The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
It has been a somewhat busy time Down Under for the past few weeks as both the J/24 and J/70 classes are well into the middle of their sailing seasons. The Australian J/70 Nationals were recently sailed in Melbourne, Australia, hosted by the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron with racing taking place on Phillip Bay. Sailing in the same waters, the J/24 Victoria State Championship also took place hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club for a strong fleet of fifteen boats. Then, on Good Friday a J/111 sailed an incredibly nasty, rough race of 308.0nm from Brisbane to Gladstone along Australia's Sunshine Coast.Over in South America, the Argentina J/70 Class has been racing on Mar de la Plata with events being run by YC Argentino, Mar de la Plata YC, and YC Olivos. An average of a dozen boats have been racing offshore of Buenos Aires. Earlier, the J/24 Campeonato del Centro Republica took place on the gorgeous Lago San Roque in foothills of the majestic Andes Mountain range. The regatta had a strong turnout of J/24s.
In the USA, there was great enthusiasm for the Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta for J/24s, J/70s, and J/105s and offshore boats that included doublehanded J/112E's dominating their fleet! The J/24 Easter Regatta in Columbia, North Carolina was recently hosted by Columbia Sailing Club for a happy fleet of a dozen-plus boats.
Charleston Race Week Preview- A Rendezvous with Destiny!
(Charleston, SC)- Starting two weeks later than its traditional schedule the weekend before Easter/ Bank Holiday, the amazingly popular Charleston Race Week will be taking place this weekend from April 8th to 11th at the historically famous venue (Fort Sumter is where the American Civil War started) for a long three-day weekend of sailing on six courses spread around the huge harbor.The Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina serves as host for the event and the CORA organization provides all logistical and professional race management for the 500+ sailors. While the on-water racing is fun, fast & furious, it’s the après’ sailing social activities on the beach ashore with loads of rum, beer, southern food, and live music that keeps sailors coming back for more fun-loving memories in the Deep South....NOT this year, sadly enough, due to the pandemic protocols.
While the party atmosphere that has always been synonymous with Charleston Race Week is not possible in 2021, the focus this year will be on the race course for one of the largest, most popular regattas in North America.
A total of 188 boats in 16 classes are entered following a one-year layoff caused by the pandemic, and finally able to celebrate its 25th anniversary in Charleston, SC.
“When you boil it all down, great racing is the main reason why Charleston Race Week has become such an iconic event,” observes event director Randy Draftz. “After all that has happened over the past year-plus, I think sailors just want to go racing again.
“We have been thrilled by the response from the national sailing community to the return of this great regatta and will be introducing several new features designed to enhance the racing experience.”
While COVID-19 continues to pose a threat throughout the world, social gatherings remain risky with state and local government officials advising against such activity. As a result, there will be no post-race events this year, but Charleston Race Week management is confident social-distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing will allow for a successful and safe three days of racing.
Not surprisingly, passionate J/Sailors across the country have been anticipating this rendezvous with destiny for well over a year! Of the 188 boats registered, 103 of them are J/Boats sailors (a stunning 55.0% of the fleet)!
The regatta features five one-design J/Classes, including J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/88s, and J/105s. In addition, there are two “Pursuit-style” sailing divisions for both PHRF and ORC handicap rated boats that includes a J/30, J/35, J/109s, J/111s, J/120s, J/121s and a J/122.
Starting with the biggest fleet in the regatta, the J/70s will have their hands full negotiating the shoals and currents and wildly shifting breezes on 3/4 mile windward legs (max!). Despite the challenges, for most J/70 sailors, it is like a big college regatta, but on keelboats. Looking forward to that experience are many top J/70 teams loaded with talent, including Joel Ronning's CATAPULT, John Heaton's EMPEIRIA, Maggie McKillen's MAGATRON, Cate Muller-Terhune's MURDER HORNET, Mike Illbruck's PINTA (with John Kostecki as tactician), Peter Duncan's RELATIVE OBSCURITY, Brian Keane's SAVASANA, Chuck Thompson's SOAK RACING from the United Kingdom, Bruno Pasquinelli's STAMPEDE, Ryan McKillen's SURGE, and Buddy Cribb's VICTORY.
Another large class is the J/24s, which has attracted 21 entries – double the number that attended Charleston Race Week 2019! They will race on Circle 4 along with the J/22 class, which consists almost entirely of junior teams. Notable J/24s teams include Jim Thurlow's FORTITUDE, Taylor Borges' BLIND SQUIRREL, Mike Palazzo's JO MAMMA, Eric Trejo's junior team on the KELLY HOLMES-MOON BOAT GRANT, Chris Jackson's LUCIFER's HAMMER, Aidan Glackin's MENTAL FLOSS, Kirk Reynolds' TYRUS, and Chris Stone's VELOCIDAD.
The two other J/One-design classes sailing on Circle 3 are the 88s and 105s. The eleven-boat J/88 class promises to be a very closely-fought amongst a number of the class leaders. Look for these teams to be near the top of the leaderboard over the course of the regatta; Justin Scagnelli's ALBONDIGAS, Iris Vogel's DEVIATION, John & Jordan Leahey's DUTCH, Andy Graff's EXILE, Andrew Weiss' ONE TOO MANY, Rob Ruhlman's SPACEMAN SPIFF, and Tim Wade's WINDSONG. So competitive these teams are that any one of them can have a strong, consistent event and leap to the top of the podium.
The nine-boat J/105 class is also the largest turnout the class has seen in nearly a decade. The Ladbroke's Betting Parlour on the High Street in Liverpool would have a hard time handicapping this group, as there is a broad cross-section of teams in the mix. Nevertheless, watch for these crews to feature on the leaderboard; Ken Horne's FINAL FINAL (2nd in the 2019 J/105 NA's in Marblehead, MA), Joe Highsmith's DEAD ON ARRIVAL, Betsy Pilcher's JOYRIDE, Pete Boland's LONDON CALLING, the trio on RUCKUS (Matt Self/ Russ Smith/ Pat Chisum- e.g. "local home boys"), Bill McKenzie's RUM FRONT, and the "foreigners" from Lake Erie- the Schaedler/ Taylor duo on WHISTLER (yup, same famous boat from the Caribbean)!
As has been the case for many editions of Charleston Race Week, there will be pursuit racing and ORC racing out on the Atlantic Ocean. In the ORC B class of a half-dozen boats are four J/Teams; two J/121s (Bob Christoph's LOKI and Bill Wiggins/ Ashley Maltempo's WINGS), Robin Team's J/122 TEAMWORK (they hardly need any introduction, do they?), and John Keenan's J/120 ILLYRIA.
In the Pursuit Spinnaker A Class of eleven boats is Bob Musor's J/130 SCEPTRE, two J/120s (Bill Hanckel's EMOCEAN and Richard Moore's KEELFORCE), Willy Schwenzfeier's J/35 ARROW, John Wrangle's J/105 PALADIN, an Ed Goss' J/36 SOUL. With six J/Crews on the starting line, perhaps there's a chance for a J/sweep? Time will tell. Finally, in Pursuit Spinnaker B Class is Mark Swatta's J/30 LAS BRISAS and Warrior Sailing's J/95 WARRIOR 95 as the lone wolves carrying the J/flag in that fleet.
To help all participants get back up to speed quickly, Charleston Race Week will be providing TracTrac devices that deliver live tracking using the latest technology. TracTrac is an innovative analytical tool that records each boat’s performance and displays various metrics online in real time.
This marks the first time Charleston Race Week has implemented live tracking on all five courses. The TracTrac device will be included in your registration packet along with an instruction sheet.
In addition to live tracking, Charleston Race Week will also introduce on-course observers to provide expert commentary and analysis. These seasoned professionals will offer interesting insights and observations about various aspects of racing.
Also, Quantum Sail Design Group will have its team of professionals on-site to deliver daily weather briefings, discuss tactics and strategy or answers any other questions sailors might have. Sailing photo credits- Priscilla Parker. For more Charleston Race Week sailing information
Announcing the Spanish J/80 Sailing Series!
(Barcelona, Spain)- The Spanish J/80 class is considered one of the best in the world; after all, amongst their teams they account for nearly a dozen J/80 World Championships (forget the fact they are several Olympic sailing Medallists amongst them). Building on that strength (a somewhat scary thought for the rest of the world), the Spanish class of more than 145 teams and 1,000+ sailors has created a new summer sailing series that will enable them to pursue their great passion for sailing in all of the most beautiful, iconic sailing venues throughout Spain.The Spanish J/80 fleet hopes to get sailors of all ages, women's teams, youth teams and masters together. Clearly, they are a class that adapts to the times and promotes values as important as equality and sustainability amongst their ranks of sailors.
J/80 Spain Sailing Series
The 2021 J80 Spain Sailing Series calendar is made up of two major national events; the Spanish Cup to be held in June at the Real Club Marítimo del Abra and the Spanish J/80 Championship to be held in the waters of Cádiz, specifically at the Real Club Náutico La Linea in September.
In addition to these two national qualifying races in the ranking, one regatta per fleet will be added; Canary, Andalusian, Balearic, Basque, Cantabrian and Galician regattas, such as the Prince of Asturias Trophy and the Princess Alexia Trophy. All these regattas will be the scoring events to make the national ranking. The top ten best of the year will come out of this ranking with their direct pass to the Super Final, the J/80 Sailing Finals!
The Spanish J/80 Super Finals
The top ten teams by ranking at the end of the circuit will go to the Super Final. It will be a competition of champions that will be held for the first time in the month of October. The chosen venue has been the amazing natural amphitheater of Santander, and the host Real Club Maritimo de Santander will undoubtedly offer an extraordinary nautical show! For more Spanish J/80 Sailing Series regatta information
J/Gear April 20% Off Special!
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(Newport, RI)- Here is an excellent opportunity for the whole crew to get Under Armour Polo shirts at a special price. Under Armour have been a leader in the performance arena for some time now and their gear is perfect for a marine application. This polo boasts rugged construction and features a distinctive comfortable fit.The fabric is 95% polyester, 5% elastane, it is a smooth, soft anti-pill fabric, has an anti-odor technology to prevent the growth of odor causing bacteria, and offers 30+ UPF protection from the sun’s harmful rays!
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Sailing Calendar
Apr 8-11- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SCApr 30- May 2- Annapolis NOOD Regatta- Annapolis, MD
Apr 30- May 2- J/111 North American Championship- Annapolis, MD
May 9-15- J/70 North American Championship- Annapolis, MD
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
VAMOS Crowned J/70 Australian Champions!
(Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)- This past fortnight, the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron on the southern isthmus of Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne hosted the 2021 Australian J/70 National Championship. Plenty of fun and games and great sailing was had by all that were more than happy to get sailing on the water again.For those "not in-the-know", Australia and their counterparts in the Antipodes "down under" (New Zealand) were one of the first few nation-states in the world to battle the pandemic aggressively (with incredible contact-tracing processes) to enable their countries to be the first to live a new "near-normal" lifestyle.
Here is the report from a three-time dinghy World Champion and top woman sailor- Nickie Douglass- a.k.a. "Sailor Girl".
"With two strong days of racing down in the 2021 J/70 Australian Championship, the weather served up testing conditions for the racing crews and Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron race management team on the third and final day.
In what could be deemed the most challenging, yet exciting race of the series, race seven was a battle from start to finish. With the course set at 160 degrees, and the south-easter blowing directly from the club with the outgoing current, the shifts, which came in waves of pressure, were significant.
Reg Lord, defending National Champion and his team on JUNO were first to identify a left-hand shift during the start sequence, and popped at the pin cleanly as the gun went. Current regatta leader, Tim Ryan and his crew on VAMOS were just off their hip, and second-placed CELESTIAL were to windward of them, but opted to tack onto port shortly after starting, as did Karyn Gojnich and her team on THE JACKAL.
The next pressure line came from the right, and CELESTIAL and THE JACKAL looked to be making the most of the pivoting course. The local teams of JUMPIN' JACK FLASH, and the all-female team on SPIKE, and the only NSW Corinthians, MAYBE J were able to slip up the middle of the course while those on the left were left flailing in easing pressure.
The rounding at the first mark of the course, and the second gates were the same, with CELESTIAL leading from JUMPIN' JACK FLASH, SPIKE, MAYBE J, and THE JACKAL
On the second circuit rounding the cans, a pod of dolphins joined in with the racing, making for a happy distraction for crews while trying to connect the dots with the fickle pressure.
CELESTIAL skipper Sam Haynes and his crew of David Chapman, Johnny Warren and Locky Pryor continued to lead around the final mark, but it was the local heroes on JUMPIN' JACK FLASH who stole the gun on the line thanks to the final puff coming more from the west to push them over the line.
Laura Harding and her all-female youth team on SPIKE from Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron rounded out the podium finishing in their best place of the regatta so far.
The results also meant that Tim Ryan on VAMOS and his crew who had been sailing a near perfect regatta, would have to sail in the final race 8 to secure their win over the closing team of Celestial.
After a lengthy delay under AP, the breeze finally settled once again at 165 degrees, and the J/70 fleet for the first time of the regatta saw a change in the course, from a two-lap windward leeward to a three-lapper.
VAMOS triggered at exactly the right time at the pin to lead off the line, with the second-placed team of CELESTIAL right on their hip. VAMOS had their eyes on the prize and kept themselves in between CELESTIAL and the next mark, and the local team JOUST 70, skippered by Rod Warren slipped through to take the lead around the first and second marks of the course.
CELESTIAL opted to split from VAMOS, and took the left-hand turn at the bottom gate, while JOUST 70 ahead of them, then VAMOS at the same time as CELESTIAL, and then the youth all-female team on SPIKE all opted for the right-hand turn.
The next phase of the breeze came from the left, forcing CELESTIAL back to fourth, dashing their hopes of a chance to take the title.
The commanding VAMOS team of Rob Greenhalgh, Charlie Gundy and Jess Grimes, led by skipper Tim Ryan took the lead up the second beat and were not challenged for the remaining two laps. They crossed the finish line to take their sixth race win of the series, and the overall championship with a race to spare.
Rod Warren's JOUST 70 with Aaron Cole, Tim Smith and Ollie Vanderslot took second place, with Laura Harding and the all-female youth team on SPIKE backing up their race 7 performance with another third place.
With the Championship and runner-up positions already decided, VAMOS and CELESTIAL opted to head back to the beach for the final race of the series to allow the teams on JUNO skippered by Reg Lord, and THE JACKAL, skippered by Karyn Gojnich to battle it out for the final podium position.
JUNO opted to cover THE JACKAL in the pre-start forcing them to the right hand side with an early port tack duck off the line.
With the easing breeze, and the outgoing current, the top mark was a mess, with multiple crews doing turns for nipping the first mark of the course.
JUNO took command of the race, and took the win, securing third place in the overall Championship for the defending champion Reg Lord, and his crew of Tom Grimes, Murray Jones and James Hodgson.
Local team JO JO ZIP skippered by Ian Cooper with Neil Taylor, John Lindholm, Dean Taylor and Callum Burns had the best race of their series finishing in second.
Michael Nash, Peter Nash, John Watson, Garth Davies and Maria Nash on MAYBE J finished third to secure the Corinthian Division for 2021.
Laura Harding, Ella Grimshaw, Daisy Laing, Hannah Danks and Harriette Singh finished in sixth, to not only take the boat of the day bragging rights, but the Youth Division for 2021.
Karyn Gojnich, Sara Ladd, Ewa Lindelof and Kyle Dodds on SPIKE finished in fourth place to secure fourth overall in the championship and the Female Division for 2021.
1st Overall, Vamos (l-r) Charlie Gundy, Rob Greenhalgh, Jess Grimes, Tim Ryan, Matt McCarthy, Vice Commodore BYS
Ladies Division winner Karyn Gojnich with Matt McCarthy, Vice Commodore BYS
Corinthian Division Winner, Michael Nash with Matt McCarthy, Vice Commodore BYS
Sailing photo and story credits- Nic Douglass / www.AdventuresofaSailorGirl.com / http://www.nicdouglass.org
Argentine J/70 Class Report
(Olivos, Argentina)- Nothing, not even the pandemic, was going to slow down or diminish the enthusiasm the Argentinean J/70 fleet had for getting themselves organized and out on the water sailing in their favorite "watering holes". Traditionally, the fleet starts their season off the famous city of Buenos Aires, on the muddy waters of Mar de la Plata. Between Yacht Club Argentino's amazing sailing facility on the city waterfront, to Mar de La Plata Yacht Club, and to Yacht Club Olivos cozy location on a harbor north of the city, the J/70 class enjoys world-class racing and Race Committee management.
Despite the challenges of coping with strong river currents, the fleet PRO- Mario Laitan- managed to run a number of good races for both the traditional PIMMS CUP TROPHY regatta and the J/70 ANNIVERSARY Championship.
The PIMMS CUP Trophy regatta was organized by YC Olivos for a twelve-boat fleet. After a good weekend of racing, it was Alejandro Yrigoyen's BUTANTE that took the gold, followed by José Arrondo's BBTO in second, and Francisco Campero's AMIGO VII in third position.
The Mar de La Plata YC hosted the ANNIVERSARY Championship for a fleet of a half-dozen boats. For two days the fleet was blessed with sunny weather and nice northerly winds of 8 to 16 knots. After a six-race series, it was BACHAJO that ultimately won the regatta by winning three of the 6 races. Their team was comprised of Juan Diego “Chiqui” Figueroa, Ignacio Giamonna, Leslie Jenkins and Julián Lobelos.
Second place went to SI QUERIDA skippered by Francisco van Avermaete, with crew of Rafael de Martis, Gerónimo Galvan and Carlos Lacchini.
Rounding out the podium was MERCENARIO skippered by top woman skipper Martina Silva with her crew Trinidad (her sister), Gabriel Marino, Nacho Portis and Tobias Cédola. Sailing photo credits- Romano Cuenca photography. Follow the Argentina J/70 Class on Facebook page here For more Argentina J/70 Class sailing information
J/111 Brisbane to Gladstone Race Report
(Brisbane, Australia)- The past Easter Weekend, the J/111 BLACK DOG sailed the Brisbane to Gladstone Race in near gale sailing conditions. Here is their report from owner/skipper Rodger Vinton."The 73rd Brisbane to Gladstone (B2G) yacht race started on Good Friday 2 April at midday. The course is 308.0nm long and starts in Brisbane (Queensland) in Moreton Bay, going to a turning mark off Redcliffe pier; before heading across the bay to Moreton Island then exiting the bay through the NW shipping channel. The course then runs past the Sunshine Coast, keeping Fraser Island to port, leaving Lady Elliot Island to port and then going across what is affectionately known as “the paddock” to Gladstone. The last 15.0nm is a trip up the shipping channel to finish off at the Gladstone Yacht Club.
There are many divisions in this race, including Vintage through to Modern yachts, competing in cruising and/or racing divisions. The boats range from 10.3 to the 30.48 metres Black Jack (100 ft Maxi). There were 37 boats that started the 2021 race, including the J/111 Black Dog with 7 crew skippered by Rodger Vinton.
The forecast was for southeasterly winds of 25-30 knots for the start and then building as the day went on with expected gusts of up to 35 knots and large confused seas off Breaksea at the northern tip of Fraser Island. We started with full main and 3.5 jib and ended up a few minutes late for the start re-running reef lines.
Just after the start we put up the A3 kite but it was too shy, so we changed down to the 3.5 jib and then we were off passing the fleet. The upside of a slow start was that we did get to see most of the other boats.
Once in the shipping channel we were able to hoist the A3 kite again and in the bigger gusts we hit 20 knots boat speed. At NW4 beacon we were going to drop the kite but a gust of 30+knots hit and we broached. It took a while to get the kite back onboard and then up went the 3.5 jib again.
At dusk we put the first reef in and sailed at about 150 AWA running down the large quartering swells. Dark rain clouds would come through and the wind speed would increase, occasionally hitting 40 knots. After Breaksea we jibed onto port to our next mark Lady Elliot Island and then after we reached Lady Elliot Island the wind dropped slightly with top gusts of only 25 knots. We put the A3 up again. This lasted about half an hour before the wind speed built and the A3 was reduced to tapes.
We carried on under reefed main and the 3.5 jib until the finish. The top boat speed we recorded was 24 knots under reefed main and 3.5 jib as we surfed down big seas and we also saw a top wind speed of 41 knots. During the night we were smashed by a big wave and it hit one of the crew with such force that her PFD auto inflated with a bang and set the strobe light off. The look of shock on her face was priceless and we then had to use one of the spare PFDs for the rest of the race. Now we know what happens to an auto PFD and why you need to carry spares.
Our experience with our first B2G race in 2018 was that in heavy weather no one eats much, so we took a lot of finger-food that could be eaten on the rail. We ate things like salad rolls, BBQ sausages, home-made pies, fruit, biscuits, lollies, trail mix, chocolate, and Doc’s rice pudding. Seasickness impacted a few crew, but was managed with the appropriate meds. All of our crew finished the race in one piece and our mascot toy dog SALTY survived, too – just a bit wet. Other boats and crew were not so lucky – there were 11 DNF’s including most of the favorites for line honours and IRC, with a couple of crew injuries including one needing to be air-lifted off in a medical evacuation.
We crossed the line in 6th place after 32 hours and 12 mins, we won the line honors trophy for a yacht under 37 feet and came 2nd in Division Two on both IRC and PHRF. A great result for our J/111!
The boat went very well, with all three people on helm enjoying the challenge of the ride. The only boat damage sustained was one A3 kite and the broken toilet lid. If only we’d not been a few minutes late for the start. Oh well, next time!"
J/105 BREEZIN' BAYOU Smokes St Pete NOOD
J/112E's Sweep Doublehanded Class
(St Petersburg, FL)- The Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta was sailed over a three-day weekend last week with simply spectacular sailing conditions on Tampa Bay. Wait a minute, is that a "typo"? Spectacular sailing conditions at St Pete? While having earned an unenviable reputation for having at least one day of any winter regatta spent working on suntans or hiding in the shade, this year's event more than made up for any past sins committed by the weather Godz in the past decade!
Loving the conditions were not just the sailors, but the St Petersburg Yacht Cub Race Committee team. For three-straight days of racing it was almost a "set it and forget it" race course setup for all race circles. Overall, J/Crews had amazing performances across the board, from one-designs to handicap racing.
In the North Sails Doublehanded Distance Race division, the J/112E's dusted off their class. Winning was Harvey Ford and Tom Mistele's SILVER SURFER, followed by Chris Zibailo's DOPODOMANI. Rounding out the podium was yet another J/team- Tarry Grimsdale and Bill Wingrove's J/35 ROCKET! A sweep to say the least! Yet another J/35- Jose Suarezhoyos' NO WAY JOSE took the bronze in their Cruising World Rally Race.
The J/24s saw Eammon Delisser's MAIN SQUEEZE never let off fire-walling the gas pedal as they cruised to a mere 10 pts total for the class win; e.g. 10 points in 10 races means all bullets. Doh! So much for eviscerating the locals. Mike Beattie's DAZE OFF collected a meaningful number of deuces to collect.....drum roll please.... the silver! Kudos to Katie Nelson's YELLOW TAIL team as she collected mostly "treys" to take home the bronze medal.
By contrast, the relative stratification of the top J/24s teams was not reflected in the J/70 class. After three days of racing, it was the final race on the final day that determined who beat whom. In the end, it was Matt Braun's ELE that won both the Corinthian Division and the Open Division by one point over Alex Meleney's TRUCKIN. Third was Chris Schoendorf's TAZ just three points back.
The big winner in the regatta was Stephen Mitcham's J/105 BREEZIN BAYOU, posting nearly all bullets to win their PHRF 2 Class by a big margin. Second was Bob Wetmore's J/29 FAMILY CIRCUS and taking fourth place was George Cussins' J/105 FIRE & ICE. In PHRF 3 Class, Herb Maguire's J/22 HOLY MOLY took fourth place.
Watch J/105 video in fast trim.
Sailing photo credits- Paul Todd/ OUTSIDE IMAGES.com. For more Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta sailing information
Cubria Wins J/24 Campeonato del Centro de la Republica
(Lago San Roque, Argentina)- As part of their traditional summer series way "down under", our friends in Argentina love to take their boats to the base of the spectacular snow-capped Andes Mountain range to a gorgeous lake in the foothills known as Lago San Roque. Google map the location. It will blow you away. A visual feast for land-locked sailors, an eye-opener for those accustomed to the wide-open seas. For the "locals", it's just another opportunity to have fun with family and friends, some of them owners of famous local vineyards you may know as the "malbec" varietal.This year, the occasion was the ninth anniversary of the Campeonato Central hosted by the Club Nautico Cordoba in Villa Carlos Paz in the mountains. How popular is "mountain" sailing to Argentinean J/24 teams?! Well, an amazing twenty teams from across the country showed up for some fun in the sun in the mountains.
This year the fleet was blessed. There were three days of mild winds from the northeast across the placid waters of Lago San Roque. Seven races were impeccably managed by Race Officer Leo Rivas. In the end, the winner of the event was Nico Cubria's RINA and his crew of Mario Cubria, Guille Aporszegui and Guillermo Bellinotto.
Taking the silver was Javier Moyano's GRAN CARAJO with crew of Hugo Camele, Adrian Berelejs, and Javier Macheu. Third was Ramiro Camilotta's PURA VIDA with team of Carlos Trigo, Pablo Fabre, and Martin Caruso.
Taking fourth and the top women's team was Trixi Agusti's CARNBURY with team of Lucrecia Arrambide, Rocio Agusti, Candelani Berbenian, and Mariana Felix. For more Campeonato el Centro de la Republica sailing information For more Argentinean J/24 sailing information
CHECKMATE Crowned J/24 Victoria State Champions
(Victoria, Australia)- Recently the Sandringham Yacht Club hosted their annual Victoria States J/24 Championship. The fleet was blessed with gorgeous sunny weather, winds ranging from 4 to 18 kts, the breeze starting northwest and shifting to the southwest on both days. Choppy seas made for difficult steering conditions upwind, with teams making the hard choice of which jib to use in the upper wind ranges- the 150% genoa or the 100% jib. The fleet was unusually over-eager and aggressive on the starting line, with lots of general recalls, restarts, U-flags and even several U-flag DSQs!After an eight-race series, it was Brendan Lee's CHECKMATE that consistently powered their way to victory, winning four races and counting only podium finishes to win by a significant margin. Taking the silver was Warren Campbell's J-FORCE, posting all top five finishes for a cumulative score of 22 pts. The bronze went to Adam Keyes-Tilley's BAILE DE LUNA with 28 pts total. Rounding out the top five were Hugo Ottoway's BRUSCHETTA VI and Warren Slater's JAB in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Winning the PHS handicap division was Darren Cuttsy's JOYRIDE, followed by Richard Taylor's HAYWIRE in second and Chris Ravesi's PANAREA in third position.
A big thank you to Sandringham YC Race Management and PRO Warren Campbell and the Committee for putting on a fabulous event. Plus, thanks to our contributors, Carina Tomietto, Craig Wiley, Adam Keyes-Tilley. More posts, video and info on the Victoria J/24 Facebook page. For more Australia J/24 class sailing information
THE Easter Regatta
(Columbia, SC)- Sailed in J/24s since 1987, THE Easter Regatta has been one of the world’s most popular and enduring J/24 events. It offers an excellent mix of shore side events and world-class competition. Whether you are an amateur team attending your first regatta or a professional team contending for the top prize, you will find something that impels you to return year after year!
The Columbia Sailing Club offers first-class facilities, such as the new Bath House at the beach and camping area! Their “never-leave-the-club” option offers free camping (first-come, first-served), meals every day, and parties galore! The beautiful peninsula and gorgeous beach provide an unparalleled camping experience. Most importantly, the down-home southern hospitality tied everything together. This is the tradition that J/24 competitors have come to know and love.
The fourteen J/24s were thrilled to be sailing on Lake Murray. Three races were completed, and it was a battle to the wire. Winning by just one point was Chris Stone's VELOCIDAD over Charles Bumgardner USA 555. James Howard's CLASSIC completed the podium. Rounding out the top five was John Hirsch's DAZE OFF in fourth and Fred Wiedeke's CARAMELLA in fifth position. For more J/24 Easter Regatta sailing information
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2005 J/133 For Sale
The J/133 is the embodiment of the J/Boats ethos - setting a new standard for race-winning speed under multiple handicap systems, stability for shorthanded cruising, durability for rough offshore passages, an easy to manage sail plan and performance cruising comfort.The J/133's generous sail plan provides performance in both breeze and light airs, and with a low center of gravity, makes for short handed stability while eliminating the need for multiple sail changes across wind speed bands.
Her generous cockpit and aft led lines deck layout transit readily from day sailing, to single handling to fully race crewed.
J-HAWK features the coveted performance cruising triple cabin interior and was factory loaded with many upgrade packages including her deluxe satin finished cherry joinery, a well-equipped double sink galley with refrigeration, stove and microwave, and Ultra-Leather pearl upholstery. Comfortable sleeping for 6 combined with excellent storage systems in each cabin plus port and starboard seating in the main salon provides comfort space and luxury for anything from day trips to blue water passage making. A MUST SEE cruising sailboat to fulfill your dreams of sailing the Seven Seas! Learn more about this J/133 brokerage sailboat for sale here- https://jnet.jboats.com/listings/2005-J133-YCgd7FzU
Easter J/70 Coaching Weekend
Organized by NORTH SAILS' Marshall King, the J/70 UK Class Coaching Weekend featured multiple world champions Andrew "Dog” Palfrey and Elliot Willis putting the ten J/70 teams through their paces. Enjoy the photos from Louay Habib and a "big Thank You" to Ian Wilson for the RIB ride and banter!
The UK J/70 class starts off their Grand Slam Series with the Warsash SC Spring Championships on the weekend of April 17th and 18th. For more UK J/70 Class sailing information
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Meanwhile, the homegrown IC-24 class (the J/24 modified) is expected to be the largest of the regatta with 18 entries. “The best part about racing in the IC-24 class is the level of competition and how close the racing is,” says St. Thomas’ Mike Finley, who will sail his Ocean Potion. “Plus, we have fun racing and fun afterwards at the parties.” Mike should know, World Champion Match Racer Taylor Canfield got “schooled” by the big boys in the IC24s when he was growing up as a kid on St Thomas!
league” formats? College-style sailing is fun, exciting, high-energy and incredibly social as teams hang out on the docks and watch the racing together. 
J/Sailing News
JUST4PLAY (Simon Cavey) narrowly won in the J/70 fleet, beating Boats.com (Ian Atkins) to second place with COSMIC (Patrick Liardet) in third. As a result, the series continues to see Cavey’s crew atop the leaderboard sitting on 3 pts net from a 1-1-4-1 record. Racing up the ladder after a toss-race, but tied on points for second, was Nigel Evans’ LITTLE LOUISE with a 4-2-1-7 for 7 pts. Likewise, classmate David Mitchell’s JUMANJI has a 2-3-2-5 for 7 pts. 
By 11am, the winds began pushing into the 30-knot range and as the fleet moved into the narrower part of sound going into Edmonds things began to happen. Broaches and round ups across the course, the old wind Gods testing the mettle of the sailors on the course with many deciding the Gods were right, it might be a good time to bring that chute down and continue under main and jib. The wind didn’t test only the sailors will and the strength of the cloth and seams of their spinnakers but tested the rigs to the limit as some boats reported gusts from 32, to 36 and on up to 39 knots with sustained winds over 30 for quite some time.
Boats wrapped their chutes around their forestays in gybes, some of them shredding apart while they were pulled down the forestay. Boats dropped their chutes in the water, some recovered, some getting cut away after wrapping around their keels and becoming too much of a liability to try and recover. But, just as quick as it started the downwind run was over and the reefs settled down on many of the boats in the fleet for the long slog south to the finish off Shilshole. Almost the entire fleet sailed up the east side of the course short tacking the beach, ducking or tacking away from starboard tacker’s while a couple boats worked up the Western shore, enjoying the westerly wind angle and open un-crowded course.
The presence of the best sailors in the twenty-four boat fleet made the event exciting and for close competition, at least for the balance of the top ten! Amongst those competitors were Ignazio Bonnano (European Champion in 2012 in Cannigione), Luigi Ravioli (Italian champion in 2013), Massimo Mariotti (Italian champion in 2009 in Cagliari), Litkey Farkas (Hungarian champion in 2014 and current Soling World Champion- photo here), the James Black (current Italian J/24 National champion); and Italian Massimo Peter Noons (former champion of the Italian Laser class).
After measurement Thursday and practice racing Friday, the fleet retired to shore for a massive feast with canapés, appetizers and fabulous Malbec red wine, plus all the drinks you could want. The atmosphere was warm and familiar to all at the social events as all sailors were that traveled from Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Salta were accompanied by wives, girlfriends, friends and family! The final touch of the day concluded with a river-rafting tour in the Mendoza River, a tributary of the lake! What amazing hospitality!
Kirsty Harris and myself are two of the original crew members. We had a stint of approx 2 years where we had one of the male variety sailing with us, luckily for us he was more than happy to don our crew colours of hot pink (which represents Breast cancer awareness) along with a colour coordinated mini-skirt for special occasions! As you can see, it’s all about fun otherwise we wouldn’t be there. Saying that, we are very committed and competitive, to say the least. We are also very lucky to have a lot of support around the buoys from members and especially our past sponsors “Red Bluff Homes and Clearly Frameless” and present sponsor “Crystal”.
Bruce has provided several charts that have shown a rapid increase in interest in sailing J/24 yachts and women have made up the majority of that interest. I urge all J owners to look closely at the benefit and enjoyment of having either part or all female teams. Here is an indication of the popularity of Melbourne Sailing Meet Up and the interest in sailing J24s. Remember 2/3rds of these are women!
* Jim & Heather Wilson just completed a circumnavigation of our "blue planet Earth" in June 2013 on their J/42 CEOL MOR. Said Jim, "The odyssey of CEOL MOR is over, for now. We completed our circumnavigation on our J/42 when we crossed our outbound track in Britannia Bay, Mustique. We were, however, still 2,000 nautical miles from home. So we continued on through the Windwards, the Leewards, and then through the British Virgin Islands. After a farewell 'Painkiller' at the Soggy Dollar, and a last meal at Foxy’s, we made the 1,275 nautical mile passage to the Chesapeake and completed our port-to-port circumnavigation when we arrived in Annapolis on June 28, 2013. We had been away 1,334 days, completed 259 days of ocean passages, and sailed 30,349 nautical miles (34,925 statute miles). Read more about their adventures in their well-documented blog here: 
The article in our WSJ Online December retirement report about eight years spent sailing the Mediterranean— "Retiring to the Open Sea"— prompted many questions and comments from readers. We asked William Stellin, who wrote the story, to answer some of the most common queries.
* Several J/160 owners are island hopping across the world's oceans, fulfilling life long dreams to cruise the Pacific islands, the Caribbean islands, the Indian Ocean and all points in between. Anyone for Cape Horn and penguins?? Read more about their adventures and escapades (like our J/109 GAIA, J/42s PAX and JAYWALKER and J/130 SHAZAM friends above).