J/88 Speedster @ New England Boat Show(Boston, MA)- Boston J/Dealer Hill & Lowden will be displaying the new, award-winning, J/88 at the New England Boat Show that is held along the Boston’s SE waterfront at the Convention & civic center. The J/88 will be on display from February 22nd to March 2nd at Booth# 1838.
In addition, the special “SailFest” section is back bigger and better than ever! Shop more than 100 booths of sailing related products and services including sailmakers, canvas, sailboat hardware, cordage, marine electronics, rigging equipment and services, sailing schools, foul weather gear, sailing gear, clothing. There will be daily seminars for sailors and boaters, from the beginner to the advanced.Please be sure to drop by and chat with the Hill & Lowden team. For appointments, you may contact George Lowden at cell# 617-678-8164 or visit their website at http://www.HillLowden.com For more New England Boat Show news and information
J/70 Featured at U.S. Sailing Leadership Forum
(Mission Bay, San Diego, CA)- The J/70 will be on display this weekend at U.S. Sailing's Leadership Forum 2014 taking place from February 5th to 8th at the Hilton San Diego Resort on Mission Bay. This ground-breaking event connects leaders from all aspects of the sport including sail training, sailing clubs, community boating programs, racing and cruising associations and industry professionals.
J/Boats’ President Jeff Johnstone will be participating on two panels, one on Thursday at 10:45am to 11:45am with North Sails President Ken Read, Harken’s President Bill Goggins and others discussing the future growth opportunities for sailing. Perhaps more importantly, Jeff will be discussing the “club-owned boats” opportunities using boats like J/70s, J/22s, J/24s and J/80s on Thursday at 4:00pm to 5:00pm.
Attendees will be able to meet first hand the people behind the products, including the world’s fastest growing sportboat class- the J/70 (provided by local J/Dealer- JK3 Yachts). The J/70 will be featured in the one-design tuning clinic and available shoreside for viewing on Mission Bay, right on the Hilton Hotel’s docks. Limited slots will be available for test sails, for appointment please contact Jeff Brown at ph# 619.224.6200, email- jeff@jk3yachts.com or visit JK3 Yachts at http://www.jk3yachts.com. Sailing photo credit- Onne Vanderwal. For U.S. Sailing Leadership Forum information
Quantum J/70 Winter Series II(Tampa, FL)- After an excellent start in the first series in early January, the second installment of the Quantum J/70 Winter Series will be held at Davis Island YC in Tampa, FL from February 7th to 9th. This next step in the series promises even greater and more varied competition with a strong turnout of forty-two boats. Will Juddie Smith on AFRICA continue to lead the standings after this weekend? Will Rob Britts’ promising experience at the J/70 Midwinters, winning the Corinthians Division aboard HOT MESS, lead into a repeat performance against a variety of “wannabes” to the throne? In both cases, new teams rapidly ascending the learning curve will ensure it’s not going to be easy.
The weather forecast looks promising, albeit “lightish”, despite the fact that a seemingly endless stream of “Alberta Clippers” or “Polar Vortex’s” are punishing the American Heartland and East Coast. How many people have heard of “thunder snow” or “snow-nados”?? We got’em all this winter in America— seems ‘ole Mother Earth is acting a bit cantankerous these days, perhaps she’ll toss in a few more degrees of magnetic variation for good measure to confuse all tacticians even more!
Guaranteeing the Smith’s AFRICA tough sledding this time around in the Open Division will be top teams like Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT, Henry Brauer’s SCAMP, Martie Kullman’s TOUCH2PLAY, Dan Cheresh’s EXTREME, Bennet Greenwald’s PERSEVERANCE, Kerry & Casey Klingler’s MENACE and Mark Ploch’s SUGAR DADDY (one of the top locals having sailed out of Tampa Bay and Clearwater for decades). The Corinthians will surely be seeing some “new kids on the block” vying for supremacy. Though Britts may be the favored local, don’t be surprised if you see some wily’ole veterans like Tony Parker (of BANGOR PACKET J/24 fame) or John Brim (of big boat RIM fame) grab the brass ring. Then again, the likes of Brandon Flack sailing TORQEEDO, Blake Kimbrough skippering NOSTALGIA or Noel Clinard driving LOONATICTU cannot be taken lightly to finish “in the chocolates”. Sailing photo credits- Onne Vanderwal Photography. For more Quantum J/70 Winter Series sailing information
J/70 Primo Cup Preview(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- The second part of YC Monaco’s famous Primo Cup XXX- Trophee Credit Suisse takes place this coming weekend from February 7th to 9th. After some very challenging sailing conditions in the first weekend for the J/24 class, the twelve-boat strong J/70 class has doubled in size from it’s inaugural participation last year and will be looking forward to trying their hand on the often wavy seas off Monaco’s picturesque harbor.
The weather forecast in Monaco may not be the promised gentle spring breezes to start, nevertheless there are signs it will improve over the course of the entire weekend. Starting off on a soggy foot, the teams will have to contend with a wet, WNW cold front rolling through with 6-12 kts winds for both Friday and Saturday. However, with a bit of luck, as the massive front rolling across Europe blows off into the eastern Med, Sunday could be a spectacular day with WNW winds of 15-25 kts with clear skies and enormous waves— look out for Carlo Borlenghi’s spectacular images from this last day (fingers crossed for some breath-taking footage)! For sure, the J/70s should have wild, exhilarating rides in front of the magnificent Monagesque shoreline.The fleet is well represented from across Europe with teams sailing from six countries (Monaco, France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and Turkey). Perhaps the most exciting development is that YC Monaco has started a fleet of J/70s and already three YCM teams will be participating in this year’s event! Sailing photo credits- YC Monaco/ Carlo Borlenghi. For more J/70 Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse sailing information
J/22 Charleston Charter Deal!(Charleston, SC)- Hear ye! Hear ye! Here’s a super charter deal for brand new J/22s for those interested in going down to Charleston Race Week and simply messing about in boats at one of the world’s largest one-design keelboat regattas.
If you are not in the mood to trail your own boat and you would rather fly, or want to sail a brand new J/22, have we got a deal for you!
This past fall, the College of Charleston bought 10 brand new J/22s. They are race-ready and rigged, at minimum weight and have lead in them, clean faired bottoms and new race sails. The sails are the same designs that won the last J/22 Worlds in Newport, RI, just built from a heavier cloth. Since there is always breeze in Charleston, they will be plenty fast. These boats are offered for four days for a charter fee of $1,100 with sails and $900 without if you bring your own. If you do not have your own borrowed boat insurance, we can help you set that up at a minimal cost of $75. Free docking, maintenance and again all the full race gear is available. Finally, past J/22 World Champion, Greg Fisher, will be offering an on-the-water coaching and tuning clinic for J/22 charter sailors on Thursday afternoon. The boats will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If this idea sounds appealing to you, please be sure to contact Greg Fisher, Sailing Director at College of Charleston Sailing- Cell# 410-212-4916, Office# 843-953-8252 or email- greg@gregfishersailing.com.
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
The first week of February was getting busy with sailing not only in Europe, but “down under” in both Australia and South America, as well as another fun Caribbean regatta held off Puerto Rico.The Europeans were treated to the 30th edition of the Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse hosted by YC Monaco and sailed just outside their magnificent harbor full of the world’s most outrageous super-yachts. The J/24s showed up with a strong contingent of nearly two dozens boats for some spirited racing and a surprising outcome!
Southeast of Monaco Down Under J/24 sailors were busy as well off Sydney, Australia. The 2014 Australian J/24 Nationals winner, Steve Girdis, offers some introspective on their first win racing the notoriously fickle Sydney Harbour.
Finally, yet another fleet of J’s were sailing the San Juan International Regatta off San Juan, Puerto Rico with a J/105 and a gaggle of IC24s sailing in gorgeous Caribbean waters.
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 7-9- Quantum J/70 Winter Series- Davis Island YC- Tampa, FLFeb 7-9- J/70 Primo Cup- Credit Suisse- YC Monaco- Monte Carlo, Monaco
Feb 14-16- Wells Fargo J/22 Midwinters- Southern YC- New Orleans, LA
Feb 14-16- St Petersburg NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg YC- St Petersburg, FL
Feb 19-23- J/24 Midwinters- Coral Reef YC- Coconut Grove, FL
Mar 7-9- J/105 Midwinters- Lakewood YC- Seabrook, TX
Mar 6-9- Bacardi Miami Sailing Week (70,80)- Coconut Grove, FL
Mar 14-16- San Diego NOOD Regatta- San Diego YC- San Diego, CA
Mar 16-21- J/24 North Americans- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Mar 16- Apr 27- Warsash Spring Series- Warsash, England
Mar 28-30- Quantum J/70 Winter Series- Davis Island YC- Tampa, FL
Apr 10-13- Charleston Race Week (22, 24, 70, 80, PHRF)- Charleston, SC
Apr 17-21- SPI OUEST Regatta- La Trinite-sur-Mer, France
Apr 26-May 3- J/22 World Championship- Deneysville, South Africa
May 2-4- Annapolis NOOD Regatta- Annapolis YC- Annapolis, MD
May 16-18- J/22 North Americans- Annapolis YC- Annapolis, MD
May 16-18- Seattle NOOD Regatta- Seattle, WA
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
Greeks Win J/24s @ Primo Cup(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- Once again the Primo Cup– Trophée Credit Suisse confirmed its reputation as a top class event, with variable conditions throughout the three days proving difficult for some, while others appeared to make light of the elements to produce convincing victories. Both one-design and IRC fleets sailed at least seven races. A great start to the season at this first big winter regatta in Europe.
The J/24 fleet had twenty-one teams sailing from eight nations- England, Greece, Monaco, Germany, Sweden, Italy, USA and Holland. Crowned as champion for the J/24s was the Greek team on EVNIKI skippered by Dimitrios Altisiadis. Their efforts were a remarkable achievement considering they out-paced a four-time European champion in the series, Great Britain’s Ian Southworth sailing the notorious IL RICIO. Furthermore, EVNIKI also out-classed local YC Monaco member Ian Ilsley racing ST ANDREWS SECURITIES that finished third (2nd in the 2013 Europeans).
It was the consistency of EVNIKI that earned the victory after a tight duel with Southworth’s IL RICIO team. After starting off with a fleet-decimating record of 6-1-1-1, the IL RICIO gang fell off the proverbial cliff and wrapped up the regatta with a 7-4-2-5 to finish two points back from EVNIKI. Altisiadis’s team maintained their composure all weekend long, rattling off a steady 4-3-6-3-1-2-3-2 for a total of 18 pts net after toss race. Isley’s ST ANDREWS SECURITIES crew started off the strongest of the top three finishers, posting a 2-2 for the first two races, but that was all she wrote. Thereafter, Isley’s crew had a difficult time keeping their finishes in the top ten.“We are very pleased to be here. This is our second participation at the Primo Cup, and it’s really our favorite regatta,” said the Greek skipper, Dimitrios Altisiadis.
Also competing in the J/24 class were two teams from the Manhattan Yacht Club from New York City, NY. They were looking forward to taking on the best European sailors, with their Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh as their ring-leader. Fortenbaugh, who sailed with Mathieu and Nicolas Bouchet (two young sailors of the YC Monaco’s Sports Division), sailed a respectable regatta, finishing fifth overall and in the process beating some well-regarded Italian, British, Swedish and Monagesque teams.All podium finishers were presented with the Trophée Credit Suisse and SLAM Advanced Technology Sportswear by Alain Ucari (CEO of Credit Suisse Monaco) and Italian actor Ezio Greggio, surrounded by members of the YC Monaco’s Steering committee. Sailing Photo Credits- YC Monaco/ Carlo Borlenghi. For more Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse sailing information
J/105 DARK STAR Shines in San Juan International Regatta(San Juan, Puerto Rico)- Gusts blowing 20-plus-knots and rolling seas created challenging yet exhilarating conditions for nearly 100 sailors from five islands that competed in the 13th Club Nautico de San Juan International Regatta (CNSJIR), held January 31-February 2 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The CNSJIR Race Committee reveled in the brisk conditions launching as many as 13 races for the six classes that sailed with teams hailing from five Caribbean island nations.
“We are very happy with the success of this year’s regatta,” explains Luis Fabre, chairman of the CNSJIR organizing committee. “We wondered a few years ago how the addition of the bigger boats would fit in with the dinghies, but it has worked well by giving us a good diversity of classes. We have the perfect venue here at Club Nautico de San Juan both onshore and offshore.”
In the 7-boat CSA Spinnaker class, which included three Melges 32s, it was Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Lipuscek’s J/105 DARK STAR that won with a decisive five firsts in six races. “We did very well considering the conditions and the competition,” explains tactician, Rafi Martinez. “Our strategy was to focus on good boat handling, make few errors and on the downwind when the Melges plane to maximize the waves and puffs to our advantage.”The second keelboat class of the regatta, the 7-boat IC24s (modified J/24s), saw Puerto Rico’s Fraito Lugo’s ORION take the lead and hold it until the end scoring 8 firsts in 13 races. “It was close racing as the younger sailors are very good,” says Lugo.
“We are in the selection process to see what J/24 team will represent Puerto Rico in the Central American- Caribbean Games in November in Mexico,” says Lugo. “The IC24 is excellent for practice for the CAC Games, especially because the format calls for J/24s sailed in the Pan-Am games configuration of 105% jib, spinnaker and main with four crew.”
Puerto Rico’s Marco Teixidor driving his IC24, CACHONDO, finished second, with Puerto Rico’s Carlos Sierra aboard FUAKATA in third.
The CNSJIR is an outgrowth of the Club’s junior sailing program, which was launched in the 1970s. The addition of CSA classes in 2013 has expanded the opportunity for more sailors to participate. Over 75 volunteers contribute to the success of this regatta. For more San Juan International Regatta sailing information
CONVICTS on Winning Australian J/24 Nationals(Sydney, Australia)- Steve Girdis won the start, won the race and won the regatta, the new Australian National Champion talks a little about the regatta as seen from the cockpit of CONVICTS REVENGE – wise words indeed!
“All agreed the 2014 J/24 Nationals was well run by the very quaint and accommodating Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club. There was much attention to detail and plenty of volunteers and staff to ensure the sailors felt welcome and enjoyed themselves. There was the friendly tender service servicing all the moored Js and the catering staff doling out bacon and egg rolls and cappuccinos for competitors to enjoy while sitting on the grass overlooking one of Sydney Harbour’s most pristine beaches. The presentation dinner was wonderful on the enclosed verandah.
This was some consolation to the Melbourne folk who observed that for most of the regatta it was sunnier and warmer in Melbourne, to which of course the locals responded with the local standard “its not normally like this, you should have been here last week“. In other onshore developments an undeserved twist of fate found the RPEYC Commodore’s (Sean Kirkjian) J/24 beached in front of the club one morning mid-regatta under mysterious circumstances, suffering considerable keel damage.
It was great having competitors from Singapore, South Australia and Victoria as well as locals.
It certainly was not “the brochure” of steady Sydney summer nor’easters, in fact we only had nor’easters for the invitation race and final day.
Most of the racing happened in fairly shifty and mentally challenging south and south east winds. The upside from this was that there was a lot of “snakes and ladders” on the course, with leaders never being able to relax and those deep able to carry on in hope.
Racing was close, positions changed regularly throughout the whole the fleet, and big winning margins were rare.
The results sheet over 10 races bears this out and shows the variety in heat winners and place getters which made it fun and kept it interesting.
All the competitors would have their own perspective of how it went, but from on board Convicts Revenge this is how it happened.
From a technical sailing perspective this regatta seemed very much about throwing away the compass and fine tuning guide and just sailing free and fast to the next bit of pressure.
The racing culminated in a friendly “showdown” of sorts for the last 2 races on the final day, where 1 point only separated Pacemaker from Kaotic and Convicts Revenge between 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Some tough decisions to be made because the bible for Sydney Harbour sailing says “thou shall starboard tack from start, hit Bradley’s head, tack on to port and thou shall to the lay”. However the bible also says “the incoming tides around the celebration of Xmas can be strong so go right on port”.
So, which theology to apply on top of which boat to cover!?
In the first beat of the first race, the 3 boats went right, covering each other, to be collectively somewhat hammered by those who stuck with tradition and hit Bradley’s on the left.
In the last race there was (predictably) some match racing action at the start between Convicts and Pacemaker which resulted in Pacemaker doing penalty turns. Convicts came out better on the first beat, in the lead, working the left with Kaotic going right. Up the last beat Kaotic worked the middle well and caught right up and then it was a tacking dual. They split, Convicts picking up a pressure advantage in the right which delivered the winning margin— of one point.” For more Australian J/24 sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* J/80 Toronto Clinic- the first J/80 clinic in Toronto and their first J/80 One-Design start will be taking place this summer 2014 on Lake Ontario off Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club, just west of downtown Toronto.The LYRA 2014 Regatta will be taking place from July 26th to August 3rd at ABYC, make sure to post this on your schedule all you J/80 sailors!
For further information about the fleet and the clinic, please contact Bart Smit at email- bart@bart-smit.com. For the LYRA Regatta 2014 sailing information- check it out here.
* The J/36 JAZZ a winner every year!? Remarkably so, it may be true ever since she started sailing off Newport in 1985. Reports her current owner Norman Curnow, “Last year (2013) she sailed Gibraltar to the Balearics off Spain then onto Corfu near Turkey via Sicily’s Messina Straits at the bottom of Italy- spectacular scenery, by
the by, sailing past active volcanos blowing smoke at sunrise!I am in Kalamta at the moment. When I go back my partner and I will travel on to Crete for a month or two then possibly back to Great Britain (most likely Plymouth) single handed on all sea passages. My partner, Linda, only likes to go “boating” at the marina or somewhere nearby! JAZZ is a delight to sail short-handed! Good job, too, since I’m pushing 70 and have false hip, knee and ankle. The J/36 is truly a remarkable boat! Pleasant sailing to all at the J/Boats HQ in Newport! Cheers, Norman.”
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.
* Jim & Heather Wilson just completed a circumnavigation of our "blue planet Earth" in June 2013 on their J/42 CEOL MOR. Said Jim, "The odyssey of CEOL MOR is over, for now. We completed our circumnavigation on our J/42 when we crossed our outbound track in Britannia Bay, Mustique. We were, however, still 2,000 nautical miles from home. So we continued on through the Windwards, the Leewards, and then through the British Virgin Islands. After a farewell 'Painkiller' at the Soggy Dollar, and a last meal at Foxy’s, we made the 1,275 nautical mile passage to the Chesapeake and completed our port-to-port circumnavigation when we arrived in Annapolis on June 28, 2013. We had been away 1,334 days, completed 259 days of ocean passages, and sailed 30,349 nautical miles (34,925 statute miles). Read more about their adventures in their well-documented blog here: http://www.svceolmor.com/SVCeolMor/Welcome.html
* 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/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).- 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.
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