Wednesday, June 26, 2019

J/Newsletter- June 26th, 2019

J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

Over the course of the past week, two of America’s larger “race weeks” were taking place on opposite coastlines.  Off to the east, the Storm Trysail Club is hosting its Block Island Race Week in Block Island, RI for one-design fleets of J/88s, J/105s, and J/109s and PHRF handicap fleets that include, J/122s, J/121s, J/44s and J/111s. Out west, it was the annual Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week that was sailed off Long Beach, CA for a fleet of J/70s and PHRF handicap racing for J/105s, J/109s and J/111s.  In the middle of the country, the J/22 North American Championship was just held off Wayzata YC on Lake Minnetonka in Wayzata, MN for a fleet of thirty-eight teams. Then, down in the deep, deep, south the GYA Challenge Cup was recently hosted by Gulfport YC in Gulfport, MS, where an infamous J/90 all-carbon speedster held court!

Over in the European theater of sailing, the RORC Morgan Cup was sailed 110 nm from Cowes, England to Dieppe, France. A J/Crew won overall in a fleet that included J/105s, J/97, J/109, J/111, J/122, and J/121.  Over in France on the Bay of Biscay, the French IRC doublehanded series- known as the DUO CAT-AMANIA- was sailed in the Bay of Quiberon, off La Trinite sur Mer, France.  The race series included a top-performing J/99 and J/112E.  Finally, north of them in the Baltic Sea, the J/70 Youth SAILING Champions League took place in Kiel, Germany for 21 youth clubs across Europe.
 

J/70s sailing off Italy 
J/70 European Championship Preview
(Malcesine, Italy)- Malcesine is gearing up to host the event of the year as more than 130 boats from around the world have arrived to participate in the J/70 European Championship. For the occasion, Fraglia Vela Malcesine and the J/70 Italian Class have made impressive strides in terms of organization and logistics to provide accommodation to crews from twenty-three countries (Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, and USA).

The Opening Ceremony was on Monday afternoon following the practice race. As for the Championship schedule, there is a possibility for sailing 14 races on the gorgeous waters of Lake Garda, starting June 25th, Tuesday.

The Principal Race Officer of the event is Giancarlo Crevatin. Along with David Bartol, they will both oversee fleets in the two race flights (the fleet was seeded and split into four groups, with each group rotating to sail against each other).

The Italian fleet is the most numerous, with roughly 40 boats and a concentration of high-level teams including reigning champion Alberto Rossi’s ENFANT TERRIBLE. Other major players from the final stages of Italian circuit will be participating; such as, Alessandro Zampori’s DAS SAILING TEAM, Carlo Alberini’s CALVI NETWORK, Claudia Rossi’s PETITE TERRIBLE, and Gianfranco Noè’s WHITE HAWK (he’s aiming for the Corinthian championship).

Russian (18!), British (9!), German (11!), and Spanish (11!) fleets are bringing a stunning number of teams to Lake Garda, among them the well-known Russian woman skipper- Lera Kovalenko- and her ARTTUBE RUS1 Team, Spanish multiple J/80 World Champion- Josè Maria “Pichu” Torcida skippering NOTICIA, and Spanish skipper- Luis Bugallo- racing MARNATURA. The British will be well-represented by several champions; such as Jeremy Thorp’s PHAN, Martin Dent’s JELVIS, Doug Struth’s DSP, Paul Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEAT, and Patrick Liardet’s COSMIC.

Finally, the lone American attending is Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT with tactician Victor Diaz de Leon; both are J/70 World Champions.

Vittorio Di Mauro, President of the J/70 Italian Class, said, “Following the success of the Porto Cervo World Championship in 2017, this is yet another record-breaking event for a number of participants and countries represented, and at the elite level of competition. It highlights the organizational capacity of our Association, as well as the competitiveness of our members at the international level; owners who have brought the continental title to Italy for the last five consecutive years. Once again, a unique blend of sailing champions and crew of enthusiasts will have the opportunity to race against the best.”  Follow the J/70 Europeans on Facebook here  For more J/70 European Championship sailing information
 

J/70s at Hanko, NorwayJ/70 Nordic Championship Preview
(Hanko, Norway)- The J/70 Nordic Championship and J/70 Norwegian Championship will be held at Hanko, Norway from June 27th to 29th, hosted by the Hanko Yacht Club. The thirty-six entries are composed of 21 Norwegian and 15 foreign teams from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.

The top hometown teams include Egil Ronaes’ LUCKY JACK, Halvor Friisk’s SINNATAGG Sailing Team, Kristoffer Spone’s HELLY HANSEN II, Madeleine Osteby’s TEAM SUMMIT TO SAIL, and Marie Lothe’s NOR 1. The top Swedish team is Anders Rosenberg’s DYNAMANT and the top Danish team is Bjerne Sorensen’s FRYNSKE BANK.


For more J/70 Nordic Championship sailing information
 

J/120 rounding islandRound Island Race Preview
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- If it's the first weekend in July, it must be time for the world-famous “Round Island Race” in the United Kingdom, hosted by the Island Sailing Club in Cowes, Isle of Wight. The challenging 60.0nm race that goes around the Isle of Wight is by far the most popular race on any sailor’s social calendar all year long in the U.K.; particularly for those that love to get thrashed and challenged by the intricacies of the Solent.

As has been the case for over a decade, over a thousand boats will begin starting at 0630 hrs. First off is the IRC Zero class, followed by over two-dozen more classes sailing across the glorious Royal Yacht Squadron line in the summer morning soft orange light. It should be absolutely gorgeous for the thousands of sailors aboard all the teams making their annual, epic adventure around the Isle of Wight.

Taking on the challenge will be a veritable J/Navy sailing across the spectrum of classes.  In the world of IRC handicap classes, here are some of the notable teams to watch.

J/97 sailing off CowesNearly 40% of the 26 entries in IRC 1 A Class are J/teams.  Some of those include five J/122s (BLACK DOG- George Willis & Stuart Sawyer, JOLLY JELLYFISH- Simon Newton, R&W- Andy Theobald, JAHMALI- Mike & Sarah Wallis, & JANGLE- Clive Miles), three J/111s (JITTERBUG- Cornell Riklin, JOURNEYMAKER II- Chris Jones And Louise Makin, & KESTREL- Simon Bamford). Hoping to beat them all across the line in style will be Fergus Angel’s J/121 ROCK LOBSTER.

With 31 boats in the IRC 1 C Class are three J/112E’s- Bruce Huber’s XANABOO, Chaz Ivill’s DAVANTI TYRES, and Jim Chalmers’ KNIGHT BUILD LTD. They will be joined by Stu Lawrence’s J/120 SCREAM.

The 21 boat IRC 2 A Class has three J/109s (JUBILEE- Christopher Preston, JUKEBOX- Chris Copeland, & RED ARROW- Alan Beckheling) and one J/99- James & John Owen’s JET.

Nearly 60% of the 33 boat IRC 2 B Class are J/crews.  There are five J/105s; including FLAWLESS J’s Andy Uren, JAB JAB’s Richard Chart, and JIN TONIC’s Andrew Roberts. They will have to contend with a huge contingent of fifteen J/109s that include such top teams as David Richards’ JUMPING JELLYFISH and Chris Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN.
sunrise start
The twenty-one entries in IRC 2 Class include two offshore-focused J/105s- Jim Wicks’ DIABLO-J and Gillian Ross’ GENE JENIE. The sixteen entries in IRC 2 D Class include the J/92 JABBERWOCK (Ralph Mason), J/97 JAYWALKER (Robert & Jon Baker), and the J/110 SHADES OF BLUE (Ed Holton).

As one of the largest classes in the race, the 38 entries in IRC 3 A Class include seven J/92s, such as J’RONIMO (David Greenhalgh), JACKDAW (Rob Salter), NIGHTJAR (Jack Banks), and SAMURAI-J (Alan Macleod & Andy Knowles).  They will be joined by one J/97- Rachel, Robert and David Hunt JUMBLESAIL II.

Rounding out the IRC handicap entries is the J/30 COLLENN sailed by Allan Hill in the forty-four boat IRC 3 C Class.

The one-design classes include J/70s, J/80s, and J/88s.  The largest one-design class is the sixteen boats entered in the J/70 class, including top crews such as Terry O’Neill’s AQUA-J, Andrew Barraclough’s JENGA 8, and Jack Davies YETI.

The five entries in the J/80 class include Richard Tricker’s FIDUCIAL from France, Phil Lightbody’s JEDI, and Simon Cameron’s JUNO.

The top J/88s in their class include Richard Cooper’s JONGLEUR, Tim Tolcher’s RAGING BULL, Dirk Van Beek’s SABRIEL JR, and Sam Cooper’s TIGRIS.  For more Round Island Race sailing information
 

Stratford Shoal LighthouseStratford Shoal Race Preview
(Riverside, CT)- The Riverside YC is hosting its 88th annual Stratford Shoal Race this coming weekend on Long Island Sound. It is one more easy-going offshore races of the summer on the Sound.

Attending the race is a number of enthusiastic J/Crews.  In PHRF 2 Division is Steve Chronert’s J/109 ZUMA.  In the PHRF 3 Doublehanded division is Jim Reichel’s J/105 SCAPEGOAT and Todd Aven’s famous J/92 THIN MAN.  In PHRF 4 Division is a plethora of J/Crews in the fleet; such as Eben Walker’s J/105 STRANGE BREW, the American YC’s YOUNG AMERICAN crew on their J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN, Ken & Drew Hall’s J/88 NEVERMORE, and Paul Kueffner’s J/36 ECLIPSE. Finally, sailing in PHRF Plus+One division is Arthur Hanlon’s J/112E DAUNTLESS.  For more Stratford Shoal Race sailing information
 

Queens Cup race courseQueens Cup Preview
(Milwaukee, WI)- The 81st challenge of one of the most storied yacht races on the Great Lakes this coming weekend- the Queen’s Cup. This year’s night race across Lake Michigan departs from Milwaukee, WI for St. Joseph, MI on June 28, 2019. Both Milwaukee’s South Shore Yacht Club and St. Joseph River Yacht Club will provide an experience worthy of this 81st Queen’s Cup Race.

South Shore YC has been hosting a race across Lake Michigan, starting in Milwaukee and finishing at some port in Michigan, since 1938.  The Cup itself, deeded to the Club by William Hull, dates back to 1847 and is older than the America's Cup. The Queen's Cup® Trophy is one of the oldest cups in world yachting still offered for competition every year. Its history dates back to an age when both British Victorian silver work and sailing yachts were without rival anywhere.

American shipyards of this era were turning out very fast sailing vessels called “clipper ships”. These craft were extreme designs built to out-perform the fast new breed of ships powered by steam. The American racing sloop Silvie was built during this era using this radical new technology.

On August 19, 1853, she won second place in a regatta scheduled by the Royal Yacht Squadron that was raced off Cowes, England.

Queens CupFirst prize- a cup valued at 100 guineas- was won by the English yacht Gaily, six minutes and 38 seconds ahead of Silvie. This outstanding performance led the squadron to award a special prize to her, a 50-guinea cup, now known as the Queen's Cup!

The cup was brought back to the New York Yacht Club, Silvia's home port, and went into obscurity until 1874, when a Mr. J.H. Godwin, of Kingsbridge, New York, gave the cup to his friend Kirkland C. Barker, commodore of the International Yacht Club of Detroit. The cup was to be offered as an international challenge called the Godwin Cup.

But, as it turned out there was only one challenge, Annie Cuthbert of Hamilton, Ontario. Barker's yacht Cora won the first race, with the Canadians winning the second but forfeiting the final race. This gave Barker his victory, but left very strained relations between the Detroit and Hamilton yachtsmen. The cup was never offered for competition again, probably due to the untimely death of Commodore Barker. He and two other crew members drowned while shifting ballast in Cora in preparation for the 1875 racing season.

Nothing more is known about the cup until about the turn of the century, when a young lad, while cleaning out a family storeroom, discovered an exquisite rosewood box holding the cup. The lad was Walter Hull, whose father was Charles Hull, son-in-law of Commodore Barker, to whom the cup had been given.

Walter Hull treasured the cup for the rest of his life and kept it in his possession until September 1, 1938. At that time his good friend William Lawrie (later Commodore of South Shore Yacht Club in 1944) persuaded him to deed it to South Shore Yacht Club, "for an annual race across Lake Michigan, always starting off South Shore Yacht Club, and ending at a point in Michigan, open to all yachts of a recognized yacht club on the Great Lakes."  The cup was crafted by the silversmith firm of Robert Garrard in 1847-1848.

This 90.0nm sprint across Lake Michigan has been fraught with numerous challenges over time.  From drifters, to gales, to waterspouts, to a Sunday “walk in the park” experience. Given that current weather has been nothing but normal, the weekends sprint across the lake could experience everything in one storm front!

Some of those teams braving the elements in the 2019 edition of the Queen’s Cup are the following PHRF Big Boat division teams; Justin Falconer’s J/111 LUCKY DUBIE, Bill Schanen’s J/145 MAIN STREET, Robert Klairmont’s J/133 SIROCCO 3, and Jim Richter’s J/44 CHEEP’N’DEEP.

In addition, there are six J/111s on the starting line: Richard Hobbs’ HOBGOBLIN, Jeff Schaeffer’s SHMOKIN JOE, Spencer Thomason’s JUST ONE MORE, Mark & Colin Caliban’s NO QUARTER, Brad Faber’s UTAH, and Kevin Saedi’s MOMENTOUS.

In the division below them will be Frank Giampoli’s J/120 JAHAZI, Ben Lumpkin’s J/112E MARY GAIL, Mitch Weisman’s J/35 THE FLYING SPHAGETTI MONSTER, and Doug Evans’ J/109 TIME OUT.

Two one-design divisions are racing.  A quintet of J/88s are sailing; including Tod Patton’s BLONDIE 2, Andrew Graff’s EXILE, Dan Floberg’s MISTY, John Leahey’s DUTCH, and Ben Marden’s BANTER. Then, a quartet of J/105s are participating; Don Brackey’s BIENFAIT, Vanessa Gates’ STRIKING, Mike Ludtke’s SMOKIN J, and Mark Stoll’s PEREGRINE.

Finally, there are two PHRF Shorthanded Teams racing; Tom Cairns’ J/105 BEDAZZLED and Ron Otto’s J/110 TAKEDOWN 2.  For more SSYC Queen’s Cup Race sailing information
 

Regatta & Show Schedules:

Jun 23-28- Block Island Race Week- Block Island, RI
Jun 28- Queen’s Cup Race- Milwaukee, WI
Jun 29-30- New York YC One-Design Regatta- Newport, RI
Jun 29- Round Island Race- Isle of Wight, England
Jun 29- Stratford Shoal Race- Riverside, CT
Jul 4-7- J/70 SAILING Champions League- St Petersburg, Russia
Jul 5-7- RORC IRC National Championship- Cowes, Isle of Wight, England
Jul 5-7- Sail Newport Regatta- Newport, RI
Jul 6-13- J/70 European Championship- Malcesine, Italy
Jul 6-13- J/22 World Championship- Warnemunde, Germany
Jul 10- 50th Transpac Race- Los Angeles, CA

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

J/22s sailing Lake Minnetonka 
Doyle Family Dominates J/22 North Americans
(Wayzata, MN)- Thirty-eight teams from across the United States enjoyed three nice days of sailing on Lake Minnetonka for their 2019 J/22 North American Championship. Eight races were run by Wayzata YC’s PRO Blake Middleton and in the end, Chris Doyle’s THE JUG 4 1 was crowned this year’s J/22 N.A. Champion. Here is how it all went down over the course of three days.

Day 1
The tacticians battled the wind shifts and each other as they fought for fleet supremacy. Four races were completed and the Youngstown Yacht Club team on THE JUG 4 1, including Chris Doyle, Will Harris and Nick Doyle, were leading the regatta. They recorded scores of 2-1-1-7 11 points. Local boat EN FUEGO, helmed by Mike Schmidt, had 18 points to claim second place. Mike Marshall on BAD NEWS from New York Yacht Club was in third place with 24 points.

Racing got underway in eight knots of breeze as Marshall’s BAD NEWS opened the Championship with a win. Doyle on THE JUG 4 1 and Schmidt on EN FUEGO followed in the top three. Doyle gained the second victory, pursued by Marshall and Colin Feik on STAMPEDE from Oklahoma City Boat Club. While winds worked their way up to about 13 knots, Doyle earned the next bullet, chased by local boats 963, helmed by Mike Bowers, and Schmidt on EN FUEGO.
J/22 sailing upwind
Day 2
Doyle remained in the lead during day two. While many teams struggled with the wind shifts and fluctuating wind speed, Doyle strengthened his first-place advantage during Saturday’s four races. THE JUG 4 1 tossed out a 12, leaving them with net scores of 2-1-1-7-1-1-2 for 15 points. That’s 21 points better than fellow local boats FISH GREASE, helmed by Chad Olness, and TURN DOWN FOR WHAT, helmed by Kurt Taken-Holtze. Both boats moved up to tie with 36 points. Another local boat called WHO’S DRIVING (with team of Mike Bowers, David Brasch and Uta Moncur) was in fourth place with 50 points.

Day two started out sunny with lighter breeze. As the day continued, the wind increased to 15 mph. Thanks to professional race officer, Blake Middleton and the race committee, four races were completed under extremely challenging wind conditions. The day’s opening match was won by Mike Marshall on BAD NEWS, followed b Doyle and Schmid winning the other races.

Day 3
The fleet assembled on Sunday morning for their final day of racing on Lake Minnetonka.  While the day started out promising, with sunny skies and a gentle breeze wafting across the lake, the land heated up quickly and killed any chances for a breeze to settle in.  As a result, the standings from the previous day’s eight races would count for the final scores.
Doyle Family
As a result, Doyle’s family crew on THE JUG 4 1 (which included Peter & Nick Doyle) was declared the 2019 J/22 North American Champion, the fourth such time he has won the award.  Chad Olness and his local crew on FISH GREASE got the bullet in race seven and a second in race five but couldn't catch team Doyle. Coming in third was Kurt Taken-Holtze and his crew, Jeff Hames and Erik Alquist on TURN DOWN FOR WHAT.  Rounding out the top five was Mike Bowers’ WHO’S DRIVING and Marshall’s BAD NEWS, in 4th and 5th, respectively.

Six of the thirty-eight boats were helmed by women. Coming in ninth overall for the championship, the top female driver trophy went to Judy Woellner, helming SHADOWFAX. Several J/22s were also raced by young adult teams. Finishing in 22th place for the regatta, the top youth driver trophy was won by Seamus Hendrickson along with his crew Kytalin Hendrickson, Graham Ness and Teddy Graham on MEDDLING KIDS.
For more J/22 North American Championship sailing information
 

J/88 and J/105 sailing Block Island 
Block Island Race Week Report
(Block Island, RI)- Nearly two hundred boats are sailing the 2019 Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week. So far, the island weather Gods are up to their usual tricks.  The first day was simply spectacular and most fleets completed four races.  However, a huge frontal system was rolling offshore during Tuesday’s Around the Island Race, making for a thunderous, memorable, wet, windy, cold race.  Wet, indeed, like nearly 2.0” of rain in 2 hours, that is a lot of rain.

Day One- Glorious Sailing
Bill Sweetser sported a broad smile as he stood in the stern of his boat that is berthed at Champlin’s Marina.

Sweetser could not have scripted a better start to Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week, presented by Margaritaville. Monday’s wind conditions fell into the sweet spot of the Annapolis entry and the crew responded with a superb performance.

Sweetser steered RUSH to victory in all three races on the opening day of the regatta, taking early command of the J/109 class. Tactician Tom Babel made all the right calls while trimmers Brian Tyrrell (headsails), Mike Hobson (mainsail), and Bobby Brooks (offside) were on point.

“Sometimes you sail in conditions you feel very comfortable with and today certainly favored our boat and crew,” Sweetser said of the westerly winds that held relatively steady between 8 to 10 knots. “We just tend to do really well in light to moderate winds within the J/109 fleet. I know I drive better in those conditions.”

WINGS accomplished the same feat in the J/88 class with skipper Mike Bruno leading the Armonk, New York entry to straight bullets. Stuart Johnstone is calling tactics aboard WINGS, which is coming off a class victory at Sperry Charleston Race Week.

In the third one-design class, New York City residents John and Marisa Koten led GRAY MATTER to a solid score line of 3-3-2 to set the pace in J/105, which has attracted 16 entries. Sitting behind them just three points back are two pretty tough citizens; in second was Paul Beaudin’s LOU LOU and third is Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE.

There was equally tight racing in ORC 2 with TEAMWORK emerging as the leader after the opening day. Skipper Robin Team steered the J/122 to a 19-second victory over the J/121 INCOGNITO (Joe Brito) in Race 1 then finished second in Race 2. Race 3 for ORC 2 was tossed by organizers with Storm Trysail Club because the finish line mark dragged and caused confusion.

Tied atop the PHRF 1 class Ken Comerford’s J/111 MONEYPENNY from Annapolis, MD.  Sitting in fourth was another J/111, Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL.

DIRTY HARRY, a J/29 skippered by Jack McGuire, made a strong statement in PHRF 3 by posting a pair of bullets separated by a second. MIGHTY PUFFIN, another J/29 owned by Steve Thurston, is five points behind.

“We were just dialed in all day. We were able to get off the line clean in all three starts and had great boat speed, great crew work,” McGuire said.

Six of seven crew members aboard DIRTY HARRY, including the owner, are products of the East Greenwich (RI) Yacht Club junior program. They were all coached at the time by John Mollicone, who is calling tactics for his former pupils.

Monday’s Pursuit Course was 12.5 nautical miles in length and took the fleet toward the southwest end of the island. After rounding a government mark, it was a pleasant spinnaker run back to the start-finish line just south of the Great Salt Pond. Taking 2nd in PHRF Cruising 1 Spinnaker division was Brian Prinz’s J/125 SPECTRE.  Then, the J/97E PARTICIPANT skippered by John Krediet topped Performance Cruising 2 while Eric Bicknese’s J/105 BIG E.Z. took the bronze position.
J/109 sailing Block Island Race Week
Day 2- Big Tuesday- Around Island
There are many traditions associated with Block Island Race Week. Sailors know to expect certain things over the course of the five-day event, which is why so many keep coming back.

One of the most revered traditions is the 21.5nm Around the Island Race, which is associated with Block Island Race Week as much as drinking Mudslides at the Oar or dancing to live music at Yellow Kittens.

With a building breeze forecast, on-water chairman Dick Neville delivered the regatta’s signature competition earlier than expected. There was some noticeable anxiety among sailors on the docks when Neville announced over the radio that North Sails Day would feature the Around the Island Race.

That news prompted a thorough review of the forecast with navigators, tacticians and strategists now processing that information through the lens of a counterclockwise circumnavigation of Block Island; those discussions were no doubt held aboard all 122 boats competing. Doing a 20-nautical mile distance race that pretty much completes a circle is a vastly different undertaking than windward-leeward action around the buoys.

Organizers with Storm Trysail Club had initially pegged the distance race for Thursday, but Neville switched gears after reviewing updated forecasts that showed the wind getting lighter later in the week.

“We always want to do the Around the Island Race on the breeziest day of the week and the way the forecast shaped up that was today,” Neville said. “We knew it would be rainy, but fortunately there was very little thunder and lightning, while the squalls were manageable.”

Storm Trysail Club held a fourth windward-leeward race prior to sending the entire fleet of 13 classes around the island. Winning both races on Tuesday in the J/88 class was Mike Bruno’s WINGS. Stu Johnstone is calling tactics aboard WINGS, which has won all five races held over two days and has already built an eight-point lead in J/88 class.

“Our boat is incredibly well-prepared and we tend to be good in breezy conditions. We have a very strong, experienced crew so it’s really the whole package,” said Bruno, who is coming off a class victory at Charleston Race Week. “We still have two more days of racing to go, but we’re certainly happy with the way we have started.”

Robin Team and his J/122 TEAMWORK mates headed straight to The Oar for bowls of steaming hot clam chowder upon returning to the dock. Team then went home and “stood under a hot shower for about 30 minutes.”

Despite the discomfort of being soaked in rain water for so long, it was a rewarding day on the water for TEAMWORK, which placed second in the buoy racing then won the Around the Island Race to maintain the overall lead in ORC 2.

“It was a really tactical race that was very well-run by the Storm Trysail Club. We had a lot of fun out there today,” Team said. “It was equal amounts of upwind, downwind and reaching. Some conditions suited some boats in our class better than others, which made things fun and interesting.”

Tactician Jonathan Bartlett had set a goal of having TEAMWORK win the Around the Island Race in both the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta and Block Island Race Week, and it was mission accomplished on that count. The J/122 now leads by two points

GOOD TRADE is the defending champion in J/105 class, but got off to a slow start. GRAY MATTER, owned by John and Marisa Koten, led after Day 1. However, the husband-wife team of helmsman Bruce Stone and tactician Nicole Breault showed their chops on Tuesday with a runner-up result in the buoy race followed by victory in the Around the Island Race.

“We’re very happy we got the wheels going in tough conditions,” Stone said. “This is the toughest J/105 fleet we’ve faced at Block Island. There are a lot of good boats and sailors here.”

GOOD TRADE took the lead on the opening beat and held off the competition the rest of the way, crossing comfortably ahead of LOU LOU (Paul Beaudin) in the Around Island Race.

“One of key things we did in the race was called for a tack to starboard. We went a little farther right than any of the other boats and got into pressure, but stayed far enough left to get island relief from the adverse current,” Breault said. “Bruce really got into the groove driving and our speed was fantastic. We just punched out.”  For more STC Block Island Race Week sailing information
 

J/99 sailing upwind 
J/99 Silver @ French IRC Doublehanded Series
(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- Forty-eight teams participated in the multi-stage doublehanded series in France called the DUO CAT-AMANIA.  Racing from port-to-port has its advantages for duet teams, as the camaraderie of enjoying beautiful seaside restaurants every night has its merits.

In the fourth stage (leg) of the series, the competitors sailed 44 miles in a very light wind at around 5 knots. It was a navigational challenge, an exercise in patience, during which the fleet made a loop around the Glénan archipelago and went up under spinnaker until Guidel, where the Race Committee reduced the course and sent them directly to Locmiquélic. The day was long and the competitors arrived at the end of the day at the port.

Philippe Baetz and Yves Chuberre’s J/112E MUSIX took the stage victory with an enormous 30 minute lead over the next boat to finish.

Baetz commented, “today was my day! We made good choices that paid off and we dug out of a huge gap from halfway through the race. The boat is going very well this season. After a podium at the Spi Ouest-France Destination Morbihan and a victory at the ArMen Race in IRC B, I am delighted. With Yves (Chuberre), we’ve never trained together as a double team.  So, after a few days of racing, we get better and do not make the mistakes of the first days. Luckily there are days like this! I do not even count the number of Duo Cat-Amania I participated in. This is an annual meeting, which is very pleasant and very well organized by a great team!"

The fifth stage of the Duo Cat-Amania 2019 was sailed between Locmiquélic and La Trinité-sur-Mer. Under a bright sun and a wind from very light in the morning to 20 knots at the end of the day, the doublehanded teams made a journey of 46 miles. The Race Committee took advantage of the ideal sailing conditions and sent the fleet on a sightseeing tour. A real tour of the splendors of the Morbihan coast; the tour of the island of Groix, the Birvideaux, the Colts at Belle-Ile, and finally the Béniguet, before crossing the finish line at La Trinité-sur-Mer.

The results of the day relaunched the game for a few boats.  Most importantly, the J/99 J-LANCE 14, sailed by Frédéric Bouvier and Benjamin Dutreaux, moved into the second position after getting a 3rd on the leg.

For the sixth and final stage of the series, it was a sprint in the Bay of Quiberon towards the port of Le Crouesty. Leaving La Trinité-sur-Mer on Friday morning, the fleet made short work of the 16-mile course in about ten knots of wind. It was a beautiful last leg under the sun to close a week of sport and fun. Emphatically winning the last race was the J/99 J-LANCE 14, Bouvier & Dutreaux made a valiant effort to dethrone the leaders, but ended up three points shy of the lead in the six race, no-throw out series, to take the silver.

Another J/99 was racing and took 5th place. Like their colleagues on J-LANCE 14, Olivier Grassi and Frederic Duthil’s GRASSI BATEAUX started out slowly in the first three races, but closed with the second best record in the regatta for the last half of the event.  In fact, the best record went to J-LANCE 14.

Ultimately, the big winner of leg four- Baetz & Chuberre’s J/112E MUSIX- happily took the silver in the last race behind J-LANCE 14 to finish eighth.  For more DUO CAT-AMANIA Race sailing information
 

J/109 sailing off Long Beach, CA 
Golison Wins Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week
(Long Beach, CA)- The 2019 edition of Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week wrapped up with a bang, as winds tickled the 20s and racers were tested in the final day of the regatta hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club and Alamitos Bay Yacht Club.

More than 100 teams participated in the June 21 to 23 event, which drew sailors from the western US and neighboring nations, plus Australia and Germany.

Wind conditions steadily built over the three day regatta, as did the excitement, as racers competed in a series of seven windward/leeward or three random leg races, in both one-design and PHRF fleets. In many cases, it was a classic scenario of 'the rich getting richer' as precision starts and crew work paid off.

It was a three-day skirmish for position in the hard-fought J/70 class. Bruce Golison's MIDLIFE CRISIS was the winner of the “Satariano Boat of the Week Trophy”, presented to the one-design class winner whose division features the closest, most competitive racing in the series. In seven races over the three-day event, Golison edged out rival Jeff Janov’s MINOR THREAT in a tie-breaker! Rounding out the podium was Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER (he also won the Corinthians Division). The balance of the top five included Steve Wyman’s NUNUHUNU in 4th and Peter Cameron’s KANGAROO JOCKEY in 5th position.

In the handicap PHRF C division, J/Crews swept the podium.  First was Heinz Butner’s J/109 RAPTOR, second was Scott McDaniel’s J/105 OFF THE PORCH, and third was taken by Jeff Shew’s J/109 FUZZY LOGIC. In PHRF B division, David Boatner’s J/35 RIVAL took the silver. Then, in PHRF A class, Kenny Kieding’s J/111 ARGO 3 won the class with all aces and deuces!

Rivalries and competition aside, "fun" is a key ingredient in the 40-year success of Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week.

"This event is like a family reunion in a small town," pointed out LBYC Commodore Camille Daniels. "All your friends get together once a year to race and celebrate the Summer Solstice. Just think. We have the longest day of the year to have the best party!"

Daniels said cooperation between LBYC and ABYC is also a key part of the recipe. "We have members from each club on the committees, working together. Each of our clubs has enough resources to do a regatta maybe half the size - but together, it's magic. We have three professionally run race circles and have had up to 160 boats compete at Race Week. That's a big deal!"

During LBRW, sailors from near and far contend in up to three days of racing on three different race courses: one inside the Federal breakwater and two outside. Each course is astutely managed and run by race officials from ABYC, LBYC and other area clubs, winning the organizers kudos from participants.

ABYC Commodore David Schack added, "We've worked together on this regatta for years, so can tap into the talents from both clubs, which helps us do a really good job at both the racing and the parties. Because you can't have one without the other!"   Sailing photo credits- Tom Walker  For more Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week sailing information
 

J/70 youth sailing 
BYCU Wins J/70 Youth SAILING Champions League
(Kiel, Germany)- Bodensee Yacht Club Überlingen won the second edition of the Youth SAILING Champions League after three days of sensational racing at Kiel Week in Germany. Regattaclub Oberhofen from Switzerland is runner-up ahead of Flensburger Segel Club in third place. A total of 21 clubs from nine nations came to Kiel for the under-22 regatta, which follows the same, proven format for league racing in multiple nations and the SAILING Champions League (SCL) itself.

Flensburger Segel Club was leading the qualifying until the final round when Überlingen came charging through and sneaked through qualifying in first place by a single point. It was a critical advantage to carry through to the four-boat final, as their victory in qualifying counted as their first point on the board in the final.
J/70s sailing youth league
Überlingen were over early in the first start and had to go back. However, they were able to use superior boatspeed to sail quickly to the top of the field. The team from Lake Constance worked hard all the way to the finish and won the first race of the finals, which meant the competition was over. The other three teams never had a chance to post a winning score in the final because Überlingen had already won. It meant they had successfully defended the title they won a year earlier.

Konstantin Steidle, helmsman from Überlingen, commented: “Since we had an early start in the last race, we had no choice but to go to the other side away from the other three teams. Then, the wind played into our hands and we finished the race with confidence. I think the format of the Final Series is good, but, unfortunately, not all of us are allowed to participate next year because of the age limit. We hope the next team from Überlingen will be able to repeat this success next year.”
J/70 germany youth winners
This was also the first intercontinental SCL regatta for the Australian competitor- Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS). Gradually, the league concept of racing is spreading further and further around the world. Jack Littlechild, skipper of the RSYS team said: “Most of us had never sailed in a J/70 before, so the main focus for our workout sessions has been strategy and tactics as well as a big emphasis on boat handling. We are very proud to have been representing our country and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron here. We want to use this opportunity to help promote the SAILING Champions League in Australia and get everyone back home excited for next year’s event.”

The SAP Sailing Analytics provide 24/7 additional statistics and data for sailors, fans, spectators and media like GPS tracking, real-time analysis, live leaderboard combined with 2D visualization. You find all results on sapsailing.comSailing photo credits- Lars Wehrmann For more J/70 Youth SAILING Champions League information
 

J/109 sailing RORC Morgan Cup Race 
J/109 Crushes RORC Morgan Cup
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club's 110.0nm race to Dieppe for the Morgan Cup started in the Solent on a midsummer's day in superb conditions. The RORC fleet enjoyed a spectacular downwind start off the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, heading east for the English Channel. During the night, the wind evaporated and as high pressure enveloped the race course, competitors were searching for the best of the breeze and tidal conditions. By morning, clear skies and an early sunrise conspired to enhance sea breeze conditions, giving a fantastic downwind finish for the fleet into Dieppe. The slow-down during the night meant that the race to the finish was a close one, with many classes being decided by minutes, even seconds. The 2019 Morgan Cup Race was notable for British yachts which won all seven classes.

William McGough and Christian Jeffrey, racing their J/109 JUST SO in IRC Two Handed, won the 2019 Morgan Cup Race, winning overall in a fleet of 86 yachts racing under the IRC Rating System. McGough and Jeffrey are both corinthian sailors in their 30s, and this is their first season racing Two-Handed.

“We have been sailing together for 11 years with fully crewed teams in RORC races but this is the first time we have won a RORC trophy so we are absolutely delighted,” agreed McGough and Jeffrey, the Two-Handed team racing on JUST SO. “We got one of the best starts along with Bellino and we were going well out of the Solent. Probably the biggest tactical decision that paid off was to go east. If you look at the results of the pack of boats that went that way, they have all done well. When we finished the race, we looked at the boats around us and knew we had done well, but to win overall is amazing! JUST SO will be competing in the Cowes-Dinard-St Malo Race fully crewed, but this was the last race before we take on the Rolex Fastnet Race Two-Handed.”

In IRC One Class, Sam & Andrew Hall’s J/121 JACKHAMMER missed the podium by a mere 50 seconds, settling for fourth place.

In IRC Two, the 2017 IRC Two Overall Series Champion, Gilles Fournier's J/133 PINTIA took the bronze. Meanwhile, Chris Daniels’ J/122E JUNO placed fifth and Clive Miles J/122 JANGLE was seventh.

The podium for IRC Three was all British yachts, the Royal Navy Association's J/109 JOLLY JACK TAR, skippered by Tom Thicknesse, was third in class for the Morgan Cup.

In IRC Four, the J/109 JUST SO also won against all fully-crewed teams! For more RORC Morgan Cup sailing information
 

J/90 crew 
J/90 Wins GYA Challenge Cup
(Gulfport, MS)- The J/90 HOT TODDY recently won Class A of the 2019  GYA Challenge Cup hosted by the Gulfport Yacht Club In MS. Class A included 2 well raced and well-funded M32’s (War Canoe and Rougaroo) which are the perennial winners of Gulf Coast sailboat racing.

As the winner of Class A, HOT TODDY helped Pontchartrain Yacht Club to third place in the team competition and won several class A boat of the day trophies, the Overall Class A trophy, and the prestigious Buddy Friedricks perpetual trophy for the winner of Class A. This will be on display at the Pontchartrain Yacht Club for one year.

Said John Guy, crew on HOT TODDY, “we had to sail really hard and well to correct out and defeat both of these well-sailed M32’s. The weather was really great for the three days of racing, that included one long distance race and six windward-leeward races.”
 

J/Community
What friends, alumni, and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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J/22 Warrior Sailing program Midwest 
* Warrior Sailing Welcomes the Great Lakes!  Warrior Sailing hosted their first Regional Training Camp in Charlevoix, Michigan June 8th and 9th, officially launching the program's regional sailing season!

In 2018, Warrior Sailing initiated a regional effort in the Great Lakes. The goal was was to facilitate more opportunities for applicants on a local level, particularly for those who were unable to attend a Basic Training Camp elsewhere due to travel costs and distance. The 2018 season was a success. This year, we wanted to continue to improve our service to the men and women involved in Warrior Sailing.

This project began with the appointment of Casey Petz as Regional Coordinator and the naming of Page Sikes as the Military Community Liaison for Warrior Sailing in the Great Lakes Region. Page and Casey decided to start the summer of sailing with a Basic Training Camp for those that wanted to sail with Warrior Sailing in the weekly training. With the help of Cory Kapes, our National Program Director, Casey and Page brought 12 Warriors to Charlevoix, Michigan to learn how to sail onboard the fleet of J/22’s. Our coaching staff for the camp included Quantum Sail loft employees. The two-day camp truly brought the Great Lakes Region into the Warrior Sailing family. 

The two days were hosted by Charlevoix Yacht Club. The weather was varying sun and clouds with light winds, but enough to get the boats moving around the harbor on beautiful Lake Charlevoix.

Warrior Sailing looks forward to this increased regional coordination help facilitate more opportunities in the Great Lakes Area. The team there will provide weekly racing onboard the J/22s in Traverse City and will participate in a few regional events this summer and fall. Welcome to the family. Thanks for contribution from Ben Poucher.
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Wednesday, June 19, 2019

J/Newsletter- June 19th, 2019

J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

The second week of June was packed with action taking place across America and a few good events in Europe. On the U.S.A.’s East Coast, the New York YC Annual Regatta concluded for IRC, ORC, and PHRF Handicap fleets for offshore keelboats. Participating were J/121s, J/122s, J/44s, J/120s, J/111s, J/109s, J/105s, the new J/99, J/29s, and J/92S. Off into the Atlantic Ocean, it was a fast Marion to Bermuda Race for a J/46 and J/122. Moving to the Midwest, the Edgewater YC hosted their Cleveland Race Week for one-design fleets of J/70s, J/24s, J/105s and also the J/120 National Championship.  Heading out to the west coast, three amazing events completed from California to Alaska. First, there was the epic, challenging Van Isle 360 Race that completed after nearly two weeks of sailing nine individual legs that provided 486.8nm of racing around the magnificent Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest. Then, in the same Pacific Northwest region, a J/24 completed the infamous 735.0nm Race 2 Alaska, an epic adventure for four brothers from the Victoria, BC region of Canada, a youth team that averaged 19.25 yrs old! Down in San Francisco Bay, St. Francis YC hosted the J/22 Lipton Cup for yacht clubs from around the Bay area.

Over in continental Europe, the epic, brutal RORC de Guingand Bowl Race was sailed in full gale conditions off the southwest coast of England- only 20% of the fleet finished the 110.0nm race, the rest taking a DNF- a J/97 being the sole surviving J/Team! Down across the Bay of Biscay, the J/80 Campeonato de Espana was held for 43 teams, hosted by the Real Club Maritimo de Santander off Santander, Spain in simply spectacular sailing conditions.

From our friends way, way Down Under, we find an Australian J/122 sailing off Perth, Western Australia. They completed the Royal Perth YC’s Bluewater Offshore series and along the way collected several pieces of coveted offshore racing silverware.
 

J/22s sailing offshore 
J/22 North Americans Preview
(Wayzata, MN)- The 2019 edition of the J/22 North American Championship will be taking place on Lake Minnetonka and hosted by the Wayzata Yacht Club.  J/22s have enjoyed tremendous popularity in Minnesota, especially since its sloped keel generally does a pretty good job of shedding what seem to be endless weed patches on the lake. The event is enjoying a huge turnout due to the support from the local fleet as well as those boats traveling in from the east coast that are looking to enjoy fabulous Midwestern hospitality.

The sailors will have to contend with the notoriously shifty winds on the lake, as the funnel out of the many bays or roll over the hills surround the lake like mini-tornados.  The fleet of thirty-five boats includes many of the top teams, such as J/22 N.A. Champion Mike Marshall from Newport, RI sailing aboard BAD NEWS; Matt Zupon’s THE DUDE from Larchmont YC in New York; Chris Doyle’s THE JUG 4 1 from Youngstown YC in New York; Chris Princing’s AWARD & SPORTS/ EVIL DR. PORK CHOP from Tawas Bay YC in Michigan;

Some “sleeper” teams that could enjoy success are COLLEGE FUND sailed by three young sailors (Tim Siemers, Will Holz, and Aidan Kennedy) and Todd McBee’s TWO DOLLAR PISTOL from Paducah, KY. For more J/22 North American Championship sailing information
 

Block Island Race WeekSTC Block Island Race week Preview
(Block Island, RI)- One of the highlights of summer sailing in northeast America is Storm Trysail Club’s bi-annual bacchanalian sailing festival known as Block Island Race Week. Sailing from June 23rd to 29th, thousands of sailors migrate to the beautiful island five miles offshore of Rhode Island.  It’s a bit of a pilgrimage for many sailors, some are veterans of more than two dozen BIRW’s; it’s a time to reconnect with old friends, a time to relax and socialize with hundreds of other sailors, enjoy the camaraderie of a shared love for the water, for sailing and for celebrations.

The fleet of 125 boats has 57 J/Teams sailing, by far the dominant brand at the event with nearly half the fleet- 46.0% of the total. There are one-design fleets of J/88s, J/105s, and J/109s, plus teams sailing in ORC and PHRF handicap fleets.

There are a half-dozen J/88s with a number of top crews that should be in the hunt, such as Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION, Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS, Laura Weyler’s HIJINKS, and Mike Bruno’s WINGS.

J/105 Good Trade sailing Block IslandAs the largest class in the event, the sixteen-boat J/105 Class has many top Eastern teams ready to do battle leading up to their J/105 North Americans later in the summer off Marblehead, MA. Bruce Stone, together with his wife Nicole Breault, co-own J/105 GOOD TRADE and will be seeking to defend their title as best in fleet and best overall performance at Block Island Race Week. The J/105s will be one of the most competitive fleets at Block Island, with top amateur teams like JINX (Bob Taylor is a past J/105 NA champion) and DEJA VOODOO (Bill Zartler from Texas has been J/105 Midwinters Champion). Then, top pro sailors that own and skipper their boats will certainly be near the top of the leaderboard; such as LOU LOU (sailmaker Paul Beaudin), SOLUTION (David Willis), and RAVEN (David Barron); the latter two own boat yards and their boats are super well-prepped.

J/109s have eight teams participating, such at Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE, Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY, Robert Schwartz’s NORDLYS, and Bill Sweetser’s RUSH.  These four boats, in particular, have all won major J/109 championships in one way or another.

The thirteen-boat PHRF 1 Class has seven J/crews; including five J/111s (Andrew & Sedge Ward’s BRAVO, Greg Slamowitz’s MANITOU, USMMA’s BLACK DIAMOND, Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL, & Ken Comerford’s MONEYPENNY), Dan Heun’s J/122 MOXIEE, and Skip Young’s J/133 DRAGONFLY.

Racing in the eleven-boat PHRF 2 Class will be the new J/99 AGENT 99 skippered by Rod and Jeff Johnstone from Stonington, CT.

Not surprisingly, the fourteen-boat PHRF 3 Class will again see the famous battles from yesteryear between a number of very-well sailed J/29s. The protagonist? You guessed it.  The infamous HUSTLER sailed by John Esposito. The other three J/29s are Jack McGuire’s DIRTY HARRY, Steve Thurston’s MIGHTY PUFFIN, and John Cooper’s COOL BREEZE. Hoping to give them a challenge will be Sam Cushing’s J/80 THE PARTY TREE and John & Corinne Foster’s J/92 SALTIRE.

Six J/Teams are sailing in ORC 2 Class.  Those teams include four J/121s (Don Nicholson’s APOLLO, Greg & Sarah Manning’s SARAH, Joe Brito’s INCOGNITO, & Peter Lewis’ WHISTLER) and two J/122s (Paul Milo’s ORION and the Team family (Robin, Alston Colman) on TEAMWORK.

In the nine-boat Performance Cruising 1 Class are two J/120s (Charles Murphy’s TRUANT and Karen Harris’ CYGNI) and Brian Prinz’s J/125 SPECTRE. In the nine-boat Performance Cruising 2 Class are Richard Eytel’s J/95 THE GRIN and John Krediet’s J/97 PARTICIPANT II. While four J/29s will be doing battle in PHRF 3, two J/29s will be dueling in Performance Cruising 3 Class (Peter Hilgendorff’s MEDDLER and William Maher’s RIFT. Finally, in the PHRF Plus 1 Class, Eric Bicknese’s J/105 BIG E.Z. will be taking on a host of other short-handed teams.  For more STC Block Island Race Week sailing information
 

J/70 sailing Long BeachUllman Sails Long Beach Race Week Preview
(Long Beach, CA)- The Alamitos Bay YC and Long Beach YC are hosting the 2019 Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week from June 21st to 23rd for a fleet of 108 boats in what many consider to be one of the best sailing areas on the California coastline. Even though southern California is famous for its “June Gloom” (where mornings start with thick sea fog along the coast, 100 ft visibility no less), the powerful sun burns it all off by noontime and generates a fairly strong seabreeze from the WNW that can kick-in up to 20 kts by late afternoon!

Thirty-six J/Teams (about 33.0% of the fleet) are participating in the popular event. By far the biggest one-design class is the eighteen J/70s; many of those teams have an eye towards the J/70 World Championship that will be sailed in the same waters in 2020. Some of the top teams include Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS, Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER, Peter Cameron’s KANGAROO JOCKEY, Curt Johnson’s AVET 2.01, Jeff Janov’s MINOR THREAT, Jim Murrell’s HUCKLEBERRY, Tom Garret’s SLOOP JOHN B, and Patrick Danly’s BOONDOGGLE.

The eighteen-boat PHRF Division includes three J/105s (William Quealy’s J-RABBIT SLIM, Scott McDaniel’s OFF THE PORCH, & George Scheel’s SUN PUFFIN), two J/109s (Jeff Shew’s FUZZY LOGIC & Heinz Butner’s RAPTOR), Ken Kieding’s J/111 ARGO 3, and David Boatner’s J/35 RIVAL.

Finally, in the PHRF Random Leg Division includes Timothy Harmon’s J/124 CIRRUS.  For more Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week sailing information
 

J/70s sailing Kiel, GermanyKiel Week Preview
(Kiel, Germany)- Even in its 138th year, Kieler Woche still plays a virtuoso performance on the keyboard of festivity: Kieler Woche is the largest summer festival in Northern Europe.

From the 22nd to 30th of June, more than three million visitors from all over the world will be diving into the colorful and multi-facetted life of Kieler Woche.

Around 2,000 events in areas of culture, sailing, summer festival, entertainment, science, industry and sport come together to form a maritime symphony. Visitors are promised nine days of high spirits in the far North of Europe.

The sailing program is quite remarkable and it is all hosted and orchestrated by Kieler YC, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, and Verein Seglerhaus am Wansee. There are three J/One-Design classes that are participating- J/24s, J/70s, and J/80s.

In the twenty-eight-boat J/24 class are teams from the USA, Sweden, Germany, and Great Britain.  The leading teams may include Duncan McCarthy’s MADELEINE from the U.K., the Swedish team of Per-Hakan Persson on FRONT RUNNER, the American team of Keith Whittemore on FURIO (which includes Brian Thomas, Shelby Milne, Mark Rodgers & Willem van Waay), and the German teams of JJONE (Frithjof Schade), VITESSE (Manfred Konig), RUNNING MEN (Stephan Mais), HENK (Frank Schonfeldt), HUNGRIGER WOLF (Fabian Damm), UNITED 5 (Jan Kahler), and HANSA PROJEKT (Hauke Kruss).

The largest one-design sportboat class at Kieler Woche is the forty-two-boat J/70 class; that dramatic growth is a result of the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga that has standardized on the world’s most successful one-design sportboat class- the International J/70 Class. Teams that are attending come from Austria, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden. Some of the leading teams may include Claas Lehmann’s ONKEL HANNE and Henning Frenzel’s JOYCE, amongst others.

The J/80 Class has fifteen participants from Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The leading team will certainly be Germany’s Martin Menzner and his PIKE crew of Nils Beltermann, Lars Keilwitz, and Christian Drews.  For more Kiel Week sailing information
 

Youth J/70 Sailing Champions League 
J/70 Youth SAILING Champions League Preview
(Kiel, Germany)- The Youth SAILING Champions League (YSCL) is set to take place over three days of intense competition from 22 to 24 June. Twenty-one clubs from nine nations, including Australia celebrating its first SAILING Champions League appearance, will be coming to the event that takes place during Kiel Week, the world’s largest sailing event that attracts every kind of sailor, from weekend warriors to Olympic Champions. The clubs taking part in the under-22 regatta are from Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland.

This is Australia’s first participation in the SAILING Champions League, and Jack Littlechild, the helmsman from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, said, “as the first Australian team to compete in a SAILING Champions League event, we are extremely excited for the racing in Kiel and thankful for this amazing opportunity. We are also very proud to be representing our country and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. We hope that through this event we can help build the National Sailing League at home as it is a great opportunity for all the sailing clubs in Australia and New Zealand to compete against each other in a really fun format of racing.”

Last year’s winner, Bodensee Yacht Club Überlingen (Germany), are back to defend their title. The 2018 YSCL event was also the first time for the four-boat final format to determine the winner. Konstantin Steidle, helmsman from Überlingen, was keen to repeat the club’s winning ways, “since March we have been training several weekends and we have also sailed the German Youth League in Starnberg with almost the same team composition. Of course, we hope to win the Youth SAILING Champions League again, although we know that our national and international competitors will send strong and well trained teams.”

Live Broadcasting & Results by SAP
The regatta will have two slots in the live broadcast of Kiel Week on Saturday, 22 June, from 13:00hrs to 15:00hrs (CEST) and on Monday, 24 June, from 12:00hrs (CEST). The live broadcast is available on sailing-championsleague.com.

The SAP Sailing Analytics provide 24/7 additional statistics and data for sailors, fans, spectators and media like GPS tracking, real-time analysis, live leaderboard combined with 2D visualization. You find all results on sapsailing.com!  Sailing photo credits- Lars Wehrmann   Youth J/70 2018 SAILING Championship highlights   For more Youth J/70 SAILING Champions League information
 

J/133 Pintia sailing RORC race 
RORC Morgan Cup Preview
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club's Season's Points Championship continues this weekend with the Morgan Cup. The seventh offshore race of the series will start on Friday 21 June at 7pm from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line. Bound for Dieppe across the English Channel, ninety-five teams have entered the race to the fishing port on the Normandy Coast.

Sailing in the IRC 1 Class of fifteen boats are two J/121s- Samuel Hall’s JACKHAMMER and Nick Angel’s ROCK LOBSTER.

In the huge twenty-seven boat IRC 2 Class are Simon Grier-Jones J/111 SNOW LEOPARD, the famous duo of Gilles Fournier/ Corinne Migraine’s J/133 PINTIA, Chris Daniel’s J/122E JUNO, and Clive Miles’ J/122 JANGLE.

The large twenty-one boat IRC 3 Class features five J/109s (the Royal Air Force’s RED ARROW, Greg Nasmyth’s JARHEAD, the Royal Navy’s JOLLY JACK TAR, Rob Cotterill’s MOJO RISIN, and William Stock/ Andy Oliver’s JENGU) and the doublehanded duo of Tom Hayhoe and Natalie Jobling’s J/105 MOSTLY HARMLESS.

In the twenty-three boat IRC 4 Class is David McGough’s J/109 JUST SO and Paul Lewis’ J/105 RUM N CORK II.  For more RORC Morgan Cup sailing information
 

Regatta & Show Schedules:

Jun 20-23- J/22 North Americans- Wayzata, MN
Jun 20-21- J/24 Florida States- Melbourne, FL
Jun 20-21- Van Uden Reco Regatta- Stellendam, The Netherlands
Jun 21-23- Pornic  J/80 Cup- Pornic, France
Jun 21- Scotch Bonnet Lighthouse Race- Rochester, NY
Jun 21-23- Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week- Long Beach, CA
Jun 22-30- Kiel Week- Kiel, Germany
Jun 22-24- J/70 Youth SAILING Champions League- Kiel, Germany
Jun 23-28- Block Island Race Week- Block Island, RI
Jun 25-29- IRC European Championship- San Remo, Italy
Jun 28- Queen’s Cup Race- Milwaukee, WI
Jun 29-30- New York YC One-Design Regatta- Newport, RI
Jun 29- Round Island Race- Isle of Wight, England
Jun 29- Stratford Shoal Race- Riverside, CT
Jul 4-7- J/70 SAILING Champions League- St Petersburg, Russia
Jul 5-7- RORC IRC National Championship- Cowes, Isle of Wight, England
Jul 5-7- Sail Newport Regatta- Newport, RI
Jul 6-13- J/70 European Championship- Malcesine, Italy
Jul 6-13- J/22 World Championship- Warnemunde, Germany
Jul 10- 50th Transpac Race- Los Angeles, CA

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

J/70 sailing off Cleveland 
FUN Cleveland Race Week
PROOF Wins J/120 North Americans
(Cleveland, OH)- Seventy-two teams competed on Lake Erie from June 14-16 in Cleveland Race Week’s One Design Weekend, part of the largest sailing regatta on Lake Erie and one of the largest on the Great Lakes hosted by Edgewater Yacht Club. Racing began on Friday for several classes, with the remainder beginning on Saturday. This year, the regatta included the J/120 National Championship.

Ten fleets competed over the weekend on four racecourses. Conditions were ideal on Friday, with 12-16 kts out of the northwest, sunshine, and 1-2’ waves. Saturday brought 8-12 kts from the southwest, with flat water and a bit of rain for the competitors to deal with. Sunday dawned extremely foggy and glassy; the regatta was placed on a 1-hour delay onshore before racing was entirely abandoned for the day and the regatta concluded.

The J/120 National Championship kicked off on Friday, with what could only be described as champagne sailing conditions. The first race began promptly at 12:00pm.  There were seven boats on the line; the hometown VIVA LA VIDA, Buffalo Yacht Club’s SLEDGE HAMMER, PROOF from Grosse Pointe, and Bayview Yacht Club’s FUNTECH RACING, HOT TICKET, J-HAWKER, and SLEEPING TIGER.
J/120 National Champs
Three races were completed in strong conditions with the slowly dying breeze, each with a different winner. PROOF came out of the day strong with 6 points, followed closely by HOT TICKET with 7 points. Racing on Saturday was more challenging, with 4 races completed in shifty conditions. PROOF solidified their lead with a consistent 2- 2-2-1, placing a six-point gap between them and HOT TICKET in second. Racing in the middle of the fleet got intense, with only 10 points separating 2nd and 5th place at the end of the regatta. FUNTECH RACING placed third with 24 points, HOT TICKET finished second with 19 points, and PROOF became the 2019 J/120 National Champions with 13 points.
J/70 winners
Nine boats sailed in the J/70 class. Winning was Dan Goldberg’s BAZINGA with 14 pts, followed by Tod Sackett’s FM with 18. Rounding out the podium in third place was Dave Kerr’s JILLY BABY.

Marcus Rogers’ WIND MONKEY certainly had the wind at their back all weekend, posting four bullets to win the J/24 class by a landslide.  Second with nearly as good a record was Ryan Lashaway’s RUNNING ON EMPTY with three 2nds.  Third was Mark Sprenger & Ramon Eckert’s ORANGE WHIPE.
J/105 winners
The half-dozen J/105 class also had a winner scoring all aces, with Chip Schaffner’s FALL LINE running the table to take the win.  Second was Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED and third went to Ron Carson’s DARK’N’STORMY.

Following racing each day, competitors were greeted with live music, great food, and cocktails provided by sponsors Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Pusser’s Rum, and Regatta Craft Mixers. The Race Committee did an outstanding job on all four courses and in all weather conditions. Following two days off, Cleveland Race Week starts up again with the Junior Day on Wednesday, and Women’s, Doublehanded and RC Boat Racing Wednesday evening. Offshore Racing will begin on Thursday evening and continue through the weekend.  Follow Cleveland Race Week on Facebook here  For more Cleveland Race Week sailing information
 

J/99 sailing New York YC regatta 
Windy New York YC Annual Regatta
(Newport, RI)- With the exception of maybe a little more sun and a little less rain, Robin Team has a hard time imagining a better Father’s Day. The J/122 skipper from Lexington, N.C., spent Sunday sailing with his two sons in testing conditions and putting the finishing touches on a near flawless weekend of racing at the 165th edition of the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta including the Swan American Regatta.

“What better way to way to spend Father’s Day than racing offshore with your two sons and getting the opportunity to walk across the stage at the New York Yacht Club,” says Team. He didn’t add winning, but maybe he didn’t have to. That was merely the cherry on top.

J/122 TeamworkThe Teamwork crew, which also includes Team's brother, started the long weekend with a convincing win in IRC 4 in Friday’s Around-the-Island Race, and carried that winning feeling into two days of buoy racing in big breeze and cresting waves on Rhode Island Sound. Teamwork won three races yesterday and the first race today. With the overall title all but in the bag, Team and his crew were a little cautious in the final race in order to preserve their assets for Block Island Race Week, which starts a week from Monday.

“We were in a J3 [jib] all day long and we ended up running three different spinnakers based on the conditions,” says Team. “We just changed gears based on the wind intensity. All of that made it really, really fun. Toward the end of the regatta, we got a little bit conservative because we did have a lead and we didn’t want to break anything. So we ran a [smaller high-wind spinnaker] on one leg and ran a [reaching spinnaker] on the final leg to the finish.”

A fourth in that final race was the lone blemish on an otherwise perfect scorecard. But finishing that race overlapped with another competitor after 90 minutes of hard racing just emphasized how competitive it was in IRC 4, which made the overall victory that much sweeter.

“That was one of the beautiful things about this regatta,” says Team. “The rating band was really tight and you knew how you did at the end of the race instead of waiting for the corrected times to come out. It was fun to have two other J/122s there, they were really well-sailed boats, we love sailing against them. The J/111s and the J/44s were all great competition as well. We’ll be back.”

Behind TEAMWORK in the IRC 4 Class comprised of all J/Boats was New York YC Commodore Bill Ketcham’s J/44 MAXINE in second, followed by Andrew & Sedge Ward’s J/111 BRAVO in third place.  Rounding out the top five were two J/122s- Jack Gregg’s TARAHUMARA in 4th and Paul Milo’s ORION in 5th position.
J/109 sailing New York regatta
In the J/109 division, Bill Sweetser’s RUSH defeated a highly competitive fleet with a 3-1-1-2-2 record for 9 pts.  Taking the silver was Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY on a tie-breaker at 12 pts each over Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING.  The rest of the top five included Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE in 4th and Brian Kiley’s GAMBIT in 5th place.

John Thouron’s J/122 DUNDER from Burlington, VT won PHRF 2 Class of nine-boats.  Third was Bob Manchester’s J/120 VAMOOSE and fifth was Abhijeet Lee’s J/111 VARUNA.

PHRF 3 class was loaded with nine J/Teams.  In the end, Jeff Johnstone’s new J/99 AGENT 99 took second place with Mark Lindquist’s J/105 STERLING securing third.  The trio of Joyce/ Reservitz/ Wagner took 5th on their J/105.  Sixth was yet an other J/105, Don Santa’s SANTAS REIGN DEAR from Annapolis, MD and 7th was EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT.

PHRF 4 class saw J/crews take 3 of the top 5 spots.  Top boat was Steve Thurston’s J/29 MIGHTY PUFFIN i second.  Fourth was Jack McGuire’s J/29 DIRTY HARRY and fifth went to Daniel Stone’s J/80 HOT STREAK.

In IRC 3 Class racing offshore, Joe Brito’s J/121 INCOGNITO sailed well, improving every race in their first regatta of the year, closing on high note with a 2-1 on the last two races on Sunday.  Sailing photo credits- Bill Shea Photography.  For more New York YC Annual Regatta sailing information
 

J/122 Joss sailing off Perth, Australia 
Australia J/122 Offshore Success
(Perth, Western Australia)- The J/122 JOSS has been well-sailed and well-loved by her owner Ian Clyne since her launch in late 2012. She has cruised more than half way around Australia, departing from Sydney to Port Moresby (1,930nm), then across to Darwin (1,100nm), then onwards to her home in Perth WA (2,300nm)- a total distance of 5,330nm (about the width of the Pacific Ocean)!

Since arriving in Perth, Ian and crew have been going from strength-to-strength each racing season. This 2018/2019 Ocean Racing West Australia (ORWA) season truly reflects the teamwork and talent of the crew and the performance and capability of the J/122.  JOSS competed in the Ocean Racing season from September through to April, with races varying from 300nm+ Bluewater races, Offshore and Inshore races, finishing 1st or 2nd throughout the season.

The ORWA season incorporates some of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious races including the 170nm Bunbury and return race that was first raced in 1948. Being the oldest offshore race in Western Australia it will always have a special place in history. Also, the 336nm Fremantle to Albany race that was first raced in 1968 and is unique in that it takes competitors through both the Indian and Southern Oceans.
J/122 Australian winners
Ian commented, “It has been a brilliant team effort from everyone who sailed on JOSS in 2018/19. We sailed in 15 Ocean Races winning 7 Div 1 IRC, 6 Div 1 YAH (local performance handicap) with podium finishes in several other races against a very competitive and modern racing fleet. A sincere thank you to ORWA, FSC, RFBYC, RPYC, SoPYC, Hillarys YC, as the Organising Authorities for their respective Offshore Races, and to Race Control & the many volunteers.”

To top it off Ian won the ORWA’s Skipper of the Year Award and Alex Babel on bow jointly won Male Crew of the Year.  Other JOSS nominees were ORWA Male Crewman- Rees Howell and ORWA Female Crew of the Year- Karen Koedyk.

On behalf of Yachtspot (J/Boats Australia) we wish to congratulate Ian and his crew for the fantastic racing season on their J/122 JOSS.  Their results included:
  • Siska Trophy Overall Bluewater Series 2nd IRC, 1st YAH
  • Offshore Series 1st IRC, 1st YAH
  • Weekender/Inshore Series 1st IRC , 2nd YAH
  • RFBYC “Farrawa Cup” Series, 2nd Overall IRC, 2nd IRC, 1st YAH
  • FSC’s “Success Cup” Series, 1st Overall IRC, 1st Overall YAH, 1st IRC, 1st YAH
  • FSC’s “Captain Stirling Cup” Series, 1st Overall IRC, 1st Overall YAH, 1st IRC, 1st YAH

J/80 Spain- off Santander 
Botín Wins J/80 Campeonato de Espana
(Santander, Spain)- The forty-three teams that were participating in the 2019 edition of the Campeonato de Espana were treated to simply spectacular sailing conditions in the beautiful bay off Santander, Spain.  Three sunny days, winds rising up to 15-25 kts on the last day, the spectacular backdrop of the snow-capped Pyrenees Mountains off to the southeast made for a spectacular weekend events.

Rising to the occasion to win the regatta in a dominating performance was one of Spain’s top Olympic sailors- the Cantabrian Diego Botín from the Real Club Maritimo de Santander. Botín and his crew on ONO M & G TRESSIS put their stamp of authority on the event by winning four of seven races for an 8 pts net score.
J/80s sailing off Santander, Spain
The pre-regatta favorite, the Cantabrian double J/80 World Champion- José María “Pichu” Torcida- took second place with his RCM Santander team on AILA with 23 pts net.  Just one point behind them on the final step of the podium was Jose Azqueta Arrue on BIOBIZZ with 24 pts net.

Among the Women’s Team, it was the President of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation- Julia Casanueva- skippering CENTRAL OPTICA that won the Women’s Trophy.  Meanwhile, winning the Under 25 Division was J/80 WORLDS 2019 GETXO skippered by the Basque Nicolás Viar.  Sailing Photo credits- Jesus Lastra
For more Spanish J/80 Sailing Championship
 

J/46 sailing Marion to Bermuda raceFast Marion to Bermuda Race
(Marion, MA)- The 22nd running of the Marion to Bermuda Race will certainly go down in the records books as one of the fastest races ever, with most boats finishing in around 58 hours elapsed time- making for about an 11.3 kts average for the 40 to 45 footers across the race track. A favorable Gulf Stream meander certainly helped boost the fleet’s COG/ SOG speeds and angles!

Hosted by the Beverly Yacht Club, Blue Water Sailing Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, the fleet of boats took off on Friday June 14th at 12 noon in a solid breeze that never let up for a majority of the race.

This year’s Founder’s Division had thirty-nine entries. Taking fifth place in the Founders B Division was the J/46 MOJO sailed by Eric & Robert Grubman from Milford, CT.  Then, finishing seventh in the same division was the J/122 AUGUST WEST, skippered by Jamey Shachoy from Marion, MA.  For more Marion to Bermuda Race sailing information
 

J/120 sailing Van Isle 360J/Crews Sweep Van Isle 360 Race!
(Victoria/ Nanaimo, BC)- The biennial Van Isle 360 Race was an epic adventure and experience for nearly a dozen J/Teams that participated in the 2019 edition.  Comprised of nine individual legs that circumnavigate the outrageously picturesque Vancouver Island off the Pacific coastline of British Columbia, the race was full of drama as each leg completed and teams fought for good overall results.

The combination of the nine legs determined the class winners as well as the overall winner.  The legs were:
  1. Nanaimo to Comox- 36.9nm
  2. Comox to Campbell River- 27.6nm
  3. Deepwater Bay to Hardwicke Island- 24.2nm
  4. Hardwicke Island to Telegraph Cove- 41.0nm
  5. Telegraph Cove to Port Hardy- 28.7nm
  6. Port Hardy to Winter Harbour- 69.1nm
  7. Winter Harbour to Ucluelet- 138.1nm
  8. Ucluelet to Victoria Harbour- 98.2nm
  9. Victoria Harbour to Nanaimo- 59.9nm
That made for a total of at least 486.8nm down the rhumbline. The fleet experienced the standard extremes of weather- from complete glass outs, waiting for breeze, to 40 to 50 kt microbursts ripping down from the mountains peaks on Vancouver Island transited across the notorious Johnstone Straits.

In the end, J/Teams led sweeps in the two largest big boat divisions. In the PHRF Division 1, winning was B. Chan and A. Smyth’s J/111 65 RED ROSES II with 19 pts and also taking 1st PHRF Overall (six classes). Tied going into the last race from Victoria to Nanaimo, it was Scott Campbell’s J/121 RIVA winning the final leg to take second in class over Bill Fox’s J/160 JAM that settled for third place.

Then, in PHRF Division 2 the final leg became a complete cliffhanger for the two leading J/109s. Indeed, they both ended up tied on 25 pts each. Winning on count-back was T. Sitar’s J/109 SERENDIPITY over Mark Hansen’s J/109 MOJO. Completing the podium with the bronze medal was C & J Wolfe’s J/120 SHEARWATER and taking fifth was Tolga Cezik’s J/109 LODOS.  For more Van Isle 360 Race sailing information
 

J/122 sailing off Cowes, England 
Epic, Brutal RORC De Guingand Bowl Race
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- With 40 knots of wind speed recorded during the 110.0nm race, the 2019 RORC De Guingand Bowl was undoubtedly a tough test for both the crews and competing yachts. Starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, a four-mile downwind leg to Browndown provided a breath-taking start. The fleet then returned through the Solent upwind with a building tide through Hurst Narrows. The beating continued all the way to East Shambles off Weymouth. After the long hard beat, the fleet turned east for a long sleigh ride back around the south side of the Isle of Wight, with a beat to finish at Mother Bank.

“The southwesterly pressure and the tidal flow meant that heading east was not going to be a good option,” commented RORC Racing Manager Chris Stone. “The lesser of the two evils was to send the fleet east for an hour or more, then send them west through Hurst Narrows, when the water was still fairly flat. As a 24-hour test, these conditions are great for preparing for the bigger races that the RORC organizes, the Rolex Fastnet Race being one of them.”

Because the race was so brutal, most divisions recorded nearly all DNF’s.  The sole J/Team to finish was Chris Miles’ J/97E HIGH JINKS in taking 5th place in IRC 4 Division and 4th place in the IRC Doublehanded Division- quite a remarkable feat in such harrowing weather.  Fifteen boats finished, forty-two did not, an extraordinarily high attrition rate for any race!  For RORC de Guingand Bowl Race sailing information
 

J/22 sailing on San Francisco Bay 
Fun & Games @ J/22 Lipton Cup
(San Francisco, CA)- As part of the three-day Lipton Cup Regatta, teams from ten yacht clubs competed for the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Trophy on Saturday, June 15. Conditions for the StFYC J/22s were perfect in the Keller Cove race area, with winds in the 12-15 kt range, and moderate chop.
J/22s sailing Lipton Cup
The competition got closer and closer with each race, and after the 6th and final race of the day, Richmond Yacht Club won with 11 points, Inverness Yacht Club was second with 13 points, and San Francisco Yacht Club was third with 14 points.

The teams competing in the regatta included- St. Francis Yacht Club, Berkeley Yacht Club, Corinthian Yacht Club, Encinal Yacht Club, South Beach Yacht Club, and Tahoe Yacht Club.  For more J/22 Lipton Cup sailing information
 

J/24 McGuffin Brothers sailing Race 2 Alaska 
J/24 Completes Race 2 Alaska- a 1st for J/24s!
(Vancouver, BC)- With its lack of handicaps, lack of rules, and Wild West attitude, on the surface it would seem the Race to Alaska is a setup to disappoint just about everyone. If you’re focused only on the capital “W” win, it’s a forgone conclusion that bankrolled teams of sailors with better-than-Olympics credentials will grab the prize, grab the glory, and leave the everyone else in the dust.

To the surprise of no one close to the race and paying attention, that preconception is as true as it isn’t. While the only prizes were given out some five days prior, recognition of the valor and dedication of those who simply finish could be seen at the dock today as throngs of teams who came before were on hand to welcome finishers.

Sometimes it’s about standing on the podium, most of the time it’s about standing with yourself and the satisfaction you’ve done something extraordinary— whether or not people applaud.

The two teams bookending today’s Ketchikan finish line embody the second kind of accomplishment and seemingly represent a time-lapsed view of Canadian lives well-sailed.
J/24 sailing in Johnstone Straits
The “Teen Beat” sleeper cell sensation of Team McGuffin Brothers Racing completed the course and earned the honor of being the collectively youngest team to ever finish this thing. If only to revel in the incredible, in a way they probably won’t, we’d like to point out that the new bar for youngest team boasts an average age of 19.25 years!!

If Team Pitoraq’s victory was rooted in a lifetime culmination, Team MBR’s landed solidly in the “Are you kidding me?” envy of a teenage rite of passage, with everyone greeting them on the dock in Ketchikan wishing they’d had the parents and the courage to have done this in their day.

The cherub-cheeked, “aw shucks” everything of the three actual and one honorary brothers won the day and the hearts of fellow racers and Ketchikan fans who came down to welcome them.

To a person, the onlookers were in awe of a life path, so well started, and largely yet to come.

“This trip is something that the rest of us built towards, this is their baseline— imagine what else they’ll do.”

The crowd was as impressed as it was filled with questions, and the brothers deferential answers were those of the humble, their sparse words offered in the rare brand of taciturn that lies between shy and polite. They hit the dock with uniformly bare feet and matching grey sweaters with MBR patches hand sewn on the breast.

How did you pick your uniforms?
“Well, I like Stanfields, and Callum likes Stanfields so we thought they would be pretty good.”

How was the boat?
“Pretty good.” They had leaks from the forward hatch, main hatch, lazarette hatch, the toe rail, and the mast boot. “Pretty much everything leaked.” The only time they begrudgingly conceded things might have been less than ideal were the times when they woke up for watch in the 1am darkness and waded through the damp clothes they had drying below. “There was a big wave, we had our hatch open, and we got pretty wet I broke the leeboard and ended up in Duncan’s bunk, but other than that, it was pretty good.”

What did you eat?
“Baked beans, chia pudding, and canned sprats.” Sprats, for the un-indoctrinated are the tins of fish that they would crack open and share for lunch, dinner and sometimes breakfast.

Three times a day and for eight days straight; unabashed, unresentful and recounted with a smile. The tins were the gift of their grandfather in Ottawa who bought them and sent them; apparently making the rounds and clearing the shelves of Ottawa’s strategic reserve of tinned fish to send his boys north. The fact that they were eating canned fish bought in Canada’s inland capital 3,000 kilometers east, then sent to the heart of it’s seafood industry was an irony that only occurred to them after the question was posed.
J/24 sailing in Johnstone Straits
They had food; they ate it gratefully, and had enough leftover that they were planning to eat it for their return trip south. Sprats north, sprats south, and on the way back they were going to meet up with their grandfather, Granddad Sprats himself. There’d be plenty for him, too.

What did you miss?
“None of us drink coffee or beer, so we’re set on those.” They settled on hamburgers, and after climbing the dock to the racer party they set into a four identical plates of burgers and fries, appreciatively consumed at a politely moderate pace.

What do they do for fun?
“Well, we mostly just sail.” They replied to the question of whether or not it felt weird to be done, with the unintentional punch line, “Well, we still have to go all the way back…”

They were planning on shore leave of no more than a day. They needed to get back, so were going to limit their wild and crazy to picking up their outboard, restocking some fresh food, and that’s exactly it.

Duncan was hoping to make it back in time for his last day of school, the rest were going to get ready for their canoe trip down the Mackenzie River.

For the teams that came before, and likely those to come, the finish line is at least a reprieve and at most an ending. For Team MBR it was the beginning of a “no-parents summer” that starts with R2AK and culminates in a canoe trip to the Arctic Circle.

The trip to K-town wasn’t a hardship, it was fun; not the vice fueled Spring Break binge of excess of their peers to the south.  It was the adventure version of a jigsaw puzzle and a cup-of-tea type enjoyable.

So, it was the trip back that couldn’t start soon enough. They had their granddad’s sprats, the last thing they needed was to hang around on shore and stress. Or, consume beer in order to cope with a hardship that for them doesn’t even exist. They are the very definition of “Pretty good.”

Whether you are more or less than their average of 19 years, imagine where you would be after eight days and 700 miles of non-stop sailing?

Would you gloat in self-satisfaction? Would you crave the indulgences of civilization, movies, girls, or at the very least a temporary antidote to the banal inconveniences that brought you here: a dry bed, a hot shower, a plated meal, ice cream—anything other than the steady state diet of less sleep and more canned fish?

Would you offer a tinge of anything less that the honest and holistic optimism of “Pretty good?”

For the McGuffins, and to the envy of everyone, their answer was true. They were pretty good, and their smiles were only rivaled by those on the adults at the dock who had found in them the role models for youth they were too late to follow.

They had just sailed to Alaska, alone and unassisted as young as 16, and with as little as 6 months sailing experience. They weren’t self-impressed or particularly jubilant, and it didn’t seem to dawn on them to be as proud as everyone else was.

They were “pretty good,” but better than just about everybody.

McGuffin Brothers Racing finished 13th at a very convenient 7:21 PM on June 14. And have the new record for Youngest Team at a combined age of 19.25 years old. They beat out the 2018 J/88 Team Blue Flash; remarkably, their combined ages were 19.5 years old!

It’s blowing strong out of the north in Johnstone Strait, making it very difficult for teams to get to the Queen Charlotte’s and beyond. However, those teams already there are seeing some light winds mixed with some real southerlies moving them quickly to their goal.  Follow TEAM MBR’s exploits on Instagram here  and on their Team MBR Facebook page here  Here is Team MBR’s website  For more R2AK sailing information and tracking information
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