J/Sailing NewsFive months into "pandemic life" here in Newport USA, we continue to see a few "sprouts" of activity taking place in the sailing world. RC model yachting and racing in "virtual regattas" continues to take place in various places worldwide. In Europe, that exciting activity called "real sailing" did finally take place in Germany! The German J/70 Segel-Bundesliga sailed this past weekend in Kiel, Germany, with eighteen teams participating in their first regatta of the season on the Baltic Sea, the event was hosted by three clubs.
Then, in America, we await reports from friends in the Pacific Northwest of couple/doublehanded and family/household racing taking place on Puget Sound. South of them, on California's west coast, the Santa Barbara YC held their annual Fiesta Cup Regatta for one-design fleets of J/70s and J/111s, good fun was had by all sailing off "America's Riviera".
From the Midwest, we get a fun perspective from Brett Langolf sailing with friends on their J/35 in the recent Bayview to Mackinac Race- the first race ever to not end up on Mackinac Island itself due to the "pandemic rules" for the island.
Finally, please take a peek at a J/99 highlights video of Rod Johnstone's JAZZ "rescue mission" sailing from Stonington, CT to St. George's, Bermuda and return- criss-crossing the notoriously capricious Gulf Stream twice in just six days!
ONE Kiel Tops German J/70 Segel-Bundesliga
(Kiel, Germany)- As the hosts for the first 2020 Germany J/70 Segel-Bundesliga that took place this past weekend in Kiel, from July 17 to 19, the three Kiel clubs (Baltic Sailing Club, Kiel Sailing Association and TSV Schilksee) did not expect that one of their hometown teams would end up eclipsing the fleet of eighteen teams.
After sixteen races for each team over three days, it was Team ONE Kiel's young team led by skipper Magnus Simon that dominated the first weekend of sailing.
"We didn't expect that things would go so well for us," says Sören Brandt from Team ONE Kiel. “We approached race after race with a clear head and confidently positioned ourselves tactically. It worked really well, better than we expected!"
Following them on the podium was the Segel-und Motorboat Club Uberlingen, just beating long-time rivals Wassersport-Verein Hemeligen by just one point. Rounding out the top five was a past DSBL champion in fourth place- Norddeutscher Regatta Verein- and in fifth place was Wurttembergischer YC in fifth position.
In the second division, the Bodensee-Yacht-Club Überlingen led by helmsman Konstantin Steidle took the lead. The Hamburg Sailing Club and the Mühlenberger Sailing Club took second and third place.
The start of the Sailing Bundesliga season was the first sailing event since the Covid-19 pandemic broke in Kiel in March 2020 and is seen as a pioneer for further sailing events in the 2020 season.
Anke Lukosch, Project Leader of the Sailing Bundesliga, is satisfied with the first weekend of sailing; “our hygiene concept was approved by the athletes and they implemented in an exemplary manner. I am particularly pleased that, despite the corona regulations, top-class sport could be seen and the league feeling could be fully lived again."
All sailors are now preparing for the next DSBL regatta taking place from August 28th to 30th in Berlin, sailing on the Wannsee. Sailing Photo credits: DSBL / Lars Wehrmann For more German J/70 Segel-Bundesliga sailing information
Successful, Fun-Loving Fiesta Cup Regatta!
(Santa Barbara, CA)- In the face of every obstacle known to man, the Santa Barbara YC hosted their 14th annual Fiesta Cup Regatta off the beautiful harbor of Santa Barbara, California from July 18th to 19th. The fleet was greeted by nice sailing conditions and a total of seven races were held for the one-design J/70 and J/111 classes.
The eight-boat J/70 class was fiercely contested by the two protagonists, and well-known, racing teams in Santa Barbara. Past J/24 North American Champion Pat Toole and his team on 3 BIG DOGS had their hands full taking on Scott Deardorff/ Jon Ziskind/ Gus Duncan's CAKE. Over the course of seven races, these two teams won all seven races and accounted for six 2nds! In the end, it was Toole's 3 BIG DOGS that took the regatta by two points over the CAKE team. Third was the MONKEY HOUSE gang, led by Paul Castleberg and Lauren Amery. Fourth was Thomas Tunberg's NAMASTE and fifth John McCaffery's MAGIC CARPET RIDE.The J/111 Class was a three-way duel between very experienced offshore teams. The surprise winner was not what the Ladbroke's Betting Parlour in London was betting on- Bernie Girod's ROCK & ROLL. Instead, it was Mike Drammer & Shaun Hughes' TITANIUM that rode their fast horse to the head of the class with a 1-3-1-1 tally for 6 pts total. Incredibly, the next two spots were determined on a tie-breaker at 9 pts each! With a 2-1-3-3 tally, it was Kenny Kieding's ARGO 3 that took the silver over Bernie Girod's ROCK & ROLL that had a 3-2-2-2. For more Fiesta Cup Regatta sailing information
J/111 North Americans Moved to Spring 2021
(Annapolis, MD)– The J/111 Class Association and Annapolis Yacht Club have determined, because of the varying levels of infection and disruption across the world, that this year’s J/111 North American Championship scheduled for October 29 - November 1 will be raced as part of the Annapolis NOOD from April 30 - May 2, 2021. The Class will instead hold its East Coast Championship in Annapolis during the previously scheduled Halloween weekend 2020. The Organizing Authority has been closely monitoring the worldwide developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. They understand the commitment of time and money required to participate in a Continental Championship, as well as the enormous resources that our hosts dedicate to such events.
Allan Terhune, Event Chair, said, “Last week, we had a great meeting with several J/111 owners. While Annapolis YC was ready and committed to hosting the event, the owners were in agreement that with the uncertainty of events, moving to the spring of 2021 will ensure that the J/111 Class and AYC will have an event that is worthy of being a North American Championship. I am very excited for the decision and look forward to the great sailing on schedule this fall and also in 2021 on the Chesapeake Bay.”
In the meantime, the Class wishes all J/111 sailors and their families the best in these difficult times. We look forward to resuming sailing as soon as we can. Sailing photo credit- Lorens Morel
J/111 Stars in Espionage Thriller!
(Boston, MA)- It’s exceedingly rare for a self-published book by a new author to break into the top 20 on the Amazon “Most Sold” list. Christopher Rosow’s first book, "False Assurances", not only ascended to #6 on that list for the week ending May 17, it simultaneously hit #1 with a bullet on Apple Books…an occurrence only slightly more likely than seeing a mermaid. Today, it's #1 Amazon Kindle Best Seller, #1 Apple Books Best Seller, #1 Wall Street Journal Fiction Best Seller, #6 Amazon Combined Print/ E-Book Best Seller-- an amazing achievement.
In July 2017, a J/111 competing in the Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race is boarded by terrorists intent on smuggling weapons into the U.S. After escaping from his captors, the owner is rescued and subsequently calls the FBI Boston field office to report that his boat’s been hijacked. The call appears to be a hoax, and the local agents have already been assigned to a visit by the President that evening. Because Bureau procedures require a response to all threats, the task of investigating the call is given to an unlikely hero, FBI Information Management Specialist Ben Porter. With no training in field work, will Ben be able to uncover the deadly plot and prevent it from being carried out?Christopher Rosow conceived this story while standing watch (perhaps not entirely diligently) on a J/111 during the 2017 Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race. According to Chris, "I was supposed to be on-watch, making the boat go fast, but instead I was goofing around with the boat’s AIS system in the navigation station, thinking, “what if…?”! LOL!
After the manuscript was rejected by a succession of publishers, he made the decision to self-publish and also write a sequel to False Assurances called Threat Bias. In just over a fortnight, 40,000 copies of the first two books in the Ben Porter Series were purchased and both have garnered 5-star ratings on Amazon.
Lauded as “thoroughly riveting” by best-selling author James Patterson (a man who knows a bit about “couldn’t-put-it-down” novels), False Assurances and Threat Bias are available in e-book or print format on Amazon, in e-book format on Apple Books, or in print format from your favorite independent bookseller via Ingram. This reviewer is predicting that these will be the best thrillers you’ll read this summer…and that heads will roll at more than a few publishing houses when the film rights to the Ben Porter Series are purchased by a Hollywood studio.
A life-long sailor known to his many friends as "Treef", Chris Rosow currently chairs the junior sailing program at Pequot Yacht Club in Southport, CT. He and his wife Meghan and children Connor, Keilan and Maggie live in Southport with a chocolate Lab and a Havanese (“The Odd Couple of dogs,” he jokes) and what he describes as “way too many boats.” Chris' brother David owns and sails the extremely successful J/109 LOKI and, along with their Dad (David Sr), they have been long-time active sailing members of New York Yacht Club.
JAMES PATTERSON applauds "a thoroughly riveting two-novel debut that introduces a compelling new hero.”
In CONNECTICUT MAGAZINE, Sean Chaffin writes, “What sets the novels apart from other suspense thrillers? Protagonist Ben Porter, who works for the FBI, is the anti-James Bond. A bit overweight and short, he’s more George Costanza than Jack Ryan.”
Editor-in-chief of WINDCHECK magazine Chris Szepessy predicts “that these will be the best thrillers you’ll read this summer.” Buy on Amazon here. Buy on Apple Books here. Thanks to Chris for this contribution.
J/Gear July 20% OFF Special!
(Newport, RI)- The J Under Armour Quarter Zip Top provides Under Armour technology with a competitive design appearance. A bold stripe details the sleeve. The Under Armour logo is displayed on the left sleeve.
The top features a reflective quarter-zip for visibility during after-hours training; contrast fabric overlays on sleeves and collar; rolled forward shoulder seams for unrivaled comfort; and performance loose fit.
It is constructed of a 100% polyester fabric, a soft and durable circular knit construction with brushed interior for extra warmth, with the signature Moisture Transport System that wicks sweat to keep you dry and light.
The J/Class logo of your choice is embroidered on the front. We can also customize with your detail. Perfect for the whole crew! Check it out here on the J/Gear website
Sailing Calendar
Aug 13-16- SAILING Champions League- St Petersburg, Russia
Aug 14-16- Swedish J/70 Sailing League- Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
Aug 15-16- Danish J/70 Sailing League- Aarhus, Denmark
Aug 15-16- J/Fest Newport- Newport, RI
Aug 28-30- J/70 Segel Bundesliga- Wannsee, Germany
Aug 28-30- Under 21 Italian J/70 Sailing League Championship- Rimini, Italy
Sep 5-6- Danish J/70 Sailing League- Skovshoved, Denmark
A Winning J/35's Perspective on the Bayview-Mac
(Mackinac Island, MI)- Call it what you may, but sailing offshore brings great camaraderie to small crews and big crews. In this year's version of a pandemic-driven reduction to family and smaller crews, it only brought people even closer together.
We got a wonderful report from our friends in Cleveland, Ohio- Brett Langolf who generally races his lovingly restored J/34 IOR classic Half-Ton racer on Lake Erie. This year, he had the privilege of sailing with a bunch of local friends on a J/35 called MAJOR DETAIL. Here is Brett's report:
"Why this year's Bayview-Mac?
Because you never stop racing.
Even if it’s less than 3 miles to go.
Even after almost 240 miles upwind, the lead J/35 is still extending.
Even if we've thrown everything at them, you can and have exhausted all options.
Even when sending the entire crew to sleep on the rail over the last 12 hours didn’t work.
Even if the Class President already sent an email congratulating the other boat on winning the Port Huron to Mackinac Race (watching the tracker live on-line).
So, you pause and decide to all have a beer as the sun rose and the finish line was in sight, “because good things happen when we drink beer!!”
You all raise Canadian beers, even though you had to stay out of Canadian waters, the whole race for fear of deportation. You all "cheers" for what you are about to achieve.
Cheers to second place in the Port Huron to Mackinac.
Cheers you didn’t break anything.
Cheers to old friends and new on the crew.
Cheers that all tested negative for COVID-19.
Cheers to our weekend boat escape.
Cheers for the families we are about to see.
You cheers to an amazing skipper that created this opportunity.
Cheers because….wait! What?? This dog fight of a J/35 battle just gave itself an insanely bizarre turn-of-events. The lead boat has tucked themselves into shore, to leeward of Mackinac Island, and potentially impacted by an on-the-nose current.
Check Yellow Brick Race Tracker. They are going 1.1 kts and we are going 7.1 kts! We can only see them through binoculars and all of a sudden, we like what we see.
“Mortimer, we are back in business!”
“Legs Out. Traveler Up. Keep us in the breeze. Grab me a water. Don’t screw this up,” we all said at once.
One last thing to throw at us. Over the line first? Maybe.
We pulled it off, the mano-a-mano J/35 battle was over. We pulled it off against an amazing crew!
Wait, this is an ORR Race. How much time do we owe them? Crap, almost 6 minutes? OK we got it.
Well, cheers to us, we pulled it off.
First in Class E, First in the J/35 Fleet and Yacht Club Challenge Winner. MAJOR DETAIL was on the virtual podium, the real awards happen once America figures out this COVID mess.
J/Boat sweep- J/35, J/35, J/109....but we need to update one minor detail, it was MAJOR DETAIL in 1st!
Grab your wallet and your masks boys, "Pink Pony" here we come." Editors note- the Pink Pony Cafe & Restaurant is the de facto race HQ for all sailors after completing any Mackinac Race. Thanks for contribution from Brett Langolf.
J/Community
What friends, alumni, and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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* J/Net Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world.
A J/122 is a superlative boat, a true race-winning horse that also allows you to cruise as a family. Carbon mast, carbon boom and a huge inventory of NORTH SAILS sails in very good condition. Version 3 with double cabins and a bathroom. Consult us the complete list of equipment. Nautamarine- we are the exclusive distributors for Spain of the J/Boats. Learn more about this J/122 here.
* Experience and understand what it's like to sail offshore. The J/99 JAZZ was sailed by Rodney Johnstone and Clay Burkhalter from Stonington, CT to Bermuda (635.0nm as the 'crow flies') to help "rescue" a friends 65 ft sailboat. After 48 hours, they sailed the return voyage back to Stonington in slightly breezier, rougher conditions. Clay narrates the 10-minute video accompanied by the classic Grateful Dead "Franklin's Tower" song (Las Vegas 1992) playing as the background soundtrack. Enjoy!
Click photo or link here to watch video:
https://youtu.be/ZzOdJmZKqLo
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