Scandinavian Sailboat Shows Starring- J/70!(Marstrand, Sweden)- Like a shooting star whistling across the Northern Lights on a crystal clear, deep black night in the Arctic Circle (where you can see stars across the horizon nearly 180 degrees!), the J/70 has stirred tremendous passion amongst the sailing cognoscenti in Scandinavia.
Recently, Peter Johansson from Marstrand Yachts in Sweden reported that "our first three J/70’s just arrived, we launched one boat and test sailed yesterday in -4 degrees Celsius. This coming weekend we have eighteen people booked for test sailings in the freezing winter weather. There is a lot of action right now around the J/70, many prospects coming in every week." One of those "ice-pumping-in-their-veins" Vikings happened to be Peter Gustafsson who went for a spin with the famous offshore BLUR SAILING Team (blur.se), seen pictured here off gorgeous, sunny Marstrand!
For those sailors looking to get a taste of great food, amazing camaraderie and catching up with fellow sailors over some kirsch, cheese fondue and fine wine, you might consider taking a visit to one of the three up-coming
sailboat shows in Scandinavia that features the J/70- Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Oslo. Here are the dates for these events:Gothenburg Sailboat Show- 2-10/February
Stockholm Sailboat Show- 2-10/March
Oslo International Sailboat Show- 13-17/March
J/24 Midwinters Preview(Tampa, Florida)- This year's J/24 Midwinters are shaping up to be as competitive an event as its seen in recent years. The Davis Island YC that is playing host to the event from February 12-15 is no stranger to having to manage this group of high-test racers who look forward to their winter pilgrimage down to Florida to challenge the locals as well as the top teams that show up from around the country, a tradition that started back in 1978 in the first J/24 Midwinters and has never let up since!
With a massive Low pressure weather system flowing across the south and into the northeast coast this coming weekend, it may just clean out the weather and offer up some great sailing conditions on Tampa Bay for these intrepid J/24 sailors. The Bay can be notoriously fickle at this time of year since most of the weather is driven by relatively fast-moving frontal systems from the Arctic North curving south and sweeping across the North American continent. It's not unknown for Tampa Bay to have light to moderate winds one day and blowing "dogs off chains" in rather "fresh to frightening" conditions the next day as yet another enormous winter front pushes through the amazingly choppy waters off the Tampa city-front. Without fail, the Midwinters always provides challenging conditions to the competitors.
Fresh off their win at the first J/70 Midwinters, perhaps it's somewhat symbolic the "three musketeers" of John Mollicone, Tim Healy and Geoff Becker have joined together again on I FEEL LIKE(?) as a formidable crew to take on other top teams for the J/24 Midwinters. Giving them a serious run-for-the-money, and perhaps looking forward to knocking them off the podium, will be several top teams all with equally impressive credentials. Special mention must first go to Tony Parker sailing yet another incarnation of the famous BANGOR PACKET, more often than not, Tony's always a factor amongst the regatta leaders-- not bad for a guy who's sailed J/24s starting in Maine since 1979! Yes, that does span four actual decades for those who are counting! Watch out! The wise-man cometh. Other notable teams include Peter Bream's crew on TEAM TARHEEL, Robby Brown sailing USA 799, Travis Odenbach on HONEY BADGER and a pretty formidable group from Newport/ San Diego that know a thing or two about sailing J/24s- Will Welles is teamed up with Chris Snow and Anderson Reggio. Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes.com
For more J/24 Midwinters sailing information
St Petersburg NOOD PreviewHot J/70 Debut, Strong J/24 Fleet Sailing
(St Petersburg, Florida)- Riding the tail-feathers of the J/24 Midwinters will be the Sperry Topsider St Petersburg NOOD Regatta hosted by St Petersburg YC. As one of Florida's leading yacht clubs, StPYC has a reputation for not only being a fabulous host but also one of those famously gentile clubs that simply knows how to take care of their sailors and run a great regatta. Famous for being the starting point of the SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Circuit), sailors from around the world would belly-up to the bar and admire the gorgeous full-hull tank-testing scale models of 12 meters that hung from the ceiling-- amongst the sailing heroes casting admiring glances were Ted Turner on the Carter 39 MUNEQUITA; Dennis Conner on the many Peterson-designed WILLIWAWs; as well as Tommie Blackaller (bless his heart) on Good Lord knows what, but certainly and most infamously with Tommie Dreyfus on YOUR CHEATIN HEART! Their ghosts are still there for those offshore sailing history buffs as well as the gorgeous 12 meter and other wooden models-- who can name them!?
For the J/Tribe, it looks like there will be two good fleets of boats in both J/24s and J/70s. For the former, they're the "veterans" and have a tradition of supporting local sailing for a long time. For the latter, they're the "new kids on the block", the J/70 is debuting for what appears to be the largest fleet in the regatta with over seventeen entries!
Amongst the J/24s will be Todd and Genoa Fedyszyn sailing SPOONY TACTICS. If you recall, the Fedyszyn's received their boat as a wedding present from her parents. "It's a good boat," said Genoa. "It might not be pretty, but it's fast." Both Todd and Genoa coach sailing for St. Petersburg YC's junior program; they spend most weekends attending the sailing aspirations of others. One regatta they never miss is the St Pete NOOD. "With our schedules, this is the one event we set aside in advance," said Todd. "We look forward to it every year." They will have tough competition from David Ogden, J/24 sailor extraordinaire from Royal Canadian YC in Toronto, ONT, Canada and from local ring-leader Robby Brown from across the Bay at Davis Island YC.As for the J/70s, the experience at Key West proved one thing only, the class is on a steep learning curve, acknowledged even by the winner Tim Healy and those like Brian Keane on SAVASANA who were vying for class honors. With ten boats from the Midwinters and seven new boats showing up, the class will continue a dramatic ascent up that learning curve. With additional participation from a number of Midwest boats from the Great Lakes (IL, MI, OH) the event promises to break even more new ground for performance. Chief amongst the leaders may be teams on the fast-track at Key West, including J/24 and J/80 champion sailors like Kerry Klingler on MENACE; Mark Ploch/ Mike Bruno on SUGAR DADDY; Joe Colling on USA 69; Brandon Flack on TORQEEDO; Peter Vessella on USA 171 and Heather Gregg-Earl on her gorgeous, sublime MUSE. For more Sperry Topsider St Petersburg NOOD Sailing Information.
Cowes Week J/70 & J/111 One-Design Classes!(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, the world’s best-known sailing regatta, taking place from 3rd to 10th August have announced a radical departure with the traditional Cowes Week racing- cool one-design racing in really fun boats!
In the "Monty Python tradition", upsetting and calling into question the status quo is nothing new for the "J" Team. Two new J classes have been introduced to this year’s Cowes Week regatta. The rapidly growing J/70 fleet will have its own start this year and will have a race format of two races a day for the
first four days. The sailing should be a lot of fun. Imagine getting 20-25 kt westerly down the Solent, beating to the first mark off Yarmouth/ Lymington, then simply smoking down the Solent, criss-crossing back and forth, leaving vapor-trails behind as the fleet flies towards the famous finish line off theRoyal Yacht Squadron's deck on Cowes!
There will also be a dedicated class for the increasing number of J/111s coming to Cowes, allowing the exciting 36ft performance boats to enjoy some close one-design racing during the Week. The event concludes the J/111 European Circuit that will have commenced with the SPI OUEST France Regatta in the famous Brittany seaport of La Trinite sur Mer in April. For more Cowes Week sailing information
Championship of Champions- Italian Style!(Genoa, Italy)- The 37th Gulf of Tigullio Winter Championship began on Sunday, November 11, 2012; it's the annual sailing circuit organized by The Committee of the Tigullio Sailing Clubs chaired by Franco Noceti. Perhaps most importantly, the circuit has become a major sailing event for winter sailing along Italy's western coastline and has been well-attended by many top teams in the Italian offshore circuit.
For this year, a "special prize" has been introduced that takes all the top sailors from all classes along with forty(!) Italian journalists (as crew) to compete for the "Championship of Champions" aboard J/80s sailing off Lavagna, Italy at the conclusion of the regatta-- it will mark the ending of the Gulf of Tigullio Winter Championship 2012/ 2013. One hopes there will be plenty of "GoPro" video afterwards of the crews performing amazing maneuvers in cramped spaces and with lots of colorful language describing how well the spinnaker came down at a mark-rounding while getting pin-wheeled outside of a dozen boats!
The Tigullio Winter Championship Finals will take place from March 9 to 10, 2013. All of the nine winning teams will challenge aboard J/80s provided by Blue Project. Blue Project's primary intention is to organize the Championship of the Champions every year to promote this unique, fascinating, spectacular sport of sailing and, furthermore, to help promote and support the J/80 class in Italy.
For more Blue Project Championship of Champions sailing and promo information, please contact Ivana Quattrini at email- ivanaquattrini@concepteventi.it or go to the Blue Project event website.
US Watercraft Rendezvous
(Warren, RI)- Over the past few decades, several thousand J's were built in the old Tillotson-Pearson facility in Warren, Rhode Island. Recently, US Watercraft from Portsmouth, RI, builder of J/22s, J/24s, J/80s and J/105s, acquired the boat-building facility on Market Street and is now gearing up production for the four J/Boats they have under license. In addition, they will also offer parts and maintenance capabilities for all those J's that had been built at that facility, ranging from the J/22s up to the J/160.
To meet the new team, US Watercraft is hosting an "open house/ rendezvous" at the Market St facility. Come celebrate with us and visit their new location in Warren! US Watercraft has a fantastic day planned with seminars, factory tours, and demonstrations. Seminars include the following:
- Racing and Electronic Navigation
- Diesel Maintenance
- Boat Maintenance Basics
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
Amazing to think that January is now one for the record books, at least for some things that is. It will surely be remembered for an absolutely epic Key West Race Week and the fun and camaraderie had by all. Key West will also be quite memorable for being the first J/70 Midwinters, a record turnout for a first year Midwinter one-design event, ever, in the history of sailing! 39 boats it was, double the J/24's first Midwinters in 1978 and certainly eclipses any other known one-design class within their first nine months of production (keelboat or centerboard). As J/70 activity continues to ramp-up, the "classics" continue to attract legions of new J sailors into the J/Tribe. In Monte Carlo, Monaco, the J/24s had a great turnout for the Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse, marking the start of the European sailing season on the Mediterranean. The J/24s down in Argentina are still enjoying their extended summer, hosting the Copa Manolo on Mar del Plata off Buenos Aires. In the Caribbean, the first major regatta of that winter/spring sailing circuit commenced, the San Juan International Regatta, with a virtual navy of J's sailing in J/24 one-design class and in CSA Spinnaker off San Juan, Puerto Rico. Also making its way down there was the J/160 AVATAR, now resplendent in its winter home in Grand Cruz Bay, US Virgin Islands. Meanwhile, J/80 teams worldwide are now training for the J/80 Marseilles Worlds in July- included below are brief activity reports from France, Germany, Italy, Sweden (and soon England, Netherlands and Spain).Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below has many entertaining stories and news about J/Sailors as well as cruising blogs about those who 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:
Feb 2-10- Gothenburg Sailboat Show (70)- Gothenburg, SwedenFeb 11-15- J/24 Midwinters- Davis Is YC- Tampa, FL
Feb 15-17- J/70 St Pete NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg, FL
Feb 16-24- New England Boatshow (70)- Boston, MA
Feb 28-Mar 13- J/22 Midwinters- Davis Is YC- Tampa, FL
Mar 2-10- Stockholm Sailboat Show (70)- Stockholm, Sweden
Mar 6-9- Bacardi Miami Sailing Week (70, 80)- Miami, FL
Mar 6-10- HISWA Amsterdam Boatshow (70)- Amsterdam, Holland
Mar 8-10- J/105 Midwinters- Lakewood YC- Seabrook, TX
Mar 13-17- Oslo Sailboat Show (70)- Oslo, Norway
Mar 15-17- San Diego NOOD Regatta- San Diego, CA
Mar 17-Apr 28- Warsash Spring Series- Warsash, England
Mar 28-Apr 1- SPI Ouest France- La Trinite sur Mer, France
Apr 11-14- Strictly Sail Pacific (70, 111)- Alameda, CA
Apr 18-21- Charleston Race Week (22, 24, 70, 80)- Charleston, SC
May 3-5- Annapolis NOOD Regatta- Annapolis, MD
May 17-19- Seattle NOOD Regatta- Seattle, WA
Jun 7-9- Chicago NOOD Regatta (105, 109, 111)- Chicago, IL
Jun 7-9- New York YC Annual Regatta (111, 122)- Newport, RI
Jun 23-28- Block Island Race Week- (80, 35, 105, 109, 111, 44)- Block Island, RI
Jul 6-13- J/80 World Championships- Marseilles, France
Jul 13-15- Chicago Mackinac Race- Chicago YC- Chicago, IL
Jul 18-22- New York YC Race Week (105, 111)- Newport, RI
Aug 9-11- Verve Cup Offshore (109, 111)- Chicago, IL
Aug 14-18- J/111 North Americans- Chicago YC- Chicago, IL
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
St ANDREWS Wins Primo Cup(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- The first weekend of the 29th edition of the Primo Cup – Trophée Credit Suisse has just finished in breezy 20-knot conditions which saw six fabulous races over the two days for the twenty boat J/24 fleet.
Having searched for wind on Friday further offshore, only to have it filling in with a vengeance in the bay, the Race Committee led by Thierry Leret decided to keep the competitors safe in the more sheltered Cap Martin area. With gusts of up to 35-40 knots, it proved a wise decision not to start any races that day. With a full complement of races behind them over the last two days of the event, the international crews again had an opportunity to start their racing season early in windy, not-so-wintery conditions! Amongst the J/24 class, five nationalities participated.
Ian Ilsley and François Brennac on St ANDREWS won overall and were awarded the 2013 J/24 Class Challenge Trophy, presented by J Boats (Italy) which from now on will award the winner of this series at the Primo Cup – Trophée Credit Suisse every year. St ANDREWS sailed a consistent series, scoring a 1-2-1-3-3-1 for 8 net pts after throwout. “With are very pleased with this victory, a very important year for us, as we are not only preparing the European Championship in Monaco but also the World Championship in Ireland, to be held in August in Howth”, commented Ian Ilsley. An active and dynamic member of the Yacht Club de Monaco, he is also behind the Monaco Team Race, a new J/24 event due to take place in Monaco from the 8th to 10th March 2013 which has attracted nine teams from key European Yacht Clubs.
Just behind them and never far from taking the gold was the Greek team sailing EVNIKI. Her crew, ranked 5th at the 2012 European Championship, were there to experience the Monaco waters in anticipation of the 2013 J/24 European Championship, being held in Monaco from 5th to 12th October. They were not here just for "show & tell", they even managed to win two races, scoring a 2-3-ocs-1-1-4 for 11 net pts.
Rounding out the top five were Blandine Medecin's team on TOPO TOO sailing to a 5-1-ocs-2-6-2 for 16 net pts to secure third overall. Blandine was the top woman sailor at the event. Lying in fourth was long-time class veteran from the United Kingdom, Stu Jardine sailing JULIA (a.k.a. "Stouche") to an 8-5-12-4-2-5 record for 24 net pts. “Another great Primo Cup with great weather conditions and it is very good to see that the sixteen Monaco boats are competing to a much higher level,” said Stu Jardine, a seasoned series’ racer with many top level titles to his name. Finishing behind them in fifth was the second woman skipper, Anne Rodelato sailing JOKER to a 10-4-2-8-9-3 scoreline for 26 pts. The Primo Cup in J/24s were also a family affair in the top five! Special mention should be made of the Rodelato family from Monaco, enthusiastic members of Yacht Club Monaco and avid J/24 sailors. Both Claude and Jean Rodelato sailed with Blandine on her third place finishing TOPO TOO. And, Anne Rodelato, of course, was the skipper of JOKER in fifth place. Congratulations to all and keep having fun sailing in the beautiful waters off Monaco! Sailing photo credits- Carlo Borlenghi/ YC Monaco For more Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse sailing information
J's Dominate San Juan International RegattaKQLO Wins J/24s, J/105 UMAQUA Smokes CSA Spinnaker
(San Juan, Puerto Rico)- With the winter sailing season in the Caribbean beginning to wind-up into a higher gear, it would be natural that it all starts on the western end of the island chain and have everyone simply migrate eastward in "baby-steps" to the next island, headed upwind against the mighty trade-winds of course, to ultimately end up sailing in Antigua Week at the far eastern end sometime in April. What a plan for awesome sailing and a party, eh? Makes sense to many sailors, especially the happy-go-lucky, incredibly social, fun-loving Puerto Rican sailors. Seems they got it right. Start in San Juan, then go to Fajardo, then successively head down the Windward-Leewards to sail the RORC 600, Heineken St Maarten, Rolex St Thomas, BVI Spring Regatta Tortola, St Barts then, finally, Antigua!
Starting with the San Juan International Regatta, the racing takes place in San Juan Bay where temperatures reach a comfortable high in the low 80s and winds customarily blow 10 to 15 knots in February. The event was hosted by Club Nautico de San Juan from February 1 to 3 and welcomed over 140 sailors in 102 boats racing in 10 classes. Postcard-perfect sailing conditions prevailed, just as advertised. Generally, "perfect" with mostly sunny skies and winds blowing under 10 knots the first day and gusting to nearly 20 knots on the final day of competition. The mark of a truly great regatta is the opportunity for lots of racing. True to reputation, the SJIR Race Committee ran as many as 13 to 16 races over three days for the dinghy classes and seven races for the newly-added CSA spinnaker class.
'What is so good is the participation of sailors from so many islands and in so many classes. It really levels the playing field and creates a great competition,' says regatta chairman, Luis Fabre. 'It is also wonderful to welcome the first-time addition of the CSA Spinnaker class. This has added a whole new dimension to the regatta. Next year we hope to add a CSA Jib and Main class as well.'
In the nine-boat CSA class, it was a fleet of six J's that dominated the class. Puerto Rico’s Julio Reguero from the host club CNSJ sailed his J/105 UMAKUA fast and consistent. They showed everyone how to get it done, scoring an impressive 4.5-1-1-DNS-1-1-1 for 9.5 pts net to win by a landslide. Hanging in strong over the course of the regatta and grabbing third overall was the J/122 LAZY DOG skippered by Sergio Sagramoso from the Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club. The DOG's scores of 2-6-4-1-3-DNF-3 for 19 net pts was just 3 pts from 2nd! Also finishing in the top five and taking fourth in class was the J/105 DARK STAR sailed by another "local", Jonathan Lipuscek, managing a 7-2-2-5-7-3-2 scoreline for 21 net pts. Other J's having a great time included the J/80 KOSA LOKA (or OTRA COSA?) sailed by Caribbean racing veteran Kike Gonzales from Club Nautico Puerto Rico; the J/39 CRYSTAL helmed by Jerome O'Neill from Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club and the J/80 VENTUS skippered by Hector Melendez from CNSJ.
The J/24 class had a great series with twelve races sailed. In the end, it was Puerto Rico’s Jose Fullana on KQLO that probably stunned the fleet by taking eight 1sts, four 2nds and tossing a 2nd! One might call that a "spanking", or perhaps a "schooling" for their colleagues on how to do it right! Rising to the challenge, but not quite getting there, was Jaime Balzac's RAZZMATAZZ accumulating an equally impressive two 1sts, six 2nds and three 3rds while tossing a 3rd to take second overall. Third position on the podium was TAX RETURN sailed by Carlos Feliciano; they started slowly but like a runaway freight-train down a hill, finished with a flourish, winning the last two races! Thanks for the contribution from Carol Bareuther. For more San Juan International Regatta sailing information
J/80 Teams Training for Marseilles Worlds(Marseilles, France)- In just about six months, over 150 J/80s are expected to participate in the J/80 Worlds hosted in Marseilles, France from July 6th to 13th. A majority of the fleet will most certainly come from France as it has evolved as the largest one-design class in the country, some fleets will send over a dozen boats. Strong contingents will also include Spain, home to the past few year's World Champions, as well as strong contenders from England, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Over 15 nations are expected to be represented at the event.
Marseilles is a remarkable place to sail, situated as a city-by-the-Mediterranean sea at the southern end of a long chain of mountains that are part of the French Alps. If weather fronts aren't passing through and generating good breeze, the near "adiabatic" winds that can be generated in the form of "mistrals" and "sea breezes" provide the sailors plenty of challenges as they look for advantage on the race course. As a result, the Match Race France event is always held in Marseilles in their fleet of J/80s, part of the World Match Race Tour. For more J/80 Worlds Marseille sailing information
As part of team training, it's evident many French fleets and others around Europe are already making preparations to be in top shape for the event. Here's a quick synopsis of what is happening so far in France:
J/80 La Rochelle, France:
Despite the fact it's middle of winter on the Bay of Biscay, several J/80s have already gone sailing in the New Year! Four boats went training, BALAJO, CHARLY, J'ILE DE RE and JYPSIENS. Saturday it was very cold and rainy but all were bundled-up to stay warm! At 1400 hrs, the boats went out in a fresh 20 kts NE breeze for about three hours of sailing on small douses and performing both boat speed and boat-handling maneuvers.
On Sunday the teams sailed from 1000 hrs to 1530 hrs with a WNW wind 10 knots and above all a beautiful sun! The program again for the day was speed tests, adjustments, and course exercises. All of this was filmed and recorded with GPS for debrief and analysis afterwards onshore. Thanks to contribution from Ann-Pascale.
J/80 Pornic, France:
Like their friends in La Rochelle, the Pornic fleet is starting its training this coming weekend. About twelve boats are expected on the water for training. Great weather with 5-10 kts northerly winds swinging WNW, sun and a pleasant temperature are expected.
J/80 La Trinite sur Mer, France:
This year, the La Trinite J/80 fleet is hosting its 5th edition of La Trinité J/80 Challenge! There are always five weekends planned for a combination of training and racing with commentary/ analysis afterwards. To make it fun, the top three events will be selected for the general results. The format for each weekend is:
- Saturday- training with a specific theme and coach
- Sunday- racing short courses with results counting for the Challenge.
On the last weekend, the races will take place on Saturday and the awards ceremony on Saturday evening. This year, each weekend is named after one of our sponsor/ partners!
1 - Nautic Sport - 2/3 February
2 - La Plancha - 16/17 February
3 - Casino Partouche - 2/3 March
4 - Armorlux - 16/17 March
5 - Zing Café - 23/24 March
Finally, for SPI OUEST France, on Friday, March 29 at 18:30, there will be a "Soiree Nacional" that will honor the best crews of all fleets in France. Thanks for contribution from Arnaud Walter.
For more information on French J/80 sailing & training events.
J/80 German Youth Training(Berlin, Germany)- The national class in Germany is working hard on promoting youth sailing in J/80s and broadening the appeal of one-design racing, with a focus also on preparing for the Worlds Marseilles.
After the very successful youth development program that was introduced in 2012 for the first time, the J/80 Class in Germany has decided again to promote and provide boats for youth for the 2013 season! Here's is how it works:
"To promote Junior J/80 sailing, the German Class Association is providing up to 3 boats with a charter fee of 500 EUR each, used to support the participation of the youth in German and international regattas.
Any German J/80 crew can apply, but must meet certain qualifications- 25 years old maximum, student in school/ university, and members of the J/80 Class. Applications may be submitted informally to the Board of the J80 Class Association and must be received by April 30th. Thanks for contribution from Christopher Peper. For more German J/80 sailing information
J/80 Sweden "SeglarPub" Training
(Stockholm, Sweden)- While they may be enjoying ice-bound -20 C weather conditions, the Swedes will still get together and "talk shop". To that point, Anna Drougge and Isabelle Mungsgård have taken the excellent initiative to collect all the sailors in Stockholm and invite them to the first "SeglarPub". Yes, "sailor pub" networking event! Cool idea.
The first "SeglarPub" event is scheduled for February 21st in Stockholm at the "Odengatan". Come and talk old memories and plan for new great things on the lake. An occasional beer might slip down too!
For more Swedish J/80 SeglarPub "training" information
J/80 Italy Race Training(Tigullio, Italy)- The New Year's festivities have come and gone, but the competitive activity for the J/80 sailors have never ceased! In fact, J/80 racing is continuing with 10 boats participating in the Winter Championship Tigullio, clear evidence of good class growth and participation. The next event for the Winter Championship in Santa Margherita Ligure started on February 3rd. Then in the second half of May the fleet will be primarily engaged in sailing these two events before the Worlds Marseille in July:
- May 18-19- Marina Yachting Trophy- Chiavari, Italy
- May 24-26- J/80 Italian Championship- Sestri Levante, Italy
For more J/80 Italy class and sailing information
MENDIETA Wins J/24 Copa Manolo Regatta(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- With the imposing backdrop of the coastline of Mar del Plata and with hundreds of tourists and locals watching from the various points along the coast, the fourth edition of the Manolo Cup Championship was a great success. The event was sponsored by Churros Manolo and was well-managed by the host, Club Nautico Mar del Plata.
It all started on Saturday under a day completely gray with intermittent rain, wind NE about 9-10 knots and waves crossing the race course at about 1m in height-- a severe cross-chop, really! The course area was laid out close to shore, with the starting line located across from Playa Chica and a windward leg that took the fleet past Cabo Corrientes. After the first day of racing, it was clear that MENDIETA helmed by Juan Diego Figueroa began to emerge as the potential winner after getting two 1sts in two races. While the schedule called for 3-4 races, the wind died out to zero and the fleet had to head for home for some mandatory Argentinean salsa and delicious red malbec wine!As the crews woke up on Sunday, the weather appeared nearly unbeatable for sailing; Northerly winds blowing 12-15 kts and increasing with a good chop over the long swells, sunny clear skies and a warm 28 C! The conditions made it challenging for most crews with teams moving up and down the ladder quite dramatically. Nevertheless, the first day leader, MENDIETA, simply sailed away from the pack and collected three more bullets and a second place to win with only five points after six races (due to a throwout). Just behind them in second was truly a family boat, with the trio of Martin, Ronnie and Natalia Jenkins combining with Maru Bozzo, Andrea Basagna and Cristina Cendagorta sailing PANAM to safely take the silver with a 2-3-2-3-3-1 scoreline for 11 pts. Third was PINGUI sailed by Alejandro Capizzano with a 5-2-3-2-6-5 for 17 pts. Sailing photo credits- Marina Devo Fotografias
For more J/24 Copa Manolo sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* Just Did It! Yes, Bob Hughes, owner of the championship winning Farr 40 Heartbreaker did something that we should all do-- see what Bob had to say in his feature for Sailing Anarchy. "Figuring it was not worth it to drag the Farr 40 all the way to Key West for a seven boat fleet and the Melges 20 class that we just bought a boat for does not participate, we were in a quandary what to do for 2013 KWRW. Willem Van Waay suggested returning to our J/Boats roots and charter a J/70 as they had a 40 boat fleet registered. I had no idea what to expect but had plenty of preconceived ideas that almost all turned out to be wrong!
First the Johnstone’s came out with a great boat to sail! She goes up wind very well and is plenty of fun to sail downwind. She feels and sails like a dinghy with a keel. Our only complaint with the boat is the winches that are not needed and tend to beat up the crew. Hopefully they will allow them to be removed in the future. Otherwise we loved sailing her and we never put the engine on her the whole week, sailing her to and from the slip. They are still experimenting with the crew weight so it was unlimited for this event but only two could have legs out.
Our team consisted of British Laser sailor Nicki (Minaj) Thompson, Willem (Creature) Van Waay and college sailor Venezuelan Victor- The Dictator and myself. Four people is a big advantage in the corners with a extra pair of hands for maneuvers and upwind as you can only have two people hiking so the third can sit in and trim the mainsheet and back stay(traveler with Helmsman). The boat goes upwind much better than the typical sport boat. Sail development and rig tune are all in their infancy with the class so the sailmakers are working with a blank canvas. I am sure the sails will look much different in a year and hopefully the class will allow a plastic jib that will last longer than the Dacron. Southern Spars put a very nice rig on her. The boat is planes easily downhill in the breeze and has plenty of power in the light air.
For $50K in the water sailing I think J/Boats have hit the market at the right price point allowing lots of great sailors to get in and play the game. Besides many established Pro Sailmakers like Dave Ullman, Mark Ploch, Jud Smith and winner Tim Healy one of the best things about this boat was that I saw younger teams just a few years out of college able to buy and race the heck out of the boat. Sailing needs something to get younger people in it and I think this boat will bring plenty of them into the game. Over the years we have competed in KWRW in a Melges 24, 1D35, Farr 40 and Melges 32. This fleet was just as competitive as all of those, similar to the 60 boat Melges 24 fleets of the late 90′s. I have heard people say "it is the right boat at the right time" and I could not agree more. Well designed, quality build, affordable price and J/Boats marketing have kick started to almost 400 boats already sold. We liked it so much and figured what else would we rather do KWRW in next year, so we better buy a J/70! The boats are really fun to sail both upwind and down and everyone is trying to learn how to sail them fast. Like all one-design classes we will be sailing these boats much differently with established tuning guides in a year. With the shrinking fleets we have all seen the last few years, this boat has a chance to make a huge impact on our sport.
I would encourage you to go for a sail, better yet race, the J/70 as the racing is plenty tough and lots of fun. This is the way it is supposed to work, American entrepreneurship creating solutions. Well done Johnstone Family!" - Robert Hughes/ Heartbreaker Sailing Team
* J/70 Expert Debrief- Scuttlebutt Newsletter Editor, Craig Leweck, was on-hand in Key West to speak to some of the leading J/70 teams. As Craig describes, "Since its introduction in March 2012, the J/70 has quickly established itself worldwide with 125+ boats sailing in 15+ countries in 2012, and 350+ boats to be sailing in 2013. With 39 boats competing at Key West Race Week 2013, the J/70 class was the talk of the town. Here is what three of the competitors shared with Scuttlebutt from the week of racing":
A. David Ullman- Ullman Sails- 5th overall..."I learned the same lessons as always. Do not show up for a major regatta without proper preparation. We sailed at 570 lbs. which was near the class maximum, but the class max was removed before the regatta and it was good to sail at 700 lbs. plus. This meant sailing 4-up instead of 3-up. We learned the wind speed to plane or not plane downwind was 12 knots. Planning is jib out and higher angles (seen here), but when the winds were lighter than 12 knots, we would sail lower displacement angles with the jib rolled. Rig tuning is a work in progress but we got closer as the regatta wore on. Seems like you can sail with the leeward shroud always under tension."
B. Jud Smith- Doyle Sails- 4th overall...
"One of the talking points after the regatta would be crew weight, and it was. We added a fourth to our crew on Sunday once we saw the forecast for the week was going to freshen after Monday. We were the heaviest team at 780 lbs and we were too heavy, for sure, and would not sail that heavy again. In retrospect, we think the right weight is in a range for 660 to 700 lbs with a crew of four for the boat handling. The 3-up teams are at a disadvantage in fresher conditions. Top 3-up team was Dave Ullman (5th) and next 3-up team was not in the top 15 overall. We added the fourth so as not to be disadvantaged upwind but we added too much weight that hurt us downwind." -- Read on here.
C. Tim Healy- North Sails- 1st overall..."Like most regattas, the successful teams come in well-prepared and improve during the course of the event. However, this regatta was unique in that nobody had much time in the boat beforehand. Our team trained for a couple days before the regatta, but the winds were mostly light. For us, we found using the time before each race day was when we learned the most.
One of the issues in developing boat speed is the difference between tuning speed and racing speed. Being fast when tuning with a couple boats is not the same as being fast when racing in a 39-boat fleet. Fortunately the work developing the tuning guide got the numbers really close, though we did find an advantage by taking a step up to tighten the rig. This information will be incorporated into the North Sails tuning guide." -- Read on here. Sailing Photo Credits- Onne Vanderwal and Ultimate Sailing.
* What do past J/24 World Champions do when they're not sailing? Simple, bring the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015 to Newport. That's exactly what Brad Read, Executive Director of Sail Newport did this past week (his brother Kenny is now President of North Sails). Actually, it took months of hard labor and a bit of luck, e.g. "third time's a charm", so to speak. On Tuesday, February 5th, Governor Lincoln Chafee (himself a J/100 owner and passionate J/Sailor) and Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad announced that Newport, Rhode Island will host its first Volvo Ocean Race after winning a stop on the route of the 12th edition of sailing's premier round-the-world challenge in 2014-15."We have made significant strategic land and marine infrastructure improvements at Fort Adams State Park, paving the way for a new era of racing in Rhode Island and setting the stage for the world-class events we continue to host," said Governor Lincoln Chafee. "We had a positive experience with the America's Cup World Series last summer, and I look forward to welcoming the Volvo Ocean Race to Rhode Island. These large-scale sailing events draw impressive numbers of visitors to our state - visitors who make valuable contributions to our economy."
The Race will reach Newport, one of the world's sailing capitals, in around May 2015 after a stop in Itajai, Brazil. Newport is the last stop before teams will sail across the Atlantic for the final legs around Europe. The Volvo Ocean Race has visited the U.S. in every edition since 1997-98, but despite Newport's great sailing heritage, it has never before had "Host Port" status.
"The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the premiere sailing events in the world. We look forward to welcoming the sailors, the sponsors and particularly the fans of this great race to our magnificent port," said Brad Read, Executive Director of Sail Newport. "With the race working its way around the world, it will build to a crescendo as it arrives in Newport, R.I. We can't wait." The Race will finish in Gothenburg, Sweden in summer 2015.
* J/160 AVATAR headed for the Caribbean, again! We LOVE these updates from our cruising J sailors that continue to criss-cross the Seven Seas. This one comes from Alan Fougere, sailing his beloved J/160 AVATAR.
Alan sent us an email update commenting on their passage south this winter, "In mid-December AVATAR completed her sixth transit to her winter Caribbean home, Grand Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI (seen above) from her home port in Quissett (Falmouth), MA. A crew of three, Captain Alan (e.g. me), Crew Pablo Brissett and Mark Conroy, covered the 1,500 nm trip in in her best time to date- 7 Days 5 Hours, averaging 8.7 kts, that's about 208 nm per day! Amazing passage it was! Rainbow at right far offshore was some of the amazing phenomenon we experienced on this fast offshore passage.AVATAR will participate in the BVI Sailing Festival/Regatta again in 2013, where last year she won the Nanny Key Cup Cruising Class race around the Island of Virgin Gorda. Here are some photos for you to share with the J/Community at-large. Enjoy!"
Best, Alan Fougere/ AVATAR
* Bill & Judy Stellin recently had an interview about cruising on their J/42 in the Wall St Journal called "Retiring on the Open Sea". The Wall St Journal asked Bill to reply to dozens of questions that flooded into the WSJ's Editor desks. Here's the update:Retiring on the Sea: Answering Readers' Questions
Advice about selecting a boat, ocean crossings, itineraries and safety
The article in our WSJ Online December retirement report about eight years spent sailing the Mediterranean— "Retiring to the Open Sea"— prompted many questions and comments from readers. We asked William Stellin, who wrote the story, to answer some of the most common queries.WSJ- "What kind and make of boat did you use? Looking back, would you have picked a different boat?"
Bill- "In 1995-96, J/Boats of Newport, RI, came out with a new cruiser/racer model, the J/42. We bought hull No. 6 of this popular 42-foot sailboat and named it JAYWALKER. This was our fourth boat since beginning sailing in 1975.
Although long-distance cruising wasn't what we had in mind when we purchased JAYWALKER, it soon became apparent it had the ability to carry us easily and safely anywhere we wanted to go. Because the boat is light, it sails well in light winds, which means very little motoring is necessary.
People often ask (and argue) about what boat is best for cruising. Any boat that is strong, safe, fast, comfortable and easily handled by two people should fit the bill. One thing for sure, fast is fun—and important when trying to avoid bad weather."
READ MORE ABOUT BILL'S INSIGHTFUL COMMENTARY AND THOUGHTS ON WSJ ONLINE HERE
The J Cruising Community
J Cruisers continue their adventures around the world, below are a selection of most excellent "blogs" written by their prolific publishers. Some terribly amusing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom are contained in their blogs. Read some! You'll love it.* The J/42 JARANA continues their epic voyage around the Pacific. Continue to read about Bill and Kathy Cuffel's big adventure cruising the South Pacific headed for New Zealand. Their blog is here: http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/
* 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/
