J/Newsletter- March 17th, 2021

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

With spring-time peeking around the corner in the northern hemisphere, and sailors are getting accustomed to living and playing within the pandemic guidelines in various regions, more and more events are braving the elements to get a real 2021 sailing season underway. In the coming weeks, one hopes the European "third wave" is quelled quickly so that schedules for a number of one-design and offshore classes can get underway soon.

Over in the Americas, the season is starting off slowly but surely. Down south, the J/105 Midwinters was just sailed on Galveston Bay, hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club for a very eager group of sailors. Likewise, a fleet of twenty-two J/70 sailors took to the beautiful waters of Biscayne Bay to sail the Bacardi Invitational, hosted by Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and Shake-A-Leg Foundation in Miami, FL. Out west, the first J/105 fleet in the world hosted their inaugural "Pi" Race on San Francisco Bay for doublehanded sailors.

Not to be outdone, the nascent efforts of the J/80 one-design class in India continues to grow year-by-year. This past week saw their first "offshore" race of about 80.0nm in the Bay of Bengal in south India. The event was called the UNIFI CAPITAL J/80 Offshore Race based in Chennai, India. 

Finally, in the J/Community section below, learn about the Storm Trysail Club Offshore Symposium that was hosted virtually in November 2020 with leaders in all aspects of seamanship, racing, military, expeditions, and so forth... it has numerous lessons about leadership and safety offshore that's well-worthwhile to watch- it includes a 70-minute YouTube video.
 

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J/22 Midwinter Championship Preview

(New Orleans, LA)- From March 18th to 21st, the gorgeous new Southern Yacht Club will be hosting the J/22 Midwinter Championship on the challenging, choppy waters of Lake Ponchartrain. The thirty teams from across the country should be blessed with spring-like windy conditions with breezes forecast to start in the northwesterly quadrant and slowly, persistently shift right all weekend. 


The entry list has many class leaders participating; all eager to get on the water and enjoy the fresh air on the water, the wind in your hair, and the sun on your face.  Some of the notable teams with Midwinter, North American, and World titles in various classes include Benz Faget's FATS, Tommy Meric's CARNIVAL TIME, Dwight LeBlanc's WILD TCHOUPITOULAS, Travis Odenbach's HONEYBADGER, Glenn Darden's BABY DOLL, Mark Foster's PRESSURE DROP, Chip Carpenter's WIZARD, and Casey Lambert's BLACKBURN MARINE RACING.


The Southern YC welcomes all teams with open arms and will surely provide their famous red-carpet treatment for their guests. The regatta promises to be epic given the depth of talent, the often-challenging choppy waters of Lake Ponchartrain, and the very shifty puffy winds shifting from NW to NE over the three days.  For more J/22 Midwinter Championship registration & sailing information
 

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San Diego NOOD Regatta Preview

(San Diego, CA)- The first of the famous HELLY HANSEN Sailing World NOOD Regatta series will be taking place in San Diego, CA this coming weekend. San Diego Yacht Club will play host for the event from March 19th to 21st for one-design fleets of J/24s and J/105s and an offshore North Sails Doublehanded Race.

The J/24 class features teams like Brian Dolan's CALAMITY from Tucson, Arizona (the long-distance traveler award!); Christian Seidel's CYGNET 2, Bill Ramacciotti's GREENBACK BOOGIE, Ryan Jurkowski's IRIE, and Dave Wethereit's SUPERDRY.


The always highly-competitive fleet of eight J/105s will see a number of the class stalwarts participating for their first time in over twelve months! Those teams include Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK!, Stew Cannon's J-OK, Scott McDaniel's OFF THE PORCH and Bill Quealy's J RABBIT SLIM. 

Looking forward to the challenge of sailing large boats doublehanded offshore is Stephen Driscoll's J/105 JUICED and Rudy Hasl's J/145 PALAEMON. Should be fun to watch these teams wrestle their boats around the track off Point Loma. Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.com.  For more San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing information
 

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NHYC Cabo Race Preview

(Newport Beach, CA)- On Friday midday, a fleet of eighteen offshore racers will be pointing their bows across the starting line set by the host Newport Harbor Yacht Club and will soon be headed 800.0nm south from Newport Beach, CA down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It is a famous race, a famous challenge, and anything can happen. Often the most significant decisions are which teams have chosen between hugging the Mexican coastline or heading offshore to steadier winds...it's often a roll of the dice. 

Looking forward to that challenge are two thoroughbreds in the J/Design stable. Racing in ORR Class C are Standish Fleming's J/125 NEREID and Roger Gatewood's J/145 KATARA.  Both are well-prepared, well-sailed boats with strong tactical/ strategic navigational teams on board. Furthermore, both boats have demonstrated the ability to win more than their fair share of silverware as well! With solid breezes forecast from the north, the fleet should have a reasonably quick sleighride down to the famous ocean resort of Cabo San Lucas!  For more Cabo Race sailing information
 

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San Diego Yacht Club's Yachting Cup is a Go!

(San Diego, CA)- After a full year of limited racing, postponed regattas, and socially distanced sailing, it seems like the world of competitive racing is finally getting back on course. In October 2020, San Diego Yacht Club hosted a postponed edition of the Yachting Cup, one of their most popular signature regattas. Thirty-seven boats came out as restrictions on boating eased - an event that typically hosts over 100 boats. A mere six months later, and the Yachting Cup is working to get back on course as well, returning to the weekend at the beginning of May where it’s been held in years past- May 1-2, 2021. 

While the event might not be ramped up to its typical pre-Covid model, it is clear what the main attraction of the Yachting Cup really is: the sailing. SDYC Waterfront Director Jeff Johnson says it best, “The success of the event has been and will be being able to get out on the water. It’s an event for all of those that are looking to sail, and that’s why we do it - for the competitors. It’s not about the food and free drinks or fancy awards. It’s just to sail. And that’s what we’re doing.”

The 2021 Yachting Cup begins at 1200 on Saturday, May 1 and will be held on two ocean courses on the Coronado Roads. Competitors will be divided into one design fleets or Handicap Divisions (PHRF, ORR, ORR-ez). 

Always one of Yachting Cup first entrants is SDYC Staff Commodore John Laun’s J/120 CAPER, who hasn’t missed a Yachting Cup in 20 years before last October’s regatta. Similar to many competitors, this will be his first opportunity back on the water. “This will be CAPER's first regatta in 16 months!! I’m excited to reunite with the crew. We’ve been together for over 10 years, some as long as 20. My crew is full of great friends and skilled sailors,” explained Laun.

Another J/120 skipper ready to get back out on the water after an injury last fall is SDYC Staff Commodore Chuck Nichols, sailing on CC RIDER. “I’ve raced in almost every Yachting Cup since the early eighties. The best racers in Southern California show up for the Yachting Cup. Everyone knows they will participate in good competition with good Race Committee work,” he started. “Between major regattas, we try to sail races that are similar to the types of courses we are going to see in the near future. Continuity of crew is critical to our success. They all know their jobs well and we work hard to get them out for every race on our calendar. Our crew is a fun-loving bunch who really enjoy joking around, but they also know when to hang up the hijinks and get down to racing.”

Back for another year to chair the event is Patrick Murray. “As we’ve endured an extremely long year dreaming of the things that we love to do, it’s time to get back at it and get back out racing. We’re excited to be hosting an event that will be building on the 2020 Yachting Cup as we work our way closer to a new normal,” he started.

“As with the 2020 edition, we’ll be focusing on the water and high-level racing on both courses. We expect to have extremely tight one design racing in the J/105 one-design fleet while we’ll have the bigger boats going head-to-head on the far course. One thing is for sure, you can count on all the teams bringing their A-games as the competition is always tight! We’ve had an active weather pattern here this spring, and that’s a good sign that we’ll get really nice sailing condition. We’re looking forward to having a great regatta! See you on the water," finished Murray.

Safety precautions are in place to ensure a healthy event such as socially distancing and wearing face coverings. SDYC is strictly following the protocols set forth by the County and the State. Due to continuing restrictions on gatherings, there will be no post-race socials on Saturday or Sunday evening. This year’s Yachting Cup will continue to feature a Skipper’s Meeting via Zoom. Awards will be announced at the Post Race Debrief after racing on Sunday, May 2. Awards will be available for individual pick-up or delivery. 
Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.com.  For more SDYC Yachting Cup regatta and sailing information
 

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Block Island Race Week Update

(Block Island, RI)- With just under 100 days left until Race Week, 150 teams have already joined Block Island Race Week presented by Margaritaville (seventy are J/Boats = 47%)! This is the highest number of early registrations in over a decade for the biennial Storm Trysail Club event. “We cannot underestimate the motivation for sailors and their families to return to doing what they love together,” says Event Chair Ray Redniss. “With increased vaccine rollouts and lower case numbers, we are cautiously optimistic that our 2021 event will be a great success.”

Still, the race organizers are managing expectations that 2021 won’t be exactly like past Race Weeks. The logistics of hosting a large regatta on an island demands months of preparation and - as one of the first major events to be held among so much uncertainty - a variety of necessary measures to keep sailors, volunteers and local families safe and healthy will be implemented. What those policies look like is still being determined.


“We meet each week as a team and are in constant contact with local businesses, a variety of experts, and our vendors,” says Redniss. “We know our sailors come for the fun, camaraderie, and competition, and our goal is still to deliver all that at the highest level, albeit safely.”

Regards J/Teams participation, so far here are the amazing numbers:

• ORC 2- five J/121s and two J/122s
• J/44 class- seven boats
• J/88 class- five boats
• J/109 class- thirteen boats
• J/105 class- sixteen boats
• PHRF 1- six J/111s and two J/122s (J/111s will get one-design start)
• PHRF 2- a J/99, J/33, J/35
• PHRF 3- a J/24, two J/29s, two J/80s
• PHRF Cruise 1 Spin- a J/120, J/95
• PHRF Cruise 2 Spin- a J/120, J/125, J/133
• PHRF Cruise 3 Spin- a J/29

Racers planning to attend should have already started to make their housing, docking, and ferry arrangements, as we have been notified there are only a few reservations still available. Do not wait to plan ahead for your week away! Come one, come all, and join in on the fun! It promises to be an EPIC Block Island Race Week!  Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier. For more Block Island Race Week sailing information
 

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J/70 European Championship Postponed

(Copenhagen, Denmark)– The Royal Danish Yacht Club (KDY) Organizing Committee and the International J/70 Class Association met to review the Danish governments pandemic restrictions and decided to move the Championship to late August this year. Registration/inspections will start on August 27th, 2021 and the prize-giving ceremony will conclude the Championship on September 4th, 2021.

The event was scheduled in June at the Royal Danish Yacht Club. Please see the revised Notice of Race that will be posted in the coming days. It's the hope of the KDY Organizing Committee to be able to host a great and “normal” regatta with activity at the harbor, socializing and great racing later this year
For more J/70 European Championship regatta information
 

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J/Gear March 20% Off Special!

(Newport, RI)- The Marmot zip top model #9276 has a 20.0% discount for March! The simple lines and full-on function of the J Stretch Fleece 1/2 Zip makes layering on and off the water a practical solution. The warm polyester stretch fleece with a comfortable flat-locked seam construction allows liberal movement. Marmot quality and durability throughout. It's perfect partner for all seasons. In black, marine blue, or red.   Order your beautiful Marmot 1/2 zip top here
 

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Sailing Calendar

Mar 18-21- J/22 Midwinter Championship- New Orleans, LA
Mar 19-21- San Diego NOOD Regatta- San Diego, CA
Mar 19- NHYC Cabo Race- Newport Beach, CA
Mar 25-28- SAIL 22 J/70 Invitational- Coconut Grove, FL
Mar 26-28- St. Thomas International Regatta- St. Thomas, USVI
Mar 29- Apr 4- BVI Spring Regatta- Road Town, Tortola, BVI
Apr 2-4- St Petersburg NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg, FL
Apr 8-11- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC
Apr 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.
 

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HONEYBADGER Crowned J/70 Bacardi Champion

(Miami, FL)- This past weekend, the Bacardi Invitational for the J/70 class took place on Miami's Biscayne Bay, hosted by the Shake-A-Leg Foundation, with race management conducted by the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.


The twenty-two boat J/70 fleet was simply blessed with classic, amazing Biscayne Bay sailing conditions all three days of the event. Starting off with two days of planing conditions in northerly winds, the smiles painted onto everyone's faces was palpable...pure joy as teams loved the good breeze, sunny weather, and turquoise waters of the Bay!

An incredible nine races were run by the Biscayne Bay YC Race Committee and PRO team, helping out that process was the quick mark reset capabilities of the tres-cool MARK-SET-BOT buoys of the windward marks and gates!


In the end, the most remarkable performance came from the well-known cast of characters from upstate New York; winning with style and grace was Travis Odenbach's HONEYBADGER team that consisted of Andy Horton, Geoff Becker, and Danny Lawless. They eclipsed a truly star-studded fleet that was deeply laden in talent, leaving multiple World, European, North American Champions in their wake. On their way to the top of the podium, they collected an outstanding record of four 1sts, two 2nds, and two 4ths to count only top five finishes for 16 pts net. 


For the third straight time, it was Ryan McKillen's SURGE crew of Jeff Reynolds, Lucas Calabrese, and Sam Loughborough that took the silver. They put up a good fight but could not match the sheer consistency of the HONEYBADGER gangsters.  Like their colleagues, they also posted all top five finishes, including two race wins, to end with 22 pts net. 


Rounding out the podium was World Champion Joel Ronning's team on CATAPULT that consisted of Jud Smith (another J/70 World champ), Kris Stoke, and Patrick Wilson. Winning two races and taking three 2nds, they were virtually tied for the lead with just two races to go in the series.  However, a lighter air, shiftier day for the finale proved to be their undoing, posting an uncharacteristic 9-8 to close out the regatta and dropping to the bronze step on the podium. Rounding out the top five were John Brim's RIMETTE in fourth place and Vernon Robert's Chilean crew on MORENITA.

Winning the Corinthians Division was Zach Segal's USA 1154 with crew of Ashton Hamerlin, Enrique Quintero, and Blake Cabasa. Second was the Brazilian crew on CLOUD NINE with Toribio Tedin as skipper and team of Emilio Miguel, and Javier & Enrique Dillon. Sailing photo credits- Bacardi / Mattias Cappizano.  For more Bacardi J/70 Invitational Regatta sailing information 
 

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DEJA VOODOO Eclipses J/105 Midwinters

(Seabrook, TX)- The J/105 Midwinter Championship returned to the calendar this year as twelve teams competed at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, TX from March 11-14. Over the three-day regatta, the fleet enjoyed truly amazing Texas-style hospitality and pretty amazing sailing conditions- warm, breezy, and moderately choppy waters on Galveston Bay.


After the first day it was abundantly clear that one team must've consumed several spinach cans of Popeye's "whupass", flexed their muscles, and completely smoked the fleet. Starting first and never looking back. the DEJA VOODOO team left everyone in their wake as they peeled off all bullets on the first day. The second and third day of racing never saw them take their foot off the gas, keeping it "firewalled" and reeling off a bunch more bullets.  In the end, Bill Zartler's team on DEJA VOODOO may have been surprised at their own incredible record, counting all bullets after tossing a 2nd place in the eight race/ one-drop series...just 7 pts net!  


The Vice-champion of the last J/105 North American Championship in Marblehead, MA- FINAL FINAL- was put into the unenviable position of playing chase the entire regatta. Accumulating five deuces and the only bullet not taken by DEJA VOODOO, Ken Horne's team on FINAL FINAL sailed to a clear second place with 14 pts net.

Completing the podium in the bronze position was Uzi Ozeri's BONBON, they closed with a 3-5 on the last day for all top ten finishes and 32 pts net.

Rounding out the top five was John Barnett's PESTO with 35 pts net in fourth position and Mark Smith's EAU LA LA took 5th with 36 pts net.  For more J/105 Midwinter Championship regatta sailing information
 

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Successful UNIFI CAPITAL J/80 Offshore Regatta!

(Chennai, India)- The Unifi Capital Offshore Regatta, was held from the 11th to 14th March 2021 with a race between Chennai and Puducherry which are 160 kms apart in the Bay of Bengal in South India. Four J/80 class sail boats competed with teams- INWTC from Indian Navy, EMESA from Indian Army, VCS from Royal Madras Yacht Club and PSA from Pondycherry Sailing Association.

The event was the first offshore Regatta in India complying with OSR Cat 3 requirements and was organized by Royal Madras Yacht Club under the authority of the Yachting Association of India, the apex sailing body. The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy provided support and logistics for a safe event. World renowned sailors consented to participate in the event to get the press and media interested. Commander Abhilash Tomy, the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world in a sailboat and Lt. Cdr Vartika Joshi, the naval officer who captained the all-women team which circumnavigated the globe.

Event organizer Capt. Vivek Shanbhag said that for the first-time satellite trackers were used for continuous coverage. The website was given wide publicity for tracking the race in real-time on smart phones and laptops.


The first leg had VCS leading from the beginning. Over the next 8 hours as the sun was setting, VCS was about 500 meters ahead of INWTC and about 3 kms behind were EMESA leading by a km over PSA. The race was a close reach with calm seas and 10 knots SW winds. Being a new moon, the sky was bright with a million stars and boats had to keep watch over the many fishing boats dotting the seas. In the last 2 kms the winds dropped to 4 knots and VCS was trying to spot the race committee vessel at the finish line among the numerous fishing boats with similar lights. Meantime INWTC hoisted their kite and narrowed the margin and got a slim lead over VCS. By the time VCS hoisted their kite, the winds dropped further, and the boats moved in slow motion with INWTC finishing 3 minutes ahead. Similarly, PSA bringing the rear managed to pip EMESA by a minute at the finish line. After 14 hours racing the finish was an absolute thriller!  

After a good, long nights sleep, the next day saw the fleet prepare to sail the return leg to Chennai. The second leg had a wind change and was 10 knots from NE with the boats sailing a long beat to windward. VCS tacked and headed deep into the sea, with the other three teams hugging the coast. INWTC managed a comfortable lead of about 90 minutes over the next 10 hours and the next three boats finished within 4 minutes of each other! VCS, which was lagging behind by a huge margin of 5 kms, managed to continuously trim their sails and finished second. The last boat took about 16 hours. It was yet another nail-biting finish, an event rarely heard of in offshore racing.

As a result, the cumulative results of the two legs saw INWTC win with two bullets, followed by VCS with two 2nds, and a tie for third place between PSA and EMESA!
 

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ARBITRAGE Circles Fleet in J/105 "Pi" Doublehanded Race

(San Francisco, CA)- J/105 Fleet #1 continues to have fun organizing their own one-design doublehanded racing on San Francisco Bay. With races easily started and finished just off Golden Gate Yacht Club, and with a few hundred navigational buoys to choose from on Bay charts, it's easy to tailor a race course to the forecasted breezes and tides for the day. Here's Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault's report from aboard ARBITRAGE on the inaugural "Pi" Doublehanded Race held on 3.14.21 (get it? LOL). 

"The wind was uncharacteristically from the south, around 8-10 kt, so the PRO set us on a reaching course from the Golden Gate YC's X Buoy against the 2-3 kt flood tide out to Pt. Bonita buoy and back.


We had an ultra-cautious start (not our usual, of course). We were a bit late at the start, as we decided to hoist the big asym spinnaker before the gun and allowed a generous amount of space so as to not risk being over-early.  

Most of the other boats started ahead of us and then jib-reached up along the shore to avoid the flood and what appeared to be lighter air.

By contrast, we felt the extra sail area would allow us to plow ahead on the rhumb line, and that proved to be the winning formula against the adverse current. We were in much more breeze and we were well-ahead by the time the others hoisted their spinnakers.  

We then nearly stopped dead when passing the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge and running into both its wind shadow and a 4-5 knot flood...reducing our VMG to around 1.5 kt! We persisted and poked through to some relief.  


We were then knocked toward the north shore of the entrance channel, but did not mind that as we expected early ebb, which proved to be true.  As we got closer to the lee shore (on the north side of the channel), we were headed some more and dropped the kite, but then lifted back up to the mark and benefited from the ebb.  

After passing Pt. Bonita, we were still way ahead of the fleet. However, we couldn't locate the mark! We suspect it had been pulled for maintenance!! Oops!  

We called our competitors on the radio and asked if any of them could find the mark.  We then suggested they should round our spot (GPS coordinates) and race to the finish.  Everyone agreed, and we then turned for a pleasant close-reach and then a beat home to the finish.  It was notable that two of the teams, RUSSIAN ROULETTE and AKULA, had young crew on board. Nicole had baked some fruit pies and awarded them to the second and third place finishers, AKULA and AQUAVIT."  Sailing photo credits- Don Weineke.
 

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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 here.  



Beautiful customized 1990 J/44 Available for Sale. Southern Cross has an extensive inventory and has been meticulously maintained, spending most of her time sailing summers on Long Island Sound and fully winterized for the long winter seasons in New York.   Learn more about this custom J/44 McMichaels Yacht Brokerage listing here


* Learn about the Storm Trysail Club Offshore Sailing Leadership Symposium
The Storm Trysail Club Released its Offshore Sailing Leadership Symposium Report Detailed Report, including a 70 Minute Video Recap of November 2020 Event. Read the report here- https://stormtrysail.org/reports/osls2020/

Last November, the Storm Trysail Club Seamanship Committee virtually gathered 90 accomplished leaders from within - and outside - the sailing world for its Offshore Sailing Leadership Symposium. World-class sailors, military officers, mountaineers, Merchant Marine officers, public health experts, and business executives worked together to better understand and promote a culture of safety and leadership in offshore sailing and to recommend improvements to Safety at Sea training and education. Their collective achievements include America’s Cup campaigns, summiting Mount Everest, commanding a US Navy nuclear submarine, solo and crewed circumnavigations, and combating Ebola and Covid-19.

“Until recently, the concept of ‘Leadership’ has been largely ignored while the use of safety-related equipment and specific maneuvers - such as recovering crew overboard - have been emphasized. Yet, Leadership is the glue that holds it all together,“ explained Event Chair Rich du Moulin.  “Good leadership minimizes the chance of a dangerous situation, and when something does go wrong offshore, good leadership maximizes the chance for a satisfactory outcome.  This comprehensive analysis includes observations and recommendations for leadership that have terrific applicability to handling challenges in business and other non-sailing situations.”

Principal findings coming out of the seminar include:

• The Skipper/Owner is Ultimately Accountable
• The Implications of Leading with High Character
• Insights on Selecting and Training the Team
• Critical Processes for Planning and Preparation
• Methods of Ensuring Clear Roles and Responsibilities
• The Effects of Ego on Teamwork
• Positive Impacts of Open Communication
• Error Chain Recognition and Maintaining Situational Awareness
• Benefits of Adjusting Goals and Plans as Conditions Require
• The Importance of Remaining Calm in an Emergency
• How Maintaining Optimism is Key to Positive Results
• Never Giving Up!

The 52-page report (https://stormtrysail.org/reports/osls2020/) includes links to reference material, as well as a number of personal sea stories that bring to life actual crises, and the attendant learnings.  Particular attention is paid to recommendations on how best to develop leadership qualities in young sailors and identifying leaders among crews. 
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J/Newsletter- March 3rd, 2021

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

It is going to be an exciting weekend for sailors in Monaco as J/70 teams flock to the principality for the annual first rites of spring, the opening regatta for the Mediterranean sailing season- the Primo Cup- Trophy Credit Suisse in Monte Carlo. On America's west coast, offshore sailors are looking forward to their start of the offshore season in southern California- the annual Islands Race sailing off San Diego, CA.

Last weekend, two fun events took place on opposite coasts in the USA. On the east coast, the J/24 class celebrated their first major regatta since the pandemic shutdown last March 2020. Nearly 30 boats enjoyed spectacular Biscayne Bay spring sailing conditions over three days, enjoying ten races in all!  Then, on San Francisco Bay out west, the Singlehanded Sailing Society held their popular Corinthian Race for 180 teams sailing in both Singlehanded and Doublehanded divisions. 

In the J/Community section, there is a report from the J/121 WINGS about their experience in the SORC Islands in the Stream Series and we also got a report from the Indian J/80 Class and the Royal Madras Yacht Club!
 

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Primo Cup- Trophy Credit Suisse Preview

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- Launched in 1985 at the instigation of HSH Prince Albert II, the Yacht Club de Monaco’s President, the Primo Cup has established itself as the big meeting that opens the season in the Mediterranean for Europe’s one-design elite. In the past, more than 450 sailors on 100 boats in six classes have descended on Monaco to celebrate this great classic.

Because of the infamous pandemic, the 2021 edition will see fairly radical, substantive changes to the event in order to comply with current guidelines for safety. 

The YC Monaco decided to adapt by maintaining this regatta with a reduced format which allows local crews to sail in compliance with current health measures. Only two classes, both of which are very active in the Principality, will be competing from Friday 5th March with the first warning signal at 12 noon for the J/70s. As every year, thanks to the support of long-time partner SLAM, the first three boats in each class of the Primo Cup-Trophée Credit Suisse will receive garments from the Italian supplier’s technical range.
 
In the interests of fair-play for the many international teams who usually descend on Monaco for the winter season, the results of the Primo Cup-Trophée Credit Suisse, which would normally also be the last act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, will not count towards the final ranking for 2021. Only results from Act 1 in January (14-17) and Act 2 in February (4-7) will count.

With an eye towards the 2022 J/70 World Championship hosted by YC Monaco, there are many highly experienced crews that are training in the local waters. 

One of the top Italian teams is Claudia Rossi's PETITE TERRIBLE- ADRIA FERRIES, current J/70 European Champions. They face tough competition from local sailors such as YCM’s Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-spot), Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda-Banca del Sempione). Loic Pompee's SAILING RACING TEAM, and Roberto Stefano's PICCINNA. As always with YCM regattas, young sailors from the YCM Club’s Sports Section also have an opportunity to pit their wits against the best on J/70s.  For more YC Monaco Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse sailing information
 

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Islands Race Preview

(San Diego, CA)- San Diego Yacht Club and Newport Harbor Yacht Club's Islands Race is making its way to the starting line on March 5th, 2021. Returning to the sea for its 11th edition running, this signature event is expecting over thirty boats to race from Long Beach, California, around offshore landmarks Santa Catalina Island and San Clemente Islands, and then to finish off Point Loma in San Diego. 

For many, the Islands Race kicks off the start of the 2021 Offshore Racing Calendar and doubles as a shakedown for the Newport Harbor Yacht Club Cabo Race or, on alternate years, San Diego Yacht Club's Puerto Vallarta Race. 

With the race only involving one night at sea, it works as the perfect opportunity to gain offshore experience.  Answering that call are a number of adventurous west coast J/Teams. In the seven-boat ORR-EZ class are two J/111s (Ed Sanford's CREATIVE and Doug Jorgensen's PICOSA) and Paul Stemler's J/44 PATRIOT. Then, in the five-boat ORR 3 Class is Standish Fleming's J/125 NEREID.  Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ Joysailing.com.  For more Islands Race sailing information
 

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San Diego Starts NOOD 2021 Series!

(Newport, RI)- For nearly three decades, the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta national series kicked off in St. Petersburg, FL, in February, but a shift in the 2021 calendar will put Southern California sailing front and center with the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta San Diego, March 19 to 21.

With experienced race management teams at co-hosts San Diego Yacht Club and Coronado Yacht Club, competitive sailors in the region can expect top-quality races on San Diego Bay for the regatta’s smaller boats, as well as the deeper waters off Coronado for larger keelboats. As the first major regatta of the SoCal spring sailing season, the annual event will be a draw for local and visiting teams keen to freshen their skills from the long offseason of 2020.
 
For Helly Hansen, the regatta series’ seven-year title sponsor, the San Diego stop is a welcome beginning to the new sailing year. While the usual after-racing social events will not be held, organizers are keen to provide the best possible experience on the water.
 
“At Helly Hansen we make gear for professionals to feel and stay alive, and that’s also true for all the sailors of the NOOD Regattas,” says Helly Hansen Watersports Marketing Manager, Jenny Daudlin. “While 2020 was a challenging year, Helly has continued to bring along innovative new styles. There were some cool pieces in 2020 that people didn’t get to see, so we’re looking forward to reconnecting with the sailors in different ways and providing them the best gear possible to enjoy their time on the water safely.”
 
One trend that emerged through 2020 was the popularity of day-race formats that require fewer crew members. This movement is also fueled by the expectation of a two-person offshore discipline being added to the 2024 Games. In response to this rising demand for shorthanded races, NOOD Regatta organizers, in partnership with North Sails, added the North Sails Doublehanded Distance Race on Saturday, March 20. This daytime challenge will send competitors racing a variety of boats on one long course spanning San Diego Bay and offshore near Point Loma.


Rudy Hasl, of San Diego, is one of the early registrants for the North Sails Doublehanded Race and says he’s looking forward to skippering his J/145 around the course— with the sole assistance of his long-time bowman, Anthony Garcia.
 
“I’m really glad they’ve added this race to the regatta,” Hasl says. “Doing the typical windward/leeward buoy races all day can be tough on the crew and the sails. So, I like this format, as it offers plenty of excitement for me.”
 
Hasl, 78 years young, raced doublehanded extensively when he lived in the Pacific Northwest. Now a full time SoCal resident, he says San Diego is just as challenging a venue to race, especially a boat the size of his J/145 PALAEMON.  
 
“We’re going to try our best to play it safely and carefully,” Hasl says, noting that he and Garcia will be using specialized sails that are easier for two people to handle. “This is the first time we’ll have doublehanded this particular boat. Anthony is a super bowman because he has his way of checking the lines are run correctly. The boat is set up in a way that I can tail halyards from the back while steering.”
 
Their biggest challenge, he says, may be keeping the boat’s massive spinnaker sail from ever touching the water. “We’ve sailed with it and I have a sense of what’s involved in the process and think we can control the beast,” Hasl says. “The key with doublehanded racing is just doing things slowly and deliberately.”

Joining them in the Doublehanded class is Steve Driscoll's J/105 JUICED!

So far, the two one-design classes are showing good participation. The J/24s have five boats entered and the J/105s are up to a dozen already! Sign up now and join in on the fun!  For more San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing information and registration
 

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Sailing Calendar

Mar 4-7- J/70 Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse- Monte Carlo, Monaco
Mar 5-7- J/111 Key West Winter Series- Key West, FL
Mar 5-6- Islands Race- San Diego, CA
Mar 10-13- J/70 Bacardi Cup- Miami, FL
Mar 11-14- J/105 Midwinters- Seabrook, TX
Mar 18-21- J/22 Midwinter Championship- New Orleans, LA
Mar 19-21- San Diego NOOD Regatta- San Diego, CA
Mar 19- NHYC Cabo Race- Newport Beach, CA
Mar 25-28- SAIL 22 J/70 Invitational- Coconut Grove, FL
Mar 26-28- St. Thomas International Regatta- St. Thomas, USVI
Mar 29- Apr 4- BVI Spring Regatta- Road Town, Tortola, BVI
Apr 2-4- St Petersburg NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg, FL
Apr 8-11- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC
Apr 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.
 

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JESUS LIZARD Crowned J/24 Midwinter Champion

(Miami, FL)- This past weekend from February 26th to 28th, the USA J/24 class held their J/24 Midwinter Championship in Miami, Florida, with the Shake-A-Leg Foundation as their host at their facility on the Miami waterfront. The twenty-nine J/24 teams from across the country were blessed with simply amazing weather for the entire three days of the regatta. In fact, the regatta PRO managed to run ten races, much to the delight of all sailors.

After a slow start on the first day, winning the event in convincing fashion was John Mollicone's JESUS LIZARD crew of Paul Abdullah, Mike Marshall, Nick Turney, and Dan Borrer. Here is how it all went down, thanks to reporting from class director Chris Howell.  

Day One- Friday- Gorgeous Start!    

The event kicked off with four races completed. Teams reveled in the pristine conditions on Biscayne Bay with winds at 8-10 knots, sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s. Carter White on WIND MONKEY (crew of Marcus Rogers, Chris Lombardo, Kelly Franklin-Colby, & Molly White) shot out to the early advantage with 1-2-1-4 finishes for 8 points. Mollicone's JESUS LIZARD stood in second place with 16 points with a 3-3-9-1 tally. Floridian Robby Brown’s ANGEL OF HARLEM (crew of Richard Shellow, Steve Lowery, Kevin Ratigan, & Beaujeaux Delapouyade) finished third with a 11-1-10-6 tally of 28 points. 

White’s WIND MONKEY earned their first bullet of the day in race one, ahead of James Freedman’s MISS CONDUCT and Mollicone’s JESUS LIZARD. Brown’s ANGEL OF HARLEM grabbed the next win, with White and Mollicone again cracking the top three. Trailing White’s second victory in race three were Nadia Daggett’s MUSTACHE RIDE and Val Shestopalov’s VICTORIA. Mollicone secured his silver position for the day with a victory in Friday’s final battle, followed by Aidan Glackin’s MENTAL FLOSS and Freedman.

Day Two- Saturday- Perfect Weather, Again!

The teams again enjoyed ideal conditions on Biscayne Bay. With breeze between 10-15 knots, blue skies and above-average temperatures, four more races went in the books, bringing the total to eight (now including a discard). 

Able to drop a ninth from Friday, Mollicone’s JESUS LIZARD now counted only top three finishes for 17 net points and the lead, heading into the final two scheduled races Sunday. Day one leader WIND MONKEY continued solid scores, but dropped to second with 23 net points. Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER joined Mollicone in placing among the top three in all of Saturday’s races to move into third overall with 30 net points.

Gilberto Rivera’s URAYO team (Jaime Balzac, Pablo Mendez, Melvin Gonzalez, & Efrain Logo) from Puerto Rico rocked the day with three bullets. The first came in the opening race in a duel they won with Odenbach and Mollicone. Odenbach and Mollicone moved up to first and second in the next contest, with Kirk Reynold’s TYRUS in third. Rivera’s second victory came in race seven, again with Mollicone and Odenbach staying at the front of the fleet. Mirroring how the day began in the last match, Rivera, Odenbach and Mollicone comprised the top spots.

Day Three- Sunday- Yet Another Glam Day!

The final day saw two scheduled races take place in more of the same glam conditions of the previous two.  After taking 2nd in the first race, Mollicone's JESUS LIZARD crew sailed home to celebrate their good fortunes! Taking up that opportunity, Odenbach's HONEYBADGER won the last two races to seal the deal for the silver medal. The WIND MONKEY crew experienced a bit of misfortune on their last day, posting a DSQ and 17th to drop to fourth place. Sailing solidly was Rivera's Puerto Rican team on URAYO that posted a 3-4 to excitedly jump onto the bronze step on the podium...their best finish ever in the USA J/24 Midwinters! Rounding out the top five was Brown's ANGEL OF HARLEM in fifth place. Sailing photo credits- Chris Howell/ JCA.  For more J/24 Midwinters sailing information
 

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Fun & Frolic for SSS Corinthian Race

(San Francisco, CA)- Last weekend, the Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay held one of their more revered races of the year- the Corinthians Race.  Answering that siren's call were 180 intrepid souls that are gleefully showed up in the early morning to take their stab at winning their respective classes. 

Starting and finishing off Golden Gate Yacht Club, the 15.5nm course rounds Blackaller Buoy to starboard, Southampton Shoal red bell to port, Little Harding green buoy to port, Blossom Rock green bell to starboard, then to GGYC finish on the waterfront. Basically, the course is criss-crossing the Bay in a circumnavigation of all the tourist sites! 

The two-plus dozen shorthanded J/Crews made the most of the light to medium, very challenging conditions on San Francisco Bay.  In PHRF C Doublehanded J/105s the winners were Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault's ARBITRAGE. Pushing them hard all race was the duo of Charles James & Panda Love's ROXANNE to take the silver. Rounding out the podium was Tom Struttmann & Joerg Esdorn's ARRIVED!  

In Class 6 J/70 Doublehanded, the fleet suffered a trouncing at the hands of the dynamic duo of Justin & Shar Foox on FLOTEK, winning by over a half hour on elapsed time.  Second was Peter Cameron & Ben Mercer's KANGAROO JOCKEY and third was Scott & Hannah Sellers' 1FA. 

The thirteen-boat PHRF H Doublehanded Spin class was a tough group. Taking five of the top seven were all J/duos.  Third was Ted Rogers & Tim Burks on the J/100 GRACE. They were followed by Barry Lewis & Scott Kozinchik's J/120 CHANCE in 4th, Nesrin Basoz & Reuben Rocci's J/111 SWIFT NESS in 5th, Tracy Rogers & Cris Sena's J/120 HOKULANI in 6th, and Timo Bruck & Elaine Scott's J/120 TWIST in 7th place. 

The seventeen-boat PHRF L Class Doublehanded Non-Spin saw Brian Richards & Ernie Baton's J/109 LA VIAJERA take fourth position.

Finally, the fourteen-boat PHRF P Class Singlehanded Non-Spin saw John Kalucki's J/109 LINDO take fourth place. Sailing photo credit- Will Keyworth.  For more SSS Corinthian Race sailing information
 

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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 here.  


Gorgeous J/46 for sale! The J/46 is a timeless performance yacht! The 46 is a joy to cruise, sail & race... the original owner of this 46 has kept her in excellent condition, with full cherry interior and recent Awlgrip. Learn more here from the McMichaels Yacht Brokerage listing.

J/121 WINGS SORC report

We had a chance to catch up with Bill Wiggins and Ashley Maltempo, co- owners of J/121 WINGS. They sailed the SORC Islands in the Stream Series this past winter and ended up finishing third place overall!

According to Bill, "my faith in the boat went up significantly after the head banging we got in the heaviest weather race we had in the series- the Miami to Eleuthera Race. It was a tough race for everyone, and the fleet experienced upwards of 20-30 kts once onto the Bahamas Bank. The race was 90% upwind or fetching on starboard tack, then at top of Eleuthera Island, it became a long, brutal slog on port tack down the eastern side of island in huge, confused seas of 6 to 8-footers! The last fifteen miles were in flat water. Wow, what fun! With winds gusting to 25 kts, we flew the A2 asymmetric spinnaker, driving deep as possible and we maintained a steady 15-16 kts over the water! 

When fetching, the windward water ballast tanks were full, and we were using a double-head rig- the #3 jib with the storm jib inside as a genoa staysail. Depending on the breeze, we'd adjust the main for power, putting in a single slab reef and taking it off when we could. 

The first race of the series- the Nassau Race- was transformed into a big loop because of the Bahamas covid-19 restrictions. Basically, we were criss-crossing the Gulf Stream from Miami to the Bahamas Banks buoys and back.  We saw everything in that race. I think we used all of our sails in winds from 0 to 20 kts, all in 24 hours! 


The second race was fun and quick. The Palm Beach Race is simply a sprint and it took us just 12 hours to go from Miami north to Palm Beach, the Gulf Stream giving us a good kick north of several knots- quite the escalator that thing is!

We were excited about the classic Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race.  But, our hopes diminished as we realized we might be swatting flies the whole way down. Here's how bad it was for the 165.0nm race; we started at 11:00am on Thursday and finished at the crack of dawn on Saturday around 6:30am...it was a super light race, and we must've gybed at least 50-times.

The fourth and final race was important because you had to count it, it was a no throw-out race. In the end, the series was an amazing experience, and we learned a lot about the boat."


When pressed about some of their more memorable experiences in the series, Bill mentioned that their highest speed in any of the races was in the Eleuthera Race, topping out at 16.5 kts in flat water doing dead downwind. But he mentioned that their fastest speed to date was on their delivery from Charleston down to Miami to start the SORC Islands in the Stream Series. Using their Dacron delivery main and Dacron #3 jib, they were flying downwind on a broad reach in the Gulf Stream in a big northeast breeze- gusting up to 35 kts. Top speed? 25.9 knots! 

Bill spoke enthusiastically about his crew that included Greg Fisher (former College of Charleston Sailing Director) and Reed Baldridge. 

Next up for the J/121 WINGS crew is the Annapolis- Newport Race, then Block Island Race Week, and the Storm Trysail Club's Stamford-Vineyard Race.

Greetings from Royal Madras Yacht Club, India!

Capt. Vivek Shanbhag, the Vice Commodore of the Royal Madras YC, and passionate J/80 sailor provided us a quick report of what's happening with the nascent J/80 class in India. Commented Capt. Shanbhag:

"The Royal Madras YC was established in 1910, is located inside the Chennai Port, and has been popularizing sailing in South India.

We have a small fleet of five J/80s and I have been actively pushing keelboat sailing for years.

Our sailors have participated at the J/80 Asian Championship in China in 2018 and 2019 having ranked 5th and 4th, respectively. 

We had 3 RMYC teams participating at the J/80 World's 2019 in Spain and it was a very good exposure with overall ranking around 55th in a fleet of 80 boats.

In India, we do not have a J/80 Class Association. We have a total of five J/80s in India and plan to have our J/80 Class Association shortly.

J/80 Offshore Event
Apart from the usual races we conduct, for the first time we are conducting an Offshore event between two cities- Chennai and Puducherry, which are 160 kms apart. The event is from 10th March to 14th March 2021.

With the prevalent winds, it should take us about 24 hours each way. 

We want to scale it up and I have been working hard with different agencies. An Indian Navy vessel will be escorting us, the Indian Coast Guard is giving Search and Rescue coverage, and we can scramble a helicopter in 30 minutes.

Satellite tracking for continuous coverage is also being provided. A log-in id and password will be published and the race can be tracked from anywhere in the world. The AIS is a challenge and expensive, but we should be able to have them too. We are looking forward to a fun and challenging event for our J/80 fleet! Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Newsletter- February 24th, 2021

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

Ever so slowly, the sailing world is starting to heat-up again in both hemispheres. This weekend, the USA J/24 Midwinter Championship is taking place on Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida! Thirty-plus teams are thrilled they have the opportunity to hop back aboard their stallions and ride them across the aquamarine waters of the Bay. Similarly, 3,000 miles across the continental USA, the Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay will be hosting 180 single and doublehanded boats in their popular Corinthian Race. 

This past week saw the epic conclusion to the increasingly popular SORC Islands in the Stream Series. The final event was the Miami to Eleuthera Race, a 443.0nm jaunt across the Gulf Stream, through the Bahamas, and down to the southern tip of Eleuthera. Wow, did they ever enjoy an epic beach party with a bonfire of the vanities, to boot!

Then, we get a report of the latest sailing from the San Francisco J/105 Fleet. They held a doublehanded race called the Valentine's Day Invitational. A fun around-the-cans event, with start and finish just off Golden Gate Yacht Club!
 

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J/24 Midwinter Championship Preview

(Miami, FL)- This coming weekend, sailing from February 26th to 28th, the USA J/24 class has organized their J/24 Midwinter Championship in Miami, Florida, with the Shake-A-Leg Foundation being their host at their amazing facility on the Miami waterfront. J/24 sailors from across the country are certainly excited about heading down to one of their favorite "watering holes" in all of Florida- Coconut Grove and its super chill downtown collection of restaurants and bars (abiding by pandemic guidelines, of course). The sailors can't wait to chuck the boat in, pop open a few "tinnies", lather up in sunscreen, put on the shades, and take a cruise around the lovely aquamarine waters of Biscayne Bay with friends.


Nearly thirty J/24 teams are registered and the depth of talent is remarkable. Sailing the regatta are several past National, North American, and World Champions; such as the John Mollicone & Mike Marshall duo on AMERICAN GARAGE, Robby Brown's ANGEL OF HARLEM, the Long Island Sound brother duo of Al & Dave Constants on BLITZ, the scary smart crew on HONEYBADGER (Travis Odenbach, Patrick Wilson, Chris Stocke, and Monica Morgan), Eammon Delisser's MAIN SQUEEZE with Luke Lawrence on cockpit/ tactics, the famous Aidan Glackin on MENTAL FLOSS, Mark Pincus steering SCOUTS HONOR, Kirk Reynolds driving TYRUS, and Marcus Rogers on WIND MONKEY with Carter and Molly White providing traffic directions. No "spring chickens" amongst those boats, a lot of bragging rights in the J/24 class amongst them!  For more J/24 Midwinters event and registration information, click here to go to Yachtscoring.com and sign up!
 

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SSS Corinthians Race Preview

(San Francisco, CA)- The Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay is back at it again. After hosting their eponymous Three Bridge Fiasco (won overall by a J/70, if you recall), they will now be hosting one of their more revered races of the year- the Corinthians Race.  Answering that siren's call are 180 intrepid souls who are gleefully looking forward to more wind on SF Bay! It will be the first event of the season that includes the huge doublehanded contingent on the Bay.

Starting and finishing off Golden Gate Yacht Club, the 15.5nm course rounds Blackaller Buoy to starboard, Southampton Shoal red bell to port, Little Harding green buoy to port, Blossom Rock green bell to starboard, then to GGYC finish on the waterfront. Basically, the course is criss-crossing the Bay in a circumnavigation of all the tourist sites! 

So far, the weather forecast is for a sunny day starting out with a light 5-8 kts NNW breeze, swinging into the classic westerly seabreeze by noon, and increasing to 8-15 kts by late afternoon! Sounds amazing!


Looking forward to that challenge are a raft of shorthanded J/Crews.  In PHRF C class are the doublehanded J/105s; including Adam Spiegel's JAM SESSION, Eric Patterson's KESTREL, Tom Struttmann's ARRIVED, Bruce Stone's ARBITRAGE, Phil Laby's GODOT, Charles James' ROXANNE, and Chris Kim's VUJA STAR-- wow, quite the all-star cast from the local SF J/105 fleet!

Sailing in PHRF 5 Class for singlehanded J/70s is John Brigden's COOL STORY BRO. He'll be taking on the PHRF 6 Class doublehanded J/70s that include David Fried's SON OF A SON, Scott Sellers 1FA, Pete Cameron's KANGAROO JOCKEY, Justin Foox's FLOTEK, and Tom Thayer's RAMPAGE. 

The thirteen-boat PHRF H Doublehanded Spin class looks pretty formidable. Rated at the top is Nesrin Basoz's J/111 SWITF NESS. He'll be challenging a gaggle of tough J/120 honchos, like Timo Bruck's TWIST, Barry Lewis' CHANCE, Tracy Rogers' HOKULANI, and Jeff Phillips ALCHERA. Wishing they were sailing in a different class is Ted Rogers' pretty J/100 GRACE!

PHRF 13 Class is Doublehanded Powered Winches boats, which includes Richard Leute's J/44 ACEY DEUCY. 

PHRF I Class Doublehanded Spin has thirteen boats and just one J/Crew- Tim Roche's J/92 ZAFF. Then PHRF K Doublehanded Spin of 11 boats also has a sole J/30 sailing- Jenny Thompson's FRICTION LOSS. 

The seventeen-boats PHRF L Class Doublehanded Non-Spin is also seeing a solo performance by Brian Richards' J/109 LA VIAJERA. 

The eleven-boat PHRF N Class Singlehanded Spin has Ralph Morganstem's J/30 GEODESIC up against another classic J, Chad Peddy's J/24 IRISH BLESSING.

Finally, the fourteen-boat PHRF P Class Singlehanded Non-Spin includes yet another solo performance by John Kalucki's J/109 LINDO. Fair winds and God Speed to all, hoping for a gorgeous day of sailing on the Bay!  For more SSS Corinthian Race sailing information
 

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February Special- Marmot Jacket!

(Newport, RI)- The J/Thermo Jacket is by Marmot and is a stuffed lightweight, highly compressible and enviably warm Primaloft ® Black insulation — a synthetic insulation made with 60 percent recycled fibers that boasts warmth without bulk and a soft feel — the outer is from a durable nylon ripstop fabric. Elastic hem and cuffs keep the jacket in place and Angel-Wing Movement™ allows you to move without the jacket riding up. Zippered pockets offer a warm place for your hands to rest. Wear under a shell or on its own. Perfect for packing and stylish for cool weather.   Click here to enjoy a 20% discount on this gorgeous Marmot jacket
 

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Sailing Calendar

Feb 26- Mar 1- J/24 Midwinter Championship- Miami, FL
Mar 4-7- J/70 Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse- Monte Carlo, Monaco
Mar 5-7- J/111 Key West Winter Series- Key West, FL
Mar 5-6- Islands Race- San Diego, CA
Mar 10-13- J/70 Bacardi Cup- Miami, FL
Mar 11-14- J/105 Midwinters- Seabrook, TX
Mar 18-21- J/22 Midwinter Championship- New Orleans, LA
Mar 19-21- San Diego NOOD Regatta- San Diego, CA
Mar 19- NHYC Cabo Race- Newport Beach, CA
Mar 25-28- SAIL 22 J/70 Invitational- Coconut Grove, FL
Mar 26-28- St. Thomas International Regatta- St. Thomas, USVI
Mar 29- Apr 4- BVI Spring Regatta- Road Town, Tortola, BVI
Apr 2-4- St Petersburg NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg, FL
Apr 8-11- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC
Apr 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.
 

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J/Teams Sweep SORC Islands in Stream Series!

J/44, J/109, & J/121 Go 1-2-3!

(Miami, FL)- The final event for the SORC's Islands in the Stream Series took place last weekend- the Miami to Eleuthera Race. The course took competitors through the heart of the Bahamas and led them to a tropical oasis- Eleuthera Island on the eastern banks.


The 443.0nm race started February 17, 2021 in moderate winds with great expectations the "Weather Gods" would prove right and provide a fresh breeze nearly all the way down the course. The Eleuthera race started off of South Beach, Miami, crossed the Gulf Stream, left Great Isaac (67.5nm), Great Stirrup (75.5nm) and Eleuthera (82.0nm) to starboard, rounded the southern tip of Eleuthera (130.0nm), past the southern tip (18.0nm), and up to the finish near Powell Point (70.0nm). Thereafter, drop sails and head into the gorgeous Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina. 


At the start of the final race, the overall outcome could not have been predicted by anyone. The top five contenders for the series were quite close on points between a TP 52, a 40 ft custom, and three J/Teams (J/44, J/109, and J/121).


In the end, tremendous perseverance paid off for all three J's. Winning was Chris and Karen Lewis' J/44 KENAI, followed by Andy Wescoat's J/109 HARMS's WAY in second, and Bill Wiggins' J/121 WINGS in third position. 


Here is the report from Chris & Karen Lewis (pictured above with crew) from their perspective on the gorgeous J/44 KENAI:

"We were thrilled to win the SORC 2020-21 Islands in the Stream Series with a 1-1-2 score line. The races were varied with light conditions for Races 2 and 3 and then a real blow for most of the Eleuthera Race that challenged all yachts. 

We won the series through sheer determination and, at times, some good decision making. For example, to get to Key West we tacked the 145% genoa 114 times and gybed the 0.5oz VMG kite 28 times. I guess that was good for the sailmakers! Although, I am amazed at how today's carbon sails stand up to offshore conditions if properly handled. 

The first leg to Eleuthera was a tight reach in moderate conditions across the Florida Straights (e.g., the fast-flowing Gulf Stream) allowing for a Code Zero to be flown off KENAI's 2.0m sprit.  We sagged below the rhumb-line with the Stream on our stern quarter. By reefing the main and reducing drag in the puffs, the boat was noticeably faster. Then, we changed to a Heavy #1 sheeted to the rail and we were able to foot up to Little Isaac over the last 20 nm with less north set current. 

From there, we were on the wind with a 200nm starboard-biased beat changing down to a #3 jib and finally the #4 jib! In both cases we had a reefed main. The seas got to be 6 to 8 ft and confused going out into the Atlantic Ocean past the northern tip of Eleuthera (Ed. note- the ocean floor goes from 10,000 ft to 50 ft. in less than 4.0nm, creating the "washing machine effect" on the eastern shore). 

We moved the #4 jib sheeting to the outboard track and saw boat speeds of up to 8.7 knots. Great for the race, but not appreciated by the off-watch crew as KENAI launched off and through the seas. Finally, we turned to a fetch down to the southern tip of the island and set the A4 spinnaker for the finish line. We knew it was tight with the TP52 on rating, but the old girl hit 13 knots with 25 knot gusts on the VMG run to the finish. We corrected out by 22 minutes in the race, with the RC selecting the ORC Predominantly Upwind Rating. 


It's truly amazing that a 23,500 lb. 30-year-old design with 175 sq. m kites and an overlapping genoa has been able to be competitive with a variety of race boats in SORC under a wide range of conditions during the series. The key is knowing your boat and staying near 100% of your speed throughout the race. We do a lot of sail changes. We were also fortunate the J/121 WINGS never got to fly downwind for very long!"


The red-carpet treatment laid down by the Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina was enthusiastically welcomed by all teams. It is truly a little paradise in the middle of the ocean. Their staff did go above and beyond to make sure the sailor's needs were all met, and then some! That included a fantastic bonfire after the awards ceremonies and dinner to celebrate the end of the event (no worries, the wind was blowing hard offshore!)!

The resort looks west over Exuma Sound, which provides good access to the Marina. The channel into the marina is straightforward East/ West, and well lit. A summer dredging project removed the few remaining high spots and left a 12-foot controlling depth, as well as adding jetties extending from the shore.

Follow the SORC Sailing on Facebook here  For more SORC Islands in the Stream series sailing information     For the SORC Miami to Eleuthera Race results and information
 

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ARBITRAGE Triumphs @ J/105 Valentine's Rally

(San Francisco, CA)- As part of their on-going San Francisco J/105 Doublehanded Winter Series, the fleet got together for their first-ever J/105 Valentine's Rally on Sunday, February 14th. San Francisco Bay served up its usual challenges to the sailors, having to make decisions between wind and current on literally every leg of the course. Here's the report from Bruce Stone from aboard ARBITRAGE:

"With the typically modest mid-winter breeze out of the northeast, and our starting area in front of Golden Gate YC, the RC announced a course to the East with port roundings.  So, we re-ran our spin gear to account for that, but just ten minutes before the warning we had a shift to the WSW! So, the RC announced a last-minute call for the new course to Blackaller- just before the Golden Gate Bridge! OMG! So, us and the other crews scrambled to re-run the spin gear for the starboard rounding that would take everyone out into the flood tide! 

Given the adverse current, teams were challenged right from the start to exploit the relief along the shore and were ping-ponging off the breakwater in front of the St. Francis; normally quite easy with a full crew but a workout for double-handers!  

ARBITRAGE had a great start and, after making some gains toward the shore, decided to stretch out on port tack for the better wind just 100 yards out; it was the typical arbitrage of wind and tide...hence the name of Bruce's boat.  

ARBITRAGE won that battle and rounded clear ahead, setting the kite and reaching out to the favorable flood in the light breeze.  A long downwind to channel mark 4, passing Alcatraz to port, created passing opportunities for the trailing boats. Some went low toward Treasure Island, staying in the dying flood, while ARBITRAGE and JAM SESSION looked for better wind toward the north and took a gamble in cutting behind Alcatraz.  That approach backfired, as they were both swept up in the reverse eddy of the famous cone!

After apparently losing its lead, ARBITRAGE jibed back into fresh air and extricated themselves from the ebb in a clean spinnaker reach to the downwind mark, converging with the other boats that had stayed away from Alcatraz. 

Stone and Breault executed a Mexican drop just past the mark with the jib preset for the upwind leg and were able to round tightly and head right toward the finish at Golden Gate YC. However, our competitors were a little less fortunate, as the other teams dropped too early and struggled to round the mark in the light winds and early ebb tide.  

Everyone headed toward the city front as the flood had ended and ebb was established there. But, once again, wind pressure trumped tide and it was better to stay in the deeper water. Tom Struttmann and Joerg Esdorn on ARRIVED went too far, ran out of wind and retired!"

In the end, the J/105 Valentine's Rally was won by Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault in ARBITRAGE, followed by Justin Oberbauer in STRANGELOVE, Adam Spiegel in JAM SESSION and Bill Woodruff in RUSSIAN ROULETTE.

Next up for the J/105 doublehanders is the Singlehanded Sailing Society's Corinthian Regatta on February 27, with 150 boats competing, 7 of which are J/105s - see www.jibeset.net - and then the Pi Regatta on March 14th.
 

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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 here.  


Gorgeous J/46 for sale! The J/46 is a timeless performance yacht! The 46 is a joy to cruise, sail & race... the original owner of this 46 has kept her in excellent condition, with full cherry interior and recent Awlgrip. Learn more here from the McMichaels Yacht Brokerage listing.

Paying it Forward to Youth Sailing- the J/105 WHISTLER story 

 Recently, SAILING Inc in Cleveland, OH had a chance to catch up with some of their good friends, The Taylor Boys from North Cape Yacht Club in La Salle, MI. Father Bill and sons Will and Ethan have been sailing mainstays on Western Lake Erie for years, and recently purchased the J/105 WHISTLER. Here is their fun interview with the Taylors.

SAILING: Describe a little of your sailing background.

I’ve had no formal sail training and youth sailing was limited to the SportYak and Katyak of Boy Scout Camp and the family summer vacations to Northern Michigan. I’ve been a power boater since my early teens. I was introduced to keelboats around 2000 on a Pearson 30 by a lifelong friend, where I moved from rail meat to the pit. 

My two sons and youth sailing formally introduced my family to competitive sailing where they excelled in the Thistle. Today, our sailing is their sailing. I’m easily the worst sailor on our boat!

We overpaid for a ragged-out boat (Thistle) and Will and Ethan began a complete refit, chiseling-out stanchions, thwart, cap, 45s all replaced by them. Senior members of the Thistle fleet, like Doug Labor, motivated and encouraged their sailing and skill development. The Thistle played a huge roll in their early development and they're still active in the Thistle fleet today.

Meanwhile, their passion for the sport grew exponentially and invitations to crew on various keel boats began flowing in. We made the family decision to purchase our first keel boat in 2014, J/24 #4240 named “Juice Box Hero”. The J/24 was an excellent learning platform for our young teenagers to earn the trust of the western basin fleets. Juice Box, sailed with an exclusively junior crew, in various ILYA (Inland Lake Yachting Association) Regattas and helped inspire the creation of the PCYC (Port Credit Yacht Club) J/24 fleet. My passion for the sport took off helping youth sailors find opportunities to sail quality equipment and seriously compete at adult levels. The support and encouragement we received from fellow club members was invaluable. 

My sailing background is directly tied to youth sailing, working on refits and restorations. The passion has been passed down from generation to generation. Those junior sailors have now grown up to be collegiate or former colligate sailors. They live, eat and breath sailing. They run our J/105 WHISTLER program!

SAILING: What kind of sailing do you do?

While we attempt to run a competitive race program, the 105 is used for everything. A sunset cruise or swim on a hot afternoon is a great way to spend the day. We race Wednesday night series, weekend local regattas and intend to jump into one-design and travel this year as well. If you asked Will, it’s PHRF, OD and ORC. If you asked Ethan, we race but I love a sunset cruise.

SAILING: What were you looking for in your next boat?

We wanted a larger race platform that was more accommodating for offshore, night and/or heavier conditions. We found ourselves in longer/larger regattas and had a great experience with the J/24. The bigger J/105 was an obvious choice. My sons researched listings, travelled to inspect, arranged surveys, purchase and transportation. WHISTLER is their program. I take pictures, pay some bills and most of the time they let me tag along (hahaha!). They launch, step, tune, paint, epoxy and repair.

SAILING: Why did you choose this boat and what do you like most about it?

We sail as often as possible and sailing with a younger crew, it's sometimes difficult to sail once or twice during the week and every weekend. The 105s asymmetrical configuration is friendlier to short-handed sailing than a symmetrical boat. The deck layout and system configurations on all J/Boats are well thought out. The boys have sailed J/24s, 29s, 30s, 70s, 88s, 92s, the 105, 109 and J/122- a lot of experience on J's! The J/105 shares some of its classic DNA with the 109 and even 122. They commonly sail on a very strong 122 program called BLITZKRIEG. In addition to shorthanded sailing, the asym configuration is a good platform for training and preparation for larger national regattas aboard the larger J/Boats while also allowing them a platform for more common doublehanded competitions.

SAILING: What particular sailing features do you like?

The boat is an absolute blast in 20 knots. The confidence and stability the boat provides is fantastic. When Lake Erie gets choppy, WHISTLER loves it. The competitive nature of the boat’s design is evident when we pushed the boat hard. We seem to find an extra half knot, but you have to push the boat hard and have the boat in great condition and a good tune to get it. Last, the deck layout is friendlier to more mature sailors like myself. Trying to keep up with these youngsters is hard enough and I’m glad the deck and cockpit configuration doesn’t beat you up.

SAILING: What is the story behind your boat name?

The boat name WHISTLER comes from the previous owner who lives in Barbados. The boat bounced back and forth annually between Barbados and Newport. Rumor has it he was directly affiliated with the famous “Whistler” ski resort. He bought a new J/121 and we got a boat that had been raced by a knowledgeable owner.

SAILING: What do you most look forward to each season on the boat?

Every off-season is busy for us. We attempt to improve our boats every off-season. It affords us a season to work on the boat and a season to race, making spring launch an event with the testing new gear, rigging and sails. The Mills Race is the biggest regatta in our area so it’s the one we look forward to it each spring. This year we are going to attempt a regatta or two in the southeast.

SAILING: What is your proudest achievement on the boat?

Will and Ethan won their first doublehanded regatta. First in PHRF-A at O’Connell Fall Bay was a blast, but the proudest achievement was winning the Club Championship at North Cape Yacht Club. Members have mentoring my boys for years and the competition is strong. Earning a club championship with a young crew and a skipper that should be competing in the junior circuit … it’s pretty rewarding.

SAILING: What is your biggest goal for the boat? Do you have any upcoming plans for this season or next?

The goal is to get the boat into top-flight competition condition. We’re looking forward to the Mill’s Race, a Bayview Mackinac Race, Cleveland Race Week, and possibly Bayview One Design Regatta. I want to keep the WHISTLER crew busy; they get better every time they leave the dock. It’s a young crew and they dream. I’d like to see if we can make a couple of those come true, whether it’s Florida, Charleston, Cleveland, Chicago, or a J/105 North Americans. We probably have some travelling in our future!!

Editor's Note: WHISTLER won the PHRF Fleet at the 2021 Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race! Congrats team Taylor!  For more news from Sailing Inc Cleveland, OH

Mark Pincus Chats About J/24 Midwinters

David Schmidt from Sail-World.com (https://www.sail-world.com/news/234871 ) newsletter recently had time to catch up with a stalwart of the J/24 class in Miami, Florida- Marc Pincus. Here is that interview.

"The J/24 might be venerable design, but the now 44-year-old design still draws some of sailing's best talents to its ranks. Better still, the boats are affordable, relatively easy to maintain, and transportable enough to be taken to destination venues or warm-weather locales during the cold months. One great example of this type of destination fun is this year's J/24 Midwinter Championship (February 26-28), which is being hosted by Shake-A-Leg Miami and which will be sailed on the waters of Florida's Biscayne Bay.

While J/24s may be portable-and their small crew numbers conducive to (relatively) easily creating coronavirus bubbles-the simple fact that the pandemic is still raging has forced many regattas to cancel. Fortunately for J/24 sailors, this year's Midwinters is still happening; better still, the event organizers are taking COVID precautions very seriously and have worked hard to create a safe event for all involved.

Which brings us back to the earlier point that, while now an older design, J/24s have long earned their well-deserved reputation for delivering great racing, and this year's Midwinters promises to be no exception.


I checked in with Mark Pincus, regatta chair for the 2021 J/24 Midwinters (and fleet captain for J/24 Fleet 10 in Miami, Florida), via email, to learn more about this competitive regatta.

SW: What kind of entry numbers are you seeing this year? Also, how do these stack up to previous editions of the regatta?

MP: We are about on track from other years at 23 entries...there are several entries I know are pending, so we should see 25-30 entries on the starting line.

For this COVID environment, we're very happy to be in the normal range! There is a cap of 35 boats, and we were hoping to have to make a wait list but that's probably not going to be necessary.

SW: Weather-wise, what kind conditions can sailors expect to encounter on Biscayne Bay in late February? Also, what are the best-case and worst-case weather scenarios?

MP: Our winter season is great sailing weather typically with balmy mid-70-degree Fahrenheit temps and nice breezes.

We normally see easterly winds from NE-SE and mid-teens in velocity. If a front is coming through, then anything is possible. It's very rare to have temperatures below the 50's but in February they can happen.

With the cold fronts it depends on how strong they are and if they make it all the way south past Miami. When the fronts stall it can leave us without much wind but hopefully the doldrums we have seen this season are past and the breeze will be on for this year's J/24 Midwinters.

SW: How important do you think local knowledge will be? Also, do you expect most visiting teams to arrive early and acclimatize to conditions?

MP: Biscayne Bay is not a hard place to sail and all but maybe one of the current entries has raced here more than once before. The tides are pretty easy to understand, and there are many options for getting current real time info on conditions.

Where we will be racing, a little south in Biscayne Bay, we are removed from the few local knowledge spots near shores.

And yes, I already know of several boats that are coming early to get some practice sailing done!

SW: If you could offer one piece of advice to visiting (and local) teams, what would it be?

MP: It's different this year: BE SAFE!

Respect all the preventatives put in place to keep both sailors and hosts safe and COVID-free. The last thing we want is to have any regatta become a spreader event.

Other than that, bring plenty of water and suntan lotion!

SW: In the ideal world, how many races do you and the other organizers hope to score? Also, how many races will you run per day?

MP: We have ten races are scheduled. Hopefully, with good breezes we can run four races each on Friday and Saturday so that only two are needed on the last day.

SW: What kinds of safe-play pandemic tactics are you expecting from the racers on the water? Also, what kind of shoreside Covid precautions will the event employ?

MP: Looking at our NOR (yachtscoring.com/event_documents/13200/2021%20J24%20MWs%20NOR%20.pdf) will give an idea of all the precautions we have put in place.

Starting with requiring all participants— whether they are racing, supporting, or race committee— to provide negative rapid Covid tests that are less than 72 hours old to be at the event.

We will have temperature takers stopping all persons entering the property and issuing color-coded wrist bands after being allowed entry.

We have suspended all social functions and will prohibit gathering at the venue. If the previous regatta we ran in December is a model, then we expect the sailors to be respectful of the world we are dealing with and not be ultra-aggressive, both on the water and in the jury room!

SW: Can you tell us about any efforts that you and the other regatta organizers have made to try to lower the regatta's environmental footprint or otherwise green-up the regatta?

MP: The biggest environmental effort this year, other than the fact we are sailors who by description do not pollute the atmosphere and are usually very cognizant of keeping our waters clean, is the addition of MarkSetBot to the race course!

Although interest in these GPS battery-operated robotic race marks was already building, the onset of COVID hastened their acceptance in the sailboat racing world. They make staffing the Race Committee much less demanding, controlling the race circle super-fast and easy and require less motorized equipment on the racecourse.

SW: Anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?

MP: We look forward to seeing all of our J/24 friends here in beautiful Coconut Grove playing on our Biscayne Bay waters again in February! Add to Flipboard Magazine.