J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
Two significant sailing series began this past week on the pan-Eurasian continent. Starting the farthest “east”, the Russian J/70 Sailing League kicked off their season-long series in Sochi, Russia, with twenty-three teams enjoying a stormy weekend on the Black Sea. Then, at the opposite end of the spectrum, the HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series began in England, hosted by Warsash Sailing Club for IRC handicap racing and one-design classes for J/70s, J/88s, J/109s and the new J/Sprit Class.Down in the Caribbean, the St Thomas International Regatta enjoyed four spectacular days of sailing in the aquamarine waters off the eastern end of US Virgin Island, hosted by St Thomas YC and sailed out of beautiful Cowpet Bay.
Headed over to the Americas, we find two events took place, again at extreme ends of the continental USA. Up in the Pacific Northwest, the Center Sound Series, hosted by Corinthian YC of Seattle, held their third and final race of the series on Puget Sound for PHRF handicap fleets as well as a J/105 one-design class. Down in southern California and Mexico, the Newport Harbor to Cabo San Lucas Race finally finished. Normally, it is an 800.0nm “barn burner” downwind. However, for the fleet that included a J/124, J/121, and J/125, it was possibly one of the slowest “Cabo Races” on record to the cute little seaside resort at the bottom of the Baja Peninsula.
Finally, in South America, the annual J/24 Campeonato del Oeste was sailed off the pretty mountain lake of Potrerillos, Mendoza, Argentina for a highly competitive dozen-boat fleet.
J/99 USA Debut @ Pacific Sailboat Show
(Richmond, CA)- Don't miss the 2019 Pacific Sailboat Show from April 4th to 7th, 2019 at the Craneway Pavilion and Marina Bay Yacht Harbor in Richmond, CA! Get your tickets here- https://pacificboatshow.com/
Making her USA boat show debut will be the new J/99, a 9.9 meter (32.6’) crew-friendly, offshore-capable speedster.
The J/99 is the newest addition to the J/Sport range, combining headroom and comfortable interior accommodation with the tiller-driven responsiveness of a sport boat.
Now more than ever, sailors are attracted to adventure-filled, signature events (Fastnet, Middle Sea, Chicago-Mac, etc.) where straight-line speed, sail handling, strategy and weather routing are all equally put to the test. The J/99 is designed to excel in these events (both fully crewed and short-handed) while delivering the exhilarating, family-friendly experience the J Sport range is known for.
Please be sure to contact Norm Davant at SAIL California for more information- ph# (510) 685-7453 or email- norman@sailcal.com. Learn more about the J/99 Shorthanded Speedster here
Celebrating the Life of Paul Heys
(Hamble, Southampton, United Kingdom)- The sailing world paid tribute to one of its own on March 19th as 500+ sailors gathered at Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble, UK to celebrate the life of Paul Heys- husband, father, brother, friend, colleague, sailing mate, and sailing entrepreneur (pictured above on the newly introduced J/99 in England).
A dock walk thru Port Hamble Marina and Hamble Marina Services only scratches the surface of the impact Paul’s love and dedication for sailing had on the greater sailing community. J/Boats of all sizes and vintages are around every corner, from early model J/80’s and J/105’s to last year’s IRC World Champion J/112E and the newly launched J/99 Hull #1.
Paul only had one speed, and that was full speed ahead (like steering the first J/121 above off Bristol, RI). He woke earlier and worked later, and in between, managed to accomplish more in a day than most do in a week. Whether on a boat or in the boatyard, he inspired everyone around him to “do the job right” and along the way gave many young sailors their first opportunity to work in the sailing industry. He went the extra mile to make sure everyone was having the most fun possible with their boats. Sailing couldn’t have asked for a better ambassador.
Paul will forever be part of the J family and the J story. He and Marie-Claude were there for the first J/80 Worlds in 2001 in Newport, and for so many subsequent firsts including the launch of J/122 hull #1 in 2006, and the more recent hull #1 launchings of the J/121 and J/99. The face of one-design keelboat racing in the UK is forever changed thanks to the J/80, J/109, J/88, J/111, and J/70 classes that Paul and his J/UK team incubated and supported, not to mention the many other J designs he introduced to the UK market and successfully campaigned at the highest levels. The annual J/Cup regatta, founded by Paul, is one of the most prestigious keelboat events on the UK schedule. The 2019 J/Cup, slated for July 18-20 at Royal Southern Yacht Club, is expected to be the biggest yet.
Paul’s lifelong devotion and passion for sailing was second to none, and his legacy will live on through everyone who knew him, the numerous J/one-design fleets and annual J/Cup regatta he founded, and the many other thousands of sailors he inspired along the way. Paul would have wanted to share the credit with his incredible team (both past and present) at J-UK / Key Yachting. He was after all the consummate teammate. We will miss you Paul.
Bigger than Ben Hur!
Season Preview - J/70 UK and Ireland Class
(Southampton, United Kingdom)- The 2019 season is expected to be bigger than Ben Hur for the J/70 UK and Ireland Class, with ten regattas in the Grand Slam Series, and the first ever J/70 World Championships to be held in the UK. There are over 50 teams racing in British waters, and over 100 international teams are expected for the 2019 Darwin Escapes J/70 Worlds, hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club. Racing for the Grand Slam Series starts 13 April and concludes 27 October.
Scoring for the J/70 Class Grand Slam Series is calculated by the best five events, with the J/70 UK Nationals as compulsory. Two fabulous trophies, for Open and Corinthian teams, will be presented at the end of the season, and the top teams for the series will be allocated places for the 2020 J/70 World Championships. The Grand Slam Series events are all based around weekends with a schedule of racing over no more than 2-3 days, except the UK Nationals, which runs for four days.
“Many of the UK teams have been training over the winter, and the buzz in the UK class is stronger than it has ever been,” commented Paul Ward, owner/driver of Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat, and UK Class Secretary. “Time on the water is a big factor to a top performance and going on 2018 results the class will experience extremely competitive racing, last year only three points separated first and fifth. There are now over 1500 J/70s worldwide and the cream of the crop will be in the UK this year, both at the worlds and also the nationals, which is an open event. The UK Class is set for an awesome season!”
The 2019 Grand Slam Series kicks off next month with two weekends of racing at the Warsash Spring Championships (13-14 April & 27-28 April). Cowes is the center of attention for May and June; the RORC Vice Admirals Cup (10-12 May) is followed by the Southern Championships (01-02 June), hosted by the Royal Thames YC. The UK Training Event (18-22 July) will run alongside the J-Cup hosted by the Royal Southern YC. A full race series will be complimented by practice starts plus coaching and video analysis from the expert term at North Sails. Lendy Cowes Week is the venue for the J/70 mini-series (10-13 August), before the J/70 fleet head to the Royal Torbay YC in Torquay for the J/70 UK National Championships (23-26 August), a compulsory event for the Grand Slam Series. Two weekends of racing at the Hamble One Design Championships (05-06 October & 19-20 October), hosted by the Hamble River SC, will be followed by the final event of the 2019 Grand Slam Series, the Solent Championships (26-27 October), hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes.
The highlight of the season is the 2019 Darwin Escapes J/70 World Championships (30 August-06 September). This will be the first J/70 World Championships to be held in the UK. Professional and Corinthian teams are expected from all over the world. The J/70 UK and Ireland Class welcomes new members and chartering opportunities are available from boat owners and yacht clubs. Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ PWPictures.com For more J/70 United Kingdom sailing information
J/24 North American Championship Preview
(Valle de Bravo, Mexico)- Hosting the 2019 J/24 North American Championship will be the Club Nautico Valle de Bravo on their gorgeous lake in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. The twenty-eight boat fleet consists of all Mexican and American teams, with most of the top crews participating from both countries. Sure to be amongst the leaders of the Mexican contingent will be past Mexican J/24 National Champion Kenneth Porter’s “S”, sailing for the host club- CNVB.
The leading USA contenders should include Mark Laura’s BABA LOUIE from Seattle YC in Seattle, WA; Tony Parker’s BANGOR PACKET from Annapolis YC in Annapolis, MD; Will Welles’ BOGUS from Portsmouth, RI; and top woman helm- Erica Beck Spencer’s SEA BAGS WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM from Portland YC in Portland, ME. For more J/24 North American Championship sailing information
Doublehanded Farallones Race Preview(San Francisco, CA)- This coming weekend marks the start of one of the most famous offshore shorthanded races in all of California- the Doublehanded Farallones Race. Hosting the event is the San Francisco Bay Area Multihull Association (SF-BAMA). Fifty-seven teams are taking up this epic shorthanded challenge.
From the start inside San Francisco Bay alongside the Golden Gate Yacht Club, the fleet heads out to sea and around the Southeast Farallones Island, leaving it to port, and then to the finish- a distance of approximately 58.0nm. Seven J/Teams are participating in the race. Leading them all should be the group of five J/120s; including Mike O’Callaghan’s PEREGRINE, Sean Mulvihill’s JAMANI, Timo Bruck’s TWIST, Ludovic Milin’s SAETTA, and Bridgitt Ahern’s ALCHERA. Joining them will be Jim Hopp’s J/88 WHITE SHADOW and Chris Kim’s J/105 VUJA STAR. For Doublehanded Farallones Race entries and race results For more SF-BAMA Doublehanded Farallones Race sailing information
2019 J/GEAR Spring ShakeOut!
(Newport, RI)- Spring is just around the corner, believe it or not! While you are escaping or experiencing the crazy spring weather so far, it is high time to consider getting yourself and the crew ready for another fun summer of sailing on the high seas!
To help get you in full swing, J/Gear is offering to all J/Owners a 20% discount on all crew gear orders through April 2019.
Go here to J/Gear (http://jgear.vsport.biz/) and start shopping. Then, use the following discount code at checkout: JB2019st. Please note- 1/2 models and Custom J Prints do not qualify for the discount.
Regatta & Show Schedules:
Mar 29-31- BVI Spring Regatta- Roadtown, Tortola, BVIMar 30- Apr 5- J/24 North American Championship- Valle de Bravo, Mexico
Apr 11-14- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC
Apr 28- May 1- Antigua Sailing Week- English Harbour, Antigua
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
Newport Harbor to Cabo San Lucas Drift-A-Thon(Newport Beach, CA)- The 20th running of the 800.0nm Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas International Yacht Race started with some degree of promise that the weather forecasts would not come to fruition. The first three fleets of boats started off in decent winds from the WNW that slowly clocked as the fleet sailed south down the Mexican shoreline.
However, the forecasts did, indeed, hold true and the race became somewhat of an anti-climactic event for the late starters. The winds were so light that nearly all of the Saturday starters (the Maxi’s and Super Maxi’s) dropped out! And, over a third of the rest of the fleet did the same, “turning and burning” under their “iron gennies” to head back to home.
It was still the usual downwind race, with winds fluctuating from the northeast to northwest, as the fleet ever so slowly crawled down the Mexican coastline, gybing on lifts and desperately looking for pressure anywhere!For the three J/Teams that managed to finish the race, there was no question there were many anxious moments as one after another held either the lead in their division or were hanging on to a podium finish (as forecast by the YBTracker.com fleet tracking algorithms).
Those three boats were Scott Grealish’s brand new J/121 BLUE FLASH, Viggo Torbensen’s J/125 TIMESHAVER from Dana Point YC, and Seth Hall’s J/124 MARISOL from Newport Beach, CA.
In the battle of the 40+ footers, it was Torbensen’s J/125 TIMESHAVER that yet again out-gunned their classmates, working every inch of advantage, every degree of downwind AWA, every perfect sail combination, to finish the race in 4 days 18 hours 18 minutes to correct out to 2nd in class, missing the ORR 3 Division win by just 4 hours.
Hanging onto the class lead for the better part of two days was Grealish’s brand new, fresh out of the box (2 hours!) J/121 BLUEFLASH. Interspersed with their moments of brilliance were hours of frustration chasing wind streaks for advantage over their erstwhile competitors. As part of their “training mission”, their hope was to learn as fast as possible how to guide their new 40-foot missile faster down the track, experimenting with every sail combination possible. As the smallest boat in the class, they suffered from the same malaise that the Super Maxi’s and Maxi’s got caught in, little to no wind the further they got down the coast as the frontal system receded away from them. That phenomenon not only forced the biggest baddest boats out of the race, with their speedo’s reading “triple naughts” at times, but that also enabled the top boats in ORR 3 Division to continue to extend their lead. In the end, BLUEFLASH was content with a 5th in class, and gathering an enormous amount of data to help them on their 50th Transpac Race preparations later in the summer.
In ORR 5 Division, Hall’s J/124 MARISOL took 5 days 9 hours 55 minutes to complete the 800.0nm track to correct out to 4th in class. Watch YB Tracking of the race here. For more Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas Race sailing information
Another Epic St Thomas International Regatta
(Cowpet Bay, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands)- For three days, the 50-plus boat fleet enjoyed near postcard-perfect sailing conditions in the Caribbean off the east end of St. Thomas. Not surprisingly, the St. Thomas YC’s idyllic location on the beach of Cowpet Bay served as the base of operations for everyone, with plenty of shoreside après ‘sailing festivities. J/Crews garnered their fair share of silverware in the performance CSA racing fleets. Here is how it all took place.
Day 1- Picture Perfect
The conditions could not have been better for the first day of the 46th St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). Warm trade winds blew an average of 12 to 15 knots with occasional gusts to 20 knots, seas were relatively calm at 2 to 4 feet, and the bright sun made for a balmy 80’s Fahrenheit. What really stood out as a signature feature of STIR was the race committees carefully planned round-the-island-, rocks- and cays-style courses that offered highly competitive racing in an extraordinarily scenic setting. Definitely the best of both worlds.
“The courses were awesome,” says St. John’s Mike Feierabend, who with his all St. John crew helmed his J/24 BRAVISSIMO to first after two races in the CSA Spinnaker 2 class. “We really love going around the islands. The wind angles on the courses set by the race committee were especially nice.”
The four-boat CSA Spinnaker 2’s races were each nearly 10-nautical miles and wove around Dog Rock, Little St. James and Packet Rock off St. Thomas’ east end.
Meanwhile, the eight boats in CSA Spinnaker 1 raced in the same vicinity, but these larger vessels were able to stretch their legs to a greater extent on a duo of longer courses that extended to Buck and Capella island’s off St. Thomas southern Caribbean Sea shore.
“We sailed well today,” said Antigua’s Pamala Baldwin, who raced aboard her J/122 LIQUID. Crewed by several aspiring professional race boat crew, LIQUID was second in class, yet tied at 5 points with class leader. “We had a one-hour debrief yesterday after the Round the Rocks race and worked out the tweaks. Four of our sailors are new to the boat and we really came together as a team today.”
Round-the-island courses are something that USA-based PRO (Principal Race Officer) Dave Brennan has been setting for the past several years at STIR. “Sailing here is special and even more so when racing around the islands rather than marker buoys. These types of courses make it more fun for the average sailor, who wants to sail with friends, especially those who don’t have a lot of expertise with windward-leeward courses. We really work hard to set different types of courses each day. It’s more fun this way and truly something special,” says Brennan.
Day 2- More Perfect Weather?
Some of the 50-plus boats racing on the second day stretched their class leads. Others overtook fellow class competitors to jump into the lead. Either way, blue skies, warm seas and winds blowing steadily at 12 to 15 knots over the round-the-island and round-the-buoy courses proved fun for everyone in this St. Thomas Yacht Club-hosted event.
In the CSA Spinnaker Racing 2 class, it was a case of overtaking rather than lead stretching for the St. Croix-based team aboard the J/100 BAD GIR. With Mackenzie Bryan at the helm, BAD GIRL had a tough time on the regatta’s first race on Friday and needed to retire. The young Crucians, almost all 20-somethings that grew up sailing together in dinghies, came back strong with nothing less than all first place finishes. As a result, BAD GIRL pushed St. John’s Mike Felerabend’s J/24 BRAVISSIMO to second. Both boats were tied at 8-points each.
Day 3- Windy, squally, sunny finale
Clouds and a couple of squalls sent windy curve balls across the courses set for the fleet. The big story of the final day of racing was all about the wind.
“We had light air and heavier air, a little big of everything,” said one sailor. “Today, when the squall blew through in the second race of the day, winds hit over 30 knots. We broached and briefly had a man overboard situation. But, there was no damage, no one was hurt and the team recovered quickly. Overall, it was a really amazing regatta.”
Tied on points for the lead in CSA Spinnaker Racing 1 Class was Antigua’s Pamala Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID. However, she lost the count back in the tie-breaker based on number of firsts, settling for the silver.
In the CSA Spinnaker Racing 2 class, St. Croix’s Mackenzie Bryan drove the J/100 BAD GIRIL to a first place finish. “That squall today was as windy as I’d seen it the entire regatta. So much so that we decided not to hoist the spinnaker on the first run and we were still flying,” says Bryan, who served as a junior crew several years ago when Bad Girl also won her class. “Our strategy was to have good boat handling, minimize mistakes and stay out of the current. The effect of the current was huge.” St. John’s Mike Felerabend’s J/24 BRAVISSIMO ended second, just four points back. Thanks for contribution- Carol Bareuther. Sailing photo credits- Ingrid Abery/ Dean Barnes For more St Thomas International Regatta sailing information
Russian J/70 Sailing League 2019 Stormy Kick-Off!
(Sochi, Russia)- Hosted by Sochi Grand Marina by Burevestnik Group, the fifth season of the Russian J/70 Sailing League kicked-off this past weekend in Sochi, Russia, with sailing taking place on the eastern reaches of the Black Sea.
In five acts over the 2019 season, with one big final in Kaliningrad in early August, the Russian teams competed to qualify for the SAILING Champions League 2020. In the end, each team sailed six races with AXMAT Team winning, followed by the famous ArtTUBE RUS1 Sailing Team led by Valeriya Kovalenko, and RUS7 in third position. Here is how it all went down in the battle off Sochi.
Day 1- Beautiful spring day
Who were the protagonists for the first event of the season? Many of the best yachtsmen in Russia joined some of the twenty-three teams participating from across the country.
Those teams included Burevestnik Sailing Team (former Leviathan) (co-driver Maxim Titarenko), ArtTUBE RUS1 (Valeria Kovalenko), Calipso (Maxim Taranov), the Academy of Sailing of the Yacht Club of St. Petersburg (Anna Basalkina), “Pirogovo” (Yuri Morozov), RUS7 “Sail Lord — ASIA” (Vyacheslav Yermolenko), “Sail Lord – EUROPE (Andrey Ryzhov), NAVIGATOR Trem (Alexandra Peterson), Rocknrolla Sailing Team (Andrey Novikov), X-Fit (Vladimir Silkin), RUS7 (Sergey Shevtsov), “Region-23” (Evgeny Nikiforov), CSKA (Mikhail Poslamovsky), Black Sea (Andrei Malygin), Resurskomplekt (Oleg Tikhonov), “Komatek” (Vyache Lav Frolov), USC (Edward Skornyakov), East-West (Andrey Zuev), ZID art Sailing team (Zoran Paunovich), Parusnik74.ru (Edward Podshivalov), Winner Sailing Team (Alexander Mikhailov), Matryoshka (Natalia Kravets) and Akhmat (Alexander Bozhko).
For the first day of competition, the fleet was treated to unusual spring weather for Sochi, warm, stable winds, sunny, and great sailing! Twelve races were held on the first day. The results were very, very close. NAVIGATOR Trem (2-1-7-2), East-West (2-2-7-1), RUS7 (1-3-5-2), Calipso (1-4-1-3) and Akhmat (3-1-2-1) were essentially all nearly tied on points- just three points separating the top crews. ArtTUBE RUS1 and BLACK SEA had a smooth day. The ZID art Sailing team would have taken off much higher than their position in the middle of the table, if were not for their BFD in two races (yes, they were fast and recovered fast!).
Day 2- The storm obscures the sky ...
On Saturday, the racing day was cut short by a storm front. Nevertheless, it was a very intense day of sailing. Only four races were sailed in total, without completing a full round.
The first three races were relatively calm. But, the fourth race looked like a mini-Volvo Ocean Race! Cold, white mist, winds gusting to 35 knots, waves sweeping boats sideways. So much for sunny, spring-like Sochi ...
In such extreme conditions, the skill of the crew and coordination around the course was critical to success. Mistakes were very costly.
Winning the fourth and most epic race was Akhmat Racing Team. Sailing boldly, faster, and more confident than ever were Alexander Bozhko, Roman Konstantinov, Oleg Kuzmin, Alexander Andrianov and Boris Kucherenko. Just behind them, Zoran Paunovich, Evgeny Neugodnikov, Sergey Volchkov and Daniil Banayan from ZID art Sailing Team planed wildly to the finish line to take second place. And in seconds, finishing third in a cloud of spray was Maxim Titarenko, Vadim Yakhinson, Maxim and Mikhail Sheremetyev from Burevestnik Sailing Team.
Day 3- Sunny Finale
After a stormy Saturday afternoon, Sochi presented the teams with wonderful sunny weather and the opportunity to conduct another fourteen very intense races.
Winning the final day by a landslide was ArtTUBE RUS1 (Valeria Kovalenko), with three 1sts in five races. The surprise of the day was the two victories by Region-23, skippered by Yevgeny Nikiforov.
Nevertheless, it was the first premiere National Sailing League regatta for the Chechen Republic team AKHMAT skippered by Alex Bozhkov. In the finale, they managed to snatch their victory from some of the pre-eminent Russian J/70 sailing teams. As a result, they won on a tie-breaker on 2.9 pts average over Kovalenko’s ArtTUBE RUS1. Third place went to RUS7 skipper Sergey Shevtsov. Sailing photo credits- Andrej Sheremetyev For more Russian J/70 National Sailing League News
Center Sound Series Finale- Three Tree Points Race(Seattle, WA)- The third and final race of the Center Sound Series took place this past weekend on Puget Sound. In the end, the Corinthian YC of Seattle managed to run three good, challenging races, giving the sailors all they could bargain for- from fast drifting, to hiking hard in 15-25 kts breezes. Overall, the J/Teams faired well, collecting a significant amount of silverware and pickle dishes for their trophy rooms.
In the “big boat” PHRF 0 Class, it was another strong performance for the J/160 JAM, the only certifiable “cruising” boat in a division largely populated by offshore racings machines like TP52’s and other 44 to 55 footers. In the end, the Fox/McPhail duo on JAM managed a 4th place, but was just one point shy of 2nd place! It was very close racing amongst the big boats.
The PHRF 2 Class was populated by a quartet of well-sailed J/80s, sweeping their class. First was Phil Dean’s RUSH, followed in second by John Sezer’s RECKLESS, third was David Schutte’s TAJ MAHAL and fourth was Rick Demmler’s TASTES LIKE CHICKEN.
PHRF 4 CLASS was the one-design J/105 class. The top five saw a familiar face at the front of the fleet, showing their transom to everyone else most of the series. Winning was Erik Kristen’s MORE JUBILEE, followed in second by Bucky Rezabek’s RACERS FORMALLY KNOWN AS HERE&NOW, then Chris Phoenix’s JADED in third, Tom Kerr’s CORVO 105 in fourth, and Allen Hughes/ Shauna Walgren’s CREATIVE rounding out the top five.
PHRF 6 Class was treated to J/35 domination; proof an old warhorse like the 35 can sail fast on all points of sail. Winning was Don Leighton’s J/35 TAHLEQUAH, while Tyson Varosyan’s J/35 SOLUTION placed fifth.
Finally, the battle of the 40-footers took place in PHRF 8 Class. Placing fourth was Dougherty & Andrews J/125 HAMACHI and fifth was Andy Mack’s J/122 GRACE. Sailing photo credits- Jan Anderson For Corinthian YC Seattle Center Sound Series sailing information
HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series Starts Up!
(Warsash, England)- The Warsash Sailing Club on the Hamble River in the United Kingdom started its HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series this past weekend. The WSC PRO paid tribute to Paul Heys of J/U.K., in particular since he was largely responsible for the large fleet of J/Teams that were on the starting line this past weekend. In addition to the two IRC handicap classes, there were three one-design classes of J/70s, J/88s, and J/1092.
Starting with the Black fleet, leading the IRC 2 Class is Simon Perry’s J/111 JIRAFFE with a 1-2 for 3 pts total. Sitting in 5th with a 6-5 is Chris Burleigh’s J/109 JYBE TALKIN with 11 pts. Holding on to third in IRC 3 Class with a 2-4 is David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO with 6 pts.
In the one-design world, the fleet of J/70s enjoyed six quick races, putting the crews through their paces. Currently leading is Paul Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEAT with a 1-1-1-3-2-2 for 7 pts net. Just one point back is Graham Clapp’s JEEPSTER in second and laying in third is Martin Dent’s JELVIS.
After two races in the J/88 class, Gavin Howe’s TIGRIS is leading with two bullets. Then, Richard Cooper’s JONGLEUR posted a 3-2 which puts them in second for 5 pts and David & Kirsty Apthorp’s J-DREAM has a 4-3 tally to hold third position.
Similarly, the J/109 class also saw a double bullet performance, with Simon Perry’s JIRAFFE sitting atop the class. Second is Chris Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN and third is Rob Cotterill’s MOJO RISIN.
Finally, in the newly-created J/Sprit Division, it is Howe’s J/88 TIGRIS leading, followed by the Apthorp’s J/88 J-DREAM in second and Richard Cooper’s J/88 JONGLEUR in third. Follow the Warsash Spring Series on Facebook here Sailing photo credits- Close Hauled Photography/ For more HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series sailing information
CAMBURY Crowned J/24 Campeon del Oeste(Potrerillos, Mendoza, Argentina)- The Campeonato del Oeste was recently sailed on the gorgeous Andean mountains lake off Potrerillos. The dozen-boat fleet was treated to a wide variety of conditions over the three-day championship.
After eleven races, it was clear the regatta had become a three-horse race between CAMBURY, RINA, and MORRUCHO. The final standings were not determined until the last race, with the team of CAMBURY (Marcelo Freytes, Ricky Homps, Torkel Borgstrom and Ezequiel Despontin) winning by just one point.
Racing was so close amongst the trio of boats that second place was determined by a tie-breaker. Winning that count-back was Buenos Aires sailor Nicolas Cubria’s RINA over Sebastian Halpern”s MORRUCHO. Rounding out the top five were US in fourth and SEAWOLF in fifth.
Nico Cubria commented on the sailing:
“On Saturday, we sailed for the Martin Pelado Costa Cup, a tribute to past J/24 sailor Sr. Martín. The best boat of the day was MORRUCHO skippered by Sebastian Halpern. In the afternoon, there was an emotional presentation of prizes that counted on the presence of the wife and children of Martin who, together with Torkel Borgstrom, dedicated warm words and anecdotes remembering Martin. On Sunday, the wind breeze stayed strong in the 12 to 20 kts range, enabling the PRO to run four more races. The fleet has been very close and we hope for a good outcome tomorrow! But, it will be difficult against our friendly competitors, CAMBURY and MORRUCHO. Needless to say, there is great camaraderie amongst the sailors and we look forward to our dinner at the Otaviano Vineyard enjoying some good wines!”
Follow the Argentine J/24 Class on Facebook here For more Argentine J/24 Class sailing information.
J/Community
What friends, alumni, and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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* Ben Braden from SAIL NORWEST in Seattle, WA had an opportunity to look over the two latest boats in the J/stable of offshore sailing machines. Here was his amusing, insightful take on both boats.
J/99 Doublehanded Offshore Speedster
This boat is gonna create more temptation in sailors minds then back when Jansson put herring in his favorite cheesy potato dish creating such a delight. She’s been touted as a Market Disruptor by Seahorse Magazine and Versatile & Exciting by Yachting World as she sits proudly on their April 2019 magazine cover.
The all new J/99, from J/Boats, checks more boxes than any boat they’ve produced in over 30 years, period. After touring the boat this past week in Rhode Island I initially walked away happily amazed at her design, as well as, her bigger sister, the all new J/121. My mind kept harkening back to a time in my youth when we all sailed and raced 25 to 30 foot sailboats and were awestruck and tempted by those massive IOR boats, 50’ and up, sailing ahead of us and finishing before dark on all those mid distance races we knew and loved. Then along came the J/35. Truly an every man’s big boat. A powerful platform that brought with it a sense of the speed and thrills we observed on those big IOR warhorses of the time but in a package that each of us could touch, feel and most importantly a platform that we, the everyday sailor could handle – both race and cruise.
Bill Schanen, of Sailing Magazine, once reported that the appeal of the J/35 “…was its pure hull form, a sweet easily driven shape free of the rating rule-induced exaggerations that made other handicap racers of the 1980s cranky and difficult to sail. With its light weight and long sailing length, big but uncomplicated rig and sensible deck layout, the J/35 was graced with a responsive yet forgiving nature over a wide range of conditions. These endearing characteristics gave the J/35 a parallel life as cruising boat. Easily handled by a family, it offered plenty of space below for accommodations that were plain but practical.”
While describing his latest new design, Alan Johnstone shares that “The J/99 opens up a wide range of sailing possibilities. The versatile sail plan, balanced hull form and efficient cockpit will work as well for short-handed offshore sailing as for weekend sailing with friends. The J/99 packs a lot of performance and versatility into a manageable size and budget.”
Sound familiar?
After touring the boat on the hard at International Marine last week I was left with a sense of how big it was on deck with a large workable cockpit that blended the sit on the deck aspects of the J/33 with the cockpit seats everyone loves in the J/35 for cruising, daysailing and distance racing. The side decks were spacious, quickly creating images of kayaks or SUP’s on deck for the summer cruise, as well as, hazard free spaces for crew to move freely from bow to stern as duties required. As I walked forward I was reminded of the deck space on a J/120.
Stepping below my response was simply wow – a modern J/35 interior. Everything you need to be comfortable cruising with your family or friends, sitting below after a race or regatta bragging with your crew or escaping the weather for a break while on a distance race. Full functional galley, large forward facing nav area, large double bunk aft cabins port and starboard, double drop leaf table center of the salon, two very comfortable settee bunks port and starboard with an enclosed forepeak cabin housing the head and sail storage, and ample storage throughout the boat. It’s even got a headliner! Granted it doesn’t have 6’ 6” headroom like a true cruising boat, she does have a very functional 5’ 10”ish hair draft that for a race boat of her obvious caliber is astounding.
So I’ve touched on the similarities of the space and feel of arguably one of J/Boats best performance cruising designs, the all new J/99 also incorporates many of the desirable modern performance traits of the big fast warhorses of today.
Sound familiar again?
She has a fixed carbon sprit off the bow to easily handle both the A-sails and various code zero type rags that excel in different areas or point to point racing. She also can have water ballast, yep water ballast on a production every man’s boat, approximately 55 gallons per side. Not the type of water ballast that has to be managed constantly to keep the boat upright but water ballast that assists in the boats sail-ability. This type of water ballast, while at its base is weight on the rail, will enable more people to go sailing and perform duties they otherwise wouldn’t be asked to do. Smaller, lighter and less agile sailors can now do the job of that affectionately named deck potato or grinder or can simply stay in the cockpit if they are unable to get out on the rail for a physical reason and the boat can still perform well due to the water ballast holding the rail down.
Seriously, imagine a scenario that you are able to take your 80+ year old grandfather out sailboat racing and benefit from his years of sailing knowledge being shared with you and your 14 year old lightweight kid while they trim the sails and have a chance of competing against that fully crewed deck filled with butt’s race boat. As silly as this sounds it’s a real thing this type of crew assist water ballast enables. Sure you can still pack the rail and use the water ballast at the same time – but your boat would be that much heavier doing so.
J/121 Shorthanded Offshore Speedster Overview
Her big sister, the J/121 – in the vein of Orwell’s 1984 newspeak, if my reaction going below in the 99 was wow, the J/121 invited a quick double wow! This boat is big. Yeah it’s 40’ on deck but she is wide, open and utilizes every bit of that 40’ for working purposes. Below you can swing your wet foulies around over your head there’s so much space and then quickly wipe the spray off the carbon fiber countertops. A touch that floods the senses, carbon fiber panels trimmed out with teak edging – it’s cool, it’s really cool. Double French doors forward leading into the spacious forward bunk, deep and wide aft cabin to port and open aft head to starboard with easy access to what J/Boat sailors worldwide describe as the garage storage area. Her large crew assist water ballast tanks, similar to the 99’s but more volume, are obvious but trimmed well and every system aboard seems to be easily accessible without compromising fit and finish. The galley with double basin sink, top loading deep frig and double burner stove/oven looks super usable and the large forward facing nav area looks about as usable as you find on a 40’ sailboat with plenty of working space and also room for electronics.
On deck everything at first glance looks well thought out. From her hybrid mainsheet system that leads through the deck to the port and starboard mainsheet winches to all the very raceable control lines led to easily accessible areas along with her outboard twin wheels to get you the visibility you need to react and respond to all inputs for optimal control while sailing. While standing behind the wheel at the true aft end of the boat looking forward I couldn’t help but think how similar everything looked and felt in size and function to being at the helm of the J/145 and I expect this boat to outperform that amazing vessel both on the course and with her accommodations below while cruising.
With these two designs J/Boats is bringing the modern performance aspects of the big amazing performance machines like the TP 52’s and the offshore Open 40’s to the yacht club near you in a package that will keep your crew list long while also impressing your non-racing family and friends when they hang out in the cockpit while daysailing or enjoy the accommodations below while on a cruise sailing from port to port rather than motoring simply because you can, because the design enables it.
We were able to view these boats while back east for the J/Boat dealer meeting held at the Harken offices in Middletown, Rhode Island in March 2019. Dealers from across the country and as far away as Alaska made the trip to spend the day with the Johnstone’s discussing what J/Boats is doing currently and is planning on doing in the future. Everything from the current models and their build schedules and demand to some great new ideas for smaller and larger models and fleet purchases that are being considered by the family and their network. Exciting stuff actually, and some very promising ideas for what is coming in the near future. For a company founded by the everyday sailor that built itself into a successful family business now on it’s second generation of leaders J/Boats continues to move forward with designs that incorporate modern attributes in attainable platforms accessible for the every day sailor, their families and friends. A model that will never lose it’s market appeal.
* The J/70 class has grown quickly and, worldwide, has established a reputation as being one of the most competitive offshore keelboat classes in the world. When Olympic Medallists, World Champions from dozens of prominent classes get eaten for lunch on a regular basis, you know it is rough and tumble going for many of those sailors turned into top professionals. After getting killed on the race course once or twice, some of those pro’s have never returned. While others appreciate the competition as an opportunity to learn and become a better sailor.Recently, Craig Leweck from Scuttlebutt Newsletter, wrote an interesting perspective on how the class has been managing this enormous influx of professional talent.
Nobody could have anticipated the explosive growth of the J/70 Class. What was deemed a dumbed-down sprit boat was in fact what the market wanted, which was a boat with decent performance that could be mastered by a wide swath of the boat buying public.
Having the solid J/Boats brand gave it the legs for growth at the local, national, and international levels. But this growth also created opportunity for skilled pro sailors to increase boat performance and regatta budget. Even multi-talented Jud Smith was writing his crew checks in route to winning the 2018 J/70 World Championship.
The influence of pay-to-play sailors has led the Class to test some initiatives, the first of which was the inaugural Corinthian US Nationals in 2016. This no-nonsense event required all competitors, including the owner/driver, to provide proof of a valid World Sailing Group 1 (i.e, amateur standing) classification at the time of registration.
Interestingly, the top performers at this event are generally the same skippers that compete with pro crew, but for the Corinthian Nationals they get back to the roots of recreational sailing. After titles held in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Texas, the 2019 edition will be August 8-11 in Harbor Springs, MI.
The latest move by the J/70 Class is a change in 2019 requiring all sailors in any J/70 event who do not hold a Group 1 Classification to be members of the Class Association.
The rules on Class Membership are now as follows:
- Any driver of the boat (regardless of Classification) must be a Class Member;
- Any crewmember not classified as a Group 1 (i.e., a Group 3 or someone not holding any Classification) must be a Class Member.
In addition, the January 2019 Rules specify that all members of the crew must be listed as part of the registration, entry list, and results for all J/70 events, whenever the skipper or owner is identified. No longer can owners seek an advantage by hiding who they have hired, with the change offering an overall benefit of increased recognition for all crew.
I give the J/70 Class a lot of credit for advancing these initiatives. One design classes succeed based on the common interests and involvement of its members, with these positive bonds helping to create growth and maintain equipment value. For any class feeling the impact of professionalism, it will depend on the contributions of all members to remain attractive. Here's a link to the Scuttlebutt article.
* Warrior Sailing Program Expanding to J/22s at Fort Worth Boat ClubWarrior Sailing is expanding its Basic Training Camp program to include Fort Worth, TX where they have partnered with the Fort Worth Boat Club. Training will take place from May 14 to 16 on beautiful Lake Ray Hubbard on the club’s fleet of J/22s.
Coaches will instruct onboard J/22s with a crew of three warriors. The club has accommodations onsite for the coaches, so there will not be a lodging cost to the coaches or to Warrior Sailing. If any sailing coaches have an interest in helping out, please let them know immediately!
For more information, please contact- Cory Kapes/ Warrior Sailing Program Manager / email- Cory@WarriorSailing.org/ phone- (727) 773-6164. Our Sails are Powered by the Wind, Our Program is Powered by Donations Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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