Wednesday, January 18, 2017

J/Newsletter- January 18th, 2017

Toronto BoatshowToronto Boat Show Time!
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)- While it may be quite frigid in many parts of Canada, the action will be hot and heavy inside the ginormous EnerCare Centre Exhibition Place in Toronto, the site of the 2017 Toronto International Boat Show that is running from January 20th to 29th.

Head on down to the “SailFest” exhibition area where the famous J/70 is on display at booth# B10.  The J/70 class continues to grow fleets on Lake Ontario and many Canadian sailors are gearing up for the J/70 North American Championship that is taking place just south of them in Rye, New York at American Yacht Club from October 10th to 15th.

Be sure to contact J/Canadian dealer Pat Sturgeon at Pat Sturgeon Yachts in Toronto- office- 905-278-5100, mobile- 416-347-1328, email- pats@patsturgeonyachts.com, website here.  For more Toronto Boat Show information

J/121 hull plug CNC- SymmetrixJ/121 Hull "Final Cut"
(Bristol, RI)- Progress continues on the creation of the latest 40-foot speedster from the J/Boats design team.  The amazing 5-axis CNC machine at Symmetrix in Bristol, RI that literally “cuts” the shape of the hull plug to an extraordinary accuracy of just 0.1mm!  It guarantees a perfectly symmetric hull shape as envisioned by the designers. The next step is having the hull hand-sanded with 800# sandpaper and then hand-polished to a mirror finish before it is coated with gelcoat and glass to create the hull mold.  Watch this 45-second time-lapse video of the “final cut” of the J/121 hull plug.

J/111s sailing at Charleston Race WeekCharleston Race Week Announcement
(Charleston, SC)- Here’s the formula: take three days of intense action on the water. Mix in four evenings of rollicking beachside parties. Then add top-flight race management and one of the best venues in the sport and you’ve got an event worth attending. That’s Sperry Charleston Race Week that is running from April 20th to 23rd.

“Serious racing. Serious fun.” That’s the new tagline for this mega-regatta. And anyone who’s raced here in the last decade will tell you the competition is tough to beat, the race courses are challenging and the shoreside festivities are unmatched. We call it Southern hospitality at its best.

J/88s sailing Charleston Race WeekCharleston Race Week has become mecca for trailerable one-designs 19 feet or larger. (Over 65 J/70s in 2016, not to mention a 17-strong J/24 class.) But we also attract a healthy contingent of offshore racers competing under PHRF and ORC formats, like J/88s, J/111s, and J/122s! And, we offer a unique Pursuit Class for those who prefer a more extended course format.

To keep things interesting, we throw in an engaging mix of pre- and post-race debriefs by some of the top experts in the sport. So competitors don’t just enjoy top-notch racing, but also great opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills, too.

To top it all off, Charleston Race Week takes place in the No. 1 destination city in the world (according to the readers of Travel & Leisure magazine). When you’re not on the water getting your adrenaline fix or on the beach reveling, there’s so much to do in Charleston. So come join us for 2017 (April 20-23) and help make this the best year yet. (And remember, the early registration discount ends January 31.)  Learn more about Charleston Race Week and sailing information here.

J/109s sailing Block IslandBlock Island Race Week Announcement
(Block Island, RI)- Storm Trysail Club, the regatta organizer for Key West Race Week, is announcing that entries are now open for the 2017 edition of the famous Block Island Race Week.  The event runs from June 18th to 23rd, 2017.

It is the only five-day race week in New England that features great racing and six parties in the Storm Trysail Tent at the infamous “The Oar Restaurant” - all framed by Block Island’s special ambiance.

Major championships will be decided: IRC, J/44, and J/109 North Americans, PHRF and J/88 East Coasts and the J/105 New England Championship!

Racing is also offered in Performance Cruising classes, both spinnaker and non-spinnaker (PHRF), and double handed (PHRF).

Enter Now! $2 per foot LOA early pay discount, if entry fee paid on or before March 1, 2017!!  For more details, NOR, and entry for sailing Block Island Race Week.

Key West Havana RaceKey West to Cuba Preview
(Key West, FL)- The old Conch Republic Cup has been revitalized after years of not taking place.  Last year the teams that participated had a wonderful time sailing from Key West to Havana, Cuba to relax in the nicely appointed Marina Hemingway along the waterfront. The event, also known as Key West Cuba Race Week, starts Sunday, January 22nd (after Key West Race Week) and continues through Friday, February 3rd.

The 2017 event is to be the second Conch Republic Cup since U.S. tensions began easing with Cuba. The historic race began in 1997 with a Key West race to Varadero and expanded to include Havana in 1999. This will be its ninth edition.

Hosted by Key West Community Sailing Center and Cuba’s Hemingway International Yacht Club, the race is a triangle: a 100-mile adventure from Key West to Varadero, a 90-mile race from Varadero to Havana and a 90-mile leg from Havana to Key West.

J/120s sailing to Havana“The Conch Republic Cup is the only race with more than one stop that runs along the coast of Cuba,” said Conch Republic Cup Executive Director Karen Angle. “It is not just a race to Cuba. It is a series of races that includes a return race to Key West.”

The Cup had a 13-year hiatus after U.S. authorities enforced a Cuban embargo in 2003. Although federal officials indicted organizers Peter Goldsmith and late partner Michelle Geslin that year for “trading with the enemy,” a Miami federal judge later tabled the case.

“We want to introduce as many sailors in the U.S. community to Cuba and revitalize racing between Key West and Cuba. We truly are a cultural exchange through sport,” said Peter Goldsmith, Conch Republic Cup president. “We’re an all-volunteer organization that donates to youth sailing programs in both countries.”

On non-race days, tours in Cuba include venues frequented by writer Ernest Hemingway. Throughout the 1930s, Hemingway lived in Key West, where he penned “To Have and Have Not” as his only novel set in the United States.

“Balancing race days with lay days gives participants time to enjoy sights and adventures Key West and Cuba have to offer,” Angle said. “Sailors who follow the racing calendar can continue on to the Caribbean racing circuit.”

Havana race taxiThe event’s Race Village and registration is to open at Dante’s Key West at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22. Race days are Tuesday, Jan. 24, with a 5 p.m. start from Key West to Varadero. On Thursday, Jan. 26, sailors race from Varadero along the Cuban coastline to Havana and Hemingway Marina. On Sunday, Jan. 29, a Havana Harbor buoy race at Morro Castle and a yacht parade along the Malecon are scheduled. Sailors race from Havana to Key West on Thursday, Feb. 2 and an awards celebration is scheduled Friday, Feb. 3 at Dante’s.

Currently, 25 boats in three classes (PHRF Spinnaker, PHRF Non-Spinnaker, Multihull) and six support vessels – with more than 200 sailors to represent more than 13 states – are competing in this year’s edition of the Conch Republic Cup / Key West Cuba Race Week.  Included in this year’s fleet is JD Hill’s J/122 SECOND STAR from Lakewood YC and Dallas, Texas.  For more Conch Republic Cup sailing information

J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

The second week of January saw amazing sailing activity taking place in both Europe and America.  Over on the Mediterranean, the Yacht Club Monaco hosted their third act of the YC Monaco J/70 Winter Sportsboat Series off Monte Carlo for a diversified fleet of 40 boats from 11 nations across the Continent.  In the Americas, an equal sized fleet of forty J/70s are sailing in the Quantum Key West Race Week along with nearly a dozen J/111s and seven J/88s both racing their Midwinter championships; enjoying the gorgeous conditions are a J/105, J/44 and J/122 in the handicap divisions.

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:

Jan 15-23- Quantum Key West Regatta- Key West, FL
Feb 4-5- Quantum J/70 Winter Series- Tampa, FL
Feb 10-12- J/24 Midwinters- Indian Harbour Beach, FL
Feb 14-19- Hong Kong Race Week- Hong Kong, China
Feb 17-19- St Petersburg NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg, FL
Feb 20- RORC Caribbean 600 Race- English Harbour, Antigua
Feb 23-26- J/70 Midwinters- St Petersburg, FL
Mar 2-5- St Maarten Heineken Regatta- Phillipsburg, St Maarten
Mar 3-4- Monaco J/70 Winter Series- Act V- Monte Carlo, Monaco
Mar 2-5- J/27 Midwinters- New Orleans, LA
Mar 9-11- Bacardi Miami Sailing Week- Coconut Grove, FL
Mar 17-19- San Diego NOOD Regatta- San Diego, CA
Mar 24-26- St Thomas International Regatta- St Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Mar 27-Apr 2- BVI Spring Regatta- Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Apr 10-15- Les Voiles de Saint Barth- Gustavia, St Barthelemey
April 20-23- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC
Apr 30- May 1- Antigua Sailing Week- English Harbour, Antigua
May 5-7- Annapolis NOOD Regatta- Annapolis, MD

For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.

J/70 sailing Key WestKey West Race Week Update
(Key West, FL)- The 30th anniversary Quantum Key West Race Week has been epic, with postcard sailing conditions for the past three days- sunny, good breezes from the east, and gorgeous moon-lit evenings ashore.  On the third day, the breeze softened into the 6 to 10 kts range, producing several shakeups on the scoreboard for several classes.

The Mount Gay Rum Boat of the Day was awarded to J.D. Hill’s (Houston, TX) J/122 SECOND STAR. Competing in his first Quantum Key West Race Week, Hill’s crew won the first two races and finished tied for 2nd in the third. SECOND STAR leads the ORC Class with 13.5 points.

J/122 sailing Key West“Winning an award like this makes you teary,” said Hill. “I was telling my wife Susan that 30 years from now, if we’re lucky to still be around, sitting on a porch with our teeth on a table beside us and sipping on a mint julep, these are the days you want to think back to. These are the memories that will last a lifetime. To be here with your friends—we have tons of friends on other boats who’ve been mentors to us—to be able to look back on a day like today with terrific competitors and good friends, those are the memories that will last a lifetime.”

“This event is something that every sailor should do at least once. If you don’t you miss out on something that can’t be replicated anywhere else,” said Hill.

In the J/70 Class it looked as if Carlo Alberini’s CALVI NETWORK from Italy was charting a course to a third consecutive class victory and then the crew finished 13th in Race 9 while Tim Healy’s (Jamestown, RI) NEW ENGLAND ROPES finished 2nd. That allowed Healy to close a 12-point deficit down to 1 point with three races remaining.  Not too far behind in third place is Marty Kullman’s NEW WAVE.

J/70s sailing Key West“Thankfully we had a consistent day,” said Healy, the J/70 Class and Boat of the Week winner in 2014. “Calvi was having a good day but had a higher score in the last race and that allowed us to gain some points.”

Healy said that one side wasn’t favored over the other and added that it was important to stay in the puffs. “Both sides of the course were working,” Healy said. “It was important to stay in the puff and in phase, and John (Mollicone, tactician, Providence, RI) did nice job for us. When you were in pressure then you could tack. You couldn’t tack if you weren’t in a puff because you wouldn’t accelerate out of the tack. Every windward leg we probably cycled through 10 puffs and lulls.

“I don’t know what happened to Calvi, but I think they missed out on some pressure on the first beat of the last race,” Healy said. “They didn’t have a bad start but fell behind on the first leg and then it was hard to get back into the lead group.”

In the J/111 Class, Rob Ruhlman’s (Cleveland, OH) SPACEMAN SPIFF went 1-3 in the first two races and looked to be well in control of the class. But then SPACEMAN SPIFF finished 9th in the third race and now finds itself 1 point ahead of Peter Wagner’s (Atherton, CA) SKELETON KEY, the reigning class champion. Observers on the J/111 course noted that SPACEMAN SPIFF got stuck in both the left and right corners in the last race.  Also in the hunt in a virtual three-way tie for first place on 20 pts is Jeff Davis’ SHAMROCK.

In the J/88 Class, Laura Weyler’s (Williamsville, NY) HIJINKS won the first two races to extended its winning streak to four races, but then finished 6th in Race 7. Still, HIJINKS leads the class with 13 points and is 10 points ahead of Ryan Ruhlman’s (Bratenahl, OH) SPACEMAN SPIFF. Sitting in third place is Mike Bruno’s WINGS from American YC in Rye, New York.

In the handicap world, JD Hill’s J/122 SECOND STAR continues to lead their class, while Chris and Karen Lewis’ J/44 KENAI is sitting in 4th place, just 3 points out of third.  Sailing photo credits- Max Ranchi, Sharon Green, Sarah Proctor   For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

J/70s sailing YC MonacoMonaco J/70 Winter Series- Act III
(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- Last weekend, the YC Monaco held their third Act of their fabulous J/70 Winter Sportsboat Series on Hercules Bay off Monte Carlo.  From January 13th to 15th, forty J/70s from 11 countries relished the steady northerly breezes and the slight chop on the warm Mediterranean Sea.

For many of Europe’s top sailors, Monaco’s winter circuit, with monthly regattas from October to March, is not to be missed as preparation for the big summer-time J/70 events, including this year’s Europeans and World Championship in Sardinia, Italy.

Monegasque teams from YC Monaco clinched the top two spots.  Ludovico Fassitelli’s JUNDA-BANCA DEL SEMPIONE won the event, taking to the top of the podium a 2-8-4-3 record for 17 pts.  Fellow YCM member, the current European Vice-Champion Stefano Roberti, managed to win two races but had to count a 7-12 for a total score of 21 pts to take the silver.  Finishing in third was the Swiss crew ENJOY, skippered by Alain Stettler.  Rounding out the top five was the German crew SANNA R in 4th, skippered by Gerd Knospe and in fifth place was Petr Nosov, a Russian sailor skippering the Italian entry JESSIE TANTA.  Continuing to lead the series overall is Valeriya Kovalenko’s ARTTUBE crew from Moscow, Russia, winning a race in this series.  Here is a nice sailing video of the event off Monaco   For more YC Monaco Sportsboat J/70 Winter Series sailing information
 

J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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J/70 Ullman Sails* Ullman Sails Celebrates 50th Anniversary!  Ullman Sails, founded in Southern California by sailing great David Ullman, will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2017. Beginning in 1967, the sailmaking business has since expanded to include over 75 locations in 29 countries world-wide.

“In the beginning it was unimaginable that Ullman Sails would achieve what it has,” said Ullman Sails President and Founder David Ullman. “I am extremely proud of what the team at Ullman Sails has accomplished. We have an exciting network of technical experts, designers, sailmakers, and top-level sailors who are all working together to offer sailors the best sailing experience possible. The quality and cohesiveness of our network has really been a key part of the success of our business.”

With a strong start in dinghies and many of J/Boats’ One-Design classes (J/22, J/24, J/70, J/80, J/105), Ullman Sails has gone on to design and build winning race sails for the Olympics, Admiral’s Cup, Transpacific Yacht Race, Sydney Hobart, countless One Design World Championships, and more. The group has since expanded its cruising product series as well and now delivers the most comprehensive cruising inventory options available – from coastal cruising all the way through to the recently released Expedition Series; the only true high-latitude sail solution.

“Sailmaking today is nothing like it was 50 years ago,” said Ullman. “The whole process, from measurement and design, through to finishing have been refined and specialized for every sail we build. As we’ve evolved and brought in more expertise and experience to our team, we’ve been able to build a broader range of products that are engineered using the latest technology but still fundamentally meet the needs of our customers and their respective passions, be it boat speed off the start line at a World Championships or easy handling with the family on a weekend cruise.”

J/24 sailing San Francisco* The J/24 “Crew You Regatta” on San Francisco Bay is a blast!  Here’s a great story from Martha Blanchfield- profiling cool stuff for yacht racing, sailing, cruising and water sports at RenegadeSailing.com.

After a long season of racing on San Francisco Bay it can be fun to just goof off a bit, which is exactly what happened at the fourth annual OPBYC Crew You Regatta for J/24 and small boats held back in December. Hallmarks of the day: no wind, lots of whiskey, several pranks and concern over seagulls befriending rubber ducky marks. This competition, traditionally scheduled in late fall, differentiates itself from by focusing on multiple short-course races run back-to-back on a single day.

Volunteers Flock to a Fun Regatta  
Jasper Van Vliet is a San Francisco area sail instructor, owner of J/24 “Evil Octopus” and race director of the Crew You Regatta. Instrumental in launching a local sailing group which he calls OPBYC, he shares, “That name initially represented what we called ourselves when we were all crewing on J/24s and other boats. We figured we were the smart ones: sail for free any time on almost any boat, you just don't get to drive much.”

In 2009 Van Vliet got it into his head to create a company that would sell sailing gloves—a product he found to be drastically overpriced. He decided to name the company OPBYC, and soon thereafter stylized a ducky logo and Web site. “The gloves thing didn't really take off, but the ducky was a hit and we stayed with it,” he smiles. “In 2013 we organized a regatta based on the concept that OPBYCers are better drivers than boat owners. Ok turns out not to be true, but the concept of a single day competition whereby the crew drives (unless the owner deems it unsafe) was definitely a winner.  Crew You racers honor a no-genoa rule if the wind hits 12 knots or higher, and the race committee will shorten or halt a race if conditions get too dicey.”

Crew You Regatta volunteers started flocking round. One fleet racer stitched a ducky around an inner tube, and one skipper began collecting inflatable palm trees and duckies that he glued onto bigger floating objects. A salvage yard was raided in order to locate weighty objects that could double as anchors and marks ballast. And key to course-setting success, a local sailor offered to zip about in his Bertram 30 slinging tropical and fowl rubber marks on the course.

J24 winnersRecounts Van Vliet, “Year one was a proof of concept and it was a blast. We did not exclude any boats, but since we know mostly J/24 sailors that's what we got.” The second year he put more muscle into marketing. “The result: same number of boats showed up. We still had a hoot. The third year I did no marketing whatsoever and the same amount of boats showed up again.” He smiles, thinking about race conditions in 2015. “We did not have balmy fall weather. In fact it was downright windy. There were some MOBs, and even a mild collision, but thankfully nobody got hurt—and as a result, I got to practice my fiber glassing skills.”

Ducking Around on the Water  
Marks boat driver Bill Helvestine has supported the fun from the get-go. He recalls the December action: “It was an exciting start at 35 seconds away from the line on race one. In half knot winds “Downtown Uproar” took up “Evil Octopus,” which resulted in a little pushing off. Just behind was boat three, “Shut up and Drive,” a bit late to the line but with excellent s-p-e-e-d. We’re not sure what happened on the course to entrants four and five, but one of the boats did show at the post-race awards ceremony.” Uncharacteristically, the winds were not present on Frisco Bay that afternoon so after a first (and additional) retirement call-in, organizers deemed that just one race on a shortened course was ample for the day.

duck duck buoyThird place accolades went to “Downtown Uproar” with Robin Van Vliet at the tiller.” Boat owner Darren Cumming joked, “It’s really all me. These guys were just riding with me.” In second place was “Evil Octopus” with Jessica Ludy controlling boat direction. According to regatta PRO Hans Opsahl, the crew earned this achievement via “creative interpretation of no rule 42.” Rule 42 relates to propulsion, and how a boat shall compete by using only wind and water to increase, maintain or decrease speed. Taking line honors on an (extremely) shortened course was Valentin Lulevitch’s “Shut Up and Drive.” Either superior boat handling, or the lean all-male crew of only three, had propelled the crew to victory. Bestowed as first prize was a mildly tarnished silver ice bucket--quickly deemed “the perpetual pee bucket” by an envious competitor.

According to Van Vliet, an event like this works in San Francisco because the J/24 fleet is so interwoven. “We have all sailed on each other’s boat. We have often travelled together to race venues (Mexico, Argentina, Seattle, for example). The San Francisco Bay sailing community is a tight, but open, bunch of people. We cross-pollinate onto other boats also.”

The OPBYC Crew Your Regatta is meant to be fun. Protests are non-existent, courses are not square and sometimes there are prizes. If this appeals to you, and you find yourself in the San Francisco area next November 4, 2017, be sure to look up OPBYC. There’s always room for one more, just check the schedule here on Facebook.
 

J/Cruisers
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/40 HERON REACH sailed by Virginia and Jerry is participating in the Blue Planet Odyssey project and have recently joined them in the Marquesas Islands in the Eastern Pacific.  Learn more about their adventures and experiences here- http://heronreachodyssey.blogspot.com/
Giant whale breaching in front of J/160 SALACIA off  Australia's Whitsunday Islands* J/160 SALACIA has been sailing in Australia in the Whitsunday Islands.  Guess who decided to throw themselves across their bow as they cruised comfortably to their next destination?  A giant whale!  Look at this amazing photo!

J/42 cruiser- sailing across Atlantic Ocean* 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, for 2015/ 2016!  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 regards their various improvements and refit to the boat (see above).  They will again be based at Proper Yachts in St John, US Virgin Islands.

Bill & Judy Stellin- sailing J/42 Jaywalker* Bill & Judy Stellin were interviewed 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

Wall St Journal interview- Stellin's Offshore cruising/ sailing retirementThe 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

J/42 sailing off France* 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 and points further around the Blue Planet Earth.  Here is their latest update (December 2016) from Bill & Kathy:

“We completed a three year tour of the south pacific and sailed from Hobart Tasmania back to Seattle in the fall of 2012.  After two seasons of local cruising, we decided to truck the boat to Rochester NY.  In the summer of 2015, we sailed out the Saint Lawrence seaway and down the east coast of Nova Scotia and the US, with a few months in the Bahamas that winter.  This past summer, we crossed the Atlantic with stops in Bermuda and the Azores, making landfall in Falmouth, UK.  We have worked down the coast of France, Spain and Portugal and are now in Lagos Portugal.  We plan on passing through the Straits of Gibraltar and spending a couple seasons in the Med.”

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/.

J/130 sailing ARC Rally arrives Portugal- leave a message on the sea wall!* 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.