600nm tour up and down the Italian coast and offshore islands (sisterships were doing the same in both Charleston, SC and in Warsash, England!). On the far side of continental Europe, the Warsash Sailing Club in England continued their Spring Series and Spring Championships in fun but demanding sailing conditions for J/80 and J/109 one-design classes and a raft of J/92s, J/97s, J/105s, J/111s, J/122s and J/133s racing IRC handicap classes. In America, two events enjoyed huge turnouts of J/Sailors, including the enormous Charleston Race Week sailed off Charleston, SC (J/22, J/24, J/80 one-designs and J/111, J/122, J/120, J/109, J/92 and J/29 teams all sailing offshore under PHRF handicap) and out west in San Francisco the St Francis YC hosted J/Fest for one-design fleets of J/24s, J/105s and J/120s.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 22-May 1- J/24 Trofeo Accademia Navale- http://www.trofeoaccademianavale.eu/
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
May 15-28- Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta- The Hague, Netherlands- http://www.nsr.nl/
May 18-20- Seattle NOOD Regatta- Seattle, WA- http://www.sailingworld.com/nood_regatta.jsp
May 25-Jun 3- J/24 Italian/European Championships- Sardinia, Italy
May 26-28- Swiftsure Offshore Race- Victoria, BC, Canada- http://2012.swiftsure.org/
Jun 1-3- J/22 Canadians- Vancouver, BC- http://www.j24can.com/
Jun 1-4- J/24 UK Nationals- Poole, England- http://www.parkstoneyachtclub.com/
Jun 8-10- Chicago NOOD Regatta- Chicago, IL- http://www.sailingworld.com/sw_nood.jsp
Jun 9-15- J/80 Worlds- Dartmouth, England- http://www.j80worlds2012.com/
Jun 15- Newport-Bermuda Race- Newport, RI- http://www.bermudarace.com/
Jun 16-23- Kieler Woche- Kiel, Germany- http://www.kielerwoche.de/
Jun 24-30- J/24 US Nationals- Dillon, CO- http://www.dillonyachtclub.com/
Jun 26-29- J/22 Worlds- Le Crouesty, France- http://www.j22-france.com/world%202012/index.htm
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
J/80 PRO-RIGGING Wins PalmaVela(Palma de Mallorca, Spain)- Four days of picture-perfect sailing conditions have decided the winners of the 7th edition of the Mapfre PalmaVela regatta, which has gathered 115 boats of 16 countries in the bay of Palma. It came down to the wire on the last day for winners in most of the 15 divisions at the 2012 Mapfre PalmaVela regatta, which began Friday with over 1.000 sailors representing countries such as Spain, Italy, Ireland, Russia, Virgin Islands, England, Sweden and Great Britain. The event is hosted by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, and is considered the first event of the Mediterranean sailing season.
The nineteen teams sailing in the J/80 fleet had excellent competition. However, this time a new team took the honors at the top of the podium, local hotshot sailor Javier Sanz racing for Real Club Nautico Palma on PRO-RIGGING won the event easily. Second was the "sponsor's" team, MAPFRE sailed by Carlos Martinez and third was past Spanish Olympic Gold Medalist, Jose Maria Van Der Ploeg racing NILFISK. The American team on FIRED UP sailed a charter boat and managed a credible 7th, led by Gary Kamins and crew (Jay Lutz) from California YC and Houston, TX.In the ORC fleet the J/145 ACE sailed by Fred Stelle with guest star Rod Johnstone had a fabulous time sailing and managed to grab a third overall in their division.
On the first day or racing, the forecast was for Westerly winds of around 15 knots all day, reaching 16-17 knots at 12:00, when the start of races is scheduled. The nice westerly breeze and clear sunny skies brought another great day of sailing for the season`s first event. Of note, in the Soto 40 class the series favorite Iberdrola, with J/80 World Champion Pichu Torcida at the helm, showed they are in form and finished the day in the first position after the three races held today. In the ORC 0 Class, Fred Stelle's J/145 ACE managed a 3-4. On the second day of sailing, Southerly winds of 8 to 10 knots in the early afternoon cooperated to give almost all classes three races, although the breeze didn`t settle until later in the afternoon, 15:00 hours, when the clear sunny skies and 15 knots delivered picture-perfect conditions. In the J80 class Javier Sanz`s Pro-Rigging skippered by David Madrazo clawed their way up to first after a great performance notching two first and a second place, leaving Jose María Van der Ploeg`s Nilfisk as runner up. The Spanish Olympic medallist posted a sixth, an eleventh - discarded- and a first. In ORC 0, Fred Stelle's J/145 team on ACE repeated their performance from the day before, scoring a 4-3.
The third and last day of races started in tactically demanding conditions of 6 to 8 knots of Northeasterly wind and light overcast skies which prevented the breeze from pushing through until 14:00 hours, when a nice Southerly breeze stablished in the bay of Palma. The J-80 class was a cause for joy at the RCNP for its President Javier Sanz`s PRO-RIGGING clinched the Mapfre PalmaVela Trophy in the One-Design class which gathered nineteen boats for this seventh edition. Carlos Martinez`s MAPFRE was second, whereas Olympic medallist Jose María Van der Ploeg`s NILFISK was third. On the last day, Stelle's J/145 ACE in ORC 0 class managed a 3rd to clinch 3rd overall for the division. Sailing photo credits- Martinez Studio For more PalmaVela sailing information
J/Teams Shine @ CharlestonJ/111 Wins PHRF A, J/120 Wins PHRF C, J/29 Wins PHRF F, 22s-24s-80s Have Epic One-Design Sailing
(Charleston, SC)- Again, the regatta management team at this year's Sperry Topsider Charleston Race Week and the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina knocked it out of the park, hosting another great event, fine-tuning on-shore festivities even better than before and on-the-water making the most of what Mother Nature had to offer. And, no question the fleets were challenged by this year's sailing conditions; ranging from a gorgeous, sunny Friday with NE 8-15 kt breezes, to a partly cloudy Saturday with Easterly 5-12 kt winds, to a rainy cloudy Sunday finale with a finicky, variable N-NW 5-12 kt crap shoot.
In the end, it was good competition across the range of fleets both offshore for the big boats and inshore for the one-design fleets. The PRO's at CRW should be commended for their remarkable adroitness at managing their respective fleets and getting off as many races as they did in such challenging weather conditions. As a result of their efforts, several epic battles ensued in both the offshore handicap fleets and the inshore one-design fleets.
For the offshore gang, the J's were sailing in PHRF B and PHRC C on the north course and in PHRF F on the south course. Sailing in one of the most competitive offshore fleets, PHRF B, the J/111 RAGIN sailed by Bob Moran and crew from Annapolis, MD raced a great series to pull off a well-deserved win, posting a 2-7-5-3-1-2-1-1 scoreline to take the series with 15 pts. Giving them a tough battle all weekend long was early class leader, the J/122 TEAMWORK sailed by Robin Team's crew from North Carolina. Their 1-3-4-5-6-4-4-2 score for 23 pts was just good enough to maintain second place. It was self-evident by Sunday that the top five teams in this class were going to settle their scores on the last race. Steadily climbing up that ladder was Doug Curtiss's J/111 WICKED 2.0, earning a hard-fought third place with a 7-4-7-1-2-1-3-13 for 25 pts. Fifth in PHRF B was Henry Brauer's J/111 FLEETWING with a score of 6-8-2-4-4-6-2-4 for 28 pts. As anyone can tell you that saw the racing on Sunday, anyone could have won on the last day, it was the luck of the draw on several occasions with regards to wind shifts and massive holes magically showing up across the race course. In the J/111 One-Design scoring, it was RAGIN 1st followed by WICKED 2.0 in 2nd and FLEETWING in 3rd. Of note, the J/111 RAGIN won the "Palmetto Cup" for Best Offshore Performance Award for top offshore team in the most competitive class! Kudos to Bob Moran and team winning such a prestigious award in their first major regatta on the J/111!In PHRF C, the J/120s were a big factor in the overall results despite having two very fast and smart teams aboard some 35 foot J's from across the decades. In the end, it was local favorites Bill Hanckel on the J/120 EMOCEAN that swept the fleet, scoring a 3-1-1-1-1.5-1-1-5 for a grand total of just 9.5 points for first place. Were it not for one bad race, Gary Weisberg's crew on the J/109 HEAT WAVE were just one heartbeat away from giving the EMOCEAN crew serious anxiety attacks. HEAT WAVE's 4-8-3-2-1.5-2-2-1 for 15 pts was a solid score to earn them a silver on the podium.
Perhaps the donnybrook of the event aside from these other two divisions outlined above were the famous, fabled "29s" in the J/Family of designs. A modern J/92 versus the J/29 mastheads of old, wow was that a fight to the finish! And, what great racing these teams had over the course of seven races. Beaming from ear-to-ear after they crossed the finish line in the last race were Ira Perry's crew on the J/29 SEEFEST, winning by the "hair on their chinny chin chin". One point! SEEFEST's 2-2-3-2-3-4-3 for 15 pts just squeaked by Dave Pritchard's J/29 AMIGOS which had accumulated a 4-5-4-ocs-1-1-1 for 16 pts! My goodness. Plus, Jim Mackevich's J/29 FOR SAIL held on tough to manage a 6-4-2-3-2-2-5 score for 18 pts to secure third. Incredibly, past multiple Key West PHRF Champion, Steve Thurston's J/29 MIGHTY PUFFIN sailed to a consistent tally of 1-1-6-6-4-3-4 for 19 pts, only good enough for 4th place! Yet another J/29, John Amyot's BLITZ! from Canada not only won races, too, getting a 3-7-5-1-5-5.5-2 for 21.5 pts, but could only hang on for 5th place. This group of five 29 ft J's were a seriously tough group of hombres-- fun sailing for all.
On the inshore side of things, there were epic battles and some dominating performances. First, the epochal armageddons that always evolve in the closely fought J/24 class. Amazing isn't it? After 35 years of sailing, the J/24s still produce some of the world's best sailors and best class battles. This time, some familiar faces were again at the front of the fleet. While getting out of the starting blocks a bit slow on the first day, Mike Ingham and his Rochester Team of J/24 jockeys simply put themselves into cruise control and knocked out a steady 3-7-2-8-1-1-2-2-5 for 23 pts to become a repeat CRW J/24 Champions. Second was Travis Odenbach, sailing the great yacht HONEY BADGER to a fast out-of-the-box 4-3-1-1-2-2 but fading to black with a 12-1-11 for 25 pts. Third was Chip Till's gang on the infamous MURDER INCORPORATED, talk about blasting out of the blocks in a track meet-- their 1-1-4-dsq-6-3-1-13-7 was both heroic and tragic all at once- a Shakespearean play in the making. What gives guys? Had to be the toxic "dark'n'stormies". Perhaps if they race the Annapolis NOODs they can fight for retribution rights. 
On the domination game side of things, it's pretty clear the J/22s had to contend with a multiple World Champion that hasn't lost his touch over time and a newcomer in the J/80s had everyone scratching their heads and singing the blues in their beers. In the J/22 world, Greg Fisher simply demonstrated to many that he's been a class-act for a long time, winning with grace and style with a solid 2-2-1-1-4-8-3-1-4 for 18 pts to take the J/22s by a substantial margin. Second was Jackson Benvenutti's team starting fast, then hoping to hang in there and scoring a steady 1-3-5-4-3-5-1-5-6 for 27 pts. Third was another Odenbach sailing, this was the "Jack" version sailing MKI to a 3-9-2-9-2-6-2-3-1 for 28 pts, just missing the silver on the podium. Fourth was Todd Hiller with LEADING EDGE and fifth was Mike Marshall WHARF RAT.
The J/80s had fantastic, very competitive sailing on their circle-- always challenging and not without its surprises. Somehow divining the intricacies of this course better than most anyone else was Bill Rose on KICKS. Screamingly fast and smart on the first day, they never let up on the fleet. Their 1-1-2-4-1-3-4-5-3-dns for 24 pts was sufficient to win the J/80s by a lot! Second was top J/105 sailor Brian Keane racing SAVASANA to a 3-2-5-1-5-11-2-6-4-5 for 33 pts. Alex Kraus sailed COOL J to third overall with 44 pts total, just beating out class leader Bruno Pasquinelli on TIAMO with 46 pts in fourth. Capturing fifth was Nizar Abuzzeni sailing ARROW.How did it all pan out on a daily basis? Here are summarized reports from Dan Dickinson, "media man" for the Sperry Topsider CRW.
DAY 1- Nature Shines On First Day Of Racing- Stronger-Than-Expected Wind and Waves Ignite Race Week— Charleston proved itself once again to be one of the world’s most reliable sailing destinations today, with mother nature unwilling to accept forecasts of a day with little breeze.
Offshore, around a hundred racing boats from 26 to 72 feet long set off into sporty conditions — an unexpected 12 to 16 knots of wind and large, choppy seas. The PHRF Class C is proving a true clash of the titans, with local legend Bill Hanckel’s J/120 EMOCEAN just a point ahead of 2011 Champ Tim Tucker’s C&C 115 Rock Star, while just one point separates the J/122 TEAMWORK, the X-41 Sarah, and the OD 35 Fearless, the top three boats in PHRF B. On the inshore race courses, Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week’s biggest ever inshore fleet fought and scrapped for every inch on the course, sometimes taking it too far. 2011 Charleston Race Week champ and many-time J/24 North American, National, and European Champion Mike Ingham had a tough day on the water, though not as tough as he thought. “With the current flowing out, we got caught in a couple of bad spots during the starts and ended up over the line early twice,” Ingham explained. “When we got back and found out we were in second place, we couldn’t believe it.”
DAY 2- Mixed Conditions Tighten Up Fleets While America’s Cup Visits Charleston— Nearly two hundred sixty racing teams hit the docks this morning, ready to battle their opponents on the second day of racing. Instead of Charleston’s usually reliable sea breeze, the offshore courses faced unstable, patchy winds that allowed only two races over the course of the day. A fierce battle has broken out in the B Fleet, with Greg Manning’s Rhode Island-based X-41 Sarah tied on points with Bob Moran’s Annapolis-based J/111 RAGIN’. Two-time Charleston Race Week champ Robin Team (J/122 TEAMWORK) had a disappointing day, dropping to third place, with another J/111, WICKED 2.0 from Dartmouth, Mass, breathing down his crew’s neck.“Charleston Native Bill Hanckel’s team on board his J/120 EMOCEAN was nearly unbeatable in today’s shifty wind, though not quite: Gary Weisburg’s J/109 HEAT WAVE corrected to the identical time as Hanckel’s crew – down to the hundredth of a second in Race 5. “We thought we lost to Heat Wave in that race,” said Bill Hanckel. “Pretty amazing to see an hour-long race come down to a hundredth of a second, and it’s a sign of how tight the racing is out there.” Despite a recent leg injury, Hanckel is sailing hard, with son Will on the helm. “Surgery on my leg would’ve cost the same as getting the bottom of EMOCEAN into race shape. You can guess what I spent the money on!!”
The inshore courses saw consistently higher breeze than offshore, allowing another four races to be completed across all three circles. Considering the shifty conditions and unpredictable wind velocity, it was a surprise to see the leaders remain the same across the inshore classes. College of Charleston Sailing Director Greg Fisher continues his stranglehold on the J/22 fleet, Bill Rose aboard KICKS extended his lead over the J/80 Class to 8 points, and in the J/24 Class, Annapolis sailor Travis Odenbach’s HONEY BADGER holds a four-point lead over the surging Mike Ingham and his team on board US 4558, who won the day with a 1-1-2-2 scorecard.
The evening’s beach party had an extremely special guest on Saturday, and over 1,500 sailors crowded around the big stage to welcome the America’s Cup to South Carolina for the first time in its 161-year old history. Representatives of America’s Cup Defender Golden Gate Yacht Club flew the prestigious trophy to Charleston to share their vision for the 34th America’s Cup with the huge crowds of passionate sailors attending Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week. “What an unbelievable reception!” said GGYC Commodore Norbert Bajurin. “We really are bowled over by the welcome we’ve received here, and the level of interest from Charleston Race Week sailors in the next America’s Cup competition.” GGYC’s Vice Commodore is long-time Cup veteran Tom Ehman, who delivered an exciting multi-media presentation for the crowd. “We’re hugely grateful to Norbert and Tom for working so hard to get the Cup here, and to our sailors for turning out in such incredible numbers,” said Randy Draftz, Event Director. “We just hope they bring it back next year!”DAY 3- A Wet Finale— The heavy weather forecast for Charleston failed to materialize on Sunday, and unsettled conditions meant different challenges throughout the three race areas. Within a 10-mile radius, both the offshore and inshore racing classes sailed between 0 and 3 races for the final, deciding day of the country’s largest keelboat regatta.
“These were some of the most challenging conditions we’ve seen ever at Race Week in Charleston, and it’s a credit to these race committee workers, the vast majority of them volunteers, that we got so many races in this week,” said Event Director Randy Draftz. “This event couldn’t be run without the nearly 300 volunteers that so generously donate their time, their energies, and their boats to this event, and we want to give all of them a special thanks for making Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week one of the best regattas anywhere.
A huge rivalry came down to the wire on Sunday in the J/24 class, where Travis Odenbach led Mike Ingham until the final race of the week. Both teams are from Rochester, NY, and both skippers are preparing for the huge J/24 World Championship in Rochester later this summer. “We’ve been racing against each other for a decade, and we’ll probably be racing against each other for a decade more,” said Odenbach, whose HONEY BADGER took second place by a 2-point deficit. “Going into the last race today we were down by a few points, and we got the start we needed,” explained Ingham. Odenbach didn’t stand a chance. “Mike got ahead, and every tack, he slammed us back, just as he needed to,” he said. This is Ingham’s second consecutive victory at Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, and he says he’ll be back to go for the hat trick. “Where else would I want to be in April?” he exclaimed.Greg Fisher took the 15-boat J/22 class by nine points, earning the College of Charleston’s Sailing Director the Charleston Race Week Perpetual Trophy for top one-design performance. A huge cheer went out from the crowd for the adopted Charlestonian, who sailed with wife Jo-Ann, College of Charleston freshman and varsity sailor Allie Blumenthal and longtime crew Jeff Eiber. The regatta's other perpetual award, The Palmetto Cup, which is given to the top performing boat in the PHRF classes, was awarded to Bob Moran and his crew on board the J/111 RAGIN' out of Herndon, VA Moran and his talented crew competed in PHRF Class B, in which they also won class honors.
The J/80 class rounded out the J/Boat one designs, and Bill Rose on KICKS continued his dominant performance, clinching the victory with a race to spare. Brian Keane’s Massachusetts based SAVASA took second place.
The local favorites aboard the J/120 EMOCEAN were overjoyed at their victory in PHRF C. “We put the band back together and everything just fell into place,” said helmsman Will Hanckel. “Eight of the original 11 EMOCEAN crew were with us this week and their skill and our communication level aboard made things almost easy." Sailing Photo Credits- Meredith Block/ BlockSail.com. For more Charleston Race Week sailing information
J/122 Wins Corsica Race(Riva di Traiano, Italy)- The first major offshore event of the Mediterranean sailing season for Italian sailors is the Corsica Offshore Race. This 540 nm distance race, along with the famous Rolex Middle Sea and Rolex Giraglia Races, is one of the most important offshore competitions in Mediterranean. The race starts from Riva di Traiano, crosses the gate of Ventotene Island, heads off to round the Island of Lipari in front of Sicily, then back to Riva di Traiano. The course is oriented with the two predominant winds from SE & NW, therefore depending on the weather fronts, is easy to sail at least half of the race up-wind and against considerable seas.
When all the boats crossed the finishing line and the final tally's were in for handicap scoring, the Winner in IRC, with all kind of weather conditions and with a record of top-Speed down wind of 18.8 knots, was the J/122 CHRISTINA III sailed by Alessandro Brighenti.
In the same race, the J/111 J-STORM sailed their first major offshore race and crossed the line in fourth, missing the Podium by just a few minutes! All in all, it was a great showing and result for both the J/122 and the J/111 in very demanding wind and sea conditions. Thanks for this report from Paolo Boido in Italy.
Perfect J/Fest San Francisco(San Francisco, CA)- It was picture perfect weather on San Francisco Bay for J/Fest, with mild winds gaining steadily through the day. Even the tides were kind, allowing rusty crews a chance to remember and practice their skills without paying too heavily before the racing season kicks into full swing. Thirty one J/Teams participated in this year's J/Fest, with twenty J/105s, five J/120s and six J/24s.
Like their counterparts way across the continental divide in Charleston, the San Francisco J/24 crews had a serious three-way battle for first place. Perhaps it was more of a rugby scrum than anything else. The regatta winner was determined on a tie-breaker while third place was only one point back! Talk about suffering a bit of anxiety on the race-track. Settling the score by virtue of having more firsts was Darren Cumming's DOWNTOWN UPROAR, starting well and hanging tough to earn a 1-2-3-1-3 record for 10 pts. Losing the tie-break and finishing second was Luther Strayer on LITTLE WING with a 2-3-2-2-1 tally also for 10 pts. The only other double race-winner was Rich Jepsen's RAIL TO RAIL, gathering a 4-1-1-3-2 tally for 11 pts. Fun, tough competition amongst those J/24 crews. 
The J/120s also saw a hard fought series amongst the top three with just three points separating the teams. In the end, Barry Lewis' CHANCE sailed consistently to garner a 4-1-3-1-2 record for 11 pts. John Wimer on DESDEMONA sailed fast, but not fast and smart enough, to collect a 2-3-4-3-1 score for 13 pts. Were it not for a third race scoring penalty, Steve Madeira's MR MAGOO may have had a better shot at 1st or 2nd. Instead, the "mean green fighting machine" that is the "MAGOO" managed a 1-4-scp(4)-2-3 for 14 pts to round out the podium.
The J/105s had a great turnout with a highly competitive fleet of twenty boats. There were some familiar names again at the top of the fleet. This time, it was Jeff Litfin and John Case on MOJO that simply had this weekend completely dialed-in and walked off with first place. MOJO's 2-4-2-4-2 record was blindingly consistent, winning no races, but sailing fast and conservatively smart to with with only 14 pts, 7 pts clear of the fleet. Second was 2011 Rolex Big Boat Series Winner Scooter Simmons on BLACKHAWK, winning two races but having a tough time in the other three (7-6-6) to hang on to second place with 21 pts. Third was another Rolex Big Boat Series winner, Bruce Stone on ARBITRAGE, starting slowly then improving over the course of the weekend, scoring a 9-5-3-6-1 for a 24 pts total. Bruce's team just edged out Adam Spiegel's team on JAM SESSION on a tie-breaker, Adam's team accumulated a 5-10-4-2-3 for 24 pts to finish fourth. Fifth was Tom Kennelly's WONDER, sailing one of their best regattas in J/105s so far. Sailing Photo Credits by Chris Ray For more J/Fest San Francisco sailing informationJ/122 Third In St Tropez 900 Race
(St Tropez, France)- With the support of the City of Saint-Tropez, under the aegis of the FFV (Federation Francois de Voile) and the race sponsors, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez held its famous first offshore race in the Mediterranean- the 900 nm St Tropez Race. This "tour of the Mediterranean" makes the Giraglia and the Middle Sea Races, both notorious for having to cope with demanding and often capricious weather on the Med, look like practice races. The St Tropez race, to give you some perspective, is nearly 35% longer, crosses a number of major shipping lanes and rounds some of the most famous (and largest) islands in the Med. The race goes from St Tropez, to the island of Minorca, then around Sardinia, then around Corsica and back to St Tropez.
Like their other famous J/122 sisterships in Malta and Italy, Olivier Parchet's French team on his J/122 NOISY OYSTER finished third overall in IRC, just behind famous French Solo Champion Lionel Pean, in an elapsed time of 6 days, 20 hours and 58 minutes. Said Olivier, "It was a difficult finish for us since we were in first position for over 75% of the race after passing the Minorca turning mark! A bit frustrating but nevertheless a fantastic race for us. We're happy with the outcome, not bad for a "comfort without compromise" 40 foot sailboat! The J/122 is simply amazing, perfect for how we sail in the Med. By the way, NOISY OYSTER will participate to Giraglia in June, Copa del Rey in Palma in July and Middle sea Race in October in Malta!" Best regards, Olivier
In addition to the J/122, the 2011 St Tropez Overall Winner, the J/109 ALBACOR IV sailed by Jena-Louis Pezin, managed to hang tough in this demanding race to score a sixth overall in an elapsed time of 7 days, 13 hour sand 12 minutes. For St Tropez 900 Race sailing results For St Tropez 900 Race sailing information
Busy Warsash Spring WeekendJ/109 JAHMALI, J/80 J2X, J/92 J'RONIMO Lead Their Classes
(Warsash, So'ton, England)- It really was a busy weekend on the Solent for the Warsash Spring Championship and Series. The Warsash Spring Championship offers an intense schedule of four days’ racing for selected classes. This year all IRC1 and IRC2 boats are eligible as well as J/109 one designs. Sportsboats include J/80 classes, too.
The forecast 5 knots on Saturday did not materialize in the morning and everyone waited for the wind until around 1130. When the breeze arrived it was in the 8/10 knot range west/southwesterly to westerly but shifty. Racing for Black Group got underway just before noon near Fastnet Insurance buoy with short windward/leeward courses set. In the afternoon the wind increased and dark clouds formed resulting in gusts to 20 knots in the showers. This enabled longer six mile courses to be set for the second and third races. It was a long day for competitors who were finishing the third race after 1600, so it was sensibly decided not to go for a fourth race. White Group racing under the lee of the northern shore had less stable conditions and there was an interval of two hours between the first and second races. Even so, three races were completed for the J/80s.
Conditions on Sunday morning were bright and sunny with a forecast for increasing wind and squally showers. In Black Group, IRC1, IRC2 and J/109s were scheduled for two races. Even with an adverse tide, the fleet pushed the line and were all recalled. Starting at Fastnet Insurance, the first leg was a long beat to Air Canada buoy by the Brambles Bank. Most tacticians decided to put in a long port tack across the tide towards Calshot shore. The restart of IRC1 was under the ‘Z’ flag penalty system. The J/109s were given a shorter first leg and by the time the leaders were round Flying Fish buoy, they were sailing back downwind in parallel with IRC1.
The remaining Black Group classes enjoyed one longer race using a combination of fixed and laid marks with a windward/leeward loop towards the finish. The J/Sprit class got away cleanly but in others there were several declared OCS, including some of the front runners for overall honours.
With the first races completed for the relevant classes the Black Group committee boat moved north and west for the start of the second and shorter race. The wind had by now swung towards the southwest which allowed the continued use of Air Canada as the first mark followed by a short series of runs and beats before finishing at East Knoll buoy. In the first fleet, the changed tidal conditions meant most boats cleared the start line and kept on their starboard tack all the way to the port layline. Judging that point was crucial. Some in all classes overstood the mark and lost places.
In the second race, the entire J/109 class was OCS and a general recall was signaled. They got away OK at the second attempt under a ‘Z’ flag preparatory signal. The afternoon conditions also suited the sportboat classes racing near the entrance to Southampton Water, although by the final race, conditions were brisk and even the front runners in each class were having difficulty gybing smoothly.
Now joined by the Spring Championship contenders, J/80s had increased in class size to 20 plus. With the J/80 World Championships being held at Dartmouth in June, there has been a steady increase in both quantity and quality. Rob Larke has been the man to beat but this weekend Stewart Hawthorn, returning to the class, has slowly been narrowing the gap. Although Rob holds a substantial lead in the main series, things are much tighter in the Spring Championship with Rob (J2X) and Stewart (J’ai Deux Amours) only a couple of points apart. Ian Atkins (boats.com) had a bad result in the first race of the day and trails slightly but in a 14 race series, with no discard, this could still prove a small setback.
In IRC 1 class, Ivan Trotman's J/122 JOLOU is now lying in 4th overall for the series after a slow weekend. And in 9th is Ken Lowe's new J/111 GHOST.
The J/109 class continues to see Mike & Sarah Wallis' JAHMALI leading the series with a 2-2-1-3-4-1 scoreline for 9 pts, followed in 2nd by David Mcleman's OFFBEAT with a 4-1-3-4-6-4 tally for 16 pts. Lying third is David & Mary McGough's JUST SO with an 11-3-5-2-5-3 record for 18 pts.
In the mixed J/Sprit class, the class leader continues to be the J/92 J'RONIMO (David Greenhalgh & John Taylor) with a 1-1-1-4-5-7 record for 7 pts. Second is Nick and Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE with a 5-2-2-2-2 scoreline for 8 pts. Third is Andy Howe's J/92 BLACKJACK with a 3-3-3-6-6 score for 15 pts. Fourth is Chris Jones' J/105 JOURNEYMAKER 5 and fifth is Charles Ivill's J/97 BLACK MAGIC.
Next weekend has the grand finale on 28th/29th April with a full schedule of racing over the weekend which sees the conclusion of both events in the Warsash Spring Series and Spring Championship Powered by SLAM. Sailing photo credits- Eddie Mays For more Warsash Spring Series sailing information
KAOTIC Wins J/24 Vic StatesOr, Was It Simply Benny & The Jets Flying Away?
(Sandringham, Victoria, Australia)- The Australian J24 fleet is returning to its glory days and enthusiastic owners and crews are reaping the benefits. This year the 2012 Monjon J24 Victorian Championship attracted 3 National champions, 4 New South Wales, 2 South Australian and 1 youth competitor along with the majority of the Victorian fleet to make the most competitive regatta in years. All praise to the committee who worked to secure a major sponsor Monjon Securities and two minor sponsors U.K Halsey sailmakers and Quantum Sailmakers. Not since 1996 have 20 first class J24′s raced a Victorian Championship. Credit must go to Greame Watt and crew who did an excellent job in running 7 heats which started in 5 knots and progressively increased over two days to the final race in 30 knots.
The MONJON Victorian Championship went along without a hitch last weekend, largely due to the huge amount of preparation from a dedicated team of volunteers, led by the Victorian Association’s own Sarah Thompson and Doug Macgregor.
The weather, race committee and eager owners and crews combined to provide exhilarating racing and spectacular viewing for those lucky enough to be out there. Throughout the fleet we could see the individual battles, all as important as the next.Up front Ben Lamb hung in on a testing Saturday and then took control on Sunday in a performance as good as I have seen in a J24, to hold the Pacemaker and Convicts teams at bay. Kaotic's win all the more important as they helped NSW get one back, after Pacemaker had taken out the NSW and National Titles earlier this summer.
I remember racing Ben Lamb in similar conditions at the 2006 Worlds when Kaotic won Race 7 and we finished third, and I can safely say they have lost none of their speed, particularly downwind.
The racing between Kaotic, Pacemaker and Convicts Revenge in the big breeze on Sunday was as tough as it gets, as we pushed each other to the limit. Stephen Girdis, a multiple National Champion and successful worlds campaigner has certainly regained his J24 mojo and would have probably taken the title, if not for two separate incidents with hyperactive which resulted in costly penalty turns.
The battle for top 5 honours was intense but Adam Evans and Hugo Ottoway showed cool heads on Sunday with solid performances in the strong northerly, enough to keep the chasing pack at bay, which was no easy task considering the improvement of the next bunch. Our first female skipper Kirsty Harris on Hyperactive was a very credible sixth, followed by Jumping Jack Flash who had fourth all but stitched up with consistently strong finishes, until their OCS in the final race. In eighth and sailing a chartered boat we had Dave West, followed by By the Lee and Make My Jay rounds out the top 10.Normally a report might stop at the top ten but the next four boats need special mention, especially when 11th place is Joel Aulich helming Gridlock. Sailing with dad Steve on strings and sisters Megan and Kate keeping the front half in order with Steph Strong, this was their first regatta and I look forward to watching this crew cause headaches further up the order in the near future. Ron Thomson finished 12th to comfortably keep the ‘Thommo Cup’ in Victoria, followed by Michael Lewenhagen in Excite your Sense. This was a very solid result considering most of their energy went towards ensuring we had an awesome Saturday evening BBQ, which we did! Thank you Mark Haughton (VIC Measurer) for your efforts getting the fleet measured, and in some cases painted, so we had another boat on the water.
Andrew Hunting and his youth team are new to the class and in finishing 14th they kept 6 boats behind them in their first regatta, despite carrying maximum points in the final two races following gear failure. Smart thinking from their team got the boat home safely and I must say it is great to see the rejuvenated “Sidetracked” being sailed by such a great bunch of guys.
The racing was very tough, and as we continue to tweak our equipment, Ben Lamb highlighted the value of perfecting the pin end start. At the pointy end, the crew work was super slick and the speeds were so even, that in most cases if you want to win races, it comes down to who gets off the line best. This is especially the case when the pin end is favored and the left side of the course is paying, as it has been in almost every race of both the Nationals and the Vic States. At the Nationals each race went to whoever won the battle at the pin end, and on Sunday Kaotic did it in every race for three wins!
So where to from here you ask? Well at the moment a Victorian boat holds the NSW Title, a NSW boat holds the Victorian Title and the Nationals went the way of the Victorians by a solitary point. VIC 2 lead NSW 1. Bring on the NSW Titles later this year! One Design all the way. Thanks for the contribution by Dave Suda-- more reports coming next week! For more J/24 Australia and Vic States sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* J/145 BAD PAK won the San Diego Yacht Club's prestigious 2011 Yacht of the Year. With an excellent racing record that included winning their class in the Transpac Race 2011, Tom Holthus and crew sailed hard and fast, earning their keep to be one of the top crews on the California offshore racing circuit. Seen here is Tom and his family crew receiving the award at San Diego YC's Opening Day Ceremonies. Of note, this also marks the third time in five years that a J/Team has won SDYC's prestigious Yacht of the Year Award, previous winners were a J/120 and J/125!
* Sequins and Pearls! All right. It is not about Mardi Gras or Carnivale, or even our impending Presentation Night, for then it would be sequins and pearls, after all. What it is about is that you know that I just love a good sequence of images and our pal, who's "Not the Oldest Bowman on the Bay", Chris Furey, has supplied us with a "pearler". We'll just let him explain his pictures, then. Said Chris, "I know that J/24s are often maligned as old-fashioned boats these days, but they still provide tight tactical racing in good sized fleets and at an affordable entry level. I sailed my first J/24 back in the late 70s and was the original Victorian dealer for the class, so I have a bit of a soft spot for the boats. We have a growing and very active fleet at Sandringham Yacht Club, with 18 boats now parked on the hardstand and prospective owners clamoring for space for more boats. A fantastic initiative 
from the local fleet has been to provide two fully-kitted J/24s for intermediate and youth sailors to charter and race for a season, as a stepping stone from the off-the-beach dinghy scene to keelboat racing.""Last Sunday, I was fortunate enough to hitch a ride with ISAF Judge, Rob Ware, on the Jury boat to observe and photograph the 20 boat J24 fleet fighting out the last three races on the final day of their 2012 Victorian State Championships, which were held off Sandringham. It’s a privileged position for a keen sailing observer and photographer to be in, as we were right up close and personal with the sailors as they raced hard on a gusty Port Phillip." For more great photos and the rest of this great sailing story.
* NEW! Around Jamestown Record Sailing Race sponsored by Mount Gay Rum & Double Cross Vodka with Café Zelda. And, the outright Record Holder Awarded the Skipper’s Weight in Mount Gay Rum?! Cool! Manuka Sports Event Management are excited to announce The Around Jamestown Record, a perpetual all out record for sailing around Conanicut Island (also known as Jamestown) in lower Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.
Similar to other outright speed records, contenders will decide when they to make a record attempt and also the direction in which they will sail around Jamestown. This means contenders can choose the most advantageous weather conditions and tidal flow in which to attempt the record.
Four categories of sailing boats will be recognized to vie for divisional honors with the overall perpetual trophy going to the boat with the outright fastest time.
The four divisions recognized are:
- Monohull keelboats greater than or equal to 50 feet
- Monohull keelboats less than 50 feet
- Multihulls over 20 feet
- Other sailing craft
The record will be open during the summer months from Memorial Day, May 28th, 2012 until September 30th, 2012 during the hours of daylight. An Official Prize Giving Party will be held on the weekend immediately following September 30th and will be open to the local community as well as the contenders. Double Cross Vodka and Mount Gay Rum will provide cocktails and prizes. The yacht that wins the outright record will be awarded Mount Gay Rum equal to the Skipper’s weight.
Additionally, a portion of each $500.00 USD entry fee (the cost for each record attempt) will go to benefit the Boomer Esiason Foundation and their fight against Cystic Fibrosis and Newport’s community sailing center, Sail Newport.
Race Director, Hugh Piggin stated, “Being able to choose your weather window adds an interesting twist to an iconic sailing course here in Narragansett Bay. The Record will be a challenging way for the local boating community to vie for bragging rights and fun prizes while supporting two worthwhile causes.” Please contact Julianna Barbieri @ Manuka Sports Event Management for more information- email- Julianna@ManukaSEM.com or work phone- 917-693-1656. For more sailing information on the Around Jamestown Record
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/
