Strictly Sail Show PreviewFeaturing J/111, J/88, J/70s
(Alameda, CA)- Be sure to mark your calendar this week as a reminder of what to do next weekend! Come one, come all! J/Boats San Francisco dealer “Sail California” will be hosting a small navy of J’s both on display and in the water at the Strictly Sail Boat Show, running from April 10-13 at Jack London Square in Oakland, CA. On display will be the J/111, their brand new J/88, and two J70's (one on land, one in the water).
Momentum continues to grow for the J/Clan in the San Francisco Bay area. With a great tradition of strong one-design fleets with plenty of fun-loving people aboard them, it’s no wonder the J/105 and J/120 classes on the Bay continue to enjoy great sailing and fresh faces joining the ranks all the time.
The latest one-design fleets to develop on the Bay are the J/70 and J/111. The J/70s are up to two dozen boats and have an active one-design regatta circuit. And, the J/111s are approaching a “baker’s dozen” soon, with the class slated to participate in this year’s Rolex Big Boat Series in September.Strictly Sail is the West Coast’s largest original all-sail boat show. Whether you are a “newbie” or a seasoned sailor, this four day sailing spectacular is the place to immerse yourself in the world of sailing, check out new sailboats, talk to experts, participate in hands-on seminars, get on the water and have fun. Be sure to contact any of Sail California’s J experts- Pat Nolan, Norm Davant, or Drew Harper- call ph# 510-523-8500 or email- norman@sailcal.com Sailing Photo credit- Meredith Block/ Blocksail.com. For more Strictly Sail show information
McMichaels Spring Open HouseFeaturing the New J/88!
(Mamaroneck, NY)- Coming up this weekend in Mamaroneck is the annual McMichael’s Yachts “Spring Boat Show & Open House”. The event takes place April 5th to 6th, Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 4 pm. They’re located at 447 E. Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck NY.
Featured at their Open House will be the new J/88 family speedster! Find out why this 29 foot rocketship has gained over sixty new, passionate owners who cannot wait to get her out on the water for day-sailing, weekend cruising and a romp around the buoys! For a personal tour of the boat, please be sure to contact Michael Beers at cell# 718-764-7215 or email- michaelb@mcmyacht.com
Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga Ready to Go!(Glucksburg, Germany)- The second annual Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga is about to get under way! Flensburg Sailing Club in Gluckburg, is hosting the first event running from April 4th to 6th. The best sailing clubs in Germany are participating in a season-long regatta circuit that features a full weekend of sailing in six different locations. Each club provides their best team of sailors that can sail J/70s and J/80s fast! At the end, the winners are crowned as the “best sailing club” in Germany!
Last year with only eighteen teams participating, the fleet of six J/70s could accommodate everyone on a rotating basis. And, it was a resounding success everywhere the Bundesliga hosted an event, the local sailors and club members came out in droves to watch the fun racing taking place near shore.
Due to the overwhelming requests to participate in the 2014 edition of the Segel-Bundesliga, the format has been expanded to accommodate sixty-three teams! As a result, the fleet has also expanded to include the original fleet of six J/70s plus J/80s where there are local fleets. The first three events this year are acting as “qualifiers” for the final five events- ending with the “championship” round again on Hamburg’s gorgeous Alster Lake in the middle of city.The event is an enormous undertaking. “Everything is going to plan. We hope the wind and weather forecast are favorable and we expect to get all the scheduled races to the finish," said Claus-Otto Hansen of the host Flensburg SC. Adding, “the boats are ready to sail. We are well prepared and looking forward to the play-offs." The plan is for 252 sailors from all over Germany to sail 90 races over the weekend!
The regatta schedule for this year’s Segel-Bundesliga is the following:
- 04.04. 06.04. Glücksburg / Flensburger Förde
- 16.05. 18.05. Starnberg / Starnberger See
- 23.05. 25.05. Tutzing / Starnberger See
- 19.07. 21.07. Travemünde / Lübecker Bucht
- 22.08. 24.08. Berlin / Wannsee
- 05.09. 07.09. Kiel / Innenförde
- 26.09. 28.09. Friedrichshafen / Bodensee
- 31.10. 02.11. Hamburg / Außenalster
J/Fest San Francisco Preview(San Francisco, CA)- The latest edition of the J/Fest San Francisco is taking place from April 5th to 6th on San Francisco Bay. The teams are looking forward to excellent sailing conditions with sunny skies, 15-25 kts winds and an amazing party hosted Saturday night by St. Francis Yacht Club. Perhaps the best part about this regatta is that all the racing takes place right along the StFYC city-front, should be fun and games for all!
J/Fest has expanded the one-design program this year, welcoming in two new fleets that have grown significantly on the Bay- the J/70s and J/111s. They’re joining long-time supporters of the regatta, the J/24s, J/105s and J/120s. A good turn-out of thirty-plus boats are expected to participate in the weekend-long event.
Starting with the J/24 class, a half-dozens boats plan to be on the line with teams like EVIL OCTOPUS (Jasper Van Vliet), FLY BY NIGHT (Alex Schultink) and RAIL TO RAIL (Rich Jepsen) sailing in the fleet.
The J/70s have a very nice fleet for their inaugural participation in J/Fest, they have at least eight boats on the line with many new faces meeting for the first time. The veterans include DFZ (Eric Kownacki & Tom Jenkins) from San Diego, COOL STORY BRO (John Brigden), JENNIFER (Chris Kostanecki), PERFECT WIFE (Chris Anderson) and SUGOI (Mark Nelson). Joining them for the first time are 1FA (Scott Sellers & Geoff McDonald), BANDIT (Scott Mack) from Nevada City, and LOOSE LUCY (Justin Kromelow). No question this fun-loving crowd are expecting “planing mode” conditions all weekend! And, will Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER crew continue their winning ways after their first weekend of one-design racing at the Big Daddy Regatta in Richmond?
Heading up the eight boat J/105 fleet has to be previous regatta winners, Scooter Simmons and crew aboard BLACKHAWK. For over a year, Scooter and crew have their “game on” and have been hard to beat and are never out of the running for the podium. Chasing them will be a cast of characters that are always contenders, such as Bruce Stone’s ARBITRAGE, Jeff Litfin’s MOJO and the dynamic duo of Jason Woodley & Scott Whitney on RISK.Like their J/70 colleagues, the inaugural participation of six J/111s in J/Fest are bringing together many teams that are racing each other for the first time. Howard Turner’s SYMMETRY just won their division in the Double-handed Farallones Race. Dorian McKelvy’s MADMEN have some good racing under their belts from last year (good YouTube videos, too!). Joining them are AEOLUS (Rob Theis), BIG BLAST (Roland Vandermeer), DOUBLE DIGIT (Gorkem Ozcelebi) and TOPZY TURVY (Warren Konkel). How this fleet plays out for top honors is anyone’s guess. In any event, they too will be looking forward to some fun, fast “planing mode” rides if the breeze hits 17-plus kts!
The queen of the fleet are the J/120s, having had dozens of seasons sailing on the Bay in every condition imaginable. Like the J/111s, it’s pretty hard to handicap this group since just about every boat has won something. The latest addition to the fleet is David Halliwill’s PEREGRINE, a group from New York city. They will be dueling with some serious veterans in the class, including Steve Madeira’s “green machine”, the mighty MR MAGOO, Barry Lewis’s CHANCE, Tom Grennans’s KOOKABURRA and Timo Bruck’s TWIST. The weekend forecast looks like it could shape up to be “classic” San Francisco Bay weather. According to Bruce Stone, “it looks like we’ll have some nice weather this weekend, and initially a counterclockwise course (of course wind dependent), heading out for the late ebb and down the city front on the early flood – sure beats short tacking the city front! That will probably switch for the third race on Saturday and we’ll go up the shore once the full flood is established and we want to head upwind in lessening flood inside. The fleet will likely split on this routing during the second race as the heavy rains we’re experiencing might create an earlier than normal ebb.” For more J/Fest San Francisco sailing information
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
It was a busy spring week the last end of March. The next stop in the Caribbean sailing circuit just took place, the St Thomas International Regatta hosted by St Thomas YC in the U.S. Virgin Islands, on the eastern end off Cowpet Bay. A range of J’s were sailing in the so-called “Crown Jewel of the Caribbean” event, including a dominant J/122, J/105s, J/100, J/36, J/27, J/80 and a J/95. The J crews were, indeed, treated to a jewel of a regatta with good breeze and great weather.Just northwest off the coast of Florida, the J/70s held the third event in their Quantum Winter Series held on Tampa Bay. The host Davis Island YC provided gracious hospitality and good race management for the series. The regatta also determined the outcome for the Overall Quantum Winter Series (3 regattas to count). Out west, the King Harbor YC in Los Angeles hosted their King Harbor Race Week for both PHRF handicap boats and one-design classes. Participating in the event were a J/109, J/111 and a combined fleet of J/70s and J/80s.
In Europe, “spring is the thing”! The J/24s in Germany recently held their “spring opener”, the Frühjahrs-Verbandsregatta in Hamburg, Germany on the beautiful Alster Lake. They were blessed with real spring weather conditions. Just west of them across “La Manche”, the Warsash Sailing Club on the south coast of Great Britain have now completed the first half of their Brooks MacDonald Warsash Spring Series that is being sailed on the Solent. The J sailors have been delighted with the sailing so far, given the wide range of conditions they’ve experienced. One-design fleets of J/111s, J/109s, J/80s and J/70s are sailing along with IRC Handicap boats like J/92, J/97 and J/105.
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:
Mar 16- Apr 27- Warsash Spring Series- Warsash, EnglandApr 5-6- J/Fest San Francisco- St Francis YC- San Francisco, CA
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
May 24-26- Swiftsure Race- Royal Victoria YC- Victoria, BC, Canada
May 27- Jun 9- Delta Lloyd North Sea Week- Scheveningen, Netherlands
May 28- Jun 1- J/22 Europeans- Cameret-sur-Mer, France
May 29-Jun 2- Italian J/24 Nationals- Tirano, Italy
May 30- Susan Hood Trophy Race- Mississauga, ONT, Canada
May 31- Delta Ditch Run- Stockton Sailing Club- Stockton, CA
Jun 6-8- Chicago NOOD Regatta- Chicago YC- Chicago, IL
Jun 6-9 Norseewoche- Heligoland, Germany
Jun 9-15- Normandy Sailing Week- Le Havre, France
Jun 13-22- Cleveland Race Week- Cleveland, OH
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
EL OCASO & BAD GIRL Topple St Thomas Regatta(Cowpet Bay, St Thomas, USVI)- “Veni, vidi, vici”. It’s the famous Latin phrase delivered by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. to his Roman Senate after a swift, conclusive victory over the city of Zela. At that point, Caesar had control of the known Roman World.
Perhaps this should be the operative phrase for the enormously talented crew sailing with Rick Wesslund on their impressive new steed, the J/122 EL OCASO. While St Thomas is not Zela, it is part of the Caribbean empire of awesome sailing regattas everyone should include on their bucket list.
Rick’s team are well on their way to another terrific season of sailing in the Caribbean, they were crowned CSA Racing 2 Champions after posting three 1sts and four 2nds for a total of 11 pts, 9 pts clear of second place. This also reminds one of a famous comment made to the Queen of England when she asked who won the first America’s Cup Race (the 100 Guinea Cup off Cowes), the reply- “Your Highness, there was no second.” On a fleet performance basis, they easily earned the “Most Worthy Overall Performance” for the St Thomas Regatta as well, having won the largest class by the largest margin.
Having an equally impressive performance in CSA Racing 3 was Robert Armstrong’s BAD GIRL, compiling five 1sts a 2nd and 3rd for 10 pts to narrowly beat out a pair of uber-competitive J/105s. Taking second was Jonathan Lipuscek’s J/105 DARK STAR with 12 pts and in third was Jordan Mindich’s J/105 SOLSTICE with 25 pts. One might say the CSA 3 Racing division was a “J” class with 7 of 9 boats seeking a podium finish. Francisco Figueroa’s J/24 COLIBRI from Puerto Rico took fifth in class.
For many who’ve observed the CSA Non-spinnaker class over the past five years, they’re often struck by the performance of a pretty J/95 called SHAMROCK VII sailing with a bunch of friends from the USA (some from New Hampshire). As the Chief Ringleader of the gang, owner Tom Mullen first and foremost ensures his friends are having a great time “down island”. It’s not a coincidence that their fun-loving approach to sailing on a shoal-draft, lifting centerboard “day-sailor” (meant for the shoals of Florida, Chesapeake and the Bahamas) has seen success over the years. Like some US Navy friends always seem to say, Team SHAMROCK “works hard & plays harder”. Works for them! They again secured a podium finish this year, taking a third in CSA Non-Spin class. Not far off their pace was Stanford Joines sailing the beautifully re-furbished J/36 PALADIN, rounding out the top five in 5th place just two points back from SHAMROCK!
The St Thomas YC is again to be commended for hosting another fun event with great racing. Indeed, it lived up to its billing as the "Crown Jewel of the Caribbean”. How did it all go down for the StTYC RC team and the sailors? Here’s a brief recap for each day below:Day 1- A big breeze welcomed the sailors on the first day. “Boom or bust” was the big story for the 69-boat fleet, confronted with gusts up to 30 kts at times, testing the mettle of equipment and crews as the fleet sailed along the island’s south shore into scenic Charlotte Amalie harbor and back again amidst a mix of sun and squalls.
The team aboard EL OCASO reveled in the conditions, enjoying the brisk breeze as well as finishing at the top of the 10-boat CSA Racing 2 Class. “It went well. We had a good day,” explains Kyle Jones, primary trimmer. “The course was fun and the squalls make it extra difficult. All and all it was good, especially since this was only the third time we sailed the boat in competition. The first was Key West Race Week and the second the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.” Meanwhile, Puerto Rican sailor, Francisco Figueroa, aboard his J/24 COLIBRI, led the CSA Racing 3 Class, as did Lipuscek’s J/105 DARk STAR in CSA Racing 3.
Day 2- This was another “fast & furious” day for the sailors. While the courses changed, the winds remained very blustery. Shorter round-the-buoy and round-the-island races off the island’s east end combined with 20-plus knots of breeze enabled the StTYC RC to fire off as many as five races in some classes.
As some sailors described the conditions, “It was just rough and windy at the top mark in Pillsbury Sound where the currents met and there were huge faces on the waves.” JP Montegut, Commodore of host St. Thomas Yacht Club.Others explained, “It was challenging with strong and shifty winds. Yet, the races were very tight and that is what’s fun.”Wesslund’s J/122 EL OCASO remained first in CSA Racing 2 class and in CSA Racing 3, Armstrong’s J/100 BAD GIRL overtook Lipuscek’s J/105 DARK STAR for the top spot.
Day 3- the third and final day of sailing brought beautiful sailing conditions to the fleet. Wesslund’s EL OCASO team soundly defended his last year’s class win by once again winning CSA Racing 2 Class. Last
year it was on their J/120 by the same name, this year the J/122. “We didn’t know how big a shift in gears it would be to sail the new boat, but we did it somehow and we are most grateful, terrific sailing against our friends in this class,” Wesslund explains.BAD GIRL, Armstrong’s J/100, had a good day sailing against Lipuscek’s J/105 DARK STAR. “We knocked heads with them all weekend, we fought them tooth and nail and ultimately beat them,” explains Carlos Skov, BAD GIRL’s trimmer. He then explained, “I have to say, the DARK STAR team is a class act. Great sailing, that’s what it’s all about!” For more St Thomas Regatta sailing information. Or, Facebook St Thomas Regatta Page.
DAZZLER Wins J/70 Q-IIITOUCH2PLAY Crowned Overall Series Champion
(Tampa, FL)- No one could have predicted the outcome of the inaugural J/70 Quantum Winter Series that was hosted by Davis Island YC. Not even the wildest bets at Ladbroke’s parlours in London would’ve put any money on the horse called “Touch2Play”. Why? Because, from the American’s point of view, it was some wild & woolly Canadians headed south because it was either too cold (which it was) or their fabled Toronto Maple Leafs were firing blanks. Nevertheless, no matter how you slice it, on the road to redemption for their friends “north of the border” was Rob Butler’s crew on TOUCH2PLAY (and friend Martie Kullman) taking the inaugural Quantum J/70 Winter Series hosted on Tampa Bay. Quite a feat, that is, considering the formidable talent arrayed against them over the three months series.
As they had experienced over the past few weekends, both the Davis Island YC PRO and the fleet were challenged by yet another curveball tossed at them from a growing “El Nino” weather phenomenon. With thunderstorms and frontal passage forecast for Friday afternoon and most of Saturday it was a question of whether or not the third weekend in a row would be “jinxed” with weather. The final result was one race Saturday and three races Sunday.
According to one sailor, “it was light weather on Saturday morning. We started postponed on shore. The first race was around noon. During the race it went from 6-8 kts to 15-20 kts and more by end of race (many teams were way wrong on tuning their rigs!). The racing was then postponed after the 1st race, due to an impending weather front, and everyone went back to shore at DIYC. When the storm hit with thunderstorms, wind and rain, everything was called off after 1400 hrs. Sunday was a beautiful day with NW breeze, puffy, shifty, 10-15 kts and velocity slowly diminished and we managed to get in three races. Beginning with the first race on Sunday, it was going from planing to displacement mode, but soon thereafter it was all displacement downwind.”Making the most of what transpired was the “big newbie” in the series, Allan Terhune’s DAZZLER from Annapolis YC with good friend Chris Larson on board— quite the formidable duo! They sailed a dazzling series, by far the most consistent boat in the fleet. By Sunday afternoon the DAZZLER team amassed a fleet-leading 2-3-1-6 for 12 pts total to win by a dozen points!
The balance of the top five was solved by who beat who in the last race and a tie-breaker, all within five points of each other when the dust all settled! Taking second on the podium by virtue of a tie-breaker was class newcomer Peter Tuite sailing CURRAGH to an 8-12-3-1 record for 24 pts. Peter was also top Corinthian sailor for this event. He beat out the top Canadian team, REX sailed by Scott Weakley from Port Credit YC. REX’s scoreline of 3-4-9-8 also scored 24 pts and was good for third overall. In fourth was Rob Butler’s TOUCH2PLAY with friend Martie Kullman on board. Their performance was sufficient to move them onto the top of the overall Quantum Winter Series lead. Taking fifth was Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT with guest tactician, Tim Healy, aboard. In the Corinthians world, as we mentioned above, Peter Tuite won on CURRAGH. He was followed by Rob Britts on HOT MESS in second and Blake Kimbrough on NOSTALGIA in third. It was an unfortunate regatta performance for Britts, making a real “mess” of their strong leadership position in the overall series with their 9-1-12-20 record for 42 pts. One of the notable performances was to see top woman skipper, “Cat” Evans sailing MOJITO to fifth overall in Corinthians— if you recall she overcame enormous obstacles at the Key West Midwinters when just about everything was stolen out of her boat while trailering MOJITO down the Keys. Thankfully, Don Finkle and many others in the J/70 class supported her and got her back on the road to success. “Congratulations” to “Cat” for a well-deserved performance- one, in fact, that enabled her to finish 3rd in Corinthians in the overall series.
As for the overall Open Division results for the Winter Series, the combined three event results saw Butler’s TOUCH2PLAY win. They were followed by Britts’s HOT MESS and in third was Mark Ploch on SUGAR DADDY from American YC in Rye, New York; he was sailing with “Moose” McClintock on board. Fourth in the series went to Thomas Bowen on REACH AROUND, a fellow American YC member. And, fifth went to the Werner/ Barnash duo on SUPERFECTA from Rochester YC.
In the Corinthians overall series standings, Britts won anyhow followed by Ted Johnson’s VITAMIN J in second, Cat Evans’s MOJITO in third, Noel Clinard’s LOONATICTU from Fishing Bay YC in fourth and Blake & Lud Kimbrough’s NOSTALGIA also from Fishing Bay YC in fifth. Next up for many of these J/70s teams? Lipton Cup in New Smyrna Beach, FL and Charleston Race Week in mid-April! For more Quantum J/70 Winter Series sailing information
Warsash Series Reaches Halfway Mark(Warsash, England)- The Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Series reached the midpoint on Sunday 30th March this past weekend. Following last week’s heavy conditions, again there was a change back to bright sunshine accompanied by a light south-easterly. In fact, for some hardy sailors it got warm enough for honest-to-goodness “shorts & shades” weather!
The Black Group committee boat set up station at East Knoll, giving an initial windward leg for all classes to Fastnet Insurance buoy south of Lee-on-the-Solent. Courses were tight – IRC1 having 13 marks over 15 miles and the course setters mixed in plenty of starboard roundings to ring the changes. All the starts went remarkably well. The breeze, while fairly constant in direction, occasionally dropped from 11 knots down to 8 kts. Tacticians were fully occupied trading less tide for more wind. Given several marks in common to all classes, rounding could be tricky with many and varied designs in one place at the same time. The strong ebb tide on the windward legs caught some boats out judging the layline incorrectly, causing them to make several attempts to round, short tacking close to the buoy.
In IRC 1 class, the J/111s are having close racing around the dozen plus marks set out each weekend. JITTERBUG continues to lead the class now by only one pt. Their 1-2-3 score for 6 pts just nips David & Kirsty Apthorp’s J-DREAM with a 4-1-2 for 7 pts. Tied for third on 14 pts apiece are Will Naylor’s crew on BRITISH SOLDIER and Simon Boadle’s MUNKENBECK. Revving up their engines this past weekend with a solid race was Charles Ivill’s ETB TYRES, taking a first in class and also 2nd in IRC overall!
In the J/109 class David Mcleman’s OFFBEAT put a stop to JAGERBOMB’s (Paul Griffiths) chance of a hat trick; these two boats pulling away from the rest of the class in the Series. The J/109 series is getting interesting because there are two races within the series at this time. The leaders are just one point apart with JAGERBOMB still leading and OFFBEAT beginning to “get their groove on”. Just behind them, another duel is shaping up between Owain Franks & Jean Lockett’s JYNNAN TONNYX and Marcus Wilson’s Royal Air Force crew aboard RED ARROW. Both are tied for third overall with 15 points each. More interesting news to come from this set of duels!
In IRC 3 division, Nick and Adam Munday’s J/97 INDULJENCE didn’t sail this past weekend. The IRC 4 class saw David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO continuing their consistent performance in the series with a 3rd this past weekend. Their finishes of 3-4-3 for a total of 10 pts, puts them just 3 pts out of first.White Group has kept to the full schedule of racing, with nine races now completed. Their racing area was chosen this week off Hill Head. After Race 1 the courses were shortened to two laps and the leeward end of the course was swung 10 degrees before Race 3 due to a slight wind shift.
JUGADOR (Jack Davies) showed up for the first time in the series and nailed two wins in the J/70s. Another newcomer, JUST NOW (Paul Molesworth) took the remaining race. At this halfway stage, Ian Wilson’s JOY RIDE is leading the series with 44 pts, followed by Marie-Claude Heys on JOSEPHS COAT in second with 46 pts and Ian Atkins on BOATS.COM in third sitting on 63 pts. With a great turnout of nine boats registered, there is a certainty the standings will get jumbled in the second half since drop-out races starting coming into effect.
The French boat J-OUT-OF-THE-BOX (Yannig Loyer) came to the fore in the first J/80 race with AQUA-J (Patrick Liardet) taking Races 2 and 3. The nine boat J/80 fleet are also having exciting close racing. Jon Powell’s BETTY continues to hold on to the lead by a thread, giving up a lot of real estate this past weekend with a 3-6-2 to finish the halfway mark at 22 pts. Just one point back with 24 pts is Liardet’s AQUA-J; their outstanding performance in the last two races helped their case immensely. And, only three points in arrears of AQUA-J is Mike Lewis’s JESTER with 26 pts.Competitors made brief visits to Warsash Sailing Club after racing, probably anxious to fulfill their Mothering Sunday responsibilities. A couple of class winners even missed collecting their weekly champagne prizes presented by Lisa Vincent from Brooks Macdonald. With so many class leaders close on points, there is everything to play for going into the second half of the Series next Sunday 6th April. Thanks for contribution from Louay Habib. For more Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Series sailing information
Schoenfedlt Wins Sunny J/24 Frühjahrs-Verbandsregatta(Hamburg, Germany)- The sailing season for the J/24 class in Germany officially opened with their Frühjahrs-Verbandsregatta, sailed at Hamburger Segel-club on the beautiful Alster Lake. From March 29th to 30th, a great turn-out of nineteen J/24s enjoyed a somewhat benign weekend for weather. In moderate winds of 4-9 kts and most glorious, warm spring weather, it was the lightweight crews and light wind specialists had the advantage. Frank Schönfeldt and his crew from the host Hamburger Segel-club succeeded once again to win the first J/24 regatta in Germany.
The HSC Race Committee PRO Lennart Klemp did a good job and made for a smooth racing all weekend long. Everyone involved were in high spirits and enjoyed the balmy spring day until the award ceremony on the jetty of the HSC.
Here’s the sailing report from Hamburg’s newspaper, Die Welt (The World):
“Sunday morning dawns with the sun occupying the sky and the outer Alster sparkles like an emerald. A spectacular setting against the city and the verdant green trees along the waterfront. But, the wind is still. Not even a gentle breeze stirs above the water. Bad sign for a sailing regatta. Without further ado, the start will be laid and limited to a short race. One more reason to look on the terrace of the clubhouse for a bit of socializing with friends.Just as well. For during the first four of the five races sailed on Saturday, at least 5-9 kts of wind prevailed across the lake. This filled the 120 women and men on their J/24s with both excitement. With billowing sails and anticipation for the new sailing season, the nineteen boats started their regatta, circumnavigating multiple yellow marks around the lake. Sailors from Poland, Denmark, Italy and all over Germany took to the 8 C degree water, adjusted the lines for their sails and magically glided across the water with the graces of swans.
“The months Long wait is over," said a farmer sipping his cup of coffee on the banks of Gurlitt Island on the eastern shore. Then there’s the designer with her own company in St. George, looking forward to spring, summer and autumn under sail. The passion of the native from Stuttgart was awakened after moving to Hamburg 20 years ago. "Sailing on the lake is like a piece of holiday in the city," she says. "One has freedom in time and you’re only dependent on the wind." Often it is with six comrades on board, as previously during Antigua Race Week off the coast of their former adopted home of Venezuela, they often enjoy sports and team spirit. There is no place for hierarchies and long discussions between the maneuvers on the J/24 when sailing around the lake.There is a lot of heritage at the HSC supporting the sport of sailing; especially for the young children and women. In fact, many women are involved in the management of HSC. And, one of their proud achievements is a boat called ALICE, sailed by six women aged between 16 and 25 years- their skipper Stephanie Koepcke, a cute young blond with a steely drive to succeed.
In front the club house are 270 berths. Harbour Master Ole has everything under control. 60 boats owned by the club - from little Optimists for kids to yachts for adults. The program of social life in the newly renovated clubhouse with a large veranda and terrace in front is a great addition, especially for the Wednesday evening “beer can” races. Next Monday starts training for the next generation. In April, we’re invited to a “sushi night”.
The HSC waitress provide cheerful service, bringing coffee to everyone. In contrast to the Sunday doldrums out on the water she is a whirlwind. The clubhouse fills up, perhaps attracted by a rich breakfast buffet including hot drinks for a special price of 5.50 euros. On the walls hang photos of HSC sailors who conquered the world from their little emerald lake in the city. In the showcase are an impressive trophy collection, documenting the winning tradition of HSC sailors. On display are memorabilia from Hans Otto Schümann, of winning in the Admiral's Cup off the Isle of Wight, as well as Olympic medals from Mexico in 1968 and Kiel 1972.Reluctantly, the HSC PRO Lennart Klemp gives the signal for a reduced competition, completing the weekend for all. Everyone on the clubhouse veranda agree, that it can only get better during the season.”
From the sailing perspective, Frank Schoenfeldt on GER 5412 managed to blitzkrieg the fleet after a terrible first race, scoring 11-1-3-2-6 for 12 pts net to take the title. Manfred Koening in GER 5467 sailed by far the most consistent regatta, taking a 4-3-5-3-3 for 13 pts net to grab the silver. Then, Johann Huhn on GER 5316, the early regatta leader after three races, simply “punted” the last two, adding a 16-7 to his otherwise excellent scores of 2-7-1 for a final tally of 17 pts net. The “girls” on ALICE put in a great first regatta, with Stephanie Koeopcke leading her team to fourth overall with a 6-8-4-6-2 scoreline for 18 pts net- just missing the podium! Rounding out the top five was Langhans Peter on GER 4495 with 22 pts net.
In addition to the Die Welt story, the Hamburg Journal produced a nice little sailing video (in German).
For more German J/24 class sailing information
King Harbor Race Week ReportThe Duels: 70 vs 80 & 109 vs 111!
(King Harbor, CA)- The spring kick-off for racing in King Harbor took place over a nice weekend for sailing off Los Angeles. Respectable conditions, sun, wind and warm weather, were the rule for the happy-go-lucky fleet of thirty-three boats spread across two PHRF fleets and four one-design classes. The King Harbor YC PRO Bill Stump managed to fire off four races over the weekend.
In PHRF A class, the J/111 JATO sailed by the team of Bill Webster and Mike Moorhead from host KHYC lost their duel to Alice Leahey’s J/109 GRACE O’MALLEY from California YC. It was literally a game of “seconds” in every race that separated these two boats on handicap time. A botched tack here, a slow takedown there, a wrap in the chute after a gybe were all part of the ingredients that unwound good intentions by their crews. Nevertheless, all put in their best efforts and in then end Alice’s GRACE O’MALLEY crew took third in class, beating their classmate JATO by just three points. Apparently, Alice was quite happy to add another “pickle dish” to her trophy shelf!
PHRF B division was a mix of J/70s and J/80s vying for class honors. It was close racing all-around for this group, but it was clear that local sailor Curt Johnson sailing his J/80 AVET had the upper hand. With a 1-1-1-2 for 5 pts Curt’s crew were quite happy to take home their silverware. Giving them a strong challenge and taking second in class was the famous DFZ from San Diego YC- led by Alex Kownacki and Cole Jenkins. Their 2-3-3-1 for 9 pts was just enough to beat classmate Craig Tallman from host KHYC sailing his J/70 JAYA. For more King Harbor Race Week sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* Stephanie Roble has been busy over the past year, working her way up to the 6th ranked spot in ISAF’s Women’s Match Racing standings and 54th in the Open list in her run to try to conquer the WIMRS; all this as she finished up a multi-year stint helping to run the Chicago Match Race Program. Steph has also been active sailing J/22s, J/24s and J/70s, and recently sailed in the IC-24 (the modded J/24) fleet in the St Thomas Invitational Regatta. Here’s her interview with Sailing Anarchy:“Steph’s an all-around talent, one of very few pro sailor chicks in the game, and this week, she’s sailing with her friend Taylor Canfield in the St. Thomas International Regatta. Steph gave us a few minutes of her time – you can give her a few minutes of yours by checking out the Epic Racing newsletter and her team’s Facebook Page.
SA: After a season of Grade 1 and 2 match racing, you just rocked up to St. Thomas regatta to sail on a chartered IC-24 boat in a crazy local 1-design class. What made you do that, and what are your expectations?
SR: I came down here for the free rum, some fun in the sun, to get rid of my tan lines and the dance party (just kidding…though that is definitely a bonus). Actually it just so happened that my boyfriend and reigning World Match Racing World Champion, chartered an IC 24 and signed me up to sail with him. It was a great excuse for him to come home to roots and see his family [dad Bill Canfield runs the event -ed]. Taylor’s been doing a lot of coaching and pro crewing and hasn’t really steered since the Monsoon Cup, so he wanted some tiller time – I just wanted to sail! We recruited good friends to join Team Line Honors: Mike Rehe, Matt Clark & Taylor Ladd (see crew positions here). Basically, it’s awesome to sail with good friends, and the regatta and class are major fun on and off the water.
SA: What makes St. Thomas stand out as a racing venue?
SR: Obviously, being in the islands in the middle of winter isn’t bad! It’s 85 degrees everyday and the trade winds are in full force right now. Our forecast for the week is 15-20 knots every day and some possible rain showers. Can you really beat that? Well, St. Thomas does, because in addition to the great sailing, the STYC is just so chill. You come in from the water to a huge beach covered with palm trees, sponsor flags, and a stage for the band right on the water, the breeze blowing right on the club from the topaz water…have I painted the picture yet? All around, a fantastic vibe.SA: Lots of folks find racing with their significant otherwise difficult, and knowing both of your personalities, it can’t be easy for you two. How do you guys do it? Have any tips for other guys and gals to make it fun, and positive?
SR: It’s definitely a unique situation; people always ask how we make it happen. We’ve sailed 3 US Match Race Championships together, he coached me in match racing and we do a lot of pro sailing together. I’m a very competitive person, so when I’m on a boat or team, I treat every person the same. It’s definitely easy to get more annoyed or sensitive with someone who is that close to you, but it’s important to understand the competitive atmosphere. It’s important to leave whatever happens (good or bad) on the water and when you get back to shore you can go back to normal. It’s also cool learning from your significant other; I ask questions and become a better sailor because of that, it’s definitely a win-win situation. Bottom line is that we both love to have fun and being on the water with our close friends is, well, fun.
SA: You’re America’s top-ranked women’s match racer and 6th in the world, what does that really mean for you? Where do you go with that now that the MR Olympics are gone?
SR: I fell in love with match racing back in college and it was a bonus that it was in the Olympics. I did a short campaign with Maggie Shea and Darby Smith afterwards, and fell even more in love with the fast paced, tactical and athletic game. It’s definitely a bummer that it’s not in the Olympics anymore but that hasn’t stopped me yet! I was also fortunate enough to have a job at Chicago Match Race Center where I could focus on improving as a skipper and crew.
Now we have a professional women’s match race series (WIM Series) that is set up similar to the World Match Race Tour and my team, Epic Racing (follow us on Facebook please!), will sail all 5 Series this year. The WIMRS is a huge step towards developing women’s professional sailing but also giving girls something to look forward to besides the Olympics. As for the ranking, it’s really cool to be ranked so high in the women’s, but as my college coach, Mitch Brindley, always said, rankings only mean so much. We believe we are the top team at every event, and we will continue working our hardest no matter what the ranking says. We are also proud of our work in the open match race events we have done. Training and racing against the guys has been great for our development as a team. Read more about Steph Roble’s SA interview here.
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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